WOAHO

Yvonne Nambe-Roach believes that through self awareness our young people will learn to interact effectively and carry on the true and great tradition of our global heritage. That is why she has made it her lifelong challenge/goal to guide, influence, educate and promote our youth on all levels. Educating our youth will prepare them to be great community leaders and instill in them the understanding of giving back. When she joined and became an active member of the West Orange African Heritage Association, she spent her Wednesday afternoons tutoring the next generation of great minds, our youth. Ms. Nambe-Roach believes that involvement in the community gives her the opportunity to honor the past, celebrate the present and embrace the future. As an entrepreneur, she has dedicated her life to being a catalyst and a pioneer working for the betterment of her family, her people and her community. Ms. Nambe-Roach takes great pride in working with organizations whose goals are rooted in the successful development of our youth, thus providing for and sustaining the promise for the future. Working with organizations within and without the community has played a consistent role in building and establishing relationships within the community. A community that nurtures our youth, the leaders of tomorrow. Ms. Nambe-Roach is an educator. She is and has been adjunct professor at William Paterson University for several years.

Brent Draper Scott is humbled to serve as Vice President of the West Orange African Heritage Organization. Previously, Brent has served as co-chair of the Recruitment Committee with Mark Robertson and as the organization’s Historian. As Historian for the organization, Brent realized that the incredible success of the WOAHO could be lost to history and took affirmative steps to capture and record that history. The result was a documentary film, Heroes Among Us, the culmination of a year’s long journey to find and interview founding and long-time members on the forming and purpose of the organization. The documentary allowed for these real heroes to tell their stories in the first-person and in so doing preserved the rich history of The West Orange African Heritage Organization. Brent is a Professor of Graduate Studies in Organization Leadership at Mercy College in New York. He teaches Professional Ethics, Business Communication, Sustainability, Leading High Performance Teams and Transformational Leadership. Prior to teaching Brent served as a lobbyist for three national organizations: Sierra Club, Consumers Union, and Citizen Action and formerly worked for a Congressional Sub-Committee. In business he served as Corporate Office Director and as Director of Quality Assurance. Brent has served on the West Orange Open Space and Recreation Commission and is a member of the West Orange Zoning Board. Brent is married to Alana Kim. They have two sons attending West Orange Public Schools.

Jackie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Speech from Wagner College and spent more than a decade as a professional actress. Her career included performances on Broadway as well as recurring roles on television, including Law & Order: SVU, The Black Donnellys, and Fringe, along with a contract role on One Life to Live. Through this work, she developed a deep appreciation for the power of narrative, representation, and cultural voice—skills she now applies in service of her community. After becoming a parent, Jackie made the intentional decision to step away from performing in order to provide the specialized support her children needed. She now serves the community as a West Orange–based Realtor. Having lived in West Orange for over 16 years, she brings both professional experience and deep local knowledge to her work with the organization. She is honored to support the West Orange African Heritage Organization’s mission to celebrate culture, preserve history, and build a more connected and inclusive future.

Janicea is a graduate from Montclair State University where she received her BA in Human Services with a rigorous concentration in Family and Child Studies. For the past 12 years, She's been a Pre-K Teacher with the Orange Public Schools and, prior to teaching in Orange, NJ, Janicea was a Substitute Teacher for grades K-12 in Newark, NJ. Teaching has always been her passion as well as helping others in her community. She is also an Association Representative with the Orange Education Association, her local teachers’ Union and been a member of the United States Bowling Congress since 2012. Bowling is a wonderful sport and it teaches the agility, consistency, perseverance and determination. Collaborating with her colleagues at WOAHO will certainly afford her the opportunity to make others feel inspired to be the change they wish to see in the world. Lastly, she strongly believe that they will, in turn, inspire others to do the same within their communities. “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

Dagmar Hobson has been a resident of West Orange for over 50 years. She was born and raised in Germany but made her home and raised her two children in West Orange. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Seton Hall University with a major in Modern Languages – Spanish and French. She has served and is still serving the town as a long-time commissioner on the West Orange Human Relations Commission. Dagmar is also a member of the West Orange Democratic County Committee. She is honored to support the West Orange African Heritage Organization’s mission to build and maintain a strong community with emphasis on addressing the issues that face West Orange residents of African heritage.

Sandra and her husband have lived in West Orange for 24 years and raised three sons who attended West Orange Public Schools. She began her college career at Hampton University, graduated from Rutgers University and later received her master's degree from Montclair State University. Sandra served as a teacher, supervisor, facilitator, assistant principal and principal during her 26-year tenure as a New Jersey educator. She also served as a teacher in London for one year as a Fulbright Scholar. In addition to serving as the Tutorial Chair for the West Orange African Heritage Organization (WOAHO), her volunteer service also includes membership with the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) Morris County where she volunteers as a lead presenter for their NAMI Ending the Silence workshops.

Tonya has demonstrated a strong commitment to the mission and values of WOHAO and has actively contributed while serving on the technology committee. Tonya is the Owner of Sisters Helping Seniors LLC, a company actively involved in community initiatives supporting senior well-being. Tonya is dedicated to creating awareness and promoting the value of seniors' experiences in society by supporting them in their long-term care journey. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Tonya is deeply invested in making a positive impact within the West Orange community Tonya is eager to continue to contribute her expertise and insights to the committee, aiming to drive positive change and further the committee's objectives.