Paula Y. Fendall

Paula Y. Fendall retired in 2013 from a 21-year career with the City of New York’s Mayor Office and the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). She also co-directed NYU School of Law’s Family Defense Clinic for six years. Prior to her retirement, as the Director of ACS’ Children of Incarcerated Parents Program (CHIPP), she was invited to the White House by the Obama Administration to participate in their ‘Champions of Change’ event for professionals who worked with children of incarcerated parents.

Paula was baptized at Emmanuel Baptist Church (EBC) in 2007. She joined A Better World Community Development Corporation (ABWCDC) in 2018. In 2019, she was presented with EBC’s Impact Award for her work in the community through her Christmas Giving project. As a social worker who has been committed to helping others improve their life circumstances, both professionally and personally. She is committed to serving on ABWCDC’s board because, “A Better World’s focus is on uplifting individuals, families and communities, both locally and globally by imparting information (Exiting Egypt), providing opportunities for growth and change (TTMB) and instituting and elevating projects that would improve conditions nationally and globally (South Africa). I can think of no better way of carrying out my commitment to helping others than by working with like-minded individuals committed to making A Better World.”

Paula Y. Fendall, LMSW is a native New Yorker and a “ride and die” Brooklynite.  She received her Bachelor degree in Inner City Studies from CUNY -Medgar Evers and her Master in Social Work from NYU School of Social Work. 

Rev. Anthony L. Trufant

Rev. Anthony L. Trufant has served as the Senior Pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church of Brooklyn, NY since 1990.  His biblically-based Christ-centered preaching seeks to hold together spiritual formation, pastoral counseling, and social justice.  He is married to Muriel Goode-Trufant, the Managing Attorney for NYC Law Department, and is the proud father of two young adult daughters, Sharise and Toni. 

Rev. Trufant is committed to ABWCDC because its mission aligns with his personal experience with how family and faith are crucial tools for fashioning a meaningful, joyful, and impactful life. “My immediate family, at times, did not always provide sufficient nurture and structure, which is customary in healthy, happy families. Thankfully, my extended family and church families stepped in and bridged the gaps in my journey to adulthood by providing invaluable, essential relationships, and resources that helped me move from where I was to where I wanted to be. Consequently, I dreamed up A Better World as an extension of EBC. While my choices and circumstances lined up more organically, I detected the need to be intentional about replicating similar types of supports for Black people, locally and globally. I am committed to A Better World because I enjoy working with like-minded, community-oriented people who wish to provide people of color access to resources, know-how, and relationships that others possess by privilege.” While Rev. Trufant is the founder of ABWCDC, he has opted to function as an ex-officio board member and strictly as an advisor and fundraiser. He has no voting privileges.

He is a graduate of Morehouse College (B.A.), Colgate Rochester Divinity School (M.Div.), and Seton Hall University (M.A). He has completed coursework towards a doctorate in Pastoral Counseling at Hebrew Union College of New York City.  Currently, he is a doctoral student at Bakke Graduate School, where he is pursuing a doctorate in Transformational Leadership. He is certified in Conflict Resolution and as an executive coach by the John Maxwell Company.

Theresa Manning

Theresa Manning is a veteran and venerable educator, who has served the Brooklyn community as a teacher, a staff developer, administrator, and a supervisor. As a secondary school and higher education leader, Theresa has found her calling to be memorable and rewarding. Beyond her school-based experiences, Theresa was nationally selected, along with other candidates, to design post-production curricula for the award-winning, television documentary, Eyes on the Prize. Additionally, she served on the core planning and implementing team that created and launched a NYC New Visions high school with an emphasis on enriched science and math. In more recent years, she has supervised undergraduate and graduate student teachers, as well as served as a consultant to school leaders. Theresa affirms that her greatest professional reward, however, has been to witness the academic and social transformation of countless students, especially the most challenging ones. 

As a member of various civic and service organizations and boards, Theresa continues her commitment to the community by joining as a board member of ABWCDC in 2020. According to Theresa, her commitment to serving ABWCDC is predicated on the following reasons, “I share ABWCDC's vision and mission to educate, to elevate, to empower, and to ensure social equity for our community. Serving on this Board keeps me connected to my church, Emmanuel Baptist Church. Because I was lovingly raised and spiritually nurtured by the same village that the Board serves, I desire to return a portion of what I received by serving that village. My priorities of community wellness and wholeness align with its.”

As a Brooklyn native, Theresa appreciates the importance of a balanced life; so in her spare time, she enjoys international traveling, cooking, listening to music, visiting museums, vintage shopping, and sharing valuable time with family and friends. Theresa earned a BA from Hunter College - CUNY, an MA from Columbia University, and an MA from Brooklyn College – CUNY.

Leland Richards

Leland Richards has a vast career in the private sector. Currently, he is a Partner at Adams Street Private Credit where he supports sourcing, structuring, performing due diligence, and negotiating investment opportunities. Prior to this position, Leland served as a Managing Director at Churchill Asset Management, where he was responsible for financial sponsor origination and underwriting, and as a Managing Director at GE Capital where he originated leveraged loans and mezzanine / 2nd lien financing for financial sponsors backed by non-investment grade companies. Throughout his career, Leland has also held Vice President positions at Merrill Lynch & Co., GE Capital, and Salomon Smith Barney (Citigroup). 

Outside of the private sector, Leland also devotes his time to community involvement and family development as an active board member of Freedom United (London, UK,), a nonprofit focused on global advocacy to end modern-day slavery, and of A Better World Community Development Corp (Brooklyn, NY). 

Leland holds a Master of Business Administration from Boston College and a Bachelor of Science from Pratt Institute. 

Earl Patton

Earl Patton serves as Managing Director of Cyphr Ventures, a global venture platform that unites nations through innovation and helps entrepreneurs, businesses, and governments thrive globally. The Cyphr Ventures Network has established a consortium of World Leaders, Investors, Innovators, and Member Funds that work together across 23+ countries to help innovation anywhere to thrive everywhere. Earl is also a partner at Rumble Ventures, a venture fund with a particular focus on SportsTech. Prior to Cyphr and Rumble Ventures, Earl held various executive roles with the National Basketball Association, Director of Business Development for NBA International, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Portland Trailblazers. Earl also served as a Director of Marketing for Sony FIFA Partnership Project Office where he oversaw Sony's partnership with the Federation International Football Association (FIFA) and sponsorship of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa (2010) and Brazil (2014).

Earl has a longstanding commitment to community development. “I believe in committing myself to my community is a biblical command as stated in Proverbs 3:9 ‘Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops.’ The wealth, in this case, is one’s talent, thus dedicating time and talent to your community is a form of tithing.”  As a member of Emmanuel Baptists Church, Earl was honored to be asked by leadership to join the board of A Better World Community Development Corporation (ABWCDC) to implement its purpose and process of Gather, Grow, Give and Go to serve the greater community. Earl also serves as Director-General of the Economic Chamber (EC), a nonprofit that increases socioeconomic progress by helping emerging economies realize their full value as it relates to their GDP.

Earl holds a Master of Business Administration from The George Washington University School of Business and a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration from Drexel University.

lisha cole

Lisha S. Cole is Founder and Partner at LJC Team LLC, a consulting firm focused on elevating the lives of lifelong learners through coaching, mentoring and advising. As part of LJC Team, Lisha also provides consulting services in pharmaceutical regulatory affairs leadership and strategy. Lisha is also co-founder of Game On Initiatives Inc., an organization focused on contributing to the eradication of systemic racism by elevating personal experiences and making connections to vetted historical and current information. In addition to serving on the Board of A Better World CDC, Lisha serves as Chair of the Brown University School of Professional Studies Advisory Council to Eliminate Anti-Black Racism. Lisha previously enjoyed a 30+ year career at Pfizer Inc, where she held operational, strategic and leadership roles in the Global Supply and Regulatory Strategy organizations.

Lisha is a proud native of Brooklyn, a lifelong member of Emmanuel Baptist Church and product of Brooklyn public schools. She holds an ScB in Chemical Engineering from Brown University, an MS ChE from NYU/Polytechnic University, an MS in Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs from Temple University and an MBA through a joint degree Beyond Business program with IE Business School (Spain) and Brown University.

NIA HARPER

Nia Harper is a strategic economic development consultant, mother of three, and advocate for  earth justice. She holds degrees in Business Management from The Catholic University of  America and Economic Development from the University of Oklahoma. As founder of Sage  Futures, she supports nonprofits with strategic funding, grant writing, and partnerships that drive  equity and sustainability. Nia brings over a decade of cross-sector experience and a passion for  building resilient, self-sufficient communities to her role on the board of A Better World CDC.

SHONEL MACKIE

Shonel Mackie serves as the Senior Director of Finance & Operations at VOZ Advisors, where she leverages her expertise in financial strategy, planning, and organizational performance to advance health equity for patients. Known for her thoughtful leadership and commitment to excellence, Shonel brings both precision and compassion to every aspect of her work.

She earned her BS in Legal Studies from St. John’s University and her MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business. A proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Shonel is deeply rooted in service, sisterhood, and community uplift.

Shonel is honored to serve on the Board of A Better World Community Development Corporation, where she contributes her operational insight, financial acumen, social media knowledge, and lived experience to support community development and youth-centered initiatives. Her dedication to this work is grounded in the belief that financial literacy and equitable access to opportunity can transform the lives of young people—especially those in historically under-resourced communities. She remains committed to helping create pathways that empower the next generation to build confident, successful futures.

CAMILLE MANGHAM

Camille is a member of EBC and serves on the Board of Directors of A Better World Community Development Corporation.  As a Certified Public Accountant and former Senior Deputy Chief Audit Executive at Paramount, she brings deep expertise in accounting, audit, and organizational governance. She now channels her expertise into the nonprofit sector as a Financial Consultant where she equips grassroots nonprofits with the tools to build long-term financial sustainability. She is passionate about financial literacy, youth development, and strengthening the operational readiness and financial sustainability of nonprofits and small businesses.

Her nonprofit leadership includes serving as Treasurer for the Brooklyn Youth Tennis Association and Hill Dance Academy Theater and as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  She is a proud mom and lives with her family in Brooklyn and remains deeply connected to her Pittsburgh roots.

“I share A Better World’s belief in stronger families and communities, and I’m committed to supporting the organization so it can continue to thrive and make an impact for generations to come.”

JACKIE PALMER

Jackie Palmer is a retired New York City auditor with over 30 years of government experience in risk analysis and organizational improvement. A proud Jamaican immigrant and Baruch College graduate, she has spent more than two decades using her research and investigative skills to connect youth and families with essential educational and career resources.

After retiring, Jackie became an educational consultant dedicated to ensuring all children have equitable opportunities to succeed. Inspired by Olympic fencer Peter Westbrook’s belief that every child can be an “Olympian in Life,” she champions mentoring, tutoring, and job-shadowing initiatives.

Jackie volunteers with organizations such as the Peter Westbrook Foundation, the Adelaide L. Sanford Institute, and New York Cares, and regularly shares resources on scholarships, health, family programs, internships, and financial literacy with schools and community groups across New York City.

She first connected with ABWCDC after attending Emmanuel Baptist Church’s Existing Egypt conference in 2024. Inspired by the Teens That Mean Business program, she eagerly joined the Board to help empower young people to become changemakers.

Jackie continues her professional development through the Goddard-Options Institute and other programs, using her gifts to guide students through the college process and introduce them to diverse career pathways.

sabrina philson

Sabrina Philson is the Chief of Staff at a non-profit focused on youth leadership development. With a background in financial services, management consulting and politics, she is an expert in organizational development, strategic planning, and change management.

As an accomplished trainer and facilitator, Sabrina designs and facilitates corporate management strategy sessions, and governance trainings for non-profit Boards. Her greatest joy is her son, a Junior finance major at Morehouse College.