Jeff Goldberg, W’83, WG’89, and Nicole Goldberg

by Karen Doss Bowman

Jeff Goldberg, W’83, WG’89, has a soft spot for the University of Pennsylvania. As president of the Class of 1983, he has been heav­ily involved since graduation in fundraising, community building, and planning events and reunions for his undergraduate class.

“I owe a debt of gratitude to Penn for the exceptional education and the doors the University opened for me,” says Jeff, a co-managing partner of The Milestone Group. “I had an amazing experience at Penn and the journey has never stopped.”

About a year ago, he began exploring new ways to become involved with the University. A close friend told him about the accomplishments and far-reaching influence of Penn GSE, inspiring Jeff to devote time and energy to the School.

“Everything starts and stops with education, and teachers make a lasting impact on children’s lives,” says Jeff, a member of the Penn GSE Board of Overseers. “If you can maximize that impact, you’ve created a great foundation for every child.”

For Jeff’s wife, Nicole Goldberg, supporting Penn GSE was a natural fit. A former second-grade teacher in New York City, Nicole is passionate about education and about improving teachers’ profes­sional development.

“Preparing those who are going to be teaching our children is so important,” says Nicole, who spent many years as a staff developer working with teachers in New York City. She points to Penn GSE’s work in teacher preparation for project-based learning as a sign of the School’s leadership and innovation. “Penn GSE is really looking to the future and thinking about how to move children forward to the next level of learning,” she says.

“Everything starts and stops with education, and teachers make a lasting impact on children’s lives. If you can maximize that impact, you’ve created a great foundation for every child.”

The Goldbergs have been devoted to educational causes, such as the Florence Fuller Child Development Center, which provides pre­school education to disadvantaged youth, as well as Saint Andrew’s School, where their three children attend. They recently committed to support the Dean’s Discretionary Fund at Penn GSE, which pro­vides resources to meet the School’s priorities.

“I think Dean Grossman is one of the preeminent educators in the United States,” Jeff says. “She is really on the cutting edge, and she’s a dynamo. Our goal is to empower her and her faculty to develop in­novative ways to educate that will make an impact locally, nationally, and internationally.”

To learn more about the Extraordinary Impact Campaign, visit www.gse.upenn.edu/support/extraordinary-impact or contact us at 215.573.6623 or alumni@gse.upenn.edu.

This article originally appeared in the Spring 2019 issue of The Penn GSE Magazine.