BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Tammy Bormann
CHAIR
Tammy is principal of the TLB Collective, a nationwide community of educators, scholars and activists committed to dismantling racism through knowledge, dialogue and systemic change. The TLB Collective researches, designs and facilitates dialogue-based change processes that disseminate knowledge, create lenses of analysis, and equip individuals and organizations across the US with the tools they need to identify and dismantle systems of inequity. Tammy works domestically and internationally to train others to design and facilitate intentional dialogue processes that invite deep learning, collective reflection and informed action for social change. She earned her BA in French and Communications Studies from Muhlenberg College, where she currently serves as a Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, and her Ed.M from Harvard University.
Yvahn Martin
VICE-CHAIR
Yvahn Martin is a digital marketer and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience managing e-commerce and digital sales acceleration for companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies. Yvahn is currently the Director of Ecommerce at John Varvatos Enterprises. An MBA and dancer/choreographer, Yvahn spends her spare time exploring the world of dance through 360 filmmaking and AR/VR applications.
Ashly Nikkole Davis
SECRETARY
Ashly Nikkole Davis is a current associate in the Government Enforcement & White Collar Crime practice group at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, where she represents institutional and individual clients in a variety of criminal, regulatory and complex civil disputes. She graduated from the University of Southern California with a B.A. in Communication and a B.S. in Business Administration. She is also a graduate of Stanford Law School.
A native of San Francisco, Ashly Nikkole has distinguished herself by upholding her personal philosophy: "To whom much is given, much is required." During her time at Stanford, she dedicated her time to working with the Stanford Three Strikes Project, a pro bono legal organization devoted to addressing the excessive sentences imposed under California's Three Strikes sentencing scheme. Through this organization, she represented clients serving life sentences and assisted in collaborating with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund in the 2012 passage of Proposition 36, which modified elements of California’s Three Strikes Law. Outside of her practice, she continues to explore her passions of law, business and social justice.
Ashly Nikkole is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.
Jennifer Smith
TREASURER
Jennifer Smith is practicing law in both New York State and New Hampshire. She is a lawyer in the Legal Department of the City of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and also the Executive Director of the Equity in Law and Diversity Fund, a NY-based nonprofit working to promote access to justice for underrepresented peoples and to diversify the legal profession through strategic partnerships and mentoring opportunities. In her nearly two decades working in both the public and private sectors, Jennifer’s experience also includes the business of law as the former Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of a midsize firm.
Marc Bleyer
MEMBER
Marc is a Director with KPMG's Real Estate and Infrastructure Practice, serving a range of both public and private sector clients. Among others, Marc helps universities, transportation agencies, economic development agencies, and private companies with some of their most critical real estate challenges. Before joining KPMG, Marc spent ten years in public service, working in economic development and public-private partnerships for New York City and Washington, DC. In his professional life, Marc has helped to build more than 1,000 units of housing, including over 250 units of affordable housing. His professional passion is finding innovative ways to make the places we live, work, play (and dance!) more equitable and sustainable.
Long before getting into real estate consulting, Marc had a brief dance career. Marc started dancing at age 7. After moving to New York, he spent time training at various studios and learning a wide variety of modern techniques in addition to ballet and jazz. Although he chose not to pursue a career in dance, he has retained a deep love for expression through movement.
Marc has a B.A. in Art History from Columbia University, a M.S. in City Planning from Columbia University, and a M.S. in Real Estate from Georgetown University. He lives with his wife and three daughters (three as of February 16th) in New York City.
Debra Brookes
MEMBER
Debra Brookes is a government attorney specializing in financial technology, including virtual currency, banking, and insurance regulations.
Deb also worked for the U.S. Department of Justice through the competitive Attorney General's Honors Program. She served as a federal prosecutor investigating and prosecuting white-collar crimes, including bid-rigging, price-fixing, and customer allocation conspiracies. Before that, Deb graduated cum laude from Albany Law School and was elected to Albany Law Review's Note & Comment Editor. Deb also earned master's, bachelor's, and associate's degrees from New York University. Deb lives in Westchester County with her husband and two daughters.
Michelle Dorant-Smith
MEMBER
Michelle Dorant-Smith has spent most of her career as a dancer and performer. She is a former member of Urban Bush Women and has both Broadway and Regional credits as a musical theater performer, most notably in the Broadway musical “The Lion King.” Michelle received her Bachelor of Science degree from Spelman College and continued her education at Florida State University receiving her Master of Fine Arts in Dance.
After a long career in the performing arts, Michelle co-founded and served as creative director for Neighborhood Flix Cinema and Café, Denver’s only family-run movie house at the time. The cinema was also recognized for a partnership with the East High School Film Program giving a presenting platform for up-and-coming filmmakers.
Most recently, Michelle has held several positions in the real estate industry. She is currently an Associate Real Estate Appraiser with American Realty Appraisals and lives in Springfield, NJ with her husband and two children.
Karen Garrett
MEMBER
Karen Garrett is the Senior Program Officer for the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of the Under Secretary for Education. She is a key advisor to the Under Secretary for Education and oversees the financial and administrative operations for the office. Karen also oversees the competitive distribution of resources, which includes an in-house grants initiative providing resources and support to advance Smithsonian education goals and objectives and activating the Smithsonian’s PreK-12 strategy to reach every classroom in the nation. Karen has worked in philanthropy and supported cultural organizations since 2000. She has a BFA in dance from Marymount Manhattan College and a Masters of Arts in Arts Administration from Goucher College.
Tamara Greenfield
MEMBER
Tamara was hired by the Mayor’s Office in 2015 to direct Building Healthy Communities, a place-based initiative to improve community health and wellness through fresh food access, physical activity, and safe and vibrant public spaces. She has since integrated this work into the Mayor’s Action Plan for Neighborhood Safety, connecting community-based safety and wellness efforts in a variety of NYC neighborhoods, with a particular focus on public housing communities. Prior to the Mayor’s Office, Tamara was Executive Director of Fourth Arts Block (FABNYC). During her eight years at FABNYC, Tamara led dozens of theaters, dance companies and arts groups on the Lower East Side, helping to leverage over $25 million in capital funds for cultural facilities and start innovative programs that ranged from neighborhood sustainability and resource sharing to public art and rehearsal space access. During that time, she also co-founded and directed Naturally Occurring Cultural Districts New York (NOCD-NY), a citywide coalition of arts and community organizations working together to revitalize NYC from the neighborhood up. Prior to FABNYC, Tamara led Partnerships for Parks’ Catalyst for Neighborhood Parks Program, a multi-year initiative combining public, private, and community assets to catalyze long term change in 16 parks in Red Hook, Astoria/LIC, Harlem, and Washington Heights. Tamara is a graduate of Coro Leadership New York and co-founder of the Dance Now NYC Festival. She received her Masters in Urban Planning from Hunter College and B.A. in Art History and International Development from Washington University in St. Louis. Tamara lives in Sunset Park, Brooklyn with her husband Issam.
kenya nyota lee
MEMBER
Dr. Kenya Nyota Lee is a higher education administrator with over twenty years’ experience, currently serving in the role of Chief of Staff at Baruch College, CUNY. She is a leader with significant experience in strategic initiatives; strategic planning; collaborative leadership; organizational development; project management and problem solving. Kenya is also a career and life strategist dedicated to helping women of color achieve personal and professional joy and success on their own terms; and founder and facilitator of Creative and Resilient Voices, a community for women of color professionals. Kenya is an Amherst Writers & Artists (AWA) Affiliate, leading writing workshops for women and women of color using the AWA method, creating a safe space for writing and affirming the belief that everyone is a writer and everyone's voice is important.
She holds a BA in English from Queens College, CUNY; an MSEd in Higher Education Administration from Baruch College, CUNY; and an EdD in Organizational Leadership Studies from Northeastern University. Kenya's doctoral research explored the complexity of the professional journeys of women of color within the industry of higher education through the lens of both gender and race. Kenya is dedicated to the work of amplifying the voices and experiences of women of color and creating community and opportunities that develop and empower women. Kenya prior served as New York City Regional Coordinator for the New York State American Council of Education Women’s Network (2018-2021). She was named one of the City & State (New York) 2021 Responsible 100, one of New York’s most outstanding citizens who are thought leaders and influencers.
Kyishia Lewis
MEMBER
Kyishia Lewis is a Risk Execution Leader within the Consumer and Small Business Banking segment at Truist Bank, responsible for leading Controls Testing and Operational Monitoring teams. Prior to joining SunTrust Bank, now Truist, she was a Consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers specializing in internal auditing for airlines domestically and in Australia for over ten years. She has had an extensive career in audit, risk management, process improvement, learning and development, and strategy development and execution.
Kyishia has a B.S. in Accounting from North Carolina A&T State University and a MBA from Emory University. She currently lives in Charlotte, NC with her two children.
Kyishia is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
ngozi ogbonna
MEMBER
Ngozi is a Growth Marketing Leader and Strategist with nearly two decades of experience in customer-centric acquisition, growth and digital marketing. Her journey includes working across the entertainment, media, DTC, and tech industries. As an NYU MBA graduate, she has held marketing executive roles for a number of digital-first brands, including Jump Ramp Games, TodayTix, Overtime Sports, and IAC. She has been on the Board of Urban Bush Women for over 7 years.
Elizabeth Williams-Riley
MEMBER
Elizabeth Williams-Riley is an esteemed figure in the realm of diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a career spanning nearly three decades. Since 1995, she has been at the forefront of promoting diversity and fostering inclusive environments, from the playgrounds of community outreach to the boardrooms of corporate giants, and now to the vibrant lights of Broadway. As the President & CEO of D.A.S.H. Consulting, LLC, Elizabeth leads an organization dedicated to developing assets for successful habits. Through her visionary leadership, D.A.S.H. Consulting is emerging as a beacon of excellence in the field, cultivating empowerment and ownership to embrace diversity and practice inclusion.
Elizabeth's expertise has garnered widespread recognition, earning her a place in prestigious publications such as Diversity Journal and Diversity Best Practices magazines. In 2014, Diversity Journal honored her as a "Woman Worth Watching," acknowledging her exceptional contributions to the field. Her commitment to community service has been acknowledged with awards such as the NAACP Corporate Community Service Award and the South Asian Business Association Network (SABAN) Chairman’s Award.
JAWOLE WILLA JO ZOLLAR
MEMBER
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (Founder) Growing up in Kansas City, Missouri, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar earned her B.A. in dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and her M.F.A. in dance from Florida State University. In 1980 Jawole moved to New York City to study with Dianne McIntyre at Sounds in Motion. In 1984 Jawole founded Urban Bush Women (UBW) as a performance ensemble dedicated to exploring the use of cultural expression as a catalyst for social change.
In addition to creating over 34 works for Urban Bush Women, Zollar has created works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Philadanco, and many universities across the United States. Her collaborations include Compagnie Jant-Bi from Senegal and Nora Chipaumire. She has recently worked as choreographer for Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of American Popular Music and Daniel Fish’s Most Happy in Concert. In 2023, Zollar was commissioned by Houston Grand Opera to direct and choreograph a new Jake Heggie opera, Intelligence.