Our Leadership Team
FOUNDER AND CEO
LEANA WALCOTT
Leana Walcott is a retired Accountant and former Assistant Comptroller from Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority, where she dedicated over twenty-five years of service.
Her annual White Event, which honors women, served as the springboard for the creation of The Chrysalis Project, Inc. (TCP), which officially becoming a 501 c (3) in 2017. Through Team Mentoring, TCP creates opportunities for young women to be nurtured, supported and prepared to navigate high school and enter college with confidence and clear goals.
Leana has been an active member of the Plainfield NJ community for 35 years, where she resides her husband Steven Walcott. She holds a Degree in Business, a Bachelors of Science Degree in Accounting and a Project Management certificate from Harvard . Her passion for youth development began early, working with summer youth programs in Brooklyn NY.
Beyond mentorship, Leana is an avid tennis player, competing with the United States Tennis Association (USTA)for 18 years. She taught tennis to young women through the Plainfield Division of Recreation, In addition she enjoys playing golf and hosts an annual golf outing under The Chrysalis Project, which raises funds for programming and scholarships. She also volunteers at the Original Tee Annual Celebrity Golf Outing.
A dedicated member of Shiloh Baptist Church, serving in Finance, Travel and First Impressions Ministries. She is also the President of the Friends of the Plainfield Public Library (FOPPL) Board and a Commissioner on Plainfield Cultural Heritage Commission.
Her commitment to empower young women continues to driver her work with The Chrysalis Project, where she remains devoted to creating lasting impact in the lives of the young women she serves.
SECRETARY
LINDA HINES
Linda has over twenty-five years of professional experience where she has held supervisory, sales & HR positions in the Insurance and electronics industries, a program coordinator for a Welfare-to-Work program as well as positions in state and local government. Most recently, she has been employed with the Plainfield Municipal Utilities Authority for almost 15 years as an executive and/or administrative assistant in various departments within the organization. Linda is a member of Shiloh Baptist Church in Plainfield where she is involved in the Music, Dance & Media ministries, Women's Fellowship and an active member of her cell group. A native of North Carolina, Linda holds a B.A. degree from Bennett College, in Greensboro. Linda is a recent member of the CWCY/The Chrysalis Project Board where she serves as the Board Secretary. She resides in Plainfield and is the mother of three adult sons.
TONYA S. MCNEIL
Tonya McNeil is an Accountant and the retired Controller (2017) of the Northeast Carpenters Fringe Benefits Fund office (formerly the New Jersey Carpenters Funds) located in Edison, NJ. A Multi-Employer Pension, Annuity, Health and Vacation Fund. Tonya joined the Carpenters Fund in 1986 as a Staff Accountant. With over 30 years of work experience with the same company Tonya gained extensive knowledge and experience through various roles as she worked her way up the corporate ladder. She was responsible for the financial accounting functions and the oversight of the financial accounting process of the company. This included ensuring financial activities were completed timely and accurately, and that accounting records contain information necessary to meet reporting requirements to management, tax compliance and reporting of financial results. She prepared all the accounting work for the Northeast Carpenters New Jersey Office ranging from investment portfolios, tax returns, journal entries, and reconciling monthly bank statements to managing staff.
Tonya is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. the Central Jersey Chapter where she has held several financial positions, The National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), Board member of the Plainfield Symphony Orchestra where she works in budget & finance, a lifetime member of Shiloh Baptist Church in Plainfield, NJ where she holds the position of Trustee Treasurer. Tonya graduated from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. She is also a lifetime member of the Morgan State University Alumni Association. Tonya is a lifelong resident of Plainfield NJ; married to Lee McNeil and has four adult children and three grandchildren.
TREASURER & ASST. EVENT COORDINATOR
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR
GERALIDINE AGURS
Geraldine “Geri” Agurs has over 35 years of experience in providing high-level executive administrative support to the executive leadership team of profit making companies, nonprofit organizations and educational institutions. In this role, Geri has been responsible for enhancing executive effectiveness by providing information management support; supervising staff; preparing statistical reports; handling information requests; maintaining executive appointment schedules, planning conferences, and scheduling meetings; planning and managing projects; maintaining records management database systems and performing general office duties.
Geri is one the founders of the UC TEAMS Charter School and High School/College Leadership Academy, serving Kindergarten thru 12th grades. Geri has served on numerous boards and in various teaching capacities for several Baptist Conventions, such as Progressive National Convention/Congress of Christian Education, Middlesex Central Baptist Association, NJ State Baptist Convention, National American Baptist Convention.
Geri received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Management from West Virginia State University, and her Master of Theology, New Brunswick Theological Seminary. Geri resides in Plainfield, New Jersey and a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church, Plainfield, NJ.
JOURNALIST AND EVENT TEAM
KAREN D. ALEXIS HOLLOWAY
Karen D. Alexis Holloway is the Assistant Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the Borough of Carteret located in Carteret, NJ. Her role is to provide executive support and effective administration to help promote adequate and affordable housing, economic opportunity and a suitable living environment free from discrimination to low income families; primarily to enhance the life of residents and community through Local and State Programs and Federal Regulations that are governed by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Karen has been employed with the Carteret Housing Authority since 1991 and has over 25 years of Public Service. She is honored to serve as a Public Official for the Borough of Carteret. She was promotion to Assistant Executive Director from Housing Manager in year 2000. She is a certified Public Housing Manager, (PHM) and Section 8 Housing Manager, (SHM). In 2004, she was awarded her Executive Housing Management Training and Certification Requirements from The State University of New Jersey, Rutgers; Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. Currently, she is a consultant and provides executive support for 2 other Public Housing Authority’s in New Jersey.
Born in Savannah, Georgia, and continuously enjoying the culture and charm of the South is what led Karen to Nashville, TN. There, she attended and graduated college from Fisk University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science, (BS) degree in Business Administration. After college, she returned to her childhood home in Plainfield, NJ and later moved to West Orange, NJ where she now resides with her husband and son.
Karen is an active member of The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) as well as the Public Housing Authorities Directors Association (PHADA). She is highly dedicated to her church family and is a member of Christ Church in Montclair, NJ where she was married to her husband, Owen Holloway in 1997. As a member of Christ Church, she serves in the Media Ministry and other Ministry Platforms that provide essential needs to the homeless. In addition, she is an original member of Celebrate Woman Celebrate You (CWCY) and strongly approves in its mission.
In her relaxing moments, Karen enjoys creative writing, traveling and is an epicurean that loves the art of culinary culture. She aspires to market and launch her own culinary creation in the near future.
It is in Karen’s desire to retire within the next 5 years and to fully enjoy life in sunny Florida with her loving family and close friends.
SYMPOSIUM AND EVENT TEAM MEMBER
LYDIA TROUTMAN
Lydia Troutman is the Associate Director, Sterile Quality Assurance Microbiology Merck & Co, Total of 36 years in the Pharmaceutical Industry with increasing levels of responsibility, 25 years with the former Schering Plough Corporation, acquired by Merck & Co. 2009. Undergraduate studies in Zoology, Rutgers University, completed degree with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration Caldwell University, Graduate courses I industrial Microbiology and Physiology of Microorganism, Seton Hall University.
Member of Parenteral Drug Association (PDA) and Task Force Environmental Monitoring and participating author of the PDA Technical Bulletin #13 Fundamentals of Microbiological Monitoring Program. Member of the Profession Microbiology, Education and Discussion Industry group. Recipient of the YMCA Black Achiever Award, Represented Schering in NJ Junior Achievement Program and Technical Training Project to provide Laboratory Internships.
Member and Secretary of the Board of Directors for the Spirit of Giving Foundation, Inc. Served as President and Vice President of North Stelton Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC) purposed to develop and administer economic, cultural, social and educational community based programs to revitalize the community. Participated in grant sourcing and drafting of successful grants. NSEDC programs include community food programs, job resource center, youth outreach programs, housing counseling agency and Housing Programs.
AUCTION AND SYMPOSIUM TEAM
MARIE JOYNER
Marie Joyner, a Pennsylvania native, is a versatile professional with a dynamic career spanning retail, product development, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. She pursued a B.S. degree at Syracuse University, where she focused on Marketing and Retail Management, and began her career at Macy's - New York, where she advanced to buyer. She later joined Liz Claiborne, Inc., as a product developer for fashion accessories. She further honed her expertise by managing global fashion accessory development for private firms, collaborating with manufacturers from the Far East to Italy.
After the birth of her son, Marie embraced her entrepreneurial spirit by founding Majoco Collections, an art gallery and bookstore in Plainfield, New Jersey, dedicated to celebrating culture and fostering community. Following the events of September 11, she returned to the corporate world to provide greater stability for her family.
Currently, Marie serves as the managing director of Drew University Bookstore in Madison, New Jersey. She ensures students have the tools for academic success, from textbooks to dress, and enhances the campus experience through event planning. Marie is also the co-founder of Literary Voices, a sisterhood of women celebrating literary appreciation and empowerment, which recently marked 25 years of impact.
In 2016, Marie joined the leadership team of The Chrysalis Project, where she mentors young women, facilitates workshops, and contributes to fundraising and event planning. Her commitment to community, culture, and education continues to inspire and empower those around her. Marie states that she enjoys interacting with younger people to understand their journeys and ambitions and be a positive thought partner for them.
MEDIA AND EVENT TEAM
PATRICIA FIELDS
A lifelong resident of NJ, Pat Fields is the President of Meetings of the Minds – an event management business. She retired from Alcatel-Lucent (a spin-off of AT&T) in 2001 after 24 years of combined service in both corporations. Her diverse career culminated in her serving as a Human Resource Manager, whose team was responsible for the distribution of more than $400 million through the Family Care Development Fund’s nationwide resources for child and elder care programs that were a benefit for corporate employees. Pat also held the volunteer position as National Program Chair for The Alliance of Black Telecommunications Employees, Inc. for 10 years. During that time she organized Regional and National Professional Development Conferences around the country, managed an annual budget in excess of $3 million, and grew member participation from 250 to nearly 5,000 attendees. She exposed corporate employee members to high profile, successful role models and entertainers like Maya Angelou, Susan Taylor, Juwanza Kunjufu, Cornel West, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee. Grammy award nominated and winners the likes of Marion Meadows, Sherry Winston, The Spinners, Ray, Goodman & Brown (aka the Moments) and so many others were delighted to appear in our conference rooms and on our stages and often wanted to return.
Pat is married to her friend, cheerleader and love, Larry “Ice” Winfree. She is a loving mom, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and aunt. Already a very active volunteer in many areas, Pat continues to dedicate much of her personal life holding leadership and support positions volunteering at Shiloh Baptist Church, Community Coordinated Child Care, Inc. School Based Youth Services, Plainfield Teen Parenting Program, Inc., and New Vision Pioneers: Penn Jersey Chapter 132 (operating under the umbrella of Telecom Pioneers in Canada and the US). She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the USA Freedom Corps Award received in support of her Pioneer activities. The Award was hand delivered during private audience with the then President George W. Bush. She has been honored with the NJ “Martin Luther King – Drum Major for Community Service Award”. She is most proud of her Induction in the 2024 Rutgers African-American Alumni Alliance, Inc. Hall of Fame for her Community Service. Pat holds a BA degree in French (Spanish minor) from Rutgers University.