Cynthia Crim was named Chairperson of the PAB in 2022 and currently works as the Grants Manager for the Norman J. Stupp Foundation (Commerce Bank Trustee). Cynthia has more than fourteen years of management experience in the Nonprofit Sector. She has a passion for developing new programs, serving as a connector, technical advisor and coach when she works with people and organizations. Before joining Commerce Bank, Cynthia was the Director of Sector Relations for the Nonprofit Services Consortium. Her first job in the field of grantmaking was in Chicago, Illinois with the Steans Family Foundation as their Associate Executive Director.
Cynthia has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Clark Atlanta University, Atlanta, Georgia. Cynthia currently serves on the boards of the Senior Fund St. Louis City, the Missouri History Museum Subdistrict and the St. Louis Community College Foundation. In addition, she serves as a steering committee member to several community initiatives such as St. Louis Graduates and the Missouri Child Development Account. Cynthia relocated to St. Louis in 2002 from Chicago, Illinois with her husband and their two children. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her family, reading, and biking.
Carmen Mora, Vice Chairperson, is Executive Director of Saginaw-Shiawassee Habitat for Humanity where she has worked since 2008. She has also held pastoral ministry roles with various parishes in the Saginaw diocese. She received a Bachelor’s Degree from Barry University in 1995 and a Master’s Degree from Loyola University in New Orleans in 2000.
Carmen’s life focus is to serve those at a disadvantage and give them a hand up. Her volunteer activities are consistent with her work life. She serves as a scholarship grant reviewer for Saginaw Community Foundation, has been president of the Mustard Seed Homeless Shelter, and served as a missionary to the Dominican Republic through Amor en Acción.
Joseph Barker II was recently appointed Executive Director of the Sr. Thea Bowman Black Catholic Educational Foundation. Prior to assuming this position, Joe held various teaching and administrative positions with Cristo Rey schools in Atlanta, GA and Charleston, SC. He has also worked in private industry and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in engineering from Florida A & M University.
Joe has a strong commitment to helping African-American youth succeed and volunteers his time with community organizations such as The Black Man Lab, Unbound International Outreach, and West Atlanta Charter School. He currently serves as chair of the board formation committee for Aquinas Center for Theology at Emory University.
Sister Judy Byron, OP, an Adrian Dominican Sister, was on the staff of the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center and coordinated the Northwest Coalition for Responsible Investment for twenty-five years. She was a member of the Portfolio Advisory Board from 2003-2010 and served as a consultant on corporate responsibility for the Adrian Dominican Sisters from 2010-2023. As a member of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, she focused on climate finance, gun safety, health equity, human rights and worker justice. From 1966-1998, her ministries included elementary education, parish religious education programs and community leadership. She is a founder of the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center (1991) and Mercy Housing Northwest (1992), and serves on its board of directors. She has a BA in Social Science and MA in Religious Education.
Sister Mary Ellen Leciejewski, OP, is System Vice President Environmental Sustainability for CommonSpirit Health. She is responsible for sustainability initiatives at all levels, in alignment with CommonSpirit’s values.
In conjunction with her work in sustainability, Mary Ellen facilitates communication networks among her colleagues and works closely with hospital systems and environmental organizations throughout the country to raise awareness of healthcare’s impact on climate and the environment and to promote programs that proactively address issues of sustainability. Currently, Sister Mary Ellen serves on several boards.
A 1975 secondary education graduate of Wayne State University in Detroit, Mary Ellen earned a Master of Arts degree in ecology from the University of Illinois-Springfield in 1995. Prior to joining Dignity Health (now CommonSpirit Health), Sister Mary Ellen spent several years teaching French on the secondary level in Michigan.
Carla Mannings is Senior Vice President, Relationship Manager in the Commercial Banking Group for City First Bank. Prior to joining City First Bank, she held the position of Chief of Strategic Initiatives at Partners for the Common Good (PCG), where she served in an executive leadership capacity. During her career, Ms Mannings has also served as Relationship Manager for NeighborWorks America, Commercial Real Estate Loan Officer for Community Housing Capital, and Senior Commercial Loan Underwriter for Wells Fargo and Silverton Bank.
Ms. Mannings holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Howard University and a Master of Business Administration from Brenau University. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, exploring the arts, and volunteering in her community.
Rev. Dr. Sidney Williams Jr., has more than 30+ years of experience in corporate and community development, which enables him to contribute a diverse set of experiences and expertise to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. His board expertise includes corporate social responsibility (ESG), diversity equity and inclusion (DEI), audits and investments. In addition to several nonprofit boards, he serves as an independent director of Valley National Bank.
Dr. Williams is a graduate of the Wharton School of Business and completed his undergraduate studies in finance at Howard University. After a brief, but successful, career on Wall Street, Dr. Williams earned a Master of Divinity degree from the Wesley Theological Seminary and subsequently a Doctorate in Ministry degree from Payne Theological Seminary. He has also written dozens of articles and two books - Morning Meditations:100 Days to Believing You’re Successful and Fishing Differently: Ministry Formation in the Marketplace.
Rev. Sidney serves as the lead pastor of Bethel Church in Morristown, NJ (a historic African Methodist Episcopal Church). Dr. Williams is also the founder and CEO and of Crossing Capital Group, a New Jersey Benefit Corporation that seeks to address the structural inequities in underfinanced communities by providing a proprietary approach toward reimagining physical assets.
Sister Corinne Sanders, OP, is an Adrian Dominican Sister currently serving as a member of the elected leadership team of the Congregation. In this role, she provides oversight to the Congregation’s Sustainability Enactment in which the Sisters commit to live in right relationship with Earth community. She helped create the Office of Sustainability on the Adrian campus, serving as the first director from 2017 - 2022. In that position, she collaborated with others to create the Environmental Leadership Experience, a summer program for college students from Siena Heights University and Barry University. She is a member of the ADS Land Justice Focus Group. Her background in educational leadership has served her well as she has ministered in schools, served as Head of School at Rosarian Academy, and currently serves on the boards of Siena Heights University and the Earth Law Center.