This theme was born out of the desire for a more viable & stable economy that works for everyone in the largest city in the State of New Jersey.
A strong economy is a key ingredient for any thriving metropolis in the United States. Achieving economic success requires a community to meet some basic needs such as a quality educational system, employment opportunities, and the offer of a safe place to live, while ensuring quality healthcare and a reduction in poverty. Rebuilding The Dream That Is Newark will encourage and motivate stakeholders to become more actively engaged in these public policy issues lending a voice of solutions for the future of Newark!
This Summit will help Rebuild the city civic infrastructure by strengthening its linkages, informing the citizenry, stakeholders and key leaders in New Jersey. The Leadership Newark Summit will offer an opportunity for new relationships among people who may not have previously viewed themselves as collaborators to join forces while inspiring, empowering, and informing those committed to Newark to engage in dialogue to identify problems and more importantly identify solutions through workshops, panel discussions, & keynote addresses.
Ultimately, it is our goal to connect resource seekers and resource givers – both tangible and intangible – and foster creation of a coalition or consortium of people, from a diverse group of backgrounds, and professions, who want to become part of an action oriented group. It is our hope once connected, you will stick together and support each other in making sure the ideas developed at the Summit and thereafter become realities. Let’s dare to be greater!
The Community Action Guide is designed to get you started on the road to taking action in the community. Following the simple steps below will help you effectively approach challenges in the community you want addressed.
You can begin today during each of your workshops and during the plenary this afternoon. Simply fill out the pages by answering the questions and you will be well on your way to
solving a community challenge you deem important.
The most important thing to remember is The Community Action Guide should be used today, tomorrow and beyond. In order to have an impact, stay steadfast and keep these simple steps close to you.
Steps:
Workshop A: Mass Incarceration: The Local Impact – (Room 237) Mass incarceration has had staggering human and financial costs, most notably in urban communities. Mass incarceration ranks among one of the most urgent challenges facing the U.S. and our criminal justice system. This panel will analyze the impact of sentencing laws and practices, including mandatory minimums and the “three strike” laws to urban communities.
Workshop B: Crime & Violence: A Public Health Challenge – (Room 234) Traditionally criminal activity & violence have been left in the hands of the criminal justice system. However, when you look at prevention support services for victims it then becomes necessary to bring in the professionals in medicine, nursing and other health related social services. Join this distinguished panel as they discuss effective means of public health intervention in cases of abuse, rape, assault & homicide.
Workshop C: Crime & The Environment – (Room 235) Small acts of deviance such as littering, graffiti and broken windows as well as neglect can escalate into more serious crime if ignored according to “The Broken Window Theory”. Join a distinguished panel of experts who will share their knowledge on how the physical condition of an environment impacts criminal activity along with measures towards social cohesion that can reduce higher risk of criminality.
Workshop A: Fact or Fiction: The Truth About School Reform – (Room 226) Experts in the field of education have been struggling for years on the national, state and local levels about ways to improve public education. Reform efforts have prompted broad-based approaches to individual educators taking measures towards improvement. The choices are plentiful, the challenges great, and the struggle continues, as we need viable solutions and clarity today. Join the discussion with a distinguished panel of experts to help dispel the myths and share the facts about urban school reform.
Workshop B: School Safety – (Room 224) Violence and high profile school shootings across the country causes much concern within school communities, as does bullying and just plain bad behavior and poor attitudes, which lead to a difficult environment in which to learn. Join the discussion on measures we can all employ to ensure a healthier learning environment.
Workshop C: Families and Community: Partners In Education – (Room 227) The phrase ”It Takes a Village…” has been overused and abused. Many of us seem to recognize that parents, community and educators are key players for a successful well-rounded student. Yet, we continue to struggle with ways to keep the parents and community engaged throughout a student’s primary and secondary school years. Join the panel as they share best practices from around the country on everyone engaging in a student’s educational success.
Workshop A: Healthy & Green Economic Opportunities for Urban America – (Room 255) Race and socioeconomics play a huge role in a community’s ability to access healthy food and well-maintained open spaces. What is our collective responsibility to self-determine a healthier environment, which contributes to better quality of life FOR ALL? Join a distinguished panel as they discuss the environment & its role in our health and economy.
Workshop B: Workforce Development in the 21st Century – (Room 256) People who live in poverty are in poverty because they do not have the income or economic resources to adequately support the basic necessities. This causes a widening of the wealth gap, which is a critical issue facing many households today. The need to prepare and educate a viable workforce for jobs of today and tomorrow should be priority #1. Employers may create great jobs, but we must have a workforce skilled to do the job at hand. Join this distinguished panel as they share their expertise on how urban centers can better prepare the workforce to earn and maintain livable wages.
Workshop C: Dollars & Sense: Money Matters in Your Community – (Room 257) Managing day-to-day expenses can be challenging enough. But adding the pressures of mounting debt, saving for college and paying down student loans makes financial challenges feel overwhelming. However, building wealth, in particular wealth that can be passed on to future generations is critical to your family and the strength of the broader Newark community. Join Prudential and other distinguished panelists to understand how policy impacts the ability of urban communities to build intergenerational wealth and discuss how to get out of debt, save wisely and move from saving to investing in order to secure your financial future.
Walter L. Fields, Jr. is a public affairs consultant and the Executive Editor of NorthStarNews.com. He has previously served as Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs, and Senior Adviser, Government Relations and Public Affairs for the Community Service Society of New York, and Publisher of City Limits. Prior to establishing NorthStar, he served for twelve years as principal of Fields Communications, a public affairs company located in Trenton, New Jersey; the Director of Public Affairs for the New York State Trial Lawyers Association and was the Senior Government Policy Analyst for the Community Service Society of New York. Mr. Fields has a long history of involvement in community-oriented activities. He has been a tireless advocate for his community and has been outspoken in his support of initiatives promoting racial and ethnic diversity in the public and private sectors. He served for five years as the Political Action Director for the New Jersey State Conference of NAACP Branches and was a member of the executive board. During his tenure as an NAACP officer Mr. Fields led the campaign against conservative talk show host Bob Grant that resulted in WABC radio’s dismissal of the volatile radio personality. In his best-selling book, “Let’s Be Heard,” Grant acknowledged Fields’ opposition, citing in particular a debate with the NAACP leader on the nationally televised “Dennis Prager Show”. Mr. Fields is also a past Vice President for Programs for the New Jersey Public Policy Research Institute (NJPPRI), a non-partisan not-for-profit think tank dedicated to examining the impact of public policy on the state’s Black community.
Van Jones is the co-host of Crossfire on CNN, and VanJones.net is his official site and the digital home of the #TeamVan community. Van Jones is president and co-founder of Rebuild the Dream, a platform for bottom-up, people-powered innovations to help fix the U.S. economy. A Yale-educated attorney, Van has written two New York Times Best Sellers: The Green Collar Economy, the definitive book on green jobs, and Rebuild the Dream, a roadmap for progressives in 2012 and beyond. In 2009, Van worked as the green jobs advisor to the Obama White House. There, he helped run the interagency process that oversaw $80 billion in green energy recovery spending. Van is the founder of Green For All, a national organization working to get green jobs to disadvantaged communities. He was the main advocate for the Green Jobs Act; signed into law by George W. Bush in 2007, the Act was the first piece of federal legislation to codify the term “green jobs.” Under the Obama administration, it has resulted in $500 million for green job training nationally.
Charles Brown is a Senior Research Specialist with the Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center (VTC) and Adjunct Professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University. He has extensive experience in community development, urban and regional planning, public policy, and applied research. His research has focused on pedestrian safety at or near bus stops; safe routes to public transit for persons with disabilities and the elderly; complete streets implementation and evaluation; and the economic impacts of biking and walking in the state of New Jersey. Mr. Brown is an awarding-winning expert on transportation and receives invitations to speak locally, nationally, and internationally. He is the recipient of several honors including the Mississippi Commendation Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal from the Governor of Mississippi and Mississippi Army National Guard, National Achievement Planning Award of the American Planning Association, and the American Council of Engineering Companies’ Honor Award. Mr. Brown holds a Master of Science in Public Administration with a concentration in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Central Florida and Bachelor in Business Management from Belhaven College.
Dr. William Calathes is a Professor of Criminal Justice at New Jersey City University. He earned his Bachelors Degree at the City College of New York, his Masters Degree from the John Jay College, his law degree from the City University Law School at Queens College, and his doctorate degree in criminal justice from the City University of New York. Dr. Calathes has administered educational programs in the New York City prison system, served as a Board member of Project Green Hope, a halfway house for women and, was a union organizer. He also reviewed the International Tribunal in Rwanda following the genocide, assisted in voting rights litigation in Kenya, and served on the Board of International Rights Advocates, a public interest law firm fighting against corporate crime worldwide. He also served as a research consultant in the United Nations’ project on sexual violence in the Congo, and currently serves as a consultant for the United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commission in Colombia, working on maximizing transitional justice and alternative justice mechanisms in the peace process. Dr. Calathes has also worked under Department of Justice community policing grants in the areas of vandalism, youth gangs, and drug prevention. He has written on the topics of gun control, community corrections, race relations and human rights. And finally, most recently, Dr. Calathes’ has taken his brand of progressive activism in service to Local AFT 1839, serving as its President, and is an advisor to student activists on campus working collectively to defend public higher education.
In June 2006, after four years as a program officer, Irene Cooper-Basch became the third Executive Officer and Secretary of the Board for Victoria Foundation—a private grantmaking institution founded in 1924, with current assets totaling $240 million and an annual grants budget of $10 million. She previously served for six years as a founding program officer at the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey. Both of these foundations have a strong grantmaking focus on the city of Newark, New Jersey. Victoria Foundation also allocates 10 percent of its grantmaking resources to support the environment and to preserve open space in the New Jersey Highlands, the adjacent Ridge and Valley Region, and the Pine Barrens. Irene holds a Bachelor’s degree from NYU, a Master’s degree from Drew, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Urban Systems at RutgersNewark working on a dissertation to better understand the impact of Victoria’s investments in Newark over the past 50 years.
Mavis C. Faulknor, MSN, RD., CDE., APN-C, Family Nurse Practitioner/Nurse Educator , is the Director of the Nursing Program at Hudson County Community College and a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Buffalo, New York. Ms. Faulknor has devoted her career to improving the nutrition, health and education status of vulnerable, medically underserved and minority population groups. She was a member of the first class of Leadership Newark Fellows. Ms. Faulknor has lectured and taught extensively in nutrition, health and nursing with an emphasis on reducing infant mortality and promoting access to nutrition for women, infants and children. She served as Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Coordinator in urban communities in New York and New Jersey for more that fifteen years combined. She has been an educator and adjunct instructor at various colleges and education institutions and is a strong advocate that “All students can learn.” She is also a licensed teacher of Health Occupations; and has mentored and precept many nursing and nutrition students. As a committed advocate for the vulnerable and underserved, Ms. Faulknor has served on various health advisory committees and boards for community-based organizations in the City of Newark and surrounding service area. She was a selected State of New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services Advisory Council member on Black Infant Mortality Reduction (1998-1999).
Born in Harlem, Eleanor Leanna Holder- Elcock is the younger of two children. Eleanor began her career at Martin De Porres School in Queens, New York. This was a school that educated classified students who were having difficulty behaviorally in a public setting. After receiving her BS she began to work with women who were incarcerated in the New York jail and prison system. She worked for the Incarcerated Mother’s Program and serviced women through Steps to End Family Violence. Eleanor then went back into education and worked as a Substance Abuse Prevention and Intervention Specialist in School District Two for seven years. Her experience in both education and counseling offenders would lay a strong foundation for her present position. Eleanor has worked for Essex Regional Educational Services Commission for 15 years. She is assigned to Sojourn High School, which located in the Essex County Juvenile Detention Center. There she provides counseling services and positive alternatives to negative behavior to the student body. Eleanor has always incorporated the arts in her work as a counselor. She believes that it reaches far into the spirit of a person, and touches where words often are inadequate. She loves writing poetry and lyrics. Some of her most powerful moments are working side by side with her songwriting partner. She is also a playwright. Her most recent work of art is “The Penile Conversation.” It opened at Essex County College, Mary Burch Theater on the 28th of September. There will be a second performance on November 20th.
Craig Levine, Senior Counsel and Policy Director for the Institute, where he has been directing the Legal Program since 2003, has been a public interest lawyer for two decades. Prior to joining the Institute, Craig worked as an attorney with Children’s Rights, Inc., as Counsel to Chief Judge Judith Kaye of the Court of Appeals of the State of New York, and as an attorney and Skadden Fellow with the Appalachian Research and Defense Fund of West Virginia. Craig also was a Children and Family Fellow of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and worked in the Chancellor’s Office of the New York City Board of Education. Craig is an adjunct member of the faculties at Seton Hall University Law School and Columbia University Law School. He also has taught in the graduate school at Princeton University. His current work at the Institute encompasses a range of legal, policy and programmatic efforts on behalf of vulnerable populations in New Jersey. Craig holds a J. D. from the New York University School of Law, where he was a Root-Tilden-Snow Public Interest Scholar and the co-founder of Public Service Fellowship Fund. Craig also holds an M.P.A. from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and a B. A. from Yale University.
Mr. Meyer was appointed by Mayor Cory Booker to the position of Director of Housing and Real Estate in February 2007 for the City of Newark. Prior to coming to the City of Newark, Mr. Meyer was the Assistant Director of Housing in the City of San Jose overseeing one of the largest affordable housing production programs in California, resulting in the development of over 12,000 new units of high quality, affordable housing. In San Jose, Mr. Meyer supervised the implementation of programs to help low-income homeowners, individuals and families at risk of homelessness, and programs to assist teachers and others to purchase homes. Prior to San Jose, Mr. Meyer served as the Deputy General Manager of the New York City Housing Authority, the largest housing authority in the country, serving an estimated 600,000 residents of New York City. In that capacity, he supervised over $400 million annually in capital improvements, including the construction or renovation of over 60 community centers in all five boroughs. Mr. Meyer has an M.P.P. degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and an M.A. from the University of Wisconsin. He received his B.A. from the University of Vermont.
Dr. Roger Mitchell Jr. is board certified in Anatomic and Forensic Pathology by the American Board of Pathology. He is a graduate of Howard University, Washington DC, and UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ. Dr. Mitchell is licensed to practice medicine in New Jersey and Texas. He has performed over 1200 autopsy examinations in his career and has testified as an expert on numerous cases. He began the study of forensic science and violence prevention as a Forensic Biologist for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – DNA Unit in January 1997. Dr. Mitchell has returned to New Jersey from Houston, TX where he served 4 years as the Assistant Deputy Chief Medical Examiner, in charge of Medicolegal Death Investigations, at the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Harris County is the third largest county in the nation. Dr. Mitchell has great interest in Violence as a public health issue. He believes the medical examiner serves a critical role in public health prevention initiatives and continues to be at the forefront of issues relating to Elder Abuse & Neglect and Youth Violence.
Leonard Robbins is the Director of Housing Development. He is responsible for the development and delivery of housing related training and technical assistance programs for the Network. Prior to joining the Network in 1998, Mr. Robbins served as the Housing Director of the Vailsburg Improvement Program at Unified Vailsburg Services Organization, a nonprofit multi-service organization serving the West Ward of Newark. He also has worked as a private developer and contractor, in New Jersey, as well as a Construction Specialist and Neighborhood Director of nonprofit housing agencies in Syracuse and New York City. Mr. Robbins has a Bachelor of Architecture degree from Syracuse University, a Diploma in Construction Management from New York University, is a graduate of the Network’s Housing Development Training Program, is certified by the National Development Council as a Housing Development Finance Professional, is a Certified Rehabilitation Specialist, and a graduate of the Network’s Housing Development Training Program. He currently serves on the board of the Essex County Land Trust and volunteers on the Affordable Housing Board in the Township of Maplewood.
Amarilis Rodriguez is a Camden, NJ native and was incarcerated in New Jersey’s Edna Mahan Correctional facility from October 2006 to April 2009. While still incarcerated and in a half way house, Amy enrolled in the Essex County College Next Step program. Upon release, she applied and was admitted to Rutgers University in New Brunswick through the Rutgers Mountainview program. She is a proud graduate of both Rutgers University and Douglass College, where she earned a 3.65 GPA. As a Ronald E. McNair Scholar she researched the effects of migration on gender identity in Puerto Rican women. She was also an Aresty Undergraduate Research Fellow and the recipient of the 2013 Dee Garrison Award for Peace and Justice, along with many other awards. In her time at Douglass she co-founded a student organization, the Mountainview Project “MVP,” which promotes education in prisons by offering tutoring services for inmates and awareness on campus. Amarilis has also volunteered for New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ-STEP) as a mentor to women who are still incarcerated. She currently works as a Content Assistant at StoryCorps, one of the largest oral history projects of its kind. Amarilis is currently applying to doctoral programs, where she hopes to continue to be a voice for formerly incarcerated individuals and explore the many endless possibilities of successful ex-felon reform through education
Dr. Simmons Holistic Health Practitioner, Certified Nutritional Consultant, Certified Fitness Trainer, Organic Chef and Wellness and Life Coach. As the founder of “The Rapha Project”, a program that teaches how to incorporate fitness and nutrition as a lifestyle not a diet, Dr. Simmons shows how she transitioned her life and became an example of healing through spirituality, education and wellness of the mind, body and spirit. Dr. Simmons, a Domestic Violence Survivor and National Domestic Violence Advocate, has devoted her life to speaking out against the act and crime, as well as educating to eradicate the victim mentality and ensure strength in healing the Spirit. As President and Senior Advocate of S.O.F.I.A. , a non-profit organization devoted to prevention through education as well as healing and transforming lives one spirit at a time, she uses her life and experiences as an example of overcoming and allowing Choice not Circumstance to encourage, motivate and assist others to complete wellness. As a Spiritual Faith Leader, She will advise that her foundation is Faith based and healing the Spirit is her focus.
Ms. Sterner joined New Jersey Community Capital in August, 2013 as Community Strategies Advisor. In this role she serves as a liaison between NJCC and local governments, community-based developers, and other local stakeholders. In doing so, Ms. Sterner is able to help devise successful revitalization strategies and approaches for local communities, and to help identify and access the resources needed to implement these strategies. Prior to joining NJCC, Ms. Sterner served for 23 years as founding director of the Housing and Community Development Network of NJ. Over that time period, she built one of the strongest associations of community based development organizations in the country, enhancing the capacity of such organizations in New Jersey to create housing and economic opportunities and revitalize communities. As a James A. Johnson Fellow in 2006, Ms. Sterner also helped found the National Alliance of Community Economic Development Associations (NACEDA) as a voice for community development practitioners at the national level and as a vehicle for bringing together state and local CDC associations to support the field. Her contributions have immeasurably strengthened the community development sector in New Jersey and nationally, and helped bring about state-level policy reforms critical to urban and lower-income communities.
Dr. Windsor is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers: The State University of New Jersey, School of Social Work. Dr. Windsor is affiliated with the Rutgers Center for Behavioral Health Services and Criminal Justice Research; Columbia University, School of Social Work; the Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies; and the Special Populations Office at the National Development and Research Institute. Born and raised in Brazil, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from FCH-FUMEC, Brazil in 1998. She moved to Texas in 2000 to pursue her Master of Science and doctoral degrees in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Windsor’s research focuses on substance use, criminal justice, HIV prevention, and social justice with special emphasis on low income African Americans using community based participatory research (CBPR). Combining critical consciousness theory with social and behavioral sciences literature, Dr. Windsor conducts CBPR to study the mechanisms of oppression in the development of knowledge and its implications in the design and implementation of culturally tailored health interventions among individuals with a history of incarceration and substance abuse. Her research interests are aligned with a call for the use of CBPR as a paradigm to optimize implementation of tested interventions. Dr. Windsor has expertise in measurement development, meta-analysis, ethnography, and treatment development and evaluation.
Mashea Ashton serves as the CEO of the Newark Charter School Fund (NCSF), a private foundation established in April of 2008, that makes grants to support the quality and sustainability of Newark’s charter schools. Mashea previously served as the Executive Director for the New York Program and Senior Advisor for Charter School Policy for New Leaders for New Schools. At New Leaders, Mashea worked with over 100 New Leaders impacting approximately 40,000 students and families in New York City and Newark. Mashea also served as the Executive Director for Charter Schools for the New York City Department of Education. As head of the Charter Schools Office, Mashea set the vision and policy direction of nearly 50 charter schools throughout the Big Apple and supported the city’s unprecedented $130 million effort to open 200 new small schools, including 50 new charter schools. Mashea formerly served as the National Director of Recruitment and Selection and Midwest Director of Business Development for the Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP). She worked to establish and maintain relationships with key decision makers in Chicago, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and Detroit to support the development of KIPP schools. Mashea served several years as a special education teacher in Williamsburg, Virginia and Washington, D.C. She currently serves on the boards of the Black Alliance for Educational Options and the New Jersey Charter Schools Association. Mashea has a M.Ed in Special Education with emphasis on learning disabilities and emotional disturbance and a B.A in Sociology and Elementary Education from the College of William and Mary.
Jeffrey R. Backstrand is Director of Research for the Newark Schools Research Collaborative (NSRC). He is a specialist in quantitative research methods, and has considerable knowledge and experience in the areas of public health nutrition and nutritional epidemiology. He is a fellow of the Society for Applied Anthropology, and former chair of the Public Health Nutrition Research Interest Group of the American Society of Nutrition. In 2001, Backstrand was a member of the Institute of Medicine’s Subcommittee on the Technical Specifications of a High-Energy Dense Emergency Food Product. He has also supervised the evaluation of the Connecticut WIC program’s Project ReNew, a statewide initiative to improve cultural sensitivity and customer service by WIC personnel. Backstrand is the author of 28 peer-reviewed articles, plus numerous reports. His current research investigates the causes of black-white disparities in birth outcomes, and health issues that influence childhood academic achievement.
Mr. Comesañas has been with Newark Public Schools since 2004. He taught eight years of middle school History and English at Luis Munoz Marin Middle School. Most recently, he was the Supervisor of Curriculum of Instruction in the Office of College and Career Readiness. Before coming to Newark Public Schools, he taught for one year at St. Benedict’s Preparatory School in Newark. Mr. Comesañas earned a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University and a Bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University.
Today, as the president and CEO of the Newark Trust for Education, Dr. Danis continues to demonstrate his commitment to empowering educators, policymakers, and community members with the knowledge, skills, and resources necessary to ensure that all Newark’s children receive the education they deserve. Ross has been successfully challenging the status quo since he collaborated on the design of a groundbreaking non-graded high school in the late 1970s. As a staff developer at the highly regarded Academy for the Advancement of Teaching and Management, the staff development arm of the New Jersey State Department of Education in the 1980s, he provided high impact professional development for teams of teachers across the Garden State. While serving as a K-8 principal in the 1990s, he demonstrated his commitment to “choice” by launching the first multi-age primary program as an option to the single graded program in a public school. Ross has served as an appointee to the education task forces, commissions, or education policy transition teams of four New Jersey governors, and five education commissioners. Most recently her served as one of the nine members of the Teacher Effectiveness Task Force appointed by Governor Christie and charged with developing an evaluation system that holds teachers accountable for student outcomes.
Alturrick Kenney is an experienced community leader who has always made it his mission to positively impact the citizens of the city of Newark, New Jersey. Throughout his career, the Newark native has always advocated for children, education, and community based organizations. He is a seasoned public servant, he served as the Deputy Mayor of the city of Newark and is a current elected member of the Newark Public Schools Advisory Board (NPS). The Howard University graduate and George Washington University graduate student believes public/ private partnerships and leveraging Newark’s strategic resources will create positive change for families. Kenney commitment to the city of Newark has been recognized by several organizations, he received the Excellence in Business and Community Service Award from Project Re-Direct/ Youth & Family Service, Newark NAACP Award for Service and he has been acknowledged by the United Way for his commitment to helping youth continue learning in after school programs in Washington DC metropolitan area.
Danielle Mastrogiovanni has been teaching public school successfully for over 15 years. Her training includes undergraduate degrees in Liberal Arts from New York University and Contemplative Education from the Naropa Univerisity in Boulder, Colorado. It was there where Danielle, a New Jersey native, recognized that need exacerbates the inequities in education, especially to those living in high poverty situations. Danielle returned to the East Cost upon graduating, where she was awarded a scholarship to Brooklyn College, where she received her M.S. in Education and Social Sciences. Through the New York City Teaching Fellows Program, she began teaching in East New York, where she began to actualize her vision for urban education. She has been recognized as a Model Classroom Teacher of Literacy in both New York City and Newark, as well as served as a Teacher Leader and Literacy Coach. As the Director of Education for multiple non-profit organizations, she has worked to provide yoga, meditation and culturally relevant arts residencies to students throughout the cities of NJ. Most recently, she began her Doctoral coursework in Urban Systems at Rutgers University. Her work in education has been featured in both the New York Times and Yoga International Magazine. She currently lives, teaches and is raising three young sons in Newark.
Dr. Thomas is one of the founders of Marion P. Thomas Charter School (MPTCS). While originally a passive participant, she now actively serves as the school’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Dr. Thomas has guided the school’s growth from 60 to 665 students, four classrooms to three campuses and from K-2nd grade to a PreK to 8th grade program. In addition to serving in an educational capacity, Dr. Thomas founded Friends of Marion P. Thomas Charter School, which serves as a non-profit real estate support to the school and manages facilities assets of over $10 million. She also developed the Marion P. Thomas Charter School Foundation, which awards scholarships annually to MPTCS alumni. Dr. Thomas has an undergraduate degree from Simmons College in Boston, a Master’s in marketing with a concentration in special events marketing from NYU where she served for four years as an adjunct professor. She also holds a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Kean University and a school Business Administrators Certification. Dr. Thomas earned her doctorate at Kean University in the Urban Education Program and serves as an adjunct professor in Kean’s Educational Leadership program. In 2008, she completed the Harvard Graduate School of Education program for urban educators and in 2004 received certification from Schools in Transition Program at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.
Junius W. Williams is a noted attorney, educator, musician and community advocate. As the Director of the Abbott Leadership Institute, at Rutgers University, Newark, he teaches advocacy skills to parents and professional educators. Williams is the youngest person elected President of the NBA. As NBA President (1978-79), he presented a critique of the proposed constitution for the African Nation of Zimbabwe to the United Nations. His administration was called “The Year of Affirmative Action”, in support of affirmative action in the wake of the Bakke case. Williams was the first President of the modern day Young Lawyers Division. As an attorney in Newark NJ, Junius Williams successfully represented Rev. Jesse Jackson in the historic court decision making it possible to cast one vote for the presidential candidate and all of his delegates in New Jersey in 1988. Williams has served in was the Director of Community Development and the Model Cities Program for the City of Newark (1970-72), and the University Heights Development Corporation (1988-93). As advocate, planner, administrator and developer, he is responsible for the construction of more than 2000 units of housing in Newark. Junius Williams served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Greater Abyssinian Baptist Church (1990-2003), and the Education Law Center (2000-2005). He was an Official Observer at the first South African National Election in 1994. In addition to his advocacy, Williams is an accomplished musician. He is co-founder, business manager and performer with the singing group, “Return to the Source.” As a writer and producer, he has created multi-media productions performed before local and national audiences. Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst College and a Juris Doctorate from Yale University Law School.
Tiffany “The Budgetnista” Aliche is a speaker and passionate teacher of fun, financial empowerment, and best selling author of the book, The One Week Budget (#1 Amazon/budgeting). Her company, The Budgetnista, specializes in the delivery of financial literacy education. Tiffany has been a featured speaker at American Express, City National Bank, Princeton University, Wyndham Worldwide, Columbia University, The New York Public Library, The United Way and Dress for Success. She and her financial advice have been featured in ESSENCE Magazine, FORBES.com, The Star Ledger, FoxBusiness. com, MSNBC.com, Redbook, CBS MoneyWatch.com, Black Enterprise, USA TODAY, the News 12 New Jersey’s, “It’s Your Money Show”, VIBE.com, as well as numerous online publications. She also blogs about personal finance, for The Huffington Post.
Dale Robinson Anglin is currently a senior program officer with the Victoria Foundation which focuses on: improving the lives of children and families in Newark, NJ and protecting water resources and preserving precious open space statewide. She currently serves as co-chair of the Newark Funders Education Committee and on the Governance Committee for the Newark Innovative Schools Investment Fund, a pooled fund comprised of 10 local funders. Prior positions include Director of Development for New Community Corporation in Newark, the largest community development corporation in the U. S.; Executive Director of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM), the trade association based in Washington D. C. for public policy graduate schools, policy think tanks and public policy professionals; and a Social Analyst with the Congressional Research Service in D. C. working on child abuse, family violence and national service. Originally from Chicago, IL, Ms. Anglin is a graduate of Smith College and the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California at Berkeley. As a volunteer, she helped launch one of the most successful charter high schools in Washington, D. C. -the Cesar Chavez High School for Public Policy. She currently serves on the board of the Community Foundation of New Jersey, where she chairs the Scholarship Committee, which awarded over $1 million to students in 2013, the Newark Youth Investment Council, and Bethany Cares Inc.--a faith-based community development organization.
Roland Anglin’s career spans over twenty years of working in the public, educational, and philanthropic sectors. In all his professional positions, Anglin has focused on promoting economic and community development in and for marginalized communities. In addition to his role as the Cornwall Center director, Dr. Anglin is Associate Research Professor at the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) at Rutgers-Newark. In 1991 he was recruited to the Ford Foundation where he spent eight years. He served first as the program officer responsible for community development and later became Deputy Director for Community and Resource Development, which is part of the Asset Building and Community Development Division. After leaving Ford, Dr. Anglin went to the Structured Employment Economic Development Corporation (Seedco), a national community development intermediary. Dr. Anglin is the author and co-author of four books, including: Promoting Sustainable Local and Community Economic Development, Resilience and Opportunity: Lessons From the U.S. Gulf Coast after the Storms (with colleagues), Managing Disaster Recovery: International Policy and Practice (with colleagues), and Katrina’s Imprint: Race and Vulnerability in America (with colleagues).
Mr. Barnes has held the position of Financial Professional at The Prudential Insurance Company of America’s West Essex Agency since 1999. His work involves assisting people in developing strategies that will measure up to the financial challenges they face today and in the future. In 1988, Mr. Barnes came to Prudential where he’s progressed steadily in his career. George has his Life, Health, Variable Annuity, and Mutual Funds licenses and Series 6, 7, 63 & 65 registrations. In 1998, he qualified for Presidents Conference. He has qualified for the Million Dollar Round Table since 2005. Mr. Barnes is a graduate of Northeastern Bible College where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biblical Literature. He resides in Northern New Jersey with his wife and three children. He is attends Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, NJ.
Rodney joined New Community Corporation (NCC) as Chief Administrative Officer/Director of Workforce Development after spending two years at Philadelphia Works, Inc where he oversaw six (6) welfare-to-work workforce centers which are designed to prepare and transition jobseekers to employment. Rodney is currently tasked with overseeing NCC’scareer and technical vocational training programs, welfare to work initiatives, and community resource center all having a common goal of connecting residents to employment. Prior to his two most recent assignments, Rodney served in a dual role as Executive Director of the Newark Workforce Investment Board and Director of Workforce Development for the city of Newark. His primary responsibility was overseeing the City’s workforce delivery system. Formerly known as the Mayor’s Office of Employment & Training (MOET), Newark Works role is to serve as the City’s liaison between its citizens and employers. Rodney was positioned within the Office of Economic and Housing Development under the leadership of Mayor Cory A. Booker. Rodney holds a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from Kean University and a Master of Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is also a graduate of Leadership Newark (LN), Community Foundation of NJ Neighborhood Leadership Initiative program (NLI), and is active with Kean and Fairleigh Dickinson University Alumni Associations. Rodney is a member of the Garden State Employment and Training Association (GSETA) in addition to other related organizations.
Modia is currently the Chief of Staff for Mayor Booker and soon to be appointed as the State Director for Senate-elect Cory Booker. Modia Butler holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Franklin and Marshall College and a Masters Degree in Public Policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers-New Brunswick. Prior to joining the Booker administration, he served as executive director of Newark Now, a non-profit founded by Cory Booker. He also managed one of the largest youth development agencies in Newark as the executive director of Newark Do Something. Newark Do Something witnessed tremendous growth during Modia’s tenure as the executive director. Over his four-year tenure, Newark Do Something’s after school program more than doubled.
Richard is employed with the New Community Corporation (NCC) in Newark as director for Special Projects with a focus on Resident Organizing, Civic Engagement and Public Policy Awareness and Advocacy initiatives. In addition he oversees the NCC Federal Credit Union Youth and Adult Financial Literacy Training programs. He has had extensive experience in Newark grassroots community organizing and neighborhood policy development. Previous positions include Executive Director for the Newark Coalition for Neighborhoods and Associate Director for Economic Initiatives, Newark Fighting Back Partnership. He currently serves as the Chairperson for the Newark Community Development Network and chairs the Master Plan Working Group Coalition. He is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Quest Youth Services program in Newark and an Executive Committee member of the Newark Branch NAACP and is a Board member of the Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District in Newark, the Jersey Urban Debate League and the Aljira Center for Contemporary Art in Newark. Previous Board affiliations include the chairperson of the Fair Lending Coalition of N.J. and founding Board member of the Community Loan Fund of N.J. He is a published poet and has had featured readings in Newark, surrounding towns and in various venues in New York City. He has performed with the Kimako’s Blues People Poetry and Jazz Collective, a group established by Amina and Amiri Baraka and he has served as the poetry editor for the Newark Arts Council Newsletter. He graduated from Rutgers University Newark with a Bachelors Degree in English.
Donald Carter, Jr. is a member of a relationship management team that is responsible for building relationships with businesses and/or high net worth individuals within an assigned region/community. The roles responsibility includes managing and cross-selling a client portfolio comprised of treasury management and/or credit clients with a focus on deepening relationships and generating additional revenue from existing clients. In addition to being the primary point of contact and key financial advisor for the client, Mr. Carter is also accountable for developing new business. He develops, markets and administers, demand and time deposits, existing loans and cross sells related banking accounts and services. Mr. Carter develops relationships with the appropriate decision makers within the clients or prospects company. Mr. Carter is capable of organizing, leading and negotiating with a team of Bank Associates in order to provide solutions to client issues.
Dr. Robin Eubanks is an Associate Professor at Rutgers Biomedical Health Sciences – School of Health Related Professions in the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Dickinson College, a Master’s degree from Adelphi University, and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Seton Hall University. Dr. Eubanks teaches a variety of courses such as Cultural Issues in Mental and Health Care, Educational Methodology, and Human Resources Management. She has presented workshops and seminars throughout the country on a variety of topics such as: motivation, stress management, critical thinking, and innovative teaching strategies. She was privileged to receive a Student Research Recognition Award, African American Achievement Award, Excellence in Teaching Award and the University of Excellence Award, service to external community education.
The City of Newark formalized the Sustainability Office within the Department of Economic and Housing Development in 2010. Ms. Greenwood serves as the Sustainability Officer and is responsible for supporting policies and programs that improve public health and quality of life, drive down costs through better stewardship of resources, and expand green job and business opportunities for Newark residents. The Office manages the Newark municipal “Green Team,” which oversees the greening of City operations; assists the Business Administrator by identifying cost saving opportunities in areas such as municipal energy and fuel use, waste disposal and recycling, and storm water management; and supports organizations and residents throughout the City in realizing their goals for healthy, affordable, vibrant neighborhoods and community development. Stephanie completed a Masters of Public Affairs and Urban and Regional Planning at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University. She spent four years as a researcher with Good Jobs New York and also worked as a researcher and organizer for SEIU Local 1947, the Committee of Interns and Residents. Her writing has appeared in Dollars and Sense, Sojourner, Lilith, and on the website of The Nation, and she is editor of 10 Excellent Reasons Not to Hate Taxes, a book published by The New Press in 2008.
Adam Giuliano is a former resident of Newark and a graduate of Leadership Newark (Class of 2002). He currently serves as a senior associate attorney in the New York office of global law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP, where he is a member of the firm’s infrastructure, transportation and energy groups. Adam’s practice focuses on advising both public and private sector clients on project financings, public-private partnerships (known as PPPs) and related transactions in the US, as well as abroad. Notably, Adam advised the Regional Transportation District of Denver on the procurement of a $2.1 billion commuter rail project – the largest such rail PPP to date in the US. Adam’s experience more broadly includes passenger rail and transit, roads and bridges, airports, ports, municipal parking, water and wastewater systems, biofuels, solar, gas and hydropower. In the region, Adam has advised clients in connection with a proposed statewide lease and concession of NJ Transit’s parking facilities, the Port Authority’s procurement of a replacement for the Goethals Bridge and the long-term lease and concession of the City of Bayonne’s municipal water and wastewater system. A graduate of Yale University and the New York University School of Law, prior to pursuing his legal career Adam held a number of positions related to Newark, including with Newark in the 21st Century and subsequently the Amelior and MCJ Foundations. In 1999 Adam founded, and for several years afterward operated, GoNewark.com for the purpose of covering and promoting the city.
Duval Osiris James is a social entrepreneur, motivational speaker, coach and salesman of human potential who will bring results to your organization. Duval Osiris James transformed his life and overcame a myriad of obstacles to realize his dreams of becoming a successful socially responsible entrepreneur. For the past five years, Osiris has been sharing his inspiring story of defeat and triumph with students, employees and entrepreneurs across the nation. Inspiring them to Awakening the champion within in order to win at the Game of Life. Duval Osiris James easily connects with audiences, teaching skills and techniques in personal leadership, commitment, efficiency, productivity, goal setting and team building in a manner that inspires them to access the personal power needed to succeed in the current economy and beyond. An urban marketing expert with a proven track record, Osiris is the CEO/Founder of Customers Addvocate LLC and UrbanGoGreen. He is the producer of the Mentoring the Next Generation Campaign, co- publisher of the Harlem Parent Magazine, publisher of UrbanGoGreen Magazine and producer of the UrbanGoGreen Tour & Expo which launched at the 2008 Democratic
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National Convention and premiered at the Armory in Harlem in Oct. 2008. The UrbanGoGreen Expo and Magazine are respectively the first green special event and print media platform created to connect the urban consumer market with products and services in the environmentally friendly business sector. Duval Osiris James holds a B.A. in Political Science from New Jersey City University.
Kevin, with two colleagues, are the founders of CityFood Resources L(3)C, a social impact venture utilizing economic, market and social benefit strategies to plan, program and implement large-scale urban agriculture in cities and first-ring suburbs. CityFoods is currently exploring the potential of developing a network of large-scale urban farming enterprises (food hubs), in New Jersey, with Will Allen, internationally recognized agricultural pioneer and entrepreneur and his national nonprofit, Growing Power Incorporated. The goal of their collaboration is to identify opportunities replicating his multi-million dollar success in Milwaukee in New Jersey, providing urban agriculture, at a scale unheard of in our region. Kevin has nearly 20 years of experience that encompass sustainability, environmental restoration, construction, nonprofit and program management. He is a nationally recognized advocate for urban parks, natural resource management and environmental justice and has worked with all levels of elected and non-elected government officials, maintaining a reputation for knowledge, integrity and pragmatism. He has participated on many expert panels and has been interviewed on TV, radio and in print.
A 1986 graduate of Morehouse College, Atlanta, Georgia, cum laude, he earned his B.A. in Communications. In 1991, he received his J.D. from Emory University School of Law, also in Atlanta, Georgia. Mr. Neals began his legal career in 1991 as a law clerk for the Honorable Seymour Margulies, J.S.C., of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Hudson County, Civil Division. After completing his clerkship, Mr. Neals joined the Law Firm of Chasan Leyner & Lamparello, PC, in Secaucus, New Jersey, where he later became partner. During his 14-year career at the firm, his practice focused on civil rights, criminal and governmental litigation, commercial litigation, municipal litigation, corporate and employment discrimination, copyright and trademark, in both State and Federal Court. From 2010-Present, he serves as the Business Administrator for the City of Newark. In his role as Business Administrator, he is responsible for the preparation of the City’s Budget and oversees the City’s day-to-day operations and its ten municipal departments. From 2008-2010, he served as Corporation Counsel for the City of Newark. His professional affiliations include The Association of the Federal Bar, the New Jersey State Bar Association, the New York State Bar Association, the Essex County Bar Association, the Hudson County Bar Association, the American Trial Lawyers Association and the American Inns of Court-Hudson Inn. He is a member of the Bars of New Jersey, Supreme Court of New Jersey, United States District Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. His present and former board memberships include the Supreme Court Model Jury Charge Committee, Supreme Court Committee on Character and Fitness, Supreme Court of New Jersey District VI Ethics Committee, the Volunteer Lawyers for Justice, Reentry Legal Services (ReLeSe), New Jersey Law and Education Empowerment Project (NJ LEEP), and Board of Trustees of the New Jersey State Bar Foundation. He resides in Essex County with his wife Lauren Jones-Neals and his son Julien K. Neals.
Sakina Spruell writes, edits and contributes personal finance stories to many media outlets to include Money, EBONY and Essence. In addition, she was a long-time editor at Black Enterprise magazine where she still serves as a personal-finance freelance writer. Her original web show “Keeping It Rich with Sakina” airs on BET.com. She also serves as a producer on The Suze Orman Show at CNBC. Sakina has close to 15 years of journalism experience and has specialized in business for most of her career. She began her career in broadcast and was previously an on-air reporter for CNN Headline News and a writer/ producer for CNNfn. She completed the Knight Bagehot fellowship in economics and business and received a Master’s of Science from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She is a graduate of Rutgers University New Brunswick, where she studied Communications and African-American Studies. She is a member of the Income Policy Advisory Committee for the United Way of Essex/West Hudson Counties (NJ) and a previous co-chair of the Business Writers Task Force for the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). She received a Salute to Excellence award by the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) for her Financial Fitness Contest Winner stories in Black Enterprise magazine in 2013. Previous awards include the New York Association of Black Journalists (NYABJ) award for Best Business Story, which recognized Sakina’s feature on the two largest black-owned banks in the nation, and a Griot Award for Excellence from NYABJ.
Nelida Valentin serves as Executive Director of the Newark Workforce Investment Board, Inc. She leads the central office of the board, oversees its day-to-day operations, guides the direction and policy development of the Newark Workforce Career Center, and implements Board policies. Born and raised in Newark, NJ, Ms. Valentin began her career in public service in 1987 with the State of New Jersey and served 21 years in various capacities of State service including, the Department of Community Affairs (DCA), the Department of Human Services, Department of Education, and the NJ Department of Transportation. Ms. Valentin led the Hispanic Leadership Opportunity Program, funded by the Ford Foundation at La Casa de Don Pedro in Newark. In 2001, Ms. Valentin was recruited to develop the Center for Leadership Development at Thomas Edison State College and to launch Leadership Trenton, a civic leadership development program sponsored in collaboration with the Partnership for New Jersey. Ms. Valentin has served on numerous boards including as trustee for the Greater Trenton Behavior Healthcare, I AM Trenton Community Foundation, Planned Parenthood of Mercer Area and City Smiles, Inc., She Chaired the Board of Isles, Inc., and served as Commissioner for the Trenton Parking Authority Commissioner and as a delegate to the President’s Summit for the Future of America’s Children. Ms. Valentin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Studies from Stockton State College in Pomona, New Jersey, and a Master’s Degree in Political Science from Rutgers-New Brunswick. She is a graduate of Leadership New Jersey and completed certificate series at the John F. Kennedy School of Government and Politics at Harvard University, specializing in the Art and Practice of Leadership Development.
