Grants in Action at the Franklin Lakes Education Foundation

A wealth manager with over three decades of experience, Ken Mathieson has served as a managing partner at Laidlaw Wealth Management (LWM), LLC, in New York City since 2017. Alongside his professional activities at LWM, Ken Mathieson has dedicated his time and resources to groups such as the Franklin Lakes Education Foundation, where he served as president in 2011 and 2012.

For more than 30 years, the Franklin Lakes Education Foundation (FLEF) has been enhancing education in Franklin Lakes Public Schools. The New Jersey-based school district receives support from the foundation in the form of grants for enrichment programs and activities.

Recent examples of programs supported by FLEF grants include a student garden at Franklin Lakes Middle School. Initiated by the school's science department, the garden gives students the opportunity to learn about nutrition, life cycles, and garden upkeep. It also gives students a chance to try new vegetables and learn new cooking techniques.

Another FLEF-funded project put Dash robots into the hands of over 200 Franklin Lakes Public Schools third graders. Through the project, students learned about coding and algorithms while teaching their robots to dance, play sports, and speak different languages.

All funding for FLEF grants is provided by parents, community members, and sponsors. More information about supporting the foundation and its work is available at www.flef.net.

Golf Digest's Top Courses in Greater New York City

An experienced wealth management executive, Ken Mathieson enjoys playing golf in his free time. As a resident of New York City, Ken Mathieson lives within comfortable driving distance of several courses that, according to Golf Digest’s 2019-20 rankings, are considered among the best in the state. These include:

1. Winged Foot Golf Club (West) - Designed by famed course architect A. W. Tillinghast, Winged Foot West stretches for 7,426 yards through the densely wooded meadowland of the New York City suburb of Mamaroneck. Standout holes include the par-3 13th and the par-4 18th, the latter of which is believed by some to be the finest closing hole in the country.

2. Bethpage State Park (Black) - This sprawling public course provides a stiff test to golfers, who must contend with narrow fairways, expansive bunkers, and other challenges befitting a layout with a high slope rating. Opened in 1936, Bethpage Black has risen in prominence in the new millennium as the host of several high-profile tournaments, including two US Opens.

3. Garden City Golf Club - A natural, minimalist course, Garden City blends elements of inland links and heathland designs. Among the Long Island layout’s distinguishing features is its deep pot bunkers, which require players to exercise caution when hitting approach shots.