Board Members
FAITH SAUNDERS
Chair
​
Faith’s career has given her the opportunity to work in various capacities with many different groups, such as families in the foster care system, youth and adults with emotional and substance abuse challenges, to name a few. She worked at Rutgers University, for over 10 years and then at the Mental Health Association in New Jersey (MHANJ) for 14 years as the director of a New Jersey State funded training institute. She has a masters in Psychiatric Rehabilitation.
​
Faith is passionate about helping others, especially single parents because of her own lived experience which she embarked on when her two adult children were 4 and 6 years old.
SERENE LONGSWORTH
Co - chair
Serene Longsworth is the board vice-chair of iCMAD. She was the previous board and fundraising chair of STRIVE. She was the operations program director and program manager at Svelte Medical Systems and has worked in the orthopaedic and cardiovascular medical device industries for over 19 years. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering from Syracuse University and a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University. She is certified as a project management professional (PMP) and a Six Sigma Green Belt. She also volunteers her time providing career guidance to high school students and teaches personal finance. Serene enjoys long-distance running, especially half-marathons.
CLAVEL (Clay-vel) NELSON
Treasurer
Hello! My name is Clavel (Clay-Vel) Nelson, and I worked as a nurse and then as a family nurse practitioner for many years, and I enjoyed it tremendously! My position helped me strengthen my interactions with others and I learned quickly that I must care about you before I can connect with you. Talking with and caring for people taught me how to be trustworthy, respectful, and dependable. But I also learned about the medical challenges that occurred due to the lack of financial resources. This often leads to a negative impact on the person’s life. So, I decided to learn more about the financial industry, and I received my financial professional license! Specifically, I hold a license in health and life producer in several states.
I teach people how to budget, save, and protect their income, and how to plan for college and retirement. As the treasurer on the board of directors of iCMAD, I will work diligently with the committee to carry out my role and function fully.
Secretary
ASHLEY McCALLA
Ashley McCalla, PMP is a results-oriented Project Manager in the nonprofit sector with 5 years of experience using a variety of approaches. She specializes in bringing structure to ambiguous situations and anticipating stakeholders’ needs—skills that were honed from years in the hospitality industry. Ashley has a passion for helping others through task and people management, which shines through in her role as the Secretary of I Can Make A Difference.
Sonja Bishop
Board Member
I am Sonja Bishop, creator and owner of Re-Think-et Trinket LLC, a quality handcrafted jewelry company in the St. Louis Area, founded in 2014. Prior to opening my company, I worked in the Apartment and Commercial Property industry for over 20 years.
​
I am passionate about simply lifting others up. My opportunity to work with iCMAD is my way to choose to make a positive difference by using empathy, kindness, encouragement, and sincerity, to make that difference. I believe these actions provide fuel for the soul, to go out and make society a better place. Let’s combat this together by individually making a positive step toward changing the world, take that first small step and see how it makes a huge footprint in this world. Let’s start today!
LAVERN DAISY MILLER, JD
Board Member
LaVerne Daisy Miller is an attorney licensed to practice in New York State. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Northeastern University School of Law. She started her legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in New York County. Since 1992, her career has focused on serving underserved communities in various positions with private and not for profit organizations.
​
Laverne is a much sought after technical assistance provider, trainer, and speaker. She has received numerous awards in recognition of her work and contributions. She is a lifelong New Yorker and the mother of one son.