Meet Our Team
2026-2027 Steering Committee
Joshlyn Crystal Adams is an accomplished Project Manager and Event planner/ producer who has over 15 years of experience and has worked collaboratively in community building in the non-profit event industry. She is a Leadership Newark alum and currently serves as a board member of Philips Academy Charter School. Joshlyn holds a Master of Arts in Hospitality Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University and is a wife and mother to three exceptional children.
Dharshini Devi Anderson is an accomplished IT leader with 15+ years of expertise in information technology, clinical systems, and laboratory informatics. She has held leadership positions at Hospital for Special Surgery, Continuum Health Partners, and Deloitte, and currently serves as an Affiliate Management Consultant with North Highland. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she helped Federal Pharmacy Partners administer over 100,000 vaccinations in Virginia. Passionate about community impact, Dharshini launched Deloitte NJ's Social Impact Program, partnering with Homeless Solutions, Community Foodbank, and Special Olympics. She holds a BBA in Information Systems from Hofstra University.
Dr. Denise Brown-Allen is an accomplished educator and leader with over 30 years of experience across independent schools, corporate, and nonprofit sectors. She has held senior roles at leading secondary schools in New Jersey and Washington, DC, advancing academic excellence and student well-being. Most recently, as Executive Director of The TEAK Fellowship, she drove strategic growth to expand educational access for talented New York City students from under-resourced communities. Denise is enjoying a sempiternal sabbatical, creating more time for service, reflection, and meaningful connections.
Sunita Chaudhuri is a retired executive from J.P. Morgan Chase with over thirty-five years’ experience in various roles throughout the organization. She received an MBA in International Business from Thunderbird and BA in Business Economics from College of Wooster. She and her husband are long-time residents of Glen Ridge and have two grown children.
Mitali Dave is a strategic operations executive and nonprofit leader. Previously a Director of Business Operations at Bain & Company, she served as Board President for the Cure JM Foundation, transforming it from a grassroots group into the preeminent pediatric rheumatology organization for JM research, clinical care, and patient support. Mitali holds an MBA and MS from Stanford University. A Short Hills resident and mother of three, she is passionate about improving outcomes for underserved communities throughout Essex County.
Margo Greenfield is a retired public service labor lawyer and former special counsel to the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. She sits on the boards of The Mustard Seed Fund and St. Stephen's Preschool and has served as a longstanding volunteer and former president of Family Promise of Essex County. She brings interest and experience in labor and employment, income inequality and community-based solutions.
Kelley Holland is the author of You Are Worthy, an award-winning guide to financial wellness for women, and recently retired as a financial wellness coach and keynote speaker. Previously, Kelley was a business and financial journalist with The New York Times, Business Week, and CNBC. Kelley has a graduate business degree from Yale and a BA from Amherst College. She is a trustee of the Montclair Local, an independent local news organization. After 21 years raising her family in Montclair, she and her husband now live in Glen Ridge in their (mostly) empty nest.
Tish Johnson-Jones, JD, is a dynamic leader with 20+ years of experience across financial, government, legal, and corporate sectors. As Founding Executive Director of GreenLight Fund Greater Newark, she drives investments in direct response to community identified needs. Previously, she led external relations at BRICK Education Network and directed We Raise Jersey, advancing college and career readiness. A former legislative aide and public finance consultant, she also founded The Groundwork Agency to support schools and nonprofits with program development and advocacy efforts for high quality education. Tish holds degrees from Spelman College and Georgia State University College of Law and is an active community advocate in Newark, NJ.
Elisabeth King is the director of communications and marketing at Lycée Français de New York, a bilingual French international school in New York City. She has worked hand-in-hand with the head of school and board of trustees to guide the school community through crisis, strategic planning, accreditation, a new building, renewed mission, core values and brand identity. She was previously Executive Vice President/Director of Strategy at ABI, Inc., a boutique b2b marketing public relations firm now owned by Finn Partners. She served as associate editor/research editor of The Century and In Search of America by Todd Brewster and the late news anchor Peter Jennings of ABC News.
Diana Kostas is Chief Financial Officer at Victoria Foundation, where she leads finance, investments, technology, and human resources. With 30 years of experience across philanthropy, technology, and publishing, she brings deep expertise to her role. Her philanthropic career also includes serving as Treasurer and Secretary at F.M. Kirby Foundation and key operations roles at Turrell Fund, both prominent New Jersey foundations. Diana holds a BSBA in Finance/Entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona and an MBA from Pepperdine University.
Jee-Hoon Krska is the founder of Keys 2 Success. She studied piano at Juilliard pre-college and MIT (Ph.D. EECS). She has performed in Boston Symphony Hall, Lincoln Center, and with Yo-Yo Ma. In addition, Dr. Krska spent 20 years in engineering. During this time, she also engaged in several projects serving Newark youths, ultimately leading to her decision to work full-time with the children of Newark by founding Keys 2 Success. In addition to Impact100 Essex, Jee-Hoon is also an active member of the Junior League of Summit, the Summit College Club, and the New Providence United Methodist Church.
Helen Mazarakis is a writer with a background in community and organizational development. She chairs the Board of the BRICK Education Network in Newark, the Advisory Committee of the Trust for Public Land NJ, and the Advisory Committee of the GreenLight Fund Greater Newark. Helen has lived in Montclair for 25 years and is navigating life with an empty nest.
Dr. Naima Ricks Merrill is a dynamic leader dedicated to educational advocacy, community leadership, and public service. With over 15 years of experience across higher education and the nonprofit sector, she focuses on expanding opportunities for young people. She was the youngest elected official in Roselle, NJ, serving on the Board of Education. Recognized by NJ.com, InsiderNJ, and the NAACP, she remains deeply committed to equity, youth empowerment, and community impact.
Shikera Usher, MPA, is a dedicated nonprofit leader with over 20 years of experience spanning urban education and leadership, nonprofit Development, performance management, governance, and operations. She has helped a variety of nonprofits achieve their missions more effectively through strategic planning, in-depth research, and impactful projects. Shikera is deeply committed to community service. She serves on multiple executive, community, and advisory boards, dedicating her spare time to volunteering and initiatives that create positive impact and advance educational and artistic endeavors.
Donna Ward had a 35-year career in global brand marketing, working for such companies as Bayer, Procter and Gamble, Eastman Kodak and American Cyanamid. Since retiring, Donna has served on the boards of a number of NJ nonprofits and currently serves as President of the League of Women Voters of the Montclair Area and Program Co-Chair of the Northern NJ chapter of Women's Connection, a national organization for women over 50. Donna and her husband, Greg, have 3 adult children and split their time between Montclair and New York City.
Anita Fee Willis is a certified executive, leadership and career coach. She has raised millions of dollars for nonprofits, most recently as a consultant with 15 years of in-house nonprofit fundraising experience. Anita held leadership positions at America Needs You, CAMBA and the Fellowship of Reconciliation. She obtained a BA with Distinction in English from UVA, an MPA with Honors from Baruch College (National Urban Fellow) and a Nonprofit Senior Leaders Program Certificate from Columbia University.
Tint Tint Yap is a seasoned global finance and business executive with 30 years of experience in healthcare and pharma, including leadership roles at Bayer. She has led major change programs, digital transformations, and post-acquisition integrations across the U.S., Germany, and China. A Malaysian-born Chinese with a diverse international background, Tint is a passionate advocate for diversity, inclusion, and health equity, particularly for women and marginalized populations. She holds a degree in economics from Monash University (Australia), is a certified CPA, and serves on the boards of Grand Street Settlement NY and United Way Greater Newark.
Our Committees 2026-2027
Co-Chairs.
Kelley Holland & Tish Johnson-Jones
Co-Chairs Emeritae.
Sunita Chaudhuri & Helen Mazarakis
Communications Committee.
Member updates, social media, website & marketing
Be a Poster. Send out occasional tweets and Facebook/Instagram posts.
Be a Surveyor. Once or twice a year solicit input from members.
Be a Writer of our press releases
Chairs: Elisabeth King & Tint Tint Yap
Finance Committee.
The Finance Committee oversees annual budgeting and membership contributions, authorizes approved expenditures and provides quarterly reports and forecasting guidance to the Steering Committee.
Chairs: Dharshini Devi Anderson, Diana Kostas
Governance Committee.
Strategic planning, policy review & leadership development
Chairs: Margo Greenfield & Jee-Hoon Krska
Grants Committee.
Grant Design, Management, Review & Administration
Be a Reviewer. Sign up for training and a grant review session.
Be a Liaison. Support and Check in on our Grantees.
Chairs: Denise Brown-Allen & Shikera Usher
Member Engagement Committee.
Plan Member Events, Recruit New Members, Info Sessions
Be a Planner of workshops, volunteer sessions & member events. Choose topics, speakers, dates and spaces.
Be a Day-Of Worker. Last minute scrambles, set up and take down.
Be a Host. Invite potential members to an info session. Invite your friends and we’ll provide speaker and materials.
Be an Ambassador. Personal calls to engage new members
Be an Explorer. Enlist women from towns with no members.
Chairs: Joshlyn Crystal Adams, Dr. Naima Ricks Merrill, Donna Ward
Member(s)-At-Large.
Mitali Dave
Secretary.
Anita Willis
Governance Principles
Mission:
Impact100 Essex (“Impact”) seeks to engage women in collective giving, to provide transformative grants to organizations that serve a diversity of people and communities addressing the needs of underserved (or under-resourced) communities in Essex County, NJ, and to spur local non-profits to dream big – and succeed!
Impact is committed to developing a diverse decision-making body involving women of different races, ethnicities, sexual orientation, abilities, ages, interests, perspectives and experience, who are reflective of the many communities that make up Essex County, and to issuing regular updates to Impact members reporting on the status of recruitment, outreach, grant applications, training, finances, and coming events.
Steering Committee:
A Steering Committee will lead Impact, and is responsible for establishing organization policy and ensuring adherence to the Impact mission. The Steering Committee also leads the work of committees managing recruitment, member engagement, communications, grants, governance and nominating, diversity equity and inclusion, and such other functions as circumstances warrant. Each such committee will ideally have two chairpersons who serve for a three-year term.
Two co-Conveners will be elected by the Steering Committee from among the Steering Committee membership (or former Steering Committee members) to each serve for a three-year term. The co-Conveners will be responsible for scheduling and chairing Steering Committee meetings and setting the agendas for each such meeting. No Convener may serve more than one three-year term, however, a Convener may be elected to serve an additional term after a hiatus of at least one year. If a Convener’s three-year term does not overlap with her three-year term on the Steering Committee, the Convener’s term ‘restarts’ when she assumes that role.
Each former Convener will be invited to attend Steering Committee meetings in a non-voting “emerita” capacity for a period of one year following the expiration of her term as a Convener. For each of Margo Greenfield and Helen Mazarakis, as Impact Founders, the invitation period will be extended to three years following the expiration of their respective terms as a Convener. In each case, any invitation to a former co-Convener or Founder to attend a Steering Committee meeting will be extended subject to the discretion of the then current co-Conveners.
The number of members of the Steering Committee will be an odd number of not more than 17, with the actual number to be fixed by the Steering Committee from time to time. The 17 members include:
2 Conveners
1 Treasurer
1 Secretary
2 Committee Chairs from each of the following committees (or if any such committee has only one Chair, then one Chair and one Member at Large from that committee):
Membership Engagement;
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
Communications;
Grants; and
Governance
The remainder are Members at Large
Nominations. The Nominating Committee is comprised of at least eight members, including:
one of the two Conveners or her designee;
one Chair of the Grants Committee or her designee;
one Chair of the DEI Committee or her designee;
two Chairs of the Governance Committee or their designee(s);
two Chairs of the Membership and Events Committee or their designee(s); and
at least one active Impact member who does not serve on the Steering Committee.
The Nominating Committee will solicit input from the various committees, Steering Committee members, and Impact members to fill any vacancies on the Steering Committee in accordance with these principles. Any Impact member may nominate herself or any other member to fill such vacancy. The Nominating Committee will review all such nominations and develop a list of candidates to fill the applicable vacancies (referred to as the “slate”).
Steering Committee (continued):
Election. The slate will be distributed to the general members 6 weeks prior to the annual meeting of general members. The election of each Steering Committee member will be approved by a majority of the votes actually cast in such election. Votes will be due and tallied 2 weeks prior to the annual meeting of general members and the results of the election will be announced at such meeting. The term of office of any member of the Steering Committee will begin on the date of the first Steering Committee meeting following the annual meeting of general members.
Meetings; Quorum; Voting. Steering Committee meetings will be held at least 9 times per year, one of which will constitute the annual meeting of the Steering Committee, on such days and at such times and places as may be designed by the Conveners with at least 10 days’ notice to the Steering Committee members. Members of the Steering Committee may participate in any meeting by means of conference call or any other means of communication by which all persons participating in the meeting are able to hear each other, and may vote electronically.
The Steering Committee will be and is divided into three classes, as nearly equal in number as possible, designated as follows: Class I, Class II, and Class III, each of which will hold office for a term of three years. In the case of any increase or decrease, from time to time, in the number of Steering Committee members, the number of Steering Committee members in each class will be divided as nearly equal as possible. No decrease in the number of Steering Committee members will shorten the term of any member.
The term of each Steering Committee member will continue until the election and qualification of a successor and be subject to such Steering Committee member’s earlier death, resignation or removal. Ideally, no two committee chairs (including the two Conveners) will serve in the same Class.
No member of the Steering Committee may serve more than two consecutive three-year terms, however, a member of the Steering Committee may be elected to serve additional terms after a one-year hiatus. In addition, a member may be selected to fill a vacancy on the Steering Committee as set forth under “Vacancies” below for less than a full term. If the remaining period in that replacement term is less than one year, the member selected to fill that vacancy is still eligible to serve for two three-year Steering Committee terms following the expiration of her replacement term.
Impact is committed to a horizontal management structure and consensus-based decision-making standard to ensure flexibility. The participation of at least a majority of members of the Steering Committee (including at least one Convener) will constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at each Steering Committee meeting. At each meeting of the Steering Committee, each member will have one vote, and all matters before the meeting will be determined by a majority vote of members present at such meeting where a quorum is present. In particular, the Steering Committee must approve disbursements in excess of $1,000.
Vacancies. Should a member of the Steering Committee resign or cease to serve for any other reason prior to the expiration of her term, the Nominating Committee will provide recommendations for another general member of Impact to fill that individual’s role on an interim basis for the remainder of the term of such resigning Steering Committee member. The Steering Committee will take up such recommendations and vote to seat new Steering Committee members at the next Steering Committee meeting after receipt of such nomination on an interim basis, until the next scheduled election of such seat.
Responsiveness:
We will regularly review our operating and governance policies to promote the engagement of members and the non-profit community supporting local under-served communities.