Ed Nekritz, JA-Rocky Mountain Board Member and current Senior Advisor for Prologis after serving as the company’s first Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel for almost 30 years, will be honored in March by Junior Achievement (JA) USA with the prestigious Gold Leadership Award. The organization’s highest honor, this award is bestowed annually to a select few JA supporters who have provided passionate leadership and significant resources to ensure JA can fulfill its mission to inspire young people to succeed in a global economy in their local communities.

Ed joined the JA-Rocky Mountain Board of Directors in 2012 and has consistently demonstrated his commitment to helping young people in Metro Denver gain the skillset and mindset to achieve their aspirations by volunteering to implement JA’s classroom and experiential programs. In addition to giving his time, Ed and his wife Wendy have made generous personal contributions each school year so JA can provide programs to students and schools at no cost.

Furthermore, Ed and Wendy made a significant contribution to support the capital campaign for the JA Free Enterprise Center, which opened its doors in April 2023. Along with volunteer and financial support, Ed has made numerous introductions to individuals and companies. These introductions led to valuable new partnerships that continue to support JA-Rocky Mountain’s efforts to reach even more students.

“Ed’s exceptional leadership has provided both vision and practical support for JA,” said Robin Wise, JA-Rocky Mountain President & CEO. “His continued participation on the board, his financial contributions, his ambassadorship promoting JA and making introductions, and his firm’s financial contributions have made him a standout leader who has made a measurable difference for JA-Rocky Mountain. His deep commitment to working to advance young people’s potential is exceptional and worthy of this recognition.” 

Thanks to Ed’s leadership and advocacy, Prologis has become one of JA-Rocky Mountain’s top corporate partners thanks to its multi-faceted approach to corporate social responsibility. Since he joined the Board, Prologis has not only contributed over $1.6 million, but its employees have volunteered countless hours to inspire students directly. Additionally, Ed has rallied associates at Prologis to raise more than $539,000 through their participation in the JA Bowl-A-Thon.

Ed will be officially honored with the Gold Leadership Award on March 11 at the National Volunteer Summit in New York City.