Enola G. Aird is an activist mother. A former corporate lawyer, Aird has worked at the Children’s Defense Fund, leading its violence prevention initiative and serving as acting director of its Black Community Crusade for Children; is a past chair of the Connecticut Commission on Children; and was a visiting scholar at the Judge Baker Children’s Center in Boston. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Barnard College and earned her law degree from Yale University. She was born in the Republic of Panama, of Caribbean heritage, and attributes much of her vision and passion for the movement for emotional emancipation to stories passed down in her family about her great-grandfather, Samuel Alleyne, a loyal follower of Marcus Garvey.

He has a record of starting and directing innovative community-based programs, including forming the first Family Planning Clinic for men and developing a community-based alternative to incarceration for children, in New Jersey.

Bailey was a partner in the optical industry with the franchising chain American Vision Centers and served as Vice President of Franchising. He developed operational processes that led to this company’s success and ultimate sale. American Vision Centers acquired regional chains across the country and converted the stores into owner-operated franchises. The growth of this company led to being purchased by Pearl Vision Centers.

Before joining The Community Foundation, Bailey was Vice President of Human Resources for Dianon Systems in Stratford, an anatomical laboratory specializing in cancer diagnosis. At the height of Dianon’s growth, there were 3,000 employees nationally.

Bailey holds a Bachelor of Science from Rutgers University in Psychology, a Masters in Public Administration from New York University, a Masters of Divinity, and a Doctorate of Ministry from New York Theological Seminary.

Dr. Bailey serves on CHN’s Executive Committee.

He’s an Ordained Minister and is presently the Operations Director for CenterPointe’s Campus for Hope, here in Omaha, Nebraska. Larry is presently the Senior Director for Charles Drew Health Center’s Behavioral Health Services Department here in Omaha, NE. He holds a Master’s Degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. He’s licensed by the State of Nebraska as an Independent Mental Health Practitioner, Alcohol/Drug Counselor and Professional Counselor. Additionally, He’s an Ordained Elder.

Larry is an adjunct professor at the Metropolitan Community College and has been an adjunct instructor with Grace University in Omaha, Nebraska. He has been a featured trainer for Nebraska’s Training Addiction Professionals (TAP) Program. His background includes a career in the United States Air Force as a Counselor, Manager, Director, and Educator. He has designed programs and educational curriculums for Adult Personal Growth and Development, Substance Abuse Programs, and Adolescent/Family Education Courses.

As a board member for the Community Healing Network (CHN); he’s a certified trainer of facilitators for CHN’s Emotional Emancipation Circles. Elder Duncan has many years of experience helping others heal as a Minister and a Credentialed Behavioral Health Care Professional. His work derives from his sense of personal purpose and divine calling. He has worked in concert with schools, churches, government institutions, corporations, and non-profit agencies to create a program for positive community change. As a true Leader, Visionary, Teacher, Counselor, and Entrepreneur he continues to serve the least among us.

Larry is the father of two beautiful adult daughters; LaRita and MarLa. He’s also the grandfather of three; twins Lailend & Lailyah, and Torique.

With a keen interest in law, Bill attended Boston College to pursue his Law degree. While at Boston College, he emerged as the National Chairman of the Black Law Students Association, focusing on increasing minority presence in the profession. After graduating in 1989, Billserved first as a Judicial Law Clerk and then as Assistant State’s Attorney for Baltimore City.

While in these positions, he was involved in ameliorating the plight of young Black males by developing preventive programs and assistance for the development of supporting environments.

At this time, Bill was called to the ministry and began ministering through public policy issues. Prior to his entry to Harvard’s Divinity School in 2002, he served as Chaplain, Counselor and Teacher at The Baraka School, a school for inner city male youth based in Kenya, East Africa.

As a Harvard Divinity School student, Bill served as a Consultant to the Aspen Institute Roundtable on Comprehensive Community Initiatives’ Race Project. This project addressed structural racism and how it affects the disparate outcomes within communities of color. Bill specifically focused on the disparate outcomes within the area of Criminal Justice/Neighborhood Safety.

After Bill’s Harvard experience, he served as Interim Director of the Third World Center (A Center devoted to providing advocacy, support and additional resources to students of color), including serving as an Assistant Dean of the College and Associate University Protestant Chaplain for Brown University.

Most recently, Bill served as Program Manager for Project Longevity, an initiative that seeks to reduce shooting and homicides in New Haven by targeting group(s)/gangs(s) for purposes of engagement, including development of alternative life plans as well as develop effective and sustainable working relationships among Law Enforcement, Community, and Service Providers that changes social norms and practices toward better outcomes.

Bill currently serves as Pastor of Springs of Life-Giving Water Church (The Springs), an American Baptist Church in New Haven, CT. He is also the CEO of WLM Ministries, Inc., a non-profit organization devoted to providing consulting services for the development of community and faith-based initiatives with an emphasis on communities of Africa and the African Diaspora. In addition, Bill serves as Director, Black Church Studies and Lecturer, Supervised Ministries at Yale Divinity School.

As a teen mother her role expanded and she worked to secure her education and financial future graduating from Southern Connecticut State University with a Bachelor of Art in Speech Communications in 1976. Several years later she pursued additional education in Labor and Employee Relations at University of New Haven and Cornell University. She received her Human Resource Certification from Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in 1999.

Jacquelyn retired from AT&T with over 43 years of telecommunications experience as Assistant Vice President Human Resources for AT&T Business Marketing Advanced Business Solutions supporting worldwide initiatives. Her role at AT&T and Southern New England Telecommunications includes strategic roles in Compensation, Contract Negotiations, Marketing, Small Business Sales & Planning and Operations. Her role not only resided in the state of Connecticut but included assignments in Seattle, Washington and Dallas, Texas.

Jacquelyn has been an active member of Tau Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated for almost 20 years supporting all initiatives as they give service to all mankind.

Jacquelyn now resides in Tyrone Georgia to be near her family. She is the mother of four; late son Derreck, daughter-in-law Monique, daughter Markita, sons Jermaine and Justin. She is the grandmother of seven; Deziree, JaeLynn, Kevin, DeAntae, Litrell, Markus and Justin Jr.

Ms. Randolph was employed by Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharmaceutical Company and retired as Associate Director of Operations in Clinical Cancer Research after over thirty-seven years with the company. In that capacity, she directed and managed clinical oncology studies throughout the world traveling to Australia, Canada, Europe, Mexico, and South America as well as to major Cancer Centers in the United States. Her clinical research studies involved comparative and combination modalities of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. She played a major role in the development and FDA approval of several ethical drugs for the treatment of lung, colorectal and breast cancers.

While working for Bristol-Myers Squibb, she earned an Executive MBA from the University of New Haven and received advanced training in Management from the London School of Business. She also completed a Hospital Residency Program in Medical Oncology at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, New York.

Dr. Roche began her career as a clinical instructor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale University 1984-85, and subsequently became an Assistant Professor at Charles Drew University School of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles. She served as an attending physician at King/Drew Medical Center, as well as the Medical Director of the Women’s Health Care Team, part of the Public Health Programs in Los Angeles. In 1987, Dr. Roche came back to the East Coast as an Attending physician at the Hospital of St. Raphael’s Obstetrics, Gynecology Department in New Haven, CT. From 1988 to 2000, she worked in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. During her tenure at Beth Israel, Dr. Roche served in a variety of roles including physician in charge of ambulatory Ob/Gyn, obstetrics service and gynecology service. She became Associate Chairperson of Ob/Gyn in 1991 and subsequently became Associate Medical Director of the Philipp’s ambulatory care center. From 1991 to 2000, Dr. Roche was Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Albert Einstein School of Medicine in New York.

In 2000, Dr. Roche became the Attending Physician at University Hospital’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Newark and Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UMDNJ New Jersey Medical School. She is currently Director of Gynecology Services and Family Planning Services at University Hospital. Dr. Roche provides Gynecology services to infectious disease patients, pediatric patients, and patients with mental and physical disabilities. She also provides addiction medicine services to obstetrical and gynecological patients.

Dr. Roche is presently an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Women’s Health at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She is also the Director of the Generalist Division in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Dr. Roche is Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Addiction Medicine by ASAM.

Diane Young Turner is a retired Human Resources Administrator of 37 years at Yale university. She obtained her undergraduate degree from Grambling State University and a graduate degree from SUNY Albany, New York. Diane has served on numerous boards and civic organizations including United Way of Greater New Haven, the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, and Women’s Health Research at Yale. She is an active member of her church and her service includes the Deacon Board and the church’s nonprofit, Inextricably Bound, Inc. Diane has served on CHN’s Board for three years. She and her husband reside in Hamden, CT.

Dr. Mero is a life-long resident of New Haven. She credits her father, Harrison Mero, with instilling community engagement in her. She currently organizes an annual Juneteenth event in the Elm City that focuses on families and fun in a festival that includes community resource tables that provide information on education, employment opportunities, financial health, housing, mental and physical health, and social intelligence with the goal of building a stronger community.

Dr. Mero has a deep desire to help people – family, friends, and strangers. She has three adult sons whom she is especially proud of and she is enthusiastic about keeping up with her toddler grandson. She is fond of creative projects, loves to laugh, and is currently learning to increase her capacity of using the laptop!