HFNJ Announces Board Leadership Transition
July 6, 2026The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey is pleased to announce that Steven Kamen has assumed the role of Board Chair as of July 1, 2026, following the end of Amy Schechner’s second term in that role.
Kamen has served on the board of trustees of the Foundation since 1999 and has served as its First Vice Chair since 2025.
Professionally, Kamen is Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President of Med-Metrix. Prior to joining Med-Metrix in 2022, for over 20 years, he was in private practice at a New Jersey-based law firm. Kamen has also served as General Counsel and SVP at a private equity firm in New York City and the General Counsel and EVP of an internet company in New York City. In addition to his service on the board of HFNJ, Kamen served on the Board of Trustees American Jewish Committee – NJ Chapter, and has previously served on the Board of Trustees at WBGO for nine years.
Kamen will become only the fourth individual to assume the role of Board Chair since the creation of The Healthcare Foundation of NJ in 1996, following founding Chair Lester Lieberman (1996-2013), Beth Levithan (2013-2020), and Amy Schechner (2020-2026).
Schechner took the reins of Board Chair in 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic was bringing extraordinary challenges to healthcare institutions. Under her leadership, the Foundation pivoted to swiftly offer essential support to healthcare organizations and frontline providers at a moment when communities needed it most. As the pandemic receded and new challenges emerged, the Foundation continued to adapt to meet the needs of the time under Schechner’s leadership – adopting emerging best practices in philanthropy, focusing on meeting the growing behavioral health crisis, and providing crucial operating support for nonprofit partners. Schechner also successfully oversaw the recruitment and onboarding of a new Executive Director/CEO, Michael Schmidt, after his predecessor, Marsha Atkind, retired after 12 years in the role.
“Amy was an absolute pleasure to work in partnership with and we will certainly miss her leadership as Board Chair, but we are pleased that the Foundation will continue to benefit from her wisdom, compassion and guidance as she continues to serve on the HFNJ Board in the role of Honorary Chair,” said Michael Schmidt, Executive Director/CEO of the Foundation. “I know that HFNJ’s history of strong board leadership will continue with Steve Kamen, and we look forward to the strategic direction Steve will lead the Foundation in the years ahead.”