Board

Bruce Macleod became involved with Hudson Link in 1999 and served two terms as Board President.

“I think that Hudson Link’s greatest strength is its long-term, continued relationship with our students and graduates to ensure their success both inside and outside the prison walls.”

Bruce Macleod earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Williams College and his Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. Mr. Macleod has spent the majority of his career developing large-scale commercial real estate projects and is the Retail Principal of Arcturus Real Estate which provides strategic and advisory assessments for institutional investors on troubled retail loans and investments, centered mainly on regional malls.

Mr. Macleod serves as President of the Board for Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, as a trustee for the Posse Foundation, one of the most comprehensive and renowned college access and youth leadership development programs in the United States and past President of the Board of Directors of Hudson Link.

“Hudson Link has proven that access to higher education in prison transforms lives, strengthens families and improves communities. I hope that Hudson Link will continue to expand its educational footprint throughout the national correctional system.”

Neal Keller joined Hudson Link’s Board in 2011 and currently serves on the Program and Transitional Services Committees. From 2003 until 2018, as a Mercy College adjunct professor, he taught Introduction to Personal Computers at Sing Sing Correctional Facility through Hudson Link’s program.

Mr. Keller has been involved in prison work for a number of years and his work with Hudson Link is linked closely to our core values: “The greatest strength of Hudson Link is our students,” he says, “and their commitment to transform themselves through education. The dedication of our staff, teachers and supporters to provide the resources to make this possible is also invaluable.” Mr. Keller hopes that Hudson Link can serve as a model for an increased national commitment to leveraging education for rehabilitation of those incarcerated.

For his dedication and service, Mr. Keller received Hudson Link’s Harold Dow Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual Spring Gala in 2011. “In order to give back for the gifts I have received in life, I volunteer for Hudson Link.” Keller says.

Mr. Keller retired in 2013 after a 28 year career at IBM’s Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. He holds over 20 IBM patents and his IBM career included work in teaching, distance learning, and collaboration services. Mr. Keller is a member of the 2014 class of Volunteer New York’s “Leadership Westchester” program. He is married with two grown children and lives with his wife Susan in Pleasantville.

Annette Johnson has been a supporter of Hudson Link for many years and joined the Board of Directors in 2010. She is a strong voice for a prison system that is truly rehabilitative, and sees Hudson Link and prison education work as a vehicle to that end. Her motivation comes from the evidence of transformation seen at every Hudson Link graduation ceremony, and with each individual released: “seeing the families of the people who graduate, and the pride of their children inspires me.”

Ms. Johnson has been active in prison education programs since 1999, primarily as the founder and director of Prisoners Reading Encouragement Project, which, in cooperation with New York State Department of Correctional Services, provides books and educational materials at no cost to New York State correctional facilities. She also serves many other organizations implementing innovative and needed educational programs in New York State prisons. She is an active sponsor and supporter of Literacy for Incarcerated Teens, and the Learning Center for Women in Prison at Bayview Correctional Facility.

Her dedication and commitment also extends as a member of the board of Citizens United for the Rehabilitation of Errants (CURE-NY) for many years; a grassroots advocacy organization focusing on criminal justice reform and rehabilitative measures for those involved with the criminal legal system such as education, training and treatment. As if her resume could not grow any stronger, she also serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Prison Policy Initiative; which documents the impact of mass incarceration on individuals, communities, and the national welfare in order to empower the public to improve criminal justice policy.

Ms. Johnson currently serves as Senior Vice President, Vice Dean and General Counsel at NYU Langone Medical Center and oversees all legal matters concerning the medical center including providing leadership to the Office of Audit and Compliance, the Institutional Review Board and the Office of Government Affairs, all of which report to her.

Ms. Johnson received her B.A.from Incarnate Word College, her Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts, and her J.D. from the University of Toledo, College of Law. Following law school and prior to joining the New York University Office of General Counsel, Ms. Johnson was Assistant Dean and Associate Professor of Law at the University of Toledo, College of Law, and briefly served as an Assistant Attorney General in the New York State Attorney General’s office.

Joe Jean isn’t only an insurance litigator and advisor who represents policyholders in claims against their insurance companies; he is a creative business adviser who builds long-term relationships that help him develop ideas to not only help clients win arguments, but avoid them in the first place.

Mr. Jean provides real-world advice, including the pros and cons of actions he recommends. He focuses on property and business interruption insurance for commercial property owners in the education, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, mining, retail, and multifamily housing industries and has represented clients on some of the nation’s largest and most important catastrophic property losses, including the attacks on the World Trade Center and natural disasters such as Superstorm Sandy, hurricanes, tornados, floods and earthquakes. Over the past 15 years, Mr. Jean has helped policyholders recover more than $5 billion in damages.

Mr. Jean also advises clients on insurance coverage for matters involving general and product liability, directors’ and officers’ liability, employment liability, toxic tort liability and governmental investigations. He has practiced in federal and state courts and has represented clients in domestic and international insurance and reinsurance arbitrations and mediations.

An avid cyclist outside the office, Mr. Jean’s pro bono work includes acting as national counsel for a nonprofit professional association and representing indigent clients before state and federal courts, including the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Mr. Jean is also actively involved in representing Superstorm Sandy victims against their insurance companies.

Gary Gordon’s career was on Wall Street, where he was primarily a stock analyst covering the housing, mortgage, and consumer finance industries. He also served as a U.S. investment strategist and as a portfolio manager. The bulk of his work career was at PaineWebber and UBS (1988 to 2005). He is now retired.

Mr. Gordon does volunteer teaching at a junior high school and at Taconic Women’s Correctional Facility. He also presents financial literacy seminars to college and high school students. He is on the Board of Hudson Link and on operating committees at UJA and the Neuberger Museum.

Mr. Gordon is married with two young adult children. He has degrees from Colgate University (BA ’74, philosophy) and The Wharton School (MBA ’77, finance).

Brian Fischer is a recently retired Commissioner of the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision after 44 years of dedicated service. Commissioner Fischer led the nation’s fourth-largest state correctional system with 57,069 people incarcerated in 67 facilities and is responsible for the community supervision of 37,917 parolees.

He has served on the Board of Directors at Hudson Link since 2007. His knowledge, experience and dedication to enhancing efficacy and improving programs within New York’s prison system have been integral to Hudson Link’s success, and consequently, to the success of our graduates.

In addition to college programs, Mr. Fischer has championed services for incarcerated people with serious mental health needs, and implemented several non-traditional programs, including some of which have become models for other prisons: transitional re-entry programs, theater, in addition to domestic violence and parenting skills for men. He knows the value of these programs in fostering the very best individual human potential while benefitting, ultimately, the whole of society.

“It is a win-win situation,” he says. “And Hudson Link enables that potential, the key being its willingness to look at what can be, rather than what was, for those who seek our help.”

Mr. Fischer also sits on the board of Puppies Behind Bars, a program that allows currently incarcerated people to raise puppies that are then trained to be Seeing Eye dogs and, most recently, as special service dogs for disabled veterans.

He has been an adjunct professor at both Pace University and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Commissioner Fischer has received recognition by a number of organizations, most recently:
The New York State Bar Association Award for Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Corrections, 2011
The Public Service Award from the Community College Fellowship, City University of New York, 2009.
Warden of the Year Award from the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents for his work at Sing Sing in 2006.

Mr. Fischer was born in Brooklyn and has lived most of his life in Rockland County. He is married and has two grown sons. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling, and a Master’s Degree in Professional Studies.