Joe will be the first to tell you that he has had many great mentors in his life,
has worked day and night toward his goals and been the beneficiary of many fortunate events. But he has also been far from perfect, made many mistakes, and never stops trying to improve himself and uplift the lives of those less fortunate.
Raised by a mother and father who weren't afraid to dream, Joe fondly remembers his father who at 80 years old had a vision to reinvigorate the town of Trenton, NJ by raising $16 million dollars which brought the Yankee's minor league affiliate Trenton Thunder to New Jersey. His father's purpose was to make a difference in life and the world around him. His passion and drive influenced Joe greatly.
In November 2008, Joe's life dramatically changed when his eldest son Christian Joseph Plumeri passed away from drug addiction. Joe became actively involved with The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University. "I think that if a person is in a position to help others then you must act. You have to step out on the wire and take a risk," Plumeri said. To honor Christian's memory and love of sports, Joe contributed to the College of St. Rose in Albany, New York, creating the Christian Plumeri Sports Complex.
Joe has been actively involved with Make-A-Wish®, the world renown organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions, to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Joe served as the Honorary Chairman of the capital campaign for Make-A-Wish New Jersey, with a goal to build the first of its kind, magical and whimsical wishgranting facility. By committing the largest gift in MAW history (nationally and internationally), the facility today is named for Joe's parents - The Samuel & Josephine Plumeri Wishing Place - where wishes have a place to call home, and has transformed the great work of the NJ chapter.
As a former high school teacher and football coach, Joe holds education to a high regard. He is a major supporter of his alma mater, William and Mary where he established the Plumeri Awards for Faculty Excellence at the College of William & Mary, funded the Joseph J. Plumeri Business Scholarship and created the Joseph J. Plumeri Endowment Fund for baseball scholarships at the college. In 2011, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service for his philanthropic endeavors from William and Mary.
Joes deep respect for the courage of Jackie Robinson led him to help build the Jackie Robinson museum and serve on the board of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. His commitment to expand the boundaries of health and well-being brought him to the board of Mount Sinai Hospital.
