Eleversity

Gwendolyn (Gwen) Webber-McLeod is president and CEO of Gwen, Inc. She has over 30 years of experience in leadership/organization development, facilitation, strategic planning, the development of effective coalitions/collaborations, helping companies develop strategies for taking diversity and inclusion initiatives to the next level and the strategic development of women and minority leaders breaking glass/cement ceilings in companies. Gwen, Inc., helps leaders achieve business goals by focusing on the competencies of confidence, competence, courage and calm.

In 2009, Gwen founded the You Can’t Fail (Because Your History Says You Can’t) conference, designed to provide a strategically designed multicultural leadership development experience for professional women of color and women leaders of other races and cultures who support them.

She is a published author with contributions most recently featured in Resilience: Living Life by Design by Dr. Deana Murphy. Her chapter, “Thriving Through a Season of Grief,” chronicles how the vision for incorporating Gwen, Inc., was the result of thriving through a difficult moment in life. In addition, Gwen’s book, The Leadership Journey, will publish this year.

Gwen has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from SUNY Potsdam and a master’s in management from Keuka College.

Aaysha Noor is a sought-after speaker and facilitator of equity and inclusion. She brings professional expertise and also her lived experiences and community work that demonstrate her dedication to lifting up underrepresented and marginalized voices. As head of diversity, equity and inclusion at The Giant Company, she is responsible for strategizing DEI initiatives to build a culture of inclusion and belonging across all aspects of organizational work and also supporting communities in equitable ways. She works collaboratively across functions to build and sustain an inclusive workplace, workforce, and marketplace, to drive innovation, and better serve the diverse needs of all neighbors. She also provides support and advice for diverse recruitment and retention, inclusive communication, and diverse representation in marketing to reflect the communities with intentional and consistent efforts.

A social justice advocate who is passionate about women’s empowerment, she also serves on several nonprofit boards and committees to bridge the gap and help form inclusive policies and practices. As a servant leader passionately serving our shared communities, Aaysha has received several recognitions acknowledging her work and efforts in making a positive impact in the organization, industry and communities at large. Most recently she was selected as a Woman of Influence in the food industry by The Griffin Report and DEI Champion Awardee by the National Diversity Council.

Dr. Deanna Akinbajo is the chief pharmacist at Valisure and an assistant professor at Goodwin University.

She has worked as a clinical pharmacist for retail companies and long-term care facilities. She completed a pharmacy residency at Waterbury Hospital, where she conducted research, precepted and mentored pharmacy students and was an adjunct professor at the University of Connecticut. Her specific research interests include ways that public health professionals and clinicians can work together to improve healthcare outcomes and ways to increase knowledge and access for all patients regarding lifesaving prescription medications.

She continues to focus on giving back to her community while charting her career as a practicing pharmacist and college professor. Her plans include conducting research on various systemic medical issues that plague our communities. She continues to be engaged in health care issues that plague minority communities and uses her voice to be a health care advocate for all patients.

Dr. Akinbajo received her bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Pittsburgh and her Master of Public Health degree in 2008 from the University at Albany (SUNY). While completing her master’s degree, she worked for the Bureau of Chronic Disease, Prevention of Sexual Violence program and the Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program within the New York State Department of Health. She received her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Dr. Daniele Lyman-Torres has been a health and human services leader for more than 20 years. She is a commissioner for the City of Rochester, New York, where she oversees the Department of Human Services and Recreation. Its elements include crisis intervention services, violence prevention, the stewardship of the city’s parks, playgrounds, aquatics, athletics, recreation centers, nutrition, youth services, animal services, the Rochester Public Market, and the International Plaza. She was president and CEO of the Arc of Yates, the chief people and chief operating officer for Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority, chief operating officer for AIDS Community Health Center, and held key positions for United Way of Greater Rochester and Heritage Christian Services.

For more than 10 years, Dr. Lyman-Torres held a professorship in the School of Business at Roberts Wesleyan College. She is a professor in the St. John Fisher College doctoral program, where she focuses on contemporary issues in executive leadership.

As owner and principal of DLT Consulting, Dr. Lyman-Torres provides expert governance training, strategic planning and leadership development services to nonprofit and government agencies nationwide.

Dr. Lyman-Torres holds an associate’s degree in liberal arts and sciences from Monroe Community College, and a bachelor’s degree in organizational management along with a master’s degree in strategic leadership from Roberts Wesleyan College. She received her doctorate in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College.

The guiding principle for Dr. Mary Bisbee-Burrows is “she that serves,” which she does through her career and volunteer and political service. That includes being a member of Common Ground Health/African American Health Coalition, the Town of Henrietta, New York, Board of Ethics and the YWCA Empowering Women Luncheon Planning Committee, as well as being the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc./Delta Academy & Delta GEMS Program chairperson. She is also a contributing writer at Upstate NY Gospel Magazine. She received the Rochester Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.’s 2019 Community Service Award and the 2019 Phenomenal Woman Award from Sisters For A Better Black Community.

Dr. Mary Bisbee-Burrows earned her Doctor of Education in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College, where she also received her Master of Science in human service administration and a Bachelor of Science in management/pre-law.

Dr. Bisbee-Burrows is committed to leaving the world in a better place than she found it by keeping her ears, heart and mind on the pulse of the community’s needs.

Ronalyn (Ronnie) Pollack is executive director of the Native American Cultural Center in Rochester, New York. Previously, she has worked as a forgiveness coach, utilizing the healing power of forgiveness to transform lives and incorporating the Seventh Generation Principle.

She is an adjunct professor at Monroe Community College and has taught in the Health and Physical Education Department for over 13 years. Her background also includes being a holistic health coach, while having more than 12 years’ experience as a social worker in the early part of her career.

Ronnie is a member of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, in Ontario, Canada, but currently resides in Rochester. Working with Indigenous peoples in the area of forgiveness is something that is sacred and personal to her heart, as she desires to see all Nations heal.

Sedruola Maruska is a diversity, equity, inclusion and social justice consultant and coach, host of the Diversity Dish podcast, speaker and aspiring author.
Her passion is helping individuals in business cultivate cultures of equity and inclusion, so they can attract the diverse partnerships they desire. Sedruola Maruska began her consulting agency of the same name in January 2017 after realizing it was time to embark on an intentional life journey to help educate and empower others on issues of social justice.

She’s a graduate of Andrews University with a B.A. in graphic arts, a former conversational English teacher, corporate trainer and executive assistant.

Originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Rev. Pamela Adams is the director of spiritual life and university chaplain at Delaware State University. A true Southern belle at heart, she stands on the values of faith, family, friendship and fried chicken!

An expert in the arena of spiritual rehabilitation with over 12 years of experience, she has received training in clinical pastoral education and family advocacy at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital, as well as certification in Christian counseling through the National Christian Counselors Association of Sarasota, Florida.

Chaplain Pam also serves as spiritual advisor at the Maryland Center for Addiction Treatment. She is also the owner and principal facilitator for Faithful & Favored, Inc., a multi-platform lifestyle management firm providing spiritual and emotional maintenance.

She served proudly in the United States Air Force for 9½ years while simultaneously matriculating through seminary and obtaining undergraduate, graduate and terminal degrees in theology.

Randi K. Bregman and Angela M. Douglas are the co-executive directors of Vera House, a Syracuse, N.Y.-based victim services agency covering all of Onondaga County.

Vera House has existed for more than 40 years with a mission to prevent, respond and partner to end domestic, sexual violence and other forms of abuse.

Together, Randi and Angela have cultivated a co-leadership model as one of many strategies to becoming an antiracist organization.

Angela has diverse career experience in education, juvenile justice and alternative dispute resolution. Her primary work is centered on leading strategic planning and execution, organizational/leadership development and change management to increase capacity and deconstruct social norms that maintain sexual assault, domestic violence and oppression, while advocating for systemic change.

In her role, Randi is responsible for administration, financial management and fund development, Randi developed a three-credit master’s level course in family violence, which she taught at Syracuse University’s School of Social Work for 15 years. Randi received her master’s degree in social work from Syracuse University in 1990.

Randi K. Bregman and Angela M. Douglas are the co-executive directors of Vera House, a Syracuse, N.Y.-based victim services agency covering all of Onondaga County.

Vera House has existed for more than 40 years with a mission to prevent, respond and partner to end domestic, sexual violence and other forms of abuse.

Together, Randi and Angela have cultivated a co-leadership model as one of many strategies to becoming an antiracist organization.

Angela has diverse career experience in education, juvenile justice and alternative dispute resolution. Her primary work is centered on leading strategic planning and execution, organizational/leadership development and change management to increase capacity and deconstruct social norms that maintain sexual assault, domestic violence and oppression, while advocating for systemic change.

In her role, Randi is responsible for administration, financial management and fund development, Randi developed a three-credit master’s level course in family violence, which she taught at Syracuse University’s School of Social Work for 15 years. Randi received her master’s degree in social work from Syracuse University in 1990.

Dr. Cassandra L. Salter-Smith is care coordinator of the Niagara Falls Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative and a co-facilitator of the Domestic Violence Program for Men and Caring Dads program for Catholic Charities of Buffalo.

She has over 30 years of community experience, serving in leadership roles including executive director of a housing agency, director of campus ministry/instructor at Daemen College, instructor at the Pastoral Ministry Church Program (Houghton College-Buffalo), education manager/coordinator at a homeless shelter in Buffalo and lead pastor and community minister of Methodist churches in western and central New York. She is currently an associate pastor at ZionQuest Christian Fellowship in Buffalo, New York.

Dr. Salter-Smith holds Doctor of Ministry and Master of Divinity degrees from Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, as well as an M.S. in education and a B.S. in business management from Canisius College. Dr. Salter-Smith is a 2020 graduate of Leadership Niagara.

Rachel Campbell graduated cum laude from The College at Brockport with a B.A. in English and African and African American studies. She also studied at the University of Ghana and, as a scholar in the Ronald McNair Summer Research Program, analyzed black South African literature of the apartheid era at Oxford University. These experiences grounded her interest in intersections between literature and political phenomena.

Rachel’s M.A. thesis explores official, personal and fictional narratives and how stories crafted by Americans and Grenadians have framed Cold War developments. Novels, poetry, plays, comic books, oral histories and political speeches are among the sources the thesis explores to shed light on the varied ways that narratives interpret and construct the social relationships and political realities of the Grenadian Revolution and its aftermath. These experiences helped Rachel transition to teaching a writing course about Black culture at Syracuse University.

Currently, as an academic advisor at the University of Rochester, Rachel supports an individualistic, intersectional academic advising structure that prioritizes students’ personalized academic achievement.

Jennifer H. Williams, newly published author and mental health educator, has worked in healthcare for the last six years. Currently, she working in healthcare administration for University Hospital.

Jennifer’s biggest passion in life is to help people become their best selves. Her life’s goal is to demystify the stigma of mental health, behavioral health and trauma.

Jennifer is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in humanities.

Candyce Singletary has worked in a leadership capacity in the corporate arena for 20 years and in not-for-profit for five years. She currently co-chairs the diversity, equity and inclusion committee at Catholic Charities Community Services in Rochester, New York.

In 2012, Candyce created an organization called House of David Outreach Ministries, a ministry under Project Urge, which focuses on teaching young people how to navigate life's obstacles and past trauma in a healthy way so that they can be successful.

She is continuing her education through University of Phoenix in Correctional Program Support Services.

Joe McGee is a behavioral health recovery life skills coach who works with people suffering from mental illness and substance abuse through psychosocial rehabilitation. He also assists individuals in recovery with finding employment. He has spent over 20 years in the human service field, with 12 years working for the OPWDD population. He has worked his way up from direct support staff to various leadership positions, including residential manager, assistant supervisor and Strategies for Crisis Intervention and Prevention (SCIP) instructor.

Born in Rochester, New York, McGee served as a peer mentor for Monroe Community College. He received the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence and graduated from the United Way African American Leadership Development Program. He has been recognized nationally for his poem “Vision of a King.”

McGee serves as a co-chair for a structural racism and inequality committee and is on the parent leadership group at The Children’s Agenda. He is pursuing his master’s degree in social work.

Dr. Sharitta F. Gross is senior manager, enterprise development and performance excellence, at City of Hope. With over two decades of professional experience in the fields of higher education, workforce development and human services, she is also the founder of ELLA Consulting.

Dr. Gross earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University at Albany, a master’s in liberal arts from The College at Brockport, an advanced certificate in project management from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Doctor of Education in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College.

Brianne Kilpatrick, with 10 years of experience in nonprofit work, is passionate about fundraising for communities and youth. She is the director of annual giving at Goddard Riverside Community Center in New York City, where her work includes raising money for the annual fund, soliciting planned gifts, building a junior board and creating volunteer opportunities for corporate employees. In her free time, Brianne likes to travel, take photos and practice judo.

Tracy Boff has over 25 years of leadership experience in health and human services. She began her career as a direct support professional and worked her way through various levels to executive leadership, providing oversight to New York State and federally funded programs. Tracy also worked for the NYS Department of Health, where she was responsible for Medicaid policy and redesign initiatives.

Before starting her own organizational consulting business, Beyond the Box Solutions, Tracy was the president and CEO of Prime Care Coordination and led the successful launch of the multimillion-dollar organization providing care coordination services to individuals with disabilities throughout upstate New York.

Fueled by her passion for organizational development, Tracy has led DEI assessment and planning initiatives, strategy design, change management, branding and quality improvement efforts. Tracy has an M.A. in Organizational Leadership, Lean Six Sigma Green Belt and Prosci Change Management Certification.

Deborah Campbell, director of workforce development for the Catholic Family Center in Rochester, New York, has worked in not-for-profit organizations for over 20 years. She worked for The Community Place of Greater Rochester for three years as the director of the C.H.O.I.C.E.S. employment program, where she developed the program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

She previously worked for the Epilepsy Foundation of Rochester-Syracuse-Binghamton as a program manager for two Department of Health waiver programs and served as the chair for the Special Review Committee. She has sat on the foundation Board of a local neighborhood outpatient clinic and currently serves as a Board member of Home Start Hope.

Ms. Campbell received both her bachelor’s degree in organizational management and master’s degree in strategic leadership from Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester.

Crystal Renée Tillman is a Christian author and blogger from the South Side of Chicago and founder of DreamWriterInk! Writing & Publishing Services. Her company provides writing and educational services for adults, children and students of all ages.

Her more than 20 years of experience in higher education allows her company to deliver magnificent professional and creative writing classes, workshops, seminars and writing services. It has always been Crystal Renée’s goal to reduce the education learning gap, and her company’s purpose is to help underserved and undereducated students become published or complete their college and graduate degrees. Her expertise has aided hundreds of low-income and students of color complete their degrees with minimal to no student debt.

A section from Crystal Renée’s fall release, In the Company of Women, was published in February in the anthology, “From a Black Perspective: The Blood.” Crystal Renée’s memoir, It’s All to Come, will also be published in late spring 2021. Crystal Renée is a cervical cancer survivor and expects her healing from multiple sclerosis to manifest as her faith strengthens.

Carlette Bradley is a learning and development consultant at Univera Healthcare/ Excellus BCBS. In 2017, Carlette started her consulting firm, The Masterpiece Project, which focuses on leadership, personal and professional development through interactive workshops, team building, individual coaching and inspirational speeches, with an emphasis on spiritual consciousness, self-awareness and purpose. Carlette is also the co-founder and mentoring coordinator of the G.I.R.L.S. Sports Foundation, Inc.

She is passionate about impacting the lives of anyone she encounters because she believes that everyone has a divine purpose here on Earth. Carlette challenges individuals of all ages to adopt new ways of thinking and to accept the truth about who they are destined to be: masterpieces!

Carlette earned her Master of Arts in organizational leadership from Medaille College, where she has served as an alumni mentor and instructional speaker.

Chanel McCord is the owner/clinical director of Oasis Wellness Group. With more than nine years of experience, Chanel seeks to assist individuals in the healing process through counseling, psychoeducation, coaching and wellness initiatives targeting the mental, social and spiritual paradigms of one’s life.

As a motivational speaker, Chanel touches on topics that span psycho-social and spiritual realms, delivering transformational, fun, high-energy messages that leave the target audience educated, empowered and encouraged.

Chanel is licensed as a Professional Counselor (LPC) in the State of New Jersey and holds the Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS) credential. She holds several certifications, including Crisis Prevention Intervention (CPI), Psychological First Aid (PFA) and Post-Traumatic Stress Management (PTSM).

She received a B.A. in psychology from Seton Hall University and an M.A. in professional counseling from Liberty University. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in counselor education and supervision from Grand Canyon University.

Sandra Bethea has over 20 years of multifaceted social service and leadership experience. She is a results-driven and community-focused consultant for nonprofits, foundations, government and business entities in the areas of program development and implementation, project management, strategic planning, outcomes and evaluation, community development planning and resource development.

Characterized by many as being passionate about strategic planning, program design, proven results and sustainable change, she has assisted many organizations in achieving results for the communities they serve.

With a life-long commitment to building effective collaborations, Sandra has managed grant funding, outreach and reporting, and community development for organizations regarding women’s health issues, child development programs, and community change projects.

For 19 years, Pamela has helped women improve their personal and financial wealth through solid financial life planning. Pamela’s education and training enable her to help clients successfully navigate financial decisions. She focuses on helping her clients meet their financial needs and work to achieve financial security and greater retirement readiness.

Throughout her financial services career, she has acquired several client service and financial planning awards. She has membership in the Million Dollar Roundtable, which is a highly recognized mark of excellence and limited to only the most successful in the financial services profession. in November 2020, Pamela was featured in Fortune magazine’s Women in Wealth section as a top wealth manager in the Washington, D.C., metro area.

For nearly two decades, Kia Croom has enjoyed a remarkable career in fundraising and fund development. She took interest in nonprofits while volunteering at H.O.P.E. Through Divine Intervention, Inc., a homeless services agency in Atlanta. During this time, she was working as a local news reporter and completing a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Kia had dreams of becoming a broadcast news anchor but pivoted to fundraising after volunteering to write her first-ever successful grant proposal for the shelter. Celebrating the successful grant request, HTDI offered Kia her first full-time fundraising job as a development director.

Kia continued her fundraising career working in positions of increasing responsibility for nonprofits across the nation and in a variety of cause areas.

Kia earned her bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Clark Atlanta University and is a proud HBCU alumna. She obtained her Master of Public Administration from Kennesaw State University. As a devoted lifelong learner, Kia has earned certificates in Fund Development from the University of Richmond, Corporate Social Responsibility from Pepperdine University and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Cornell.

Kristina Bustos is the director of diversity, equity, inclusion and community engagement at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, a 127-year-old settlement house in New York City that serves 16,000 clients in need. She has held multiple positions with the Neighborhood House, including assistant director of programming at its two Senior Centers and director of operations at the Women’s Mental Health Shelter. Previously, she worked at Henry Street Settlement as a program coordinator for its citywide older adult volunteer program.

Kristina also has been a freelance journalist, with a decade of writing experience. She is a graduate of Marquette University with a Bachelor of Arts in journalism.

Dr. Tara Jabbaar-Gyambrah is C.E.O. of TMJ Consulting, which provides innovative solutions to higher education institutions, corporations and nonprofit organizations. She is a servant leader with over 17 years of experience in education and as a change agent for the community. In addition to being a business leader, Dr. Tara is also an adjunct professor in the Sociology Department at Niagara University.

She has sat on several boards, published books and scholarly articles, and participated in leadership programs including SUNY Sail Leadership Institute, Harvard Business School Club of Buffalo Not-For-Profit Management Development, and the Council of Independent Colleges Senior Leadership Academy.

Dr. Tara earned her bachelor’s degree in African American studies, master’s in interdisciplinary studies, doctorate in American studies specializing in global gender studies (formerly known as women's studies), and an Advanced Certificate for Teaching for Leading Diversity at the University at Buffalo.

Gisele Marcus is the chief operations officer at NPWR (pronounced N-power), a networking app in the development phase. Most recently she was the general manager of the $120 million asset management services business at Thermo Fisher Scientific. Prior to that, she assumed her first nonprofit role as chief operating officer of the St. Louis Regional Chamber, one of the top 10 revenue-generating chambers in the country. Marcus spent 13 years in the commercial real estate/facility management outsourcing business, holding senior leadership roles at Johnson Controls and Cushman & Wakefield, where she led their $800 million financial services segment globally and on assignment in South Africa. Early in her career at Ameritech (currently AT&T), she was part of a $1 billion strategic growth initiative to expand market presence into urban communities.

Marcus is a TEDx speaker on the topic of networking and relationship building. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. A native New Yorker, Marcus attended Syracuse University’s Martin J. Whitman School of Management before heading to Harvard Business School for an MBA.

Kexin Ma is the director of federal programs at the Homeless Alliance of Western New York, an agency she has been with since 2011. There she oversees a homeless services and client information database as well as a $15 million grant that funds homeless housing programs. She coordinates services among service providers and government entities, evaluates program performance, determines gaps for services, and creates policy and procedure to improve coordination among homeless services.

In 2015, she was included in the 30 Under 30 awards from Buffalo Business First.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture from China Agriculture University and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University at Buffalo.

April R. Randall, a native of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area, is an attorney with years of experience working across industries and specialties.

Social justice and diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to who Ms. Randall is and the work that she does. She presently serves as the Co-chair Lead of the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia’s Diversity Committee, where she has played an integral role in shepherding the WBA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion by ensuring that its programs and panelists are representative of diverse communities and engaging in discussions about racial equity and implied bias. In addition, she has experience providing legal services to victims of sexual assault.

Ms. Randall is committed to philanthropy and public service. She has served on several boards and commissions and is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., the Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., and The Society, Incorporated, Supporting the Arts.

She is a 2003 graduate of Wellesley College and a 2006 graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law. She recently completed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate offered by the University of South Florida, Muma College of Business.

Juweria Dahir is the executive director at EforAll in Buffalo, New York. Fostering a local entrepreneurial ecosystem, she advises and coaches entrepreneurs and small businesses and understands what it takes to launch, build and grow a successful company. Before joining EforAll, she was city planner and external affairs manager for the City of Buffalo. In this role, she was a liaison between city departments and nearly 500 block clubs, identifying and implementing neighborhood development projects, including beautification and restoration initiatives.

Originally from East Africa, Dahir moved to Buffalo in 2013 and since that time has focused on policies that mitigate economic, gender and racial inequalities. She is the recipient of the 2021 ATHENA Young Professional Leadership Award, a Buffalo Business First 2019 “30 Under 30” award and the Muslim Public Affairs Council of Western New York’s inaugural Outstanding American Muslim Millennial Award in 2016.

Dahir received a master’s degree from the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo. While finishing her studies, Dahir received the Western New York Prosperity Fellowship, awarded to entrepreneurial civic-minded students.

Roderick L. Jones, Ed.D., MPA, has been the executive director of Goddard Riverside since February 2017. Previously, he spent nine years as president and C.E.O. of Grace Hill Settlement House in St. Louis, Missouri, putting the organization on sound financial footing while accelerating fundraising. Before his time in St. Louis, he was president and CEO of the Community Place of Greater Rochester, New York. Dr. Jones was named Not-for-Profit Leader of the Year in 2011 by the Regional Chamber of Commerce and The St. Louis American.

He has a Master of Public Administration degree from SUNY Brockport and a doctorate in education from St. John Fisher College.

Shaney Pendleton is chief operating officer at All Walks of Life, a premier urban center for whole healthcare specializing in behavioral health, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. With almost 20 years’ experience in the behavioral health field, she is passionate about serving others and bettering the lives of black and brown children in urban cities.

Ms. Pendleton is a qualified behavioral health professional and continues to maintain her credentials as a Child and Family Resiliency Practitioner (CFRP) from the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association and Foundation.

She previously served as a consultant specializing in business planning, project management, fundraising, capacity building and executive coaching. She also was a consultant to the Maryland Juvenile Court System and was appointed to develop enrichment programs for girls grades K-12 in several Baltimore City Public Schools. She is as a contributing board member for a youth organization focused on civil engagement and a non-profit that creates unique vocational training for youth.

Ms. Pendleton was introduced to the behavioral health field as a youth advocate for a local organization while attending the University of Baltimore Merrick School of Business. In 2020, she was named a “Leading Woman,” by the Maryland Daily Record, which recognizes women age 40 or younger for tremendous accomplishments, professional experience, community involvement and a commitment to inspiring change.

Dr. Shalon M. Jones is associate director of Global Medical Affairs at Bristol Meyers Squibb, specializing in hematology and oncology drug research and development. With experience in both the public and private sector, Dr. Jones has in-depth knowledge of global public health and the pharmaceutical industry. In her current role, she travels all over the world collaborating on disease strategy and tactics (pre-Covid). She supports the development of drug research as well as guidance for investigator-initiated trial decisions. Dr. Jones also supports the tracking and/or requesting of compassionate use or other early (expanded) access programs which allow new, unapproved drugs to treat seriously ill patients when no other treatments are available.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in pharmaceutical marketing from Saint Joseph’s University, a Master of Public Health from LIU Brooklyn, and a Doctor of Pharmacy from Touro College of Pharmacy.

Rose Roberts is a junior at Barack Obama Academy of International Studies in Pittsburgh. She is a 4.0 student who is dedicated to her schoolwork and bringing light to whatever environment she is in. She is a STEM major and has a passion for pursuing medicine as well as policy in the future. She participates in health- and science-based programs, such as Health Care Professionals Prep and robotics, to expand her knowledge in those areas. She also dances with Hill Dance Academy Theatre and has a passion for the arts. As a young black girl, Rose is adamant about being the change she wants to see in society by working hard to be part of the solution.

Pamela Hunter was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2015 and represents one of New York’s most diverse legislative districts, which includes the Onondaga Nation along with portions of the city of Syracuse and the towns of Dewitt, Onondaga and Salina.

Assemblymember Hunter is currently the only female veteran in the State Legislature, giving her unique insight as the chair of the Assembly Subcommittee on Women Veterans. She is a member of the Insurance, Energy, Social Services, Transportation and Veteran Affairs committees, as well as the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Caucus and the Women’s Caucus. Nationally, she serves as chair of the Health and Long-Term Care Issues Committee for the National Conference of Insurance Legislators.

Hunter also has broad professional experience, having held executive positions with nonprofit organizations and professional service firms. Her community service includes participation on boards that include AccessCNY, Catholic Charities, Meals on Wheels, Homes Aides of Central New York and the Syracuse Industrial Development Agency.

She grew up in upstate New York and served in the U.S. Army. After her military service, Hunter received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Strayer College in Washington, D.C. She has a professional certification in human resources.

LaRhonda Leonard is vice president of IT Operational Excellence, Provider and Medical Management Systems at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, the largest nonprofit health insurer in upstate New York. Leonard partners with the business to create, maintain and enhance business applications. She is accountable for supporting the Operational Excellence and Population Health Engagement divisions to shape the strategic development, implementation and oversight of all claims, customer service, provider, medical management and pharmacy-related technologies.

She has more than 23 years of experience in planning, developing and implementing business solutions, with extensive experience in application development and production support. Leonard began her career in 1997 at Xerox Corp. and joined Excellus in 2004, where she served in several roles within the Healthcare and Network Management and Information Technology Divisions.

Leonard has proven to be a collaborative and approachable leader through her involvement in Excellus’ Women’s Leadership Council, where she is a co-chair of the Mentoring and Coaching Committee.

Leonard earned both a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering and an MBA from Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York.

Maria Lizardo is a proud Dominican-American who serves her community as executive director of Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation, leading a team of nearly 150 attorneys, educators, social workers, counselors, organizers, advocates and volunteers. Under her leadership, NMIC serves over 14,000 low-income immigrant community members each year with programs to address their housing, immigration, benefits/finance, health, education/career and holistic needs.

Before joining NMIC, Lizardo worked at Promesa, Inc., a multiservice agency in the Bronx, where she implemented tenant, youth, open space and safety programs. She is also a founding driver of the Brides’ March to address domestic violence in the Latinx community.

She earned her Master of Social Work from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College and pairs her education with her lived experiences as a Hamilton Heights and Washington Heights native to serve as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of our immigrant community members.

Dr. Sharitta F. Gross is senior manager, enterprise development and performance excellence, at City of Hope. With over two decades of professional experience in the fields of higher education, workforce development and human services, she is also the founder of ELLA Consulting.

Dr. Gross earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University at Albany, a master’s in liberal arts from The College at Brockport, an advanced certificate in project management from Rochester Institute of Technology and a Doctor of Education in executive leadership from St. John Fisher College.

Miriam Moore-Burt is committed to serving populations that are marginalized and underserved, those the broader society may consider “the others.” She has served as the vice president of racial equity initiatives for the YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County and has extended her talents and time to the Settlement Houses of Rochester as their chief development officer. Additionally, Moore-Burt has worked as a director of customer relations and as a national and urban advertising executive for Gannett/USA Today.

Believing in the impact of civic engagement, Moore-Burt serves on the boards of the Team E Foundation, the Autism Council of Rochester and the Roberts Wesleyan College Alumni Council.

Moore-Burt is an adjunct for the United Way African-American Leadership Program and has been noted as an emerging Black leader by Gatehouse Media, a Woman to Watch by the Democrat & Chronicle and was included in the Rochester Business Journal's 2017 Forty Under 40. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Moore-Burt has a B.S. in organizational leadership and an M.S. in strategic leadership, both from Roberts Wesleyan College. She will complete her doctoral research in educational leadership at St. John Fisher College in the summer of 2021

Tiffany R. Lewis, a native of Memphis, is a vibrant leader and youth advocate committed to the social development of women and girls. She is a multipreneur owner of Image Ignite 360, as a master clinical oncology esthetician, and founder and C.E.O. of Confident Girl Mentoring Program, a nonprofit organization that utilizes evidence-based practices to correct racial and gender inequalities, moving girls from at-risk to at-promise. Under the CGMP umbrella, she provides leadership and empowerment programs to over 2,000 girls in marginalized communities.

She previously worked in city government, writing policies and legislation targeting youth and communities of color, and developed marketing and wellness programs for Fortune 500 companies.

Currently, she sits on several advisory boards and is the chairwoman of the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women. Lewis is a recipient of numerous honorary awards, including the Buffalo NAACP’s Daniel R. Acker Community Service Award.

She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan School of Social Work and is certified in Trauma-Informed Care, Adverse Childhood Experience (ACES), Support for Student Exposed to Trauma (SSET), and Parent Engagement in Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Additional training includes Racial Equity Impact Analysis from Racial Equity Institute and Diversity, Inclusion, & Cultural Competence from E.K. Ward & Associates.

As president and C.E.O. of YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County, Dr. Myra Henry brings over 20 years of experience as an administrative change agent with a passion for integrating diversity, equity and inclusion principles within organizational systems. Upon her appointment to lead the YWCA in December 2020, she became the first woman of color to lead the 138-year-old organization. Dr. Henry has worked closely with organizational committees and leadership teams in higher education, medical centers and not-for-profits as well as community agencies to develop and deliver professional development and leadership training.

Previously, Dr. Henry was the deputy dean of the River Campus Libraries at the University of Rochester. In this role, she oversaw the libraries’ organizational development, finance, human resources and facilities management. She also served as the UR Libraries Diversity and Inclusion sponsor and facilitator and co-chaired UR’s D&I committee, facilitated the UR Implicit Bias workshops and served as an executive member of the University’s Diversity & Equity Committee.

Dr. Henry’s personal philosophy of change requires that she “stand in her own truth while walking toward her purpose.” As a lifelong learner, she encourages us to make time for critical self-reflection and challenges us to have courage in ourselves. She believes the most important conversation is the one we have with ourselves first.

Angela Dorn, J.D., has worked in not-for-profit organizations for 20 years. She is chief operating officer and general counsel for Youth INC in New York City, where she oversees operations, finance, people and culture, and board engagement.

Dorn was a founding member, chief legal officer and chief operation officer at Single Stop USA, a national nonprofit that has helped over 1 million low-income households avoid or move out of poverty. She is also a co-founder of the online platform BlackHer, a website dedicated to black women’s political, economic and personal engagement. Dorn sits on nonprofit boards that include the NAACP Foundation, Public Allies and the Community Service Society.

Dorn received both her A.B. in economics and her law degree from Harvard University.

Karen King, Ph.D., is the commissioner of public advocacy for Erie County and the executive director of the Erie County Commission on the Status of Women. The Commission works to provide resources to the women and girls of Erie County, to ensure that they participate fully in matters that have an impact on their lives, to eliminate gender-based discrimination and to promote women’s economic, societal and political empowerment.

Dr. King has served as an adjunct graduate faculty member in the Higher Education Student Affairs Administration Program at Buffalo State College and in the Graduate School of Education at the University at Buffalo. She has developed and taught courses and conducted workshops on popular media culture, social justice advocacy, multicultural competency, privilege, gender, race and class. Dr. King’s research interests include examining the role that gender, race, class and popular culture play in informing women’s and girls’ identity development and access to opportunity.

She serves on the New York State Council for Women and Girls, the board of the Family Justice Center, the Executive Committee of the University at Buffalo Gender Institute, the Minority and Women Business Enterprise Utilization Advisory Board, and the Erie County and City of Buffalo Joint Certification Committee.