Forever Grateful, Forever Proud
Rose Cali ’80
Serving on the Board of Trustees since 1991, Rose Cali ’80 has helped shape the University both physically, artistically and communally. She has led the charge on such projects as the naming of the Yogi Berra Stadium; creating, developing and building the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, where she served as president and CEO until 2005; introducing President Susan A. Cole to the Kasser family who embraced the idea to name the Alexander Kasser Theater; and surprising her husband, John J. Cali, by working behind the scenes to name the newly established School of Music after him in 2009, dedicating their generous financial contribution to music scholarships and professorships.
As a longtime advocate for grassroots community partnerships and programs directed to help the underserved, Cali has served on more boards and driven more fundraising campaigns than space allows – championing worthy causes including the University Foundation, the Montclair Art Museum, Big Brothers Big Sisters, The Salvation Army, Mentor Newark, Write on Sports, the Italian American Forum and the Mental Health Association.
Her legacy includes, in part, the University’s growth as a research institution, particularly when it comes to bringing its programs together with organizations such as the New Jersey Coalition for Inclusive Education and The Trust for Public Land for grant opportunities. Cali says such partnerships and the resulting research and education initiatives are “the future of this university.”
On top of all that, 23 years ago, Cali helped select Susan A. Cole as president – ushering in a period of remarkable growth and transformation. (See story “The Cole Years”) Since then, Cali has been a dynamic partner to Cole, riding sidecar on trips to Trenton and blazing a path to the local philanthropic community.
Coming from a hardscrabble diverse working class neighborhood in New Haven, Connecticut, Cali says that she and her four siblings were not “shy observers” of a “curated” life. Their single Latina mom, Alicia, was raised in an orphanage and worked as a housekeeper to support them.
After graduating from Wilbur Cross High School in 1959, Cali left home “because we had to work to survive” and only returned to school for a college degree in the late 1970s after falling in love with John and moving to Montclair with her sons Mike and Josh. After their son Chris was born, she enrolled at Montclair State because “I was hungry to learn.” Cali ultimately obtained a degree in Cultural Anthropology, graduating magna cum laude. “It was an unforgettable day.”
Though Cole is retiring, Cali says she is excited about the future of the board and the University.
“Living through this pandemic has reset our mindfulness particularly about educators, who have become exceptionally valued, as parents recognized their dedication to their craft and reconsidering their worth,” says Cali.
“Susan reenvisioned Montclair State and continuously raised the bar over 23 years for our students. I am shouting out my fellow board members who are exceptionally dedicated to Montclair State, working together to raise that ceiling. I’m a very proud alumna forever grateful and proud. I love Montclair State University.”
–Mary Barr Mann