Community Peacemaking Circles

Details

Circle Meeting Dates
 

  • February 18 (Opening Circle)
  • March 18
  • April 15
  • May 20
  • June 17
  • August 19 (Closing Circle)

Event time

6 pm - Check-in and Dinner
6:30 pm – Circle Conversations

Location

Freemason Street Baptist Church, 400 E. Freemason Street, Norfolk
 

Register

Hampton Roads Community Foundation Partners with YWCA South Hampton Roads

For a second year, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation, in partnership with YWCA South Hampton Roads, will bring Community Peacemaking Circles to Hampton Roads. The opening circle will start February 18, 2025.

Community Peacemaking Circles will bring the community together each month around truth-telling, reconciliation, and racial healing. This process will help to give voice to different perspectives and experiences.

Dinner will be provided for each session.

Those interested MUST attend the first two circles on February 18 and March 18 in order to participate in any of the remaining sessions. To register, please visit:

Register

Trained Facilitators

Maleah Amos (she/her) is a first-generation college graduate with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies, concentrating in Nonprofit Management, from the University of Houston. She also holds a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University-Bloomington's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Certified in Results-Based Accountability, Equitable Community Change, and as a Certified Nonprofit Manager, Maleah is deeply committed to driving positive social impact.

Currently serving as the Director of Health Equity for Virginia Beach Department of Public Health, she advocates for collective impact, community healing, and systems change in communities most impacted by health inequities. In addition to her professional work, Maleah contributes to the DeGood Foundation board, supporting early childhood literacy initiatives.

At home, Maleah and her husband, Vince, are dedicated to raising their daughters, Madison, Victory, and Maevin, with values of compassion, honesty, and bravery. She enjoys reading historical fiction, exploring the arts, gardening, and lifting weights.

Ms. Torres Baker (she/her) is a small business owner offering Spanish/English Interpreting, Translation and Spanish language focused Business Consulting services through Taína Consulting, LLC.
For the past 7 years she has teamed up with the local Latin hits radio station – La Selecta Radio 103.3 FM / WVXX 1050 AM, engaging with clients wishing to connect with listeners from the Hispanic community. In her role as Sales, Community Relations Director, her charge also includes managing advertising agency relationships and reaching out to local cities and community organizations to help foster relationships between them and the Latino community, especially the underserved Spanish speaking population.
She has worked in the interpreting and translation field for over seventeen years, and relishes putting her Spanish language skills to use daily. Olga always looks for opportunities to take on the type of work that challenges her to continue to grow as a professional.

Viviana Fullwood (she/her) has been an educational entrepreneur since 1999. She founded her first tutoring business, A Plus Academics, with her degree in marketing/business management and her leadership skills. She uses her expansive knowledge when communicating with parents and local public and private schools. She assists the homeschool community with innovative ideas and provides expertise in personalized, meaningful tutoring. Viviana is the Director for the Hispanic Resource Center of Coastal Virginia, and a member of the advisory of the YMCA of the Virginia Peninsulas, the Hampton Roads Community Foundation Racial Equity Advisory Council, and several Hampton Roads parent-teacher associations.

Donna Gill (she/her) is an experienced accounting professional with a demonstrated history of success in several industries including the real estate industry, information technology, and fintech. She is a strong accounting operations professional with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration focused in Accounting from Old Dominion University - College of Business and Public Administration. During her time at ODU, she by joining the YWCA of South Hampton Roads as the Director of Finance in December of 2023, this will be her first opportunity to delve professionally into the nonprofit world. Donna is the most excited to be able to give back to the community in her new role with the YWCA of South Hampton Roads by propelling forward the fight for racial justice and continuing to do her part to end racism every day.

Manolita Akiko Holadia (she/her) is a civil litigation attorney with 30 years of experience in bench and jury trials in general district, circuit, and federal courts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. She is the Chair of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation’s Racial Equity Advisory Council, past president and current board member of the Asian Business Association of Hampton Roads, past chair of the Virginia State Bar Bench/Bar Committee, and a former member of the NAACP Legal Redress Committee and the board of the Samaritan House. She was a panelist at the YWCA South Hampton Roads’ Inaugural Conference on Racial Equity and Social Transformation Conference.

Cierra Lewis (she/her) hails from New Jersey and is a graduate of Rowan University with a degree in journalism and a certificate in African-American Studies. Cierra has been with the YWCA of South Hampton Roads for about 1 1/2 years. She is a skilled communicator with a love of justice, culture, faith and tacos. She has a passion for uplifting communities and encouraging people.

Vivian Oden (she/her) is the vice president for equity and inclusion at the Hampton Roads Community Foundation where she leads the foundation in its racial equity work. Oden facilitates conversations on race, unconscious bias, stereotypes and racial equity. She earned an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, a master's degree in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Management from Old Dominion University. She is a graduate of Initiatives of Change’s Community Trustbuilding Fellowship aimed to help communities work creatively to build shared visions for racial equity, healing, reconciliation and justice. Currently, she serves on the State Board of Directors for Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and the advisory board for the Norfolk State University’s Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work. 

Dr. Ricardo C. Randall (he/him) is a native of Portsmouth, Virginia. He received his Bachelor of Science in biology from Hampton University and became a double graduate from Old Dominion University, with a master's in educational administration and a doctorate in educational leadership. Dr. Randall worked in public schools for 32 years, serving as a teacher, assistant principal and principal. Dr. Randall currently serves as an assistant professor at Hampton University. His main responsibility is serving as the program coordinator of the Hampton University Online Ph.D. in Educational Management.

Andrew Roper (he/him) A New York native who now calls Virginia Beach his home, Andrew is a proud father of three and active member of the community. An Eagle Scout, Andrew has served as President for the Sandbridge Beach Civic League, performed in the praise band for Sandbridge Chapel UMC, currently works part-time as a Chief Election Official for the City of Virginia Beach, and is the Information Security Officer for the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.   

 

Tammy Vicry (she/her) is a passionate human resource director. She is committed to the ongoing struggle for equality, justice, and empowerment of women. Tammy is pioneering efforts in the battle against racism, transforming talent management and mitigating organizational risks through innovative people-centric approaches, cultivating inclusive culture, and implementing strategic solutions for sustainable organizational success.

Nestor Villanueva Jr.(he/him) A proud father, of a 21-year-old daughter and a 19-year-old son. Currently working for Orbis Inc as a software engineer.  I've been in the IT field for 29 years.  I enjoy pickleball, dancing and country music!  I love to give back to my community, for I serve as a Board Member for EnJewel LLC and Board Member for Fil Fest USA LLC.  EnJewel (www.enjewel.org) is an organization that provides awareness of human trafficking and provides goods to safehouses.  Fil Fest USA (www.filfestusa.com) is an organization that shares Filipino culture and traditions to the community through our annual festival held in the month of October.  When I retire, I'd love to own and operate my own food truck!

Michelle Ellis Young (she/her) serves as the Chief Executive Officer of YWCA South Hampton Roads where she stewards the organization’s mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. A socially-conscious business leader, she is committed to creating an inclusive marketplace by leveraging a cross-sector approach of engaging business, civic and community partners and creating spaces where people can use what she calls their T5: Time – Talent – Treasure – Testimony – Truth to build community.
A proud native of New Orleans, LA, she is a trained communicator, having earned a B.A. at the University of Houston in Radio-Television, an M.A. in Counseling with a focus on College Student Development from Hampton University, and doctoral studies at West Virginia University.
Michelle’s also an ordained minister, member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., the Class of 2023 for both CIVIC Leadership Institute and LEAD Virginia, winner of numerous awards, recently Inside Businesswomen in Business and WAVY TV 10’s Remarkable Women 2024, and, serves on several community boards and committees including an appointment by Governor Glenn Youngkin to the Public Safety and Homeland Security Advisory

Travis Young (he/him) is the co-founder and CEO of COUSIN, a social impact consultancy. For more than a decade, he has worked at the intersection of education, technology, and equity, co-conspiring with brands, institutions, nonprofits, and start-ups to solve complex social issues,