Leadership Ledger, Winter 2015 by Leadership Newark

Winter 2015

Leadership Newark, Inc. 494 Broad Street, Suite LL10 Newark, NJ 07102 Phone: (973) 350-9200 Fax: (973) 350-9208 leadnewark@leadershipnewark.org @LeadershipNwk

The Leadership Ledger: Progressive Leaders, Agents of Change

A Look Back

Today

A Look Ahead

Evaluation: Assessing LN

A Message from the CEO

2013 Public Policy Summit

New LN Team Members

Board Service Training 11 Alumni Engagement Social Media

Class of 2014 Graduation

Welcome Class of 2016

Save the Dates

Alumni Corner

A Look At Us: Funders & Sponsors Board of Trustees

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Year-End Fundraiser

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Winter 2015

A Message From The Chief Executive Officer: Happy New Year! Welcome to the winter issue of The Leadership Ledger. This is the first edition of what will become a seasonal communiqué primarily developed to share exciting updates about our alumni network and the organization as a whole. This year brings a number of new beginnings for Leadership Newark: our staff has expanded, and new initiatives are underway. As you read The Leadership Ledger, you will learn more about the good news.

LN Fun Every LN class gets named by Facts: class Celia. Do you know your name?

2000 – The Professors 2001 – The C ollaborators 2002 – The Bridge 2003 – The Doers 2004 – The Optimists 2005 – The Visionaries 2006 – The Activists 2007 – The Warm Hearted 2008 – The Trail Blazers 2009 – The C ommunicators 2010 – Beacons of Hope 2011 – The Talented Tenth 2012 – The Saviors 2013 – The Amalgamators 2014 – The Obligators

Kicking off the year, the nation celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, reminding us to reflect on his exemplary life. He was one of the most prophetic, intelligent, and powerful voices of the 20th century. His wisdom guided us through the civil rights movement, albeit not alone, but we certainly think of him as “the Leader”. We are reminded of his leadership when we remember the walk from Selma to Montgomery; peacefully demanding equitable standards with our right to vote; the iconic March on Washington, and the I Have A Dream speech. What is YOUR Dream? Who is/are our leaders of the 21st Century? I cannot name one specific individual as “the leader,” but I do know we ALL have a responsibility to take risks and stand up for what is right. LEAD! At a minimum, we all must speak out against injustices and inequities while speaking up for equity and justice for all. Of late, there have been far too many instances where civil rights have been abused, challenged, and tested. As a community, we can ill afford to be complacent and uninformed. Therefore, I ask you to take a pledge in this new year, to become more engaged and more informed for yourself and for the greater good. The parallels of the 1960’s and today are far too similar, and King’s words continue to resonate as though he were speaking today: “We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there “is” such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action.” Take the lead and do something that can effectuate positive change. Take good care, Celia Celia M. King, MPS Chief Executive Officer

2015 – The Independents 2016 – To Be Determined

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Winter 2015

Meet … The Newest LN Team Members

“

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has – Margaret Mead

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Leadership Newark would like to extend a warm welcome to its new Deputy Director of Programs and Project Manager! Laureen Delance, MPA Laureen serves as the Deputy Director of Programs. In that role, she is primarily responsible for developing the public policy curriculum for the Leadership Newark Fellowship. To ensure an impactful program, Laureen is a firm believer in strategic partnerships and delivers a meaningful, hands-on experience to fellows. She believes strategic community partnerships are the solution to neighborhood improvement and civic engagement. Prior to Leadership Newark, Laureen worked for the New York City Department of Education as a Workforce Development Coordinator managing a student caseload between Brooklyn and Staten Island and cultivating strategic partnerships with companies that provide students learn-to-work experience. Her role also involved supporting in the development of a Partner Advisory Board, curriculum development, operations management, and data analysis and management.

Alison M. Fernandez Alison Fernandez serves as the Project Manager for Leadership Newark, Inc. In her capacity, she wears many different “hats,” including Administrative Operations & Alumni Relations. As the former Research Associate for the Newark Trust for Education, she was responsible for enhancing and maintaining the NET Navigator, an online tool that tracks the numerous funding streams awarded each of the public & charter schools in Newark. She also served as the Data and Research Development Manager with the Rutgers Office of University-Community Partnerships, where she was responsible for collecting, managing, and assessing various forms of departmental data, as well as creating systematic storage processes for intradepartmental organization.

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Winter 2015 The following is a brief summary of the Cornwall Center’s report and findings about the value of Leadership Newark’s contribution to the community. The assessment was presented to the public last January.

Growing Leaders to Enhance Civil Society: Cornwall Center Assesses the Contributions of Leadership Newark

Civic

leadership ability can be enhanced. That is the main finding of the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies study, titled Growing Leaders to Enhance Civil Society: Assessing the Contributions of Leadership Newark. The study, based on a representative sampling of LN alumni and the two main stakeholder groups, found that Leadership Newark (LN) has achieved a strong level of success in preparing individuals in the public, private and non-profit sector for civic leadership. Now in its sixteenth year, LN provides learning opportunities for present and future leaders through a rich program of classroom seminars and real-world professional partnerships. Leadership Newark alumni reported that “deep engagement” in Newark’s public affairs grew from about 18% pre program to more than 45% post program, and virtually all alumni experienced at least some increase in their knowledge of, and engagement with, Newark’s public affairs upon completion of the program. Additionally, alumni reported that they felt a strong level of growth in their leadership ability and skills.

The most significant area of exposure was in the areas of leadership skills such as decision making, teaming building and developing a shared vision for Newark, which reveal how the fellowship program brings diverse talent together and teaches them to collaborate effectively. In conducting the surveys, the Cornwall team also documented the personal stories of numerous alumni and representative stakeholder. Their personal testimonials are, in effect, the most compelling evidence of the positive and lasting contributions of LN to the city of Newark. All of these data sets paint a picture of the LN alumnus as knowledgeable about, and engaged in the public, social, and cultural affairs of the City of Newark, and are planning to remain so for the foreseeable future. The full report can be accessed at http://leadershipnewark.org/si tes/default/files/pdfs/FinalAss essment12-18-12.pdf

About the Cornwall Center: Established in July 2000, the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies is a signature effort by Rutgers University to focus the intellectual talent and resources of the institution in service of Newark and its surrounding region. The Cornwall Center encourages and conducts relevant research and hosts learning opportunities aimed at improving the cultural, social, and economic development of the community, city, and region in which the Center resides.

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Winter 2015

Leadership Newark Public Policy Summit Rebuilding the Dream that is Newark

Leadership

Newark held its first Public Policy Summit in November 2013 The conference was designed to include an indepth conversation on public policy issues impacting the Newark community. Based on community feedback gathered by a team of LN consultants, the Summit focused on education, economic recovery, crime & public safety, as well as health & the environment. The mission behind the Summit was to provide Newark stakeholders a platform from which they can become informed about the latest developments in these public policy areas, and how they are impacting urban communities. The day boasted 200 in attendance, provided a place for members of

the community to learn more, a forum to share their thoughts, ideas, concerns, and – most importantly - solutions with key stakeholders. Van Jones, MSNBC host of Crossfire, and co-founder of Rebuild the Dream, delivered an incredible keynote address highlighting hard hitting economic challenges communities, such as Newark, face on a daily basis and strongly suggested “coding” is the most critical skill necessary for the 21 Century Leader. st

Leadership Newark will be hosting the 2015 Public Policy Summit, Newark In Action: Engage, Educate, Empower on Saturday, May 9. For details, please contact the office. 5

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Winter 2015

Alumni Corner Welcome to the World… Jermahl Stewart Born: June 13, 2014 Born to alum Ca Misha Hill-Stewart ‘11 Leo Adam Rosenkrans Born: June 28, 2014 Born to alums Laurel Dumont ’08, and Kyle Rosenkrans ‘11

Yasmin Kenney Born: August 13, 2014 Born to alum Alturrick Kenney ‘04

New Beginnings Cont’d… Anthony Campos, LN ‘09 Police Chief, City of Newark Larry Crump, LN ‘00 Counsel for the City of Newark Laureen Delance Deputy Director of Programs for Leadership Newark Pamela Daniels, LN’13 Launched the Brickerati Group Agency Rosa Farias, LN ‘12 Research Associate, Senate Majority Office Jason Grove, LN’16 President, Urban League of Essex County Young Professionals Natay Hayes, LN ‘14 Traveling the World! Currently backpacking on a world-tour Shavar Jeffries, LN ‘03 Litigation Partner for Lowenstein Sandler, LLP Iveth Mosquera-Luna, LN ‘03 2015 President, Latinas United for Political Empowerment

New Beginnings…

Anibal Ramos, Jr., LN ‘00 Re-elected City Councilman, Northward

Baye Adofo-Wilson, LN ‘00 Deputy Mayor for Economic and Housing Development

Nikia Simmons, LN ‘04 Engaged!

Shelly L. Bell, LN ‘06 Newark Emergency Services for Families

Anthony Smith, LN ‘00 Executive Director, Lincoln Park Coast Cultural District

Aminah Bey, LN ‘01 Executive Director of the Newark Workforce Investment Board

Hassan Wilson, LN ‘11 Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania

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Winter 2015

Leaders In The Spotlight: Outstanding Individuals Doing Outstanding Things

Laurel Dumont, Class of 2008 Laurel and Kyle are the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy, born in late June 2014. They relocated to Hudson Valley in New York and remain very committed to a thriving Newark. Laurel currently works at Leadership for Educational Equity as Director of New Ventures. She supports current and former teachers who seek to make a meaningful impact in their communities through roles and efforts of their own creation. She also works to fill gaps in local, statewide and national education ecosystems, and brings new voices and innovative approaches to advocacy, organizing, and policy work on behalf of kids.

Dr. Rolando Herts, Class of 2007 Dr. Rolando Herts takes the helm as Director for the Delta State University’s Delta Center for Culture & Learning. The Delta Center serves as the management entity for the Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, an area acknowledged by Congress in March 2009. Recognizing that the Delta is a unique landscape with a distinct culture that is unusually rich in heritage stores, efforts began in 2003 to organize partners to promote National Heritage Area designation. “I visited the Delta Center back in 2003, when I was working on my dissertation at Rutgers University,” says Herts. Overall, his career choices have paid homage to the triumphs and struggles of his ancestors. “By doing so, I am telling their stories and carrying on their legacies of service and commitment to the betterment of humanity. I believe that this is part of my life purpose.”

Shavar Jeffries, Class of 2003 Shavar Jeffries has joined the corporate law firm of Lowenstein Sandler as a partner. Jeffries, an associate professor at Seton Hall University School of Law, will represent clients in civil and criminal litigation, according to the firm. “Lowenstein has some of the best lawyers anywhere any tremendous strength in its litigation practice and other core areas. The firm is also well known for its long-standing commitment to the public interest, including its long-time advocacy on behalf of children and educational issues," he said in a statement. Jeffries received his law degree from Columbia University, clerked for Judge Nathaniel for Judge Nathaniel R. Jones on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and was an associate at the law firm of Wilmer Cutler & Pickering in Washington, D.C.

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Winter 2015

Dr. Bahiyyah M. Muhammad, Class of 2009

Sara Peña Class of 2009

Bahiyyah’s research and ambitions are to empower children of incarcerated parents all over the world. As a Professor of Criminology at Howard University, Bahiyyah has helped shape what adolescent resiliency looks like by providing groundbreaking evidence to support that a child’s success is not determinable by their early circumstances. In her first year at Howard University, she is co-author of a textbook in her field, of which she contributed five chapters, authored two peer-reviewed journal articles, and launched a global campaign for educating and empowering the children of incarcerated parents. She has done work for this initiative all over the world, notably in Dubai, London, and Africa. Bahiyyah is currently working alongside her documentarian husband on a film that bridges the cultures between children all around the world who are victims of parental

Inspired by her son, Anthony, Ms. Pena has recently founded the Boys to Leaders Foundation whose mission is to empower and motivate young men by providing leadership training, educational programs, and positive personal and professional development. Their goal is to unleash the potential of young men while offering the resources they will need to succeed. Sara was recently featured on the LaRue List (June 2014). http://laruelist.com/2014/05/boys-to-leaders-foundation-inspiring-newark-latinoyoung-men

Erin Sweeney, Class of 2014 Erin Sweeney has recently been appointed the Director of NPower in the State of New Jersey. She has been tasked with establishing a full operation in Newark. NPower will offer free technology and professional skill training to young adults with a commitment to placement in the tech industry. As Regional Director, Erin will be establishing key relationships with funders, educators, and technical professionals to allow her classrooms to be fully operational within the next 3-6 months. New Jersey is the fifth state in which this non-profit will operate. They have successfully placed over 80% of their graduates in coding positions in major corporations throughout the country.

Leadership Newark Goes Global! Can you imagine meeting one of your LN colleagues in another country? That is exactly what happened with Varfee Siryon, LN’14, and ElizabethRose Amidjogbe LN’08. They met at home in Monrovia, Liberia. Varfee was on business for his non-profit, S4Infinity Foundation, while Liz currently lives there. Upon completing Rutgers Law, she relocated to specialize in International Maritime Law. After meeting on two occasions, they have committed to working together on a number of policy issues for the hope & promise of the people of Liberia. With their collaboration, there’s a strong possibility the Leadership Newark model could become international!

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Winter 2015

Congratulations, Class of 2014!

Leadership

Newark would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to The Obligators, a.k.a. the Class of 2014, thus named because they have a strong sense of duty and accountability to the community, one another, and to Leadership Newark. Their journey was a unique one, and it was a pleasure watching them grow into the leaders they are today. Well done, Class of 2014! v v v v v v

Naima Briscoe Alaythia Burkins Aida Chiles Sofi Cordero Lisa Craps Shantesia Crawford

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Wendy Cubano Dan DeNose Alex Ellis Rochelle Green Natay Hayes

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Tolu Lanrewaju Calvin Ledford LeeSandra Medina Lauren Meehan Karen Moore

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Khalil Nassinruddin Raquel Ramos Varfee Siryon Erin Sweeney Albert Williams

Welcome to the Family! The Class of 2016 joined the LN family at the recognition reception held in their honor this past September. They were very excited and just as equally eager to kick off their fellowship journey during their October retreat, where they were given a history of Newark by Robert Curvin, author of Inside Newark: Decline, Rebellion, and the Search for Transformation. In November, they met jointly with the Class of 2015 during their first policy session focused on Faith & Public Policy. We look forward to watching this lively and highly ambitious group grow, flourish, and learn more about Newark and the surrounding community, as they continue the Fellowship program.

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Winter 2015

Geraldine R. Dodge Features Leadership Newark in the 2014 Jersey Give Back Guide As we all know, a key time of year to have a fundraising campaign is at the end of the year. Those of us in the non-profit world believe supporters tend to be in a generous mood and are looking to make tax-deductible donations before the end of the year. I am happy to share that this year has been one of our more successful campaigns. We raised nearly $18,000, exceeding our target of $15,000. Thanks to the Dodge and Victoria Foundations, Leadership Newark was selected as a featured non-profit in the online New Jersey Give Back Guide. This provided yet another avenue of communication and outreach. Collectively, each and every year-end gift enables us to continue making a difference in enhancing the quality of the learning opportunities offered through our public policy seminars. Leadership Newark will continue to enhance civic leadership and expose more professionals to get deeply engaged in the city of Newark’s public affairs. We remain eternally grateful.

Shout-‐Out to Our Year-‐End Supporters -‐ Thank you! v John Balzano v Shelly Bell v Zammeah BivinsGibson

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Kevin Black Samantha Blackmon Teresa Brown Mark A. Chaplin Irene Cooper-Basch Barbara Bell Coleman Claude Coleman Pamela Daniels Ross Danis Anaiise Diaz Steven Diner Robin Dougherty Laurel Dumont Marcia Dunn Natasha Dyer Melva Edwards Zulima Farber

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Rosa Farias Alison Fernandez Kim Ford Stephen Genzer Andre Gibson Jacquelyn Godbey Michael Godbey Sarah Godbey Ashlee Grenard Brian Grenard Brianna Grenard Aissa Heath Rolando Herts W. Stan Holland Tina & Alex Howard Emily Kameros Barbara Kauffman Celia King Asia King Precious King Calvin Ledford

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Joan Konner Wendy Liscow Catherine Losa Doris Lowe Cristina Martinez Lisa McGee

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Charles Robbins

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Erin Sweeney

Daniel McGuire Kimberly McLain Norma Messing Tanya Mitchell Johora Moore Nicole Morris Irene O’Brien Raymond Ocasio Stella Osemwegie Tammy Parker Kim Pengitore Gwendolyn Rippey

v Leonard Robbins v Olivia Robbins v Eugene Robbins

Joanna Sanchez Darrin Sharif Halashon Sianipar Robert Singer Robert & Rosemary Steinbaum Karen Thomas Cesar Ward Mykelle Warren Stephen Wiessner Hassan Wilson Josh Wolf Lynn Wolf Jacqueline Wolf Marge Woods Stephanie Zrebiec MCJ Amelior Foundation Newark Trust for Education

v Saul Ewing

Special Thanks To: v The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation v The Victoria Foundation 10

Winter 2015

What’s Ahead Board Service Training As Leadership Newark moves forward, it will incorporate an intensive board service-training program, for individuals interested in serving on charter school and non-profit boards. The training will begin in May. Stay tuned for registration. Alumni Engagement Leadership Newark will be working diligently to deliver opportunities for alumni to remain informed and connected. Initiatives toward building an online platform, as well as special events, are underway to keeping our alumni abuzz about LN! Enhancing Social Media Leadership Newark is moving forward and right into the 21 century! We are building more digital communities throughout our social media footprints. Soon, you’ll be able to comment on posts, tweet our happenings, connect to our profile, and possibly follow us on Instagram! st

Funders & Sponsors We would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to the foundations, corporations, private donors, and sponsors who believe in our mission and vision. Over the past 16 years, we have been fortunate to have friends such as these committed to Leadership Newark.

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Winter 2015

Save the Dates v v v v v

LN Annual Gala – Thursday, May 7, 2015 2015 Summit Reception – Friday, May 8, 2015 2015 Public Policy Summit – Saturday, May 9, 2015 Board Service Training – Saturday, May 16, 2015 Cycle XI CLI Presentations – June 2015

Do You Have Any Good News? We Want To Hear About It! We would love hearing from our alumni! Please share your good news for “Leaders in the Spotlight” or to give updates for the “New Beginnings” section. It’s up to you! We also want to ensure the network stays connected, so do share updates, such as bios and new personal/business contact information. Please call the office or send info to our Alumni Relations staff at alumni@leadershipnewark.org.

Board of Trustees Mark A. Chaplin American International Group Hon. Claude A. Coleman, J.S.C Superior Court of NJ, Retired Steven J. Diner, Ph.D. Rutgers-Newark Stephen Genzer, Esq. Saul Ewing, LLP

Barbara E. Kauffman Newark Regional Business Partnership M. Cristina Martinez Thornton Tomasetti, Inc. Kimberly McLain Foundation for Newark’s Future Tanya Y. Mitchell, CPA Newark Alliance

Karen Oliver Moore Prudential Foundation Irene M. O’Brien Rutgers University-Newark Raymond Ocasio La Casa de Don Pedro, Inc. Robert S. Steinbaum, Esq. New Jersey Law Journal

W. Stan Holland Berkeley College, Newark Campus 12