Board of Directors Corner: April 2022
The April 20, 2022 meeting of the Be Strong Families Board of Directors was the first under the leadership of incoming Chair, Denise Boston, PhD. Highlights of the meeting included a Deep Dive into Board Development issues and the unanimous confirmation of three new members: Tecoria Jones, Christopher Thornton and Michael Byrd.
Listed below from left to right: Denise Boston, PhD, Tecoria Jones, Christopher Thornton, and Michael Byrd
Tecoria Jones and Christopher Thornton were nominated by Be Strong Families’ National Parent Café Leadership Team (NPCLT), a working advisory group, as its representatives to the Be Strong Families Board of Directors. Members of the NPCLT share a deep knowledge of and commitment to Parent Cafés as a means of community transformation, racial justice, and family strengthening.
Tecoria Jones a native of South Carolina, has been a parent advocate for more than 10 years, is nationally recognized as a powerhouse on the topic of radical family engagement, and serves on multiple local and national advisory boards representing parent voice. Christopher Thornton has professional expertise in accounting and finances and a passion for community betterment initiatives throughout his hometown of Kansas City, serving on multiple advisory boards and partnering with the local school district on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and strategic planning. Be Strong Families’ bylaws mandate parent representation in organizational governance, specifically two members from the NPCLT, and one from each Regional Parent Engagement Advisory Group.
Michael Byrd is a longtime friend of Be Strong Families since its roots in Strengthening Families Illinois. Over the past 10 years, he has volunteered his time as part of Be Strong Families fatherhood initiatives, included Be Strong Families in programming where ever he has been employed, and personally hosted multiple Cafés. Michael currently serves as Assistant Superintendent of Programs at the Illinois Youth Center-Chicago for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. He brings to the Board the wisdom and experience from a 25-year career with the issues that complicate the lives of the families involved in the child welfare system from his roles as the Executive Director of CASA of Cook County and multiple positions with Illinois Department of Children and Family Services—including regional administrator for Cook South.
This was Denise Boston, PhD’s first meeting as Chair of the Board. Dr. Boston is Equity and Restorative Practices Manager in the Office of Human Rights and Equity Howard County Government in Columbia, Maryland is a registered Drama Therapist and health equity consultant. Her work focuses on the intersections of traumatic grief, health disparities, and expressive arts interventions. She specializes in providing compassionate leadership, community-informed programming, and culturally responsive research which generates equitable and sustainable results. About assuming the position of Board Chair, Dr. Boston says, “I am extremely excited about BSF being a model of co-created organizational and family partnerships for social and racial change.”