National Programs Committee

The CCE develops lifelong learners who are prepared to lead lives of critically informed community engagement. This is accomplished by delivering learning experiences and research opportunities that connect TCNJ students and faculty with community partners in reciprocal collaborations. These collaborations enhance the ability of participants and organizations to understand and address the contexts and causes of community-identified concerns.

Brittany has spent over 14 years working in the Trenton community, first as a student in the Bonner Community Scholars (BCS) program, where she completed more than 1,500 hours of service working with youth. During her first eight years working professionally at the Center, she served as a BCS Coordinator, mentoring college students in their service. 

In addition to directing the Community Engaged Learning program, Brittany oversees multiple community initiatives. The Capital City Youth Violence Coalition is a partnership with the NJ Office of the Attorney General, local law enforcement and a committed group of community stakeholders with the goal of youth violence prevention and intervention. The Bridge to Employment program and TCNJ Pre-College program both help high school students prepare for higher education and their future careers.

Brittany was an NLC-NJ fellow in 2014 and has served on the NLC-NJ Executive Board since 2015, currently as a Selections Co-Chair. She has a Bachelor’s degree in English and Secondary Education and a Master’s degree in Counseling, both from TCNJ. 

Brittany is a New Jersey native and currently resides in Cinnaminson, NJ. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Mike is Research and Program Coordinator for the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute. Mike is recognized as a top policy advocate on health, housing, energy assistance, and economic security issues. Mike has an extensive grassroots politics and government service background, having worked and consulted for political campaigns at every level of government. He also served as a longtime aide to former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold on Capitol Hill and on his campaigns. 

Mike holds an MA in Political Science from American University, where he was President of the Graduate Student Council. He is a small business owner, a former alderman, and current public servant in the City of Verona, Wisconsin. He has been a longtime volunteer for Special Olympics and other disability organizations

Her 12-year career in nonprofit management includes positions at the Philharmonia Orchestra in London and the Harry Potter Alliance, a national youth engagement organization. Most recently she was at Tandem, Partners in Early Learning for almost six years, leading the organization through a time of expansion, a rebranding process, and as Development Director doubled the revenue and budget. In April 2019 she left to work on her own consultancy, helping nonprofits raise more funds, companies implement more social initiatives, and leaders be more effective: Barton Business Consulting. 

She has a PhD in Literature and a MA in Children’s Literature, and served for four years on the UK chapter of the International Board on Books for Young People and is currently a committee member for USBBY, the US chapter. 

A 2016 Leadership San Francisco Fellow and 2019 Social Entrepreneurship Fellow with StartingBloc, she is a lifelong learner. She has been involved with NLC since being a 2015 NLC-SF Fellow. She has served on the NLC-SF Executive Board, is co-Chair of the National NLC Advancement Committee, is on the NLC National Programs Committee, and serves as a LEAD Trainer for NLC Institutes.

However, Julie is determined to never be too old (or too busy!) to read books written for children.

Marcela served as the Chapter Director of the New Leaders Council Rhode Island Chapter for three years until 2018 after transitioning to the organization’s National Program Committee. 

Today, in her role as the Director of the Latino Policy Institute, Marcela works to promote and connect non-partisan data about Latinos in Rhode Island with a statewide and regional approach. The Latino Policy Institute stimulates public policy discourse by objectively examining and communication the evolving Latino experience in Rhode Island.

Eric joined the KIPP SoCal team in 2010 and worked for six years supporting teacher recruitment, training, and retention as the organization grew from 2 to 14 schools. He returned to KIPP SoCal in January 2020 to support teacher retention projects and teacher onboarding and now he leads the team that finds amazing people to work in KIPP schools and the regional office. Prior to working with KIPP SoCal, he taught 4th and 5th grade at Ralph J. Bunche Elementary in Compton. 

After his New Leaders Council Los Angeles Fellowship in 2010, Eric led the chapter for the next 9 years as Institute Co-Director and Board President. He also hosts the NLC podcast, called The Zag, which recently recorded its 350th episode.

Eric holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Emory University, a Masters of Elementary Education from Loyola Marymount University, and Masters of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School.

She currently serves as the Chapter Director of NLC Tallahassee. Prior to beginning her doctoral work, Adela lived in Washington, DC and worked in education policy and government relations and has prior professional experience in nonprofits, grassroots organizing and political campaigns. 

Adela is passionate about labor union activism and served three terms as President of her union local, UFF-FSU-GAU, Graduate Assistants United, and is actively engaged in union work within UFF, FEA, NEA, and AFT. 

Adela has a master’s degree from the London School of Economics in International Relations and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Miami.

Over the course of her career, she has helped a variety of Ohio’s Fortune 500 companies to employ empathy in order to better understand and serve their customers, while identifying strategic opportunities for innovation. Previously, Alexa worked as a product designer and holds five patents and a BFA in industrial design from the Columbus College of Art & Design. Outside of work, Alexa volunteers as much as possible. She was a 2019 NLC Columbus fellow, was a 2020 Create Columbus commissioner, and previously served on Yes We Can Columbus’s steering committee. When not working, volunteering, or spending time with friends, Alexa can be found caring for her many, many plants and two cats.

Whether she is finding donors to support after-school programs or orchestrating grant proposals and fundraising events, Kadie leverages her roles in the community to produce partnerships for real results. She considers it a privilege to serve as a board leader for several government and nonprofit organizations, living by the philosophy that one should leave a place (and a person) better than they found it (a true lifetime Girl Scout!). 

Kadie is dedicated to shaping future changemakers and empowering others, especially those from marginalized and underserved communities, through mentorship as well as quality instruction and educational policies and practices. A professor of leadership and education, she also serves as the Director of Undergraduate Research for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. 

A voracious reader, (very slow) runner, and (aspiring) ballroom dancer, Kadie also enjoys exploring her home state of Florida with her partner and children. 

A 2014 member of New Leaders Council’s Atlanta cohort, he has served as Recruitment Co-Chair and Chapter Co-Director culminating in Atlanta’s selection as NLC Chapter of the  Year in 2018. He is a founding member of NLC’s Black Caucus and currently serves as NLC Senior LEAD Trainer. He served as president of Neighborhood Planning Unit Y of Atlanta where he made considerable strides in galvanizing and organizing 11 contiguous neighborhoods around public safety, sustainability, transportation, and civic engagement. He sits on the Board of The Atlanta Beltline where he educates communities on real estate policies and development opportunities. 

He serves on the Fulton County District 5 Constituent Services task force as Public Safety and Justice Chair, working to revamp inequitable incarceration practices and lowering recidivism rates. He has served on the Board of Directors for Red Clay Democrats, Georgia’s largest Democratic Political PAC, is a graduate of the United Way VIP program and an Outstanding Atlanta Honoree.

Born and raised in Hampton, VA, he grew up with a love for service and scholarship leading him to Florida A & M University.  While attending FAMU Russell founded a mentoring and tutorial program, served as an early childhood development instructor, taught Math and Science to Upward Bound students and was Community Service Chair for the Beta Nu chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.  In the latter role, he organized voter registration/turnout initiatives and student protests challenging the questionable polling practices of the Florida elections.

He currently works in Business Development for Amedisys Home Health. He recently helped establish the companies Regional and National DEI Councils. In a marriage of his professional and personal passions, he serves on the Morehouse School of Medicine Prevention Research Center - Community Coalition Board and the Morehouse School of Medicine / Morehouse Healthcare Board of Trustees.  

He has also served as a youth mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, Parks Middle School and Raising Expectations, Inc.

In his spare time, Russell is an avid traveler, fitness enthusiast and cigar aficionado.

She went on to serve as Chapter Co-Director during the 2016/2017 to 2017/2018 program years, and continued to support the chapter as Curriculum Chair for the 2018/2019 program year.  Meghan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the State University at Albany in Fine Arts and Political Science in 2001 followed by a Masters in Social Welfare in 2006.  Meghan has spent her professional career working as an advocate for individuals living with disabilities and currently conducts civil and criminal investigations for the NYS Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs. In addition to her professional career, Meghan has also served several terms on the Executive Board of the Albany County Young Democrats (ACYD) and as a Committee Person for the Albany County Democratic Committee. Meghan is a proud union member and currently serves as the Division 232 Council Leader and Labor Management Chair for the NYS Public Employees Federation.  In her free time, Meghan enjoys playing soccer on several local club teams, having adventures close to home and abroad, and relaxing with her husband Luke and rescue mutts Logan & Ziggy.

Prior to joining Adobe, Ty spent over 10 years managing and scaling global teams at Google and Facebook working on legal compliance and intellectual property, respectively. In the workplace, he has been active in both the queer and Asian & Pacific Islander employee resource groups serving as the Executive Chair, specifically focusing on diversity and inclusion, cultural education, professional development, and mentorship.

Within the community, Ty co-founded the Prism Foundation (formerly GAPA Foundation), a grassroots philanthropic organization that provides funds and leverages resources to empower the Asian & Pacific Islander LGBTQ+ community. Ty also serves as a Program Leader with the Roots: Him Mark Lai Family History Project, where he helps Chinese Americans conduct genealogical research to discover their ancestral roots in China and subsequently leads them back to visit their ancestral villages in China in the summer. 

Ty is a 2018 NLC San Francisco alum and the current Co-Director. He chairs the NLC Technology Working Group and the National NLC Advancement Committee. Ty graduated with honors from UC Berkeley with degrees in Political Science, Asian American Studies, and Ethnic Studies. He is a proud 1.5 generation queer refugee and survivor of the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia.

After working in public finance investment banking in Chicago and public health in Europe and Asia, Yuh Wen began her career in the Federal civil service in Washington, DC, where she currently serves as a Resource Management Officer in the Division of Research, Markets & Regulations at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. She has been involved with the New Leaders Council since 2013 - as a fellow (2013), Institute Chair (2014), and Chapter Director (2015-2016) in the Washington, DC chapter; Chair of the Strategic Planning Advisory Council (2020); and LEAD Facilitator since 2015. She is excited to join the National Program Committee as the next stage of her NLC service. Yuh Wen is energized by service - particularly through volunteering as a Tax Preparer for the DC Earned Income Credit Campaign and her side hustle as a life and leadership development coach. She enjoys yoga, improv comedy, and is always game to eat her way through the DC suburbs or philosophize over sports.

He has been with the Office of Admission since 2009. Mack works specifically on international recruitment in Africa, domestic recruitment strategies, and building counselor relationships.  He has also worked on minority recruitment initiatives, community based organization partnerships, and community outreach efforts to educate students on highly selective college admissions. He also oversees and manages the transfer admission process and is the liaison to the Rice School of Architecture. 

In addition to his day job, Mack is a community activist and sociologist dedicated to issues related to the intersections of race, gender, and sexual orientation. He has conducted research on effemiphobia, the negativity related to effeminate gay men. His work has been featured in a GLAAD Media Award winning article and he has presented his work at national conferences such as the National  LGBTQ Task Force: Creating Change and NBJC's Out on the Hill. He is a lead organizer with Black Lives Matter Houston. Co-Chapter Director of New Leaders Council - Houston. Screening Committee and Education and Advocacy Chair of the Houston GLBT Political Caucus. He is also the Research Coordinator for the Mayor’s LGBTQ+ Advisory Board.

Mack graduated from Rice University in 2006 with a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology & Political Science.  In 2013, Mack earned a Masters of Education in Higher Education Administration & Supervision from the University of Houston.  He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Higher Education Leadership & Policy Studies at the University of Houston.

She received her B.A. in Communication Studies from Louisiana State University and her M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Texas. She now works at UNT as an Instructional Designer in the Center for Learning Experimentation, Application, and Research. Anna has worked closely with the DFW community in the movement to end sexual violence and has made the culture surrounding sexual violence a focal point of her advocacy. She still serves this population today by providing intersectionality training for employees, interns, and volunteers at her local sexual assault resource center. Likewise, through her writing and activism, Anna grapples with issues concerning queer representation and cultural attitudes toward historically marginalized groups.

In addition, Anna is a Founding Member and the Co-President of the Denton Feminist & Queer Collective. This grassroots organization aims to educate the public about issues affecting women and queer-identified people as well as provide opportunities for civic engagement. 

Anna was a fellow of NLC Dallas in 2018 and subsequently served on the Executive Board as the Co-Chair of Institute Curriculum in 2019. That same year, Anna was elected to serve as the Co-Chair of the NLC Pride Caucus. In her free time, Anna enjoys engaging in old hobbies and exploring new ones, such as: reading and writing, playing music, training her dog, tailoring clothes, and more.

Currently, Gabi is the Campaigns Director at the Center for Climate Integrity, where she works to make corporate polluters pay their fair share for the impacts of climate change.

Gabi earned her Bachelor’s in Global Studies from Arizona State University and a Masters of Public Administration from the George Washington University and is a proud AmeriCorps alumna. In her free time, she enjoys listening to music, practicing Pilates, and learning about natural wine.

He is a proud graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and received his MBA in Brand Management & High-Tech Marketing from Texas McCombs in Austin, TX. David is currently an eCommerce Manager for Adobe’s Digital Media business unit where he leads the photography and mobile businesses for North America and Latin America. 

Prior to Adobe, he worked as a Senior Consultant with Deloitte, Project Manager with Empirix, and served in the U.S. Army as an Engineer Officer for six years which included assignments in Washington, Missouri, New York, Afghanistan, Honduras, Peru, Colombia, and DC. His areas of specialty include digital marketing, go-to-market strategy, brand management, scenario and exercise planning, crisis management, and strategic risk management within the private and public sectors. Additionally, serves on the Service Academy Nomination Board for Senator Kamala Harris, leads the San Francisco chapter of PRIDE at Adobe, and is an active mentor for Camp Common Ground. 

He’s a 2016 New Leader Council DC chapter alumni and served as Curriculum Co-Chair for the 2017 NLC DC cohort. David also served as the DC Chapter Director of VetsInTech from 2014 - 2017, where he supported the mission of helping current and returning veterans with re-integration services, and by connecting them to the national technology ecosystem. In 2018, he was an active grassroots volunteer in the Beto For Texas campaign supporting the Veterans for Beto initiatives in Central Texas. 

David is a passionate innovator driven by his core values and a strong belief in the power of visibility to enable equality and opportunity for all. In his spare time, David enjoys running, rock climbing, reading, traveling, music festivals, the outdoors, cooking, and spending time with Jason Bourne (his dog).

Through CGA Candace has led a number of efforts around DEI capacity building, public-private partnership development, brand activation, strategic planning and leadership development.

Candace’s work with clients focuses in developing DEI capacity and competency for systems change. Increased DEI capacity, or the ability to identify, interpret and interrupt inequitable practices, is critical for all individuals, but significantly more valuable for those in spaces of social impact seeking to deliver outcomes for people not driven by factors of race, gender, SES or other markers of identity.

Candace also serves as a Partner with New Profit, a venture philanthropy firm, where she coleads the Capitalizing Diverse Leaders and Organizations (CDLAO) initiative. CDLAO works to expand funding for Black and Latino social entrepreneurs; increase diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) capacity across the social impact sector; develop and support a growing body of senior philanthropic leaders of color; and expand the DEI data collection and analytics across philanthropy. Candace also leverages her convening expertise to design learning experiences that support the development of leaders across the philanthropic sector. She designs and facilitates New Profit's Diversity and Inclusion Group (DIG), as well as supporting on Talentrelated DEI initiatives and opportunities.

Prior to New Profit, Candace spent a decade supporting nonprofits across the United States. She would support strategic integration and student learning at historically Black colleges and universities including Morehouse and Spelman College, as well as Morehouse School of Medicine. She would also lead external relations within the national United Way network and for organizations like The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. And she would partner with corporations like The Coca-Cola Company, Nike/Brand Jordan and DaimlerChrysler to support public-private partnerships focused on community impact.

A consummate professional, she seeks to create synergy for each client through initiatives that meet an organization’s needs while creating positive community impact. Candace’s passion for social change is also exemplified through her volunteer work with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., New Leaders Council (NLC), The Boston Pearl Foundation and Mother Caroline Academy. Candace earned a B.A. in African-American studies from the University of Georgia in 2002 and a master’s degree in higher education from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2006.

Michael is an Operations and Strategy Consultant and Program Manager, with over a decade of history in the technology sector, where he has performed qualifying testing, system audits, project and program management, and business process engineering and architecture. A 2018 NLC Columbus Alumni, Michael served as the institute co-chair following graduation, and now serves as the local Operations Director. Michael obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English from The Ohio State University, serves as the Digital Chair for the Downtown Residents of Columbus, mentors for Venture for America, writes poetry, and sings Bass in the Columbus Symphony Chorus. He's an Agile Certified Practitioner (ACP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and has his Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

He just completed two terms out as an elected Berkeley Rent Stabilization Board Commissioner and currently chairs or has chaired the Berkeley Zoning Board, Housing Advisory Commission, Peace and Justice Commission, Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter (where he served 35,000 members across four Northern California Counties as the first immigrant and the youngest chair in modern chapter history), and New Leaders Council Oakland. 

Professionally, Igor is a federal safety specialist and engineer with the U.S. Department of Energy and has completed nuclear safety, nonproliferation, and COVID-19 response assignments in California, Nevada, Texas, Washington, D.C., and Central Asia. Igor is also the co-founder of a boutique consulting firm specializing in political campaigns and media strategies that help elect primarily BIPOC candidates to local office, and an acclaimed speaker and published writer on housing equity and clean energy topics. 

He writes on the topics of housing and environmental justice and clean energy, including From the United States to Kazakhstan, Cleanly: Solar Energy Policies and Technologies to Power the Electric Grid and his NLC Compact paper The Triple Bottom Line. The Policies and Practices of Achieving Environmental Sustainability, Affordable Housing, and Exceptional Labor Standards.

 He serves as a DNC Climate Crisis Council Advisor, California Democratic Party’s Resolutions Co-Chair, California Democratic Party’s Environmental Caucus officer, immediate past California Young Democrats National Committee Representative, and is the immediate past founding co-chair of both the Young Democrats of America and California Young Democrats Environmental Caucus. More locally, he is a Member-Elect and Founding Legislation Chair of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee. 

Igor’s recognitions for his work include a Certificate of Congressional Recognition by Rep. Barbara Lee for creating the Berkeley Foreclosure Prevention and Resources Workshop; the California Young Democrats Vanguard Award, and NLC, federal, and Young Elected Officials Network recognition for his community service during COVID-19.

 In addition to the NPC, Igor serves as an NLC Oakland Co-Director Emeritus, a LEAD Trainer, a published author through the NLC Millennial Compact and NLC SparkTalk program on housing affordability and anti-displacement topics. 

Igor holds an M.S. in Engineering Management from Duke University, a Certificate in International Security from Stanford University, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and B.A. in Political Science from UC Berkeley (GO BEARS!).

MaryEllen has volunteered on many campaigns. After graduation she worked as Volunteer Coordinator for Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff’s primary re-election campaign and then rejoined Team Doggett.

Having once been an intern on U.S. Congressman Doggett’s 2012 re-election campaign and in his San Antonio District office MaryEllen returned to oversee Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s 2014 campaign operations in San Antonio and managed his local field operation and canvassers. She then spent almost a year in Washington D.C. working on Capitol Hill as a Legislative Assistant for Rep. Doggett. While working on Capitol Hill, her legislative portfolio included issues such as foreign policy and environmental policy. Most notably she worked on legislation regarding the Iran Nuclear Agreement and the Israel/Palestine conflict. MaryEllen returned home to San Antonio to serve as Rep. Lloyd Doggett’s San Antonio District Director and most recently as his Deputy Chief of Staff. 

Outside of work, MaryEllen is committed to moving San Antonio forward and serving the community. She is a graduate of the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber Latina Leadership Program, class of 2016-2017. She has also served as the Co-Chair of the Annie’s List local Steering Committee for the past two years and now serves on their Board of Directors. 

Additionally, MaryEllen has focused her efforts on the successful expansion and leadership of New Leaders Council San Antonio. MaryEllen graduated from the inaugural class of the local NLC Leadership Institute program in 2016 and went on to serve on the Board of Directors for the next three years, during the last two she has served as Chapter Director. For the 2019-2020 Programmatic year MaryEllen will serve as San Antonio Chapter Director and a member of the National Programs Committee. 

Kellan has dedicated his career to uplifting communities and building strong coalitions to solve the city’s most pressing problems. 

Kellan rejoined public service as the First Deputy City Controller in January 2018 serving as the senior advisor to Controller Rhynhart. His portfolio includes strategy, policy and data analysis, community engagement, communications, and intergovernmental relations. In his role, Kellan leads the Controller's push to look at the way city government operates with a keen eye on diversity, inclusion and equity. 

Prior to the Rhynhart Administration, Kellan served as the national political director for the New Leaders Council. He also served in leadership roles for the historic campaigns of Katie McGinty, Judge Carolyn Nichols, and Rhynhart. 

Kellan serves on several other non-profit boards including Leadership Philadelphia, where he serves as the chair of the diversity committee , Playworks PA, Outward Bound Philadelphia, and the Anti Violence Partnership of Philadelphia