Education & Professional Background

Carlos M. Pomares was born and raised in Hudson County, NJ, where he attended St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City. He continued his education at Caldwell University earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and received awards for his public speaking and museum work at the President Grover Cleveland Birthplace.  He later earned his master's degree at Seton Hall University in the inaugural class of the Museum Professions Program. He has diligently served numerous museums including, King Manor Museum, Waterloo Foundation for the Arts, the NYC Police Museum, the Montclair Historical Society and others. He has also served as an adjunct professor of history and political science and as a consultant for non-profit organizations. 

In 2013 and 2016, Pomares was elected as Councilman At-Large in Bloomfield Township where he was instrumental in the creation of the Morris Canal Greenway in Bloomfield, notably with the creation of Canal Park at Oak Tree Lane; the restoration of the historic Collins House; and the development of the Morris Canal Greenway finder signs. In 2017, he was elected to the first of three terms on the Essex County Board of Commissioners. 

Today, Pomares serves as the President of the Essex County Board of Commissioners. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Cuban Artists Fund and continues to teach as an adjunct professor. 

A college internship at the President Grover Cleveland Birthplace inspired a lifelong career in museum work and historic preservation. Here Pomares meets with the President's son, Francis Grover Cleveland, at his family home in Tamworth, NH in ca. 1993. Despite the box's label, it was filled with the President's personal items, including unpublished family photos and the actual Democratic Party's nominating documents for 1884, 1888, and 1892. These items were entrusted to Carlos by Francis for safe transport as part of a larger donation he made to the Grover Cleveland Birthplace. 

For nearly two decades, Pomares has served as the Executive Director of the Cuban Artists Fund, a NYC based organization dedicated to supporting artists of Cuban ancestry through grants, residencies and exhibition opportunities. Here, happy visitors enjoy a visit to the studio of renowned contemporary artist, Jorge Wellesley Bourke in Union City, NJ.

Pomares credits Dr. Marie Mullaney (History Department) and Bob Mann (Communications Department) as highly influential mentors. Since graduation, Pomares returned to the University to serve as an adjunct professor. In 2022, he was invited to join as a Trustee on the University’s Board of Directors where he currently serves.