New Community Board of Directors Chairman Dr. A. Zachary Yamba has retired from his position with the organization, effective Dec. 31, 2023. Yamba joined the Board in September 2012 and became Chairman in June 2018 following the passing of NCC founder and Board Chairman Monsignor William J. Linder.

Yamba was involved with New Community long before his official capacity as a member of the Board of Directors. He was a parishioner of Queen of Angels Church where Monsignor Linder served as priest during the founding of New Community. He had been asked to join the Board prior to 2012 but declined because of his employment responsibilities. After he retired, he joined New Community’s Board of Directors.

He has enjoyed being able to give back to the community through his work on NCC’s Board.

“The myriad of services that New Community offers are critical to the total well-being of the community. And that has been my passion all along,” Yamba said.

During his service with the Board of Directors, Yamba oversaw the re-syndication of NCC housing, helped lead the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, established Board committees to have closer working relationships with NCC leadership staff, assisted in the re-accreditation process for New Community Career & Technical Institute, led NCC through times of leadership transition and helped relaunch the organization’s Golfing for a Cause fundraiser following the pandemic.

NCC Interim Board Chairman Edgar Nemorin said Yamba has been an ambassador, advocate and steward to New Community.

“As Board Chairman, he successfully ensured that New Community Corporation continued its mission of providing services to the residents of Newark,” Nemorin said. “Although he has resigned as a Board Member and Board Chairman of NCC, we know that he is only a phone call away to assist us in fulfilling our mission.”

Under Yamba’s direction, the Board worked with senior leadership after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the health and safety of NCC employees, residents and clients while maintaining the necessary services to the community. He also led the organization through two leadership transitions: the passing of Monsignor Linder and the retirement of CEO Richard Rohrman. He was instrumental in the search process for NCC’s current CEO Simone Gagneron.

“Dr. Yamba defines what it means to be in public service. The dedication and support he has provided to New Community and the people of Newark is extraordinary,” Gagneron said. “He has clearly set the stage for others to follow. I would like to thank him personally and professionally for his guidance.”

Yamba said New Community’s mission is just as relevant today as it was in 1968 when the organization was founded and that its offerings continue to be vital.

“It’s my hope and prayer and certainly part of Monsignor’s vision that these services will continue to be provided as long as we have people who need them,” Yamba said.

In addition to his work with New Community, Yamba has served the community in a variety of roles in the areas of education and community development.

Yamba is President Emeritus of Essex County College. He served as President from 1980 to 2010, which is the longest tenure for that position at the school. He was also involved with the institution well before leading it. Yamba joined the humanities faculty when the college opened in 1968 and served as Dean of Faculty before he was appointed President in May 1980.

Current Essex County College President Dr. Augustine Boakye said Yamba strengthened the community through his work.

“Our Essex County College family and the Essex Community owe Dr. Yamba a debt of gratitude for enriching our lives and making education the cornerstone of community engagement and development,” he said.

Yamba served as a commissioner of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools for more than a decade and is a founding member of the Presidents’ Round Table, an affiliate of the National Council on Black American Affairs of the American Association of Community Colleges. His other past affiliations include serving on the boards of the Essex County WIB, Newark Downtown Redevelopment Corporation, American Conference on Diversity, Christ the King Prep Academy, Council of Higher Education in Newark (CHEN) and Newark Boys Chorus School. He is also an Emeritus Board Member of Victoria Foundation.

“For decades, Dr. A. Zachary Yamba has been one of Newark’s great educators and activists. Whether as President of Essex County College, Chairman of the New Community Corporation Board or Commissioner of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, he has mentored and inspired his colleagues, students and residents of our city. His legacy is firm in the hearts and minds of the generations he empowered in his many endeavors,” said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. “As Dr. Yamba enters this new phase of his life, we thank him for his leadership and service to Newark, and wish him joy and success for the future.”

Victoria Foundation Executive Officer Craig Drinkard said the City of Newark, Essex County and the State of New Jersey are all better places because of Yamba’s leadership.

“His tireless and regal service to Newark and all of humanity spans decades and has helped to transform the lives of countless individuals and families,” Drinkard said.

Urban League of Essex County President and CEO Vivian Cox Fraser said Yamba has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to advancing opportunities for families.

“As President of Essex County College and his leadership on the Board of New Community, Zack never lost sight of the people he was there to serve and help.”

A graduate of Seton Hall University, Yamba was awarded honorary degrees from his alma mater, Rutgers University and the University of Development Studies in Ghana. In 1980, Yamba, an All-America soccer player, was inducted into Seton Hall’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

New Community served as the host site for the Newark gathering of organizations and entities involved in the Building Healthier, More Equitable Communities (BHEC) initiative. The BHEC Newark Convening was held on Oct. 25 and 26 at Monsignor William J. Linder Plaza, New Community’s corporate office location. The two-day event included participation from New Community, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Rutgers University Distinguished Professor of Law Dr. David Troutt, Urban League of Essex County, University Hospital and a variety of other organizations involved in the BHEC initiative.

The BHEC initiative, led by the Reinvestment Fund with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, aims to address the social determinants of health through changes to the built environment and the community investment system in four New Jersey cities: Asbury Park, Camden, Newark and Paterson. Those involved in the city teams for the four areas meet at convenings at each of the cities to delve deeper into the work being done in each location. Urban League of Essex County and New Community guide the Newark team.

New Community CEO Simone Gagneron welcomed the group to Newark and provided a brief history of NCC. She explained the progress the organization has made over the past 55 years thanks to partners like the Reinvestment Fund and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that support initiatives like BHEC.

“BHEC has helped us engage with partners in our work in the community, and begin to make the case to funders and policymakers for additional investment and support in the communities we serve,” she said.

Gagneron said gatherings like the BHEC Newark Convening allow for networking and for individuals to get a sense of the importance of their efforts.

“I hope you recognize that without you and the organizations you serve, the critical change work that needs to happen won’t happen,” she said.

Urban League of Essex County President and CEO Vivian Cox Fraser discussed her organization’s efforts and how the BHEC initiative aims to have entities work together to tackle large issues.

“Through our collaboration, we seek to address the widening chasm of economic inequality, concentrated in generational poverty, poor health outcomes and intractable inequities in health and opportunities,” she said.

Dr. David Troutt, Distinguished Professor of Law and Founding Director of Rutgers Center on Law, Inequality and Metropolitan Equity (CLiME), served as the keynote speaker for the BHEC Newark Convening. He discussed CLiME’s work of addressing issues of structural inequality and systemic racism, which includes the report Who Owns Newark? That research showed that about half of home purchases in Newark were made by institutional investors, primarily impacting neighborhoods with the highest proportion of Black residents and Black homeowners.

“It was driving up prices, it was driving people out, making it harder to enter as new homeowners and, of course, it was inextricably increasing rents because the whole model is a passive income model with steady gains,” Troutt said.

CLiME also looked into the issue of affordable housing for Newark and found that the city lacks an adequate number of affordable units.

“The local measure determines that affordability in the city of Newark based on household income for renters would be $763. And if that’s what affordable means, we need 16,000+ units,” he said.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka talked about how the lack of housing in New Jersey and nationwide is the source of many of the problems residents face.

“Housing is the number one issue in this country,” he said. “There’s just not enough of it.”

He said the lack of housing in the suburbs directly affects cities like Newark because those who grow up in the suburbs can’t find affordable housing options in their hometowns. Because of that, they move to cities like Newark which have cheaper housing options than where they grew up and often where they work. Those individuals then become part of gentrification, not because they’re looking to displace people but because they don’t have other options.

Baraka praised those in attendance for their efforts and said he hopes the work continues because Newark and cities like it need investment in housing, affordable housing and neighborhood health care facilities.

Dr. Colette Barrow Adams, Executive Director of Community and Population Health at University Hospital, and Jill Crawford, Principal at Type A Projects, talked about the collaboration between the two entities to develop 78 units of affordable housing with an 8,000-square-foot health clinic on the ground floor. The project includes 16 units of supportive housing for those experiencing long-term homelessness or housing instability. University Hospital refers patients to the supportive housing units and will run the health clinic, which will be a medical practice open to all.

New Community Director of Community Engagement Richard Cammarieri moderated a panel discussion with Newark Deputy Mayor Allison Ladd, Invest Newark and Newark Land Bank President and CEO Marcus Randolph and Newark Alliance and Newark Anchor Collaborative CEO Evan Weiss. The group discussed examples of collaborative and cross-sector strategies to advance equity that are happening in Newark.

Attendees of the BHEC Newark Convening also participated in group discussions to talk about successes and challenges they have experienced in their work as well as a bus tour of sites throughout Newark and a reception at Akwaaba Gallery, a Newark-based art gallery.

More information about the BHEC initiative can be found at bhecnj.org.

New Jersey requires counselors to be licensed. There are two levels of licensure: licensed associate counselor (LAC) and licensed professional counselor (LPC). Both Arici and Lipari obtained their LAC after completing the graduate program at Montclair State University and passing the National Counselor Examination. Those with an LAC must work under supervision for 4,500 hours, or approximately three years, before becoming eligible to apply for an LPC license. Arici and Lipari both worked at FSB under supervision for the required time and received their LPC licenses in August. Now they are permitted to provide services independently.

Both Arici and Lipari decided to pursue a career in counseling because they wanted to help people. Lipari always wanted to help her siblings and friends when she was young and a high school class made an impact.

“I remember I took a psychology course in high school and it was so interesting to me. I found a calling for it,” she said. “So that’s what I did with my bachelor’s and when I graduated, there’s really not much you can do with your bachelor’s in psychology so I was looking for different things in the field. And being a counselor, it would help people. It felt like something I needed to do.”

Arici had experience receiving services. He was in foster care and had what he describes as a good therapist when he was a teenager. But he didn’t decide to pursue that line of work until he was in college working toward a different degree.

“I was going to school for computer science and then I decided about a year and a half into my program, I don’t really want to pursue this any more,” he said. “I was taking a psychology class at the time and I liked it. So I pursued that instead.”

When the time came to think about a job after graduation, Arici said he had the choice of social work or counseling. He chose counseling because he wanted to “help people deal with their problems and how to solve those problems.”

Arici graduated from Rutgers University in New Brunswick with a major in psychology and a minor in sociology. He started interning at FSB in 2018 while pursuing his graduate degree and graduated from Montclair State University in 2019 with a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling. That same year he became a permanent employee at the agency.

“I probably chose FSB because they’re a very community-oriented clinic with a high client population and that stood out to me,” he said.

Lipari attended Rowan University for her undergraduate degree and graduated with a major in psychology and a minor in Spanish. She began her internship at FSB in May of 2017 while completing the graduate program at Montclair State University. She knew others at Montclair State University had interned at the agency and reached out to see if there was an opportunity. When her internship ended and she graduated with a Master of Arts in clinical mental health counseling in May of 2018, she wanted to become an employee at FSB, but there were no open positions at the time. Luckily for her, a position became available shortly after and she became a permanent employee in July of 2018. Aside from feeling comfortable at FSB and already knowing the procedures and clientele, Lipari said the agency offered supervision, which is required with the LAC license she had at the time.

“They give us supervision, which is really important, which you need to get your LPC. A lot of jobs don’t offer that. You have to pay out of pocket,” she explained. “That’s one of the good things about working here. They really give you the support that you need to succeed and move forward.”

FSB Director Christina Ward is happy to assist clinicians during their careers.

“Alex and Kim started here as interns and it’s been a rewarding experience watching them grow as clinicians,” Ward said. “Getting a clinical license is a journey in and of itself requiring a lot of education and a lot of clinical work hours. I have no doubt both Alex and Kim will show continued success in the counseling field.”

New Community Chief Operating Officer Fred Hunter said he enjoys recognizing employees’ accomplishments.

“It’s great to acknowledge our hardworking frontline staff,” he said. “I think it’s exciting to celebrate their dedication to their clients, residents and coworkers, which seems to be a common theme here at New Community Corporation.”

As mental health clinicians for FSB, Arici and Lipari meet with clients one-on-one, provide case management, conduct outreach and work on treatment plans. They both work out of the Kearny office.

Arici’s favorite part of the job is the variety it brings with each unique client.

“Everybody’s different. I enjoy that part of the job. Every day feels different. Every session feels different,” he said. “I’m a people person. So I really enjoy that part of the job. It’s very rewarding at the end of the day.”

Lipari enjoys her clients’ successes.

“My favorite part is when I see people succeeding,” she said. “It’s nice when I’m seeing a client for a while and they’re starting to hit those goals and start implementing the different strategies we talk about. It’s rewarding to see that I’m having an impact on their mental health.”

Family Service Bureau of Newark is a licensed outpatient mental health and substance abuse treatment center with two locations. The Newark office is located at 274 South Orange Ave., Newark, and the Kearny office is located at 379 Kearny Ave., Kearny. FSB aims to provide each consumer with the resources needed to improve their quality of life. If you are interested in services, please call the Newark office at 973-412-2056 or the Kearny office at 201-246-8077 or email fsbaccess@newcommunity.org. More information is available online at fsbofnewark.org.

Ward first joined FSB in February 2021 as Director of Clinical Services for both the Newark and Kearny locations. She initially wanted to work at FSB to have a supervisory role. When the opportunity arose to lead the agency, she decided to apply for that position.

“I am really excited to promote Christina Ward to FSB Director. She previously served as the Director of Clinical Services and now will have the overall responsibility for FSB,” said New Community Chief Operating Officer Fred Hunter. “Christina has a lot of mental health and substance abuse experience and I am looking forward to FSB’s continued community impact under her leadership.”

As FSB Director, Ward oversees both the Newark and Kearny offices. Her responsibilities include running staff meetings, correspondence with state agencies, grant reporting, grant research and signing progress notes.

Ward previously worked as a corrections officer where she was introduced to social work. An injury forced her to leave that position. She then worked at a halfway house and decided to pursue a master’s degree in social work.

“I ended up just really enjoying it and being very good at it,” she said. “So then I got an internship at Integrity House, and that’s where I got basically all of my training.”

Ward interned at Integrity House while in school and was then hired as a counselor, which helped propel her career forward. After Integrity House, she worked at New Jersey Reentry Corporation due to her unique experience with law enforcement and social work. She then moved on to Turning Point Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center as a Team Lead, which provided her with more on-the-job training and prepared her for the move to FSB. She had worked in managerial roles in previous industries, like retail, before entering the Health and Human Services field and decided to combine the two skills.

Ward finds her work rewarding.

“My favorite part of the field is watching people grow,” she said. “Having them come to you with an issue and then actually seeing them work through the issue and then leaving with hope for their future.”

Ward grew up in Newark and only recently moved out of the city. That has helped her in her roles at FSB.

“I relate to a lot of the people from this area,” she said.

After graduating high school in Newark, Ward earned her bachelor’s degree in Technical Management from DeVry University and is a member of the Sigma Beta Delta honor society. She earned her master’s degree in Social Work at Rutgers University and is a member of the Phi Alpha honor society.

Ward got married in April and moved to Lyndhurst with her wife.

She is an artist and creates work with spray paint. When she was young, she attended Arts High School in Newark for its summer arts program and attended high school there for communications. She initially was an art major in college but decided to keep it as a hobby instead of a career. In her spare time, she also enjoys playing video games.

Participants were members of NCC’s Environmental Services, Finance, Property Management, Resident Services and Security departments. 

The program consisted of four courses, each lasting four hours: Employee Engagement (with an emphasis on increasing engagement), Performance Management (which taught practical tools and skills to improve employee confidence and performance), Emotional Intelligence (which is the ability of an individual to recognize their own and other’s emotions and understand their effects on the workplace) and Giving & Receiving Feedback. 

NCC was slated to host the program in person, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, classes moved online. They were still interactive, however, with an instructor and facilitator running the courses with participants engaging in the sessions.

“I enjoyed the training,” said Program Manager/Compliance Director Dametria Wertz. “The presenter was very upbeat and kept everyone engaged.”

Assistant Director of Property Management Priscilla Ordoñez agreed that the training was beneficial. 

“We explored many angles of principles of what good leadership is and it provided tools on how to keep staff and oneself motivated,” she said.

NCC hopes to continue collaborating with the OCPE to provide additional training to its employees.

Hamidu began his studies in Ghana, West Africa, where he was born and raised. When he came to the United States in 2018, he knew he wanted to pursue a career in the medical field in this country. He was living with his cousin at the time and spoke about his goals. His cousin, who is a nephew of New Community Board Chairman Dr. A. Zachary Yamba, suggested NCCTI and brought him to the school.

When he saw the facility and learned more about the Clinical Medical Assistant (CMA) program, Hamidu decided to enroll to take the first step in his medical career.

It was a decision Hamidu is happy he made. He graduated from the CMA program and began working at RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group in October 2019. He is a medical assistant and works out of three doctors’ offices: in Newark, Clark and Edison. As part of his job, he checks patients in and out, checks their vital signs, takes their medical history, draws blood and conducts in-office tests including rapid strep and flu tests.

“Once you find yourself doing what you want, there is nothing to complain about,” Hamidu said.

While he enjoys his work, Hamidu is continuing his education. He is currently taking prerequisite courses at Essex County College at night and hopes to transfer to Rutgers University to pursue a premed bachelor’s degree. Though he hasn’t decided what area of the medical field to specialize in, he is interested in the area of cardiology.

“Sakirudeen is bright and has a wonderful future in the health care field,” said NCCTI Director Rodney Brutton. “He brought his prior educational experience with him to NCCTI and his willingness to share his knowledge to enhance the learning experience of his classmates should be applauded.”

Hamidu said the environment at NCCTI was a perfect fit for him. He said his instructor, Dr. Seham Abouelhassan, was exceptional, making sure students understood the topics and providing a warm and welcoming classroom.

“When I had to speak in class, she made me comfortable,” Hamidu said. “She helped me a lot.”

Abouelhassan said Hamidu was one of her best students.

“Sakirudeen has proved to be responsible, punctual and meticulous, always willing to learn and showed great potential in both academic and practical skills,” she said. “Sakirudeen is diligent and motivated to achieve his goals. He has a pleasant personality and he gets along with others so his classmates liked and respected him. I know that he still has more ambitions and I know he will be fulfilling them soon.”

Working a full-time job and going to school isn’t easy, but Hamidu is used to juggling school and work. When enrolled at NCCTI, he attended class during the day and worked a night shift. After finishing a shift, there was no time to sleep. He would shower and go right to school. Though it was a difficult schedule, he said it was what he had to do to fulfill his goal.

“I tried to be consistent and just sacrifice and go to school,” he said.

The hard work paid off and with the help of NCCTI staff members, Hamidu was able to secure full-time work in his field of study.

“I just came to this country. I didn’t have any job experience. They helped me with my resume,” Hamidu said. “And they helped me with getting my job.”

NCCTI provided Hamidu with a recommendation and guidance prior to his interview, which helped him get hired.

Because of his positive experience, Hamidu recommends NCCTI to his friends and anyone interested in continuing their education.

“NCCTI has been a great start for me,” he said.

NCCTI is an accredited post-secondary career and technical institution that offers the following programs: Automotive Technician, Diesel Technician, Building Trades Specialist, Clinical Medical Assistant, Patient Care Technician, Community Healthcare Worker, Culinary Arts Specialist and Business and Computer Technologies. NCCTI also operates a comprehensive Financial Opportunity Center and Bridges to Career Opportunities Program sponsored by the local and national Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) offices. For more information, call 973-824-6484, log onto newcommunitytech.edu or visit 274 South Orange Ave., Newark.

“The partnership being forged between Rutgers Community Health Center and New Community Corporation is a partnership with a purpose. One that is most needed in our community,” NCC Board Chairman Dr. A. Zachary Yamba said.

New Community partnered with RCHC because its health care services are important for the population NCC serves.

“Having an FQHC within the NCC footprint helps us fulfill our mission of helping to improve the lives of inner-city residents by offering additional health care services,” said New Community CEO Richard Rohrman. “We are happy to partner with Rutgers Community Health Center to provide primary care to our residents and clients in a location that is convenient for them.”

First Lady of New Jersey Tammy Snyder Murphy attended the ribbon cutting. She is working to address the infant and maternal mortality rates in New Jersey and the racial disparities regarding health care.

“Recognizing that there is inequity in access to health care is the first step in correcting the crisis. Rutgers Community Health Center has proven that they are committed to correcting this issue and to treating their patients with the dignity that every person deserves,” she said. “I am so happy to be able to count this health center as a trusted partner in our shared mission to improve the health and wellbeing of families here in New Jersey.”

RCHC is one of the first nurse practitioner led FQHCs in the nation. Interim Dean and Professor at the Rutgers School of Nursing Dr. Linda Flynn explained that FQHCs are community-based health centers that provide high quality, culturally competent and comprehensive care based on strict federal guidelines. Charges for services are based on a sliding scale based on patients’ ability to pay and no patient is denied service based on inability to pay.

“Study after study has demonstrated that nurse practitioners provide safe, high quality primary care and are a major asset to ensuring that people have access to care in New Jersey and across the nation,” she said. “One in 12 people and one in nine children receive their health care from an FQHC. It is high quality, it is affordable and it is accessible care.”

Dr. Brian Strom, chancellor of Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences and executive vice president for health affairs of Rutgers University, recognized the important partnership between RCHC and NCC.

“These new accommodations expand our School of Nursing’s reach to make high quality, affordable health care available to the Newark community and is another example to our commitment to have equity,” he said.

Central Ward Councilwoman LaMonica McIver said she was happy for the partnerships that allowed RCHC to come to the Central Ward.

“The municipal council has been doing a lot of work to promote health care, promote healthy residents, to get our residents the resources they need to have preventive health care,” she said. “To have this center open, it’s another place for our residents to go and get the services that they need.”

RCHC Community Health Worker Supervisor Victoria Cason explained that before RCHC, people living in her community were surviving and not fully living because of issues like unemployment, poverty, low health literacy and inadequate access to fresh food.

“Our population is now served, heard and have improved their health care disparities. We are our community’s beacon of hope, providing access, quality and affordability of primary care and psychological and social services. Together we ease the minds, soothe the hearts and cherish the souls of every single person we encounter,” she said. “We’re making a difference in people’s lives.”

RCHC CEO Susan VonNessen Scanlin explained that in addition to providing health care services, RCHC links individuals to services available to them in partnership with NCC.

“We’re all here today because of the community and the patients that we serve,” she said. “The fact that all of you are here is truly a testimony to the commitment that both Rutgers, New Community, our city, our hospitals, our community groups are making to not just provide health care but to provide all the services that equal health wellness equity.”

RCHC is located on the third floor of the NCC health care building, 274 South Orange Ave., Newark. It is open Monday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Friday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit rchc.rutgers.edu.

Dr. A. Zachary Yamba, who joined the New Community Corporation Board of Directors in September 2012, was unanimously voted into the position of Board President.

The vote occurred June 26, 2018, with all Board Members present, shortly after the passing of New Community Founder Monsignor William J. Linder who had served as the Board Chairman. Monsignor Linder passed away June 8, 2018.

“This board meeting is historic in the sense that June 26, 2018 will be remembered as the starting date of New Community Corporation’s second 50-year journey into providing services and empowering our inner city residents,” Yamba said as he accepted the role of Board President.

Yamba was very close to Monsignor Linder. The pair met 55 years ago and became good friends. Yamba said the Board of Directors would remain true to Monsignor’s vision for New Community going forward.

“Monsignor Linder left a grand legacy for those of us remaining to cherish, protect and most of all continue to grow. Dr. Yamba has a long and distinguished presence in the community and we are fortunate to have a leader who is so committed to our city and its residents,” said New Community CEO Richard Rohrman.

Yamba is President Emeritus of Essex County College. He served as President from 1980 to 2010, which is the longest anyone has held that position at the school. He was also involved with the institution well before leading it. Yamba joined the humanities faculty when the college opened in 1968 and served as Dean of Faculty prior to his appointment as President in May 1980.

He served as a commissioner of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools for more than a decade and is a founding member of the Presidents’ Round Table, an affiliate of the National Council on Black American Affairs of the American Association of Community Colleges. His other past affiliations include serving on the boards of the Essex County WIB, Newark Downtown Redevelopment Corporation, American Conference on Diversity, Christ the King Prep Academy, Council of Higher Education in Newark (CHEN) and Newark Boys Chorus School.

Dr. Yamba is currently also a board member of the Victoria Foundation, Regent Emeritus of Seton Hall University, ASA College in New York and the Two Hundred Club of Essex County.

A graduate of Seton Hall University, Yamba was awarded honorary degrees from his alma mater, Rutgers University and the University of Development Studies in Ghana. In 1980, Yamba, an All-America soccer player, was inducted into Seton Hall’s Athletic Hall of Fame.

The Board of Directors for New Community Corporation is made up of the following members: Barry Baker, Fernando Colon, Migdalia Martinez, Edgar Nemorin, Newton Richards, Madge Wilson and Yamba.