Marlene Somerville

Marlene Somerville currently works for a Fortune 500 company in its Enterprise Risk Management Division. She holds undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Chemistry and master's degrees in Business, Public Administration, and Accounting. In 2026, she will graduate from Saint Peter's University with a Doctorate in Education.

Despite her extensive academic background, Marlene often expresses that her passion for student success began not in a classroom, but as a parent at Fairmount School, where she learned to advocate for children and worked to strengthen meaningful partnerships between schools and families.

Marlene has dedicated much of her professional and volunteer life to supporting young people as they navigate critical transitions. She serves on the board of Visions and Pathways, an organization that supports teens aging out of foster care as they transition into adulthood. She is also a Bergen County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), working in coordination with the court system and child welfare professionals to ensure that children's voices and best interests are represented in complex legal proceedings.

She previously served on the Executive Committee of the New Jersey School Boards Association, where she collaborated with educators on behalf of students and supported initiatives focused on student engagement, accountability, and long-term educational success.

Marlene is also a member of the Bergen County African American Advisory Committee, and she has served as an adjunct professor, teaching incarcerated young people and helping expand their access to education as they prepare to reenter society.

Across all of her roles, Marlene is driven by a belief in discipline, teamwork, mentorship, and opportunity, values that strongly align with the mission of youth athletics and HOW's rowing programs.

As a member of the board, Marlene looks forward to supporting the program by helping advance opportunities that foster character development, resilience, leadership, and teamwork, while expanding access to athletic and personal growth for young people in the community. She remains deeply committed to creating pathways that help students and families thrive, both in and beyond the classroom.