Carlos Lejnieks

Alumni Award Recipient 2018

Carlos Lejnieks is CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Essex, Hudson & Union Counties (Newark, NJ) and is immediate-past Chairman of Big Brothers Big Sisters of NJ. Lejnieks took over an atrophied BBBS agency in 2008 went from serving approximately 100 youth to serving over 1,200. Under his leadership, BBBS has received awards from local, state and national entities including a formal recognition by President Obama. Prior to joining BBBS, Lejnieks was an administrator at North Star Academy in Newark and held positions as VP of CN Communications International and Goldman Sachs. Lejnieks serves on the Brown University Alumni Association Board, the NJCU Foundation Board, the Board of Regents for Saint Peter’s University and is a Trustee for Jersey City Medical Center and St. Benedict’s Prep. Lejnieks is also Co-Founder and Vice Chair of Democracy Prep Public Schools. In 2006, he received the “Change the World” award for helping create the school. An Aspen Fellow, Lejnieks was selected as one of twelve people in the world in Aspen’s “Emerging Leaders” cohort in 2012 and, in 2011, he graduated from the American Express Leadership Academy. In 2018, Lejnieks won the American Express Global Leadership Academy Alumni award. Lejnieks has a B.A. degree in International Relations and Commerce from Brown University and an M.Sc. degree from the London School of Economics. In 2011, he was given an Honorary Doctorate from Saint Peter’s University, where he delivered the commencement address.