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Arthur W. Thomas III has experience in finance, investing in real estate and community development. Most recently, Mr. Thomas joined The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven as the director of Mission Investments and Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, providing the platform for collaborative cross-sector leadership and strategies for equity and empowerment. As such, he is currently piloting an innovative initiative with anchor institutions, business owners and community leaders to begin building an equitable entrepreneurial ecosystem in New Haven.

Mr. Thomas also recently graduated from a master’s program at Yale Divinity School to enhance his ability to evaluate the ethical intentions and outcomes of community empowerment programs and build strategic partnerships to reduce socioeconomic inequities. He has served on the board of directors for Community Health Network and the Glendower Group CDC, is co-chair of the Faith in Action outreach ministries at Christian Tabernacle Baptist Church, and is in the ordination process with the American Baptist Convention.

Earlier in his life, Mr. Thomas became extremely active in a local church, and formed the Divine Grace Foundation aimed at empowering historically marginalized residents with academic proficiency, financial literacy, healthcare and workforce development skills. Today, both he and his wife, Dr. Jennifer Pierre-Thomas, are active board members in this foundation and are developing programs and raising capital to cultivate these initiatives both locally and abroad in Haiti and Nairobi.