My name is VaLonda Harris, from the class of 2008-2009, and I live in Boston, MA. At PBHA, I served as the Leaders! Program Director and Mentoring PGO. I worked as the SUP Junior Counselor Coordinator for MHSP, RYI, and Franklin IO. I also volunteered with Franklin Teen Mentoring Program and Franklin Afterschool Program. Today, I am the Chief Culture & Equity Officer for Boston Prep Charter School.

My name is Lisa Ulrich from the class of 1984 and I live in Cambridge, MA..  At PBHA, I am the President of the Alumni Board  Today I am the Managing Director of Crimson Goes Blue - which we founded in 2019 to organize Harvard alums to protect our democracy by electing Democrats and protecting the freedom to vote.   A fun fact about me is that I was part of the founding staff of City Year, one of the original AmeriCorps programs, which I joined when it was just a quarter-page concept.  

My name is David Dance from the class of 1974. I live in Roxbury, MA.  As an undergrad, I worked with the Columbia Point Special Summer's Project (1972). From 2002 to 2017 I served as a director of programs at PBHA supporting student leaders working in Roxbury and Dorchester as geographic areas, and housing and advocacy programs. I have two sons and two grandchildren.  Fun fact - I played Capoeira during Carnival in Bahia, Brazil.

My name is Myles Lynk, from the class of 1970, and I work n Phoenix, Arizona.  At PBHA, I was a co-chair of the Harvard Africa Volunteer Project (HAVP) and served in Uganda, East Africa. Today, I am a professor of law emeritus at Arizona State University (ASU) and Dean of the ASU Emeritus College.  A fun fact about me is that I teach a law and literature course on The Iliad of Homer and the tension that can arise between our personal goals and our social responsibilities, and I know the theme songs of most of the TV westerns from the 1950s and ‘60s! 

My name is Angelico, and I live in southern California. At PBHA, I volunteered for Chinatown Committee, Harvard Square Homeless Shelter,  Summer Urban Program, Officers' Committee, and I served as Non-Profit Management Fellow. I am now an internist and pediatrician working on healthcare quality and equity for the state of California. I still enjoy mentoring—I teach courses on community and population health and started a nonprofit that engages medical trainees in community advocacy. 

My name is Jessica Tang from the class of 2004 (HGSE 2006), and I live in Boston, MA.  At PBHA, I was the founding Student Development Chair and Mentoring PGO and volunteered with a number of programs.  Today I serve as the President of the American Federation of Teachers MA.  A fun fact about me is that I got my teaching licensure through Harvard’s Undergraduate Teacher Education Program (UTEP) that sadly no longer exists. 

My name is Aaron Tanaka, from the class of 2004/05, and I live in Boston, MA.  At PBHA, I helped start the Harvard Progressive Advocacy Group, volunteered at Connelly Juvenile Detention Center and was awarded a post-graduate Stride Rite Fellowship to start the Boston Workers Alliance.  Today I am the Co-Director at One Project, while serving on the board of the Center for Economic Democracy, an organization that I co-founded in 2014.  A fun fact about me is that I am involved in Rubato, an award winning Hong Kong Cafe in Quincy, MA.  

My name is Farah Afify, from the class of 2022, and I live in New Haven, CT.  At PBHA, I served as President, Programming Chair, and Vehicles & Spaces Coordinator, directed at BRYE Tutoring, coordinated at Leaders, and staffed full-time at SUP for two summers. Today, I work as a civil rights researcher and advocate at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, where I address anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism. Fun fact about me: I was born in Egypt and raised in Detroit!

My name is Will Makris, proud alum from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Class of 2000. I live in Somerville, MA with my husband and just finished my 40-year career in higher education.  Although I did not participate in PBHA as a student, I have been a decades long volunteer to non-profits in higher education and public health awareness and advocacy for members of the LGBTQ community. I am first vice president of the Harvard Alumni Association and have had the privilege of hearing countless stories of impact from fellow board members through their participation in PBHA while at Harvard. For a piece of history, my mother was Helen Culolias, Radcliffe, Class of 1950 and her father George, a Greek immigrant, founded “The Tasty” in 1916. I’m also currently enrolled in Marshall Ganz’s Public Narrative class at the Kennedy School of Government where I get to hear inspirational stories from global leaders.

My name is Ian Simmons from the class of 1998-2000. I live in Massachusetts with my wife Liesel Pritzker Simmons, our two daughters, and our dog Disco.  At PBHA, I volunteered for Mission Hill After School Program and later volunteered for the Harvard Living Wage Campaign. Liesel and I co-founded Blue Haven Initiative, an impact investment firm that generates systemic change and positive impact for current and future generations. I am also Co-Founder of Democracy House which inspires rising generations to defend, strengthen, and improve democracy by driving innovation in civic education and leadership, community infrastructure, public policy, and youth voter participation. I love doing outdoor activities with family and friends, and I went scalloping for the first time this October.  

My name is Doug Schmidt, from the class of 1976. I live in Baltimore, Maryland.  At PBHA, I started in the Mental Health Committee participating in the early deinstitutionalization of what were called mental hospitals and later becoming president of PBHA in my senior year.  Today, I spend two halves of my time as co-owner of a small investment bank that works with growth and technology companies, particularly in the areas of international development and national security. The third half of my time is spent on volunteer boards in the field of developmental differences, the vocal arts, and ending homelessness in our community. My wife, one year younger, wrote her thesis on the third floor of PBH while I worked daily downstairs with Lee Smith. We met 8 years later in graduate programs, fruitlessly searching our memories, unable to recall one another.

My name is Steve Hawkins, from the class of 1984, and I live in the Washington/Baltimore metropolitan area.   At PBHA, I served as Vice President and directed the Academy Homes Summer Youth Enrichment Program in Roxbury and the Keylatch After-School Program in the South End.  Today, I manage a social justice fund that provides litigation financing to law firms that bring cases on behalf of people who might otherwise be locked out of pursuing their claims in our justice system.  A fun fact about me is that I enjoy cycling, preferably outdoors when the weather is cooperative!

Diana Namumbejja Abwoye, President,Our Bodies, Ourselves, is a family nurse practitioner practicing at Lowell community health center’s Metta Center, where she partners with and provides care to refugees, asylees, immigrants, and their families. She is a recipient of the Judy A. Beal Nursing Award of Excellence and Diversity and the Alyssa M. Frazer Love of Life award from Simmons University and currently pursuing her PhD at Yale University.

Diana is a Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Nurse Corps Scholarship recipient and was nominated for the National Black Nurses Student of the Year in 2018. She participated in the Emerging Global Healthcare Leadership Symposium in London, UK in 2018.

My name is Sarah Rosenkrantz, from the class of 2014, and I live in Somerville, MA.  At PBHA, I was a staff member at the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter.  Today I work as an eviction defense attorney with Greater Boston Legal Services.  A fun fact about me is that my husband and I breed axolotls and self-cloning crayfish.

My name is Laura Clancy, from the class of 2003, and I live in NYC.  At PBHA, I was President, Summer PGO, NAYEP director and volunteer at Franklin Afterschool.  Today I am the Executive Director of The Bridge Project, the largest unconditional cash program for low-income moms and babies in the US.  A fun fact about me is I still think about Steve Griffin's driving advice every time I drive a large vehicle!

My name is Priya Thelapurath from the class of 2024, and I live in Somerville, MA. At PBHA, I had the opportunity to direct the Keylatch Afterschool Program and also serve as President and Summer Urban Program PGO.  Today I am getting my master’s in education and teaching in Somerville.  A fun fact about me is that I was born and raised in Bentonville, Arkansas.

My name is Lovita Tandy from the class of 1992, and I live in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia.  At PBHA, I led the Franklin Innercity Outreach Program’s after-school and summer programs. I was a member of PBH Board for two years and served as President from 1991-1992.  Today I am a partner in a minority-owned law firm that has about 15 attorneys. I specialize in DEI, employment, and voting matters.  A fun fact about me is I married someone I met at PBH the first day I volunteered for Innercity Outreach.

My name is Tammy Tai from the class of 1998 and I live in Boston.  At PBHA, I was director of Mission Hill Summer Program, tutored with Mission Hill Afterschool Program, and was a school coordinator with Peace Games (now Peace First, a global nonprofit).  Today I run my own consulting practice supporting mission-driven organizations through strategic planning, coaching, and facilitation grounded in the principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion.  A fun fact about me is that I was engaged in the Leighton Room at PBH (to a fellow PBHer) and all three of our children have worked for SUP (Mission Hill Summer Program and BRYE)!

PBHA Board Member and Associate Dean for Inclusion and Belonging, Harvard University.

DescriptioMy name is Francis Tompkins (he/him), and I am an '09 graduate living in CA. During my time with PBHA, I co-directed Refugee Youth Term Enrichment, co-directed South Boston Outreach Summer, was part of Stride, and served as the 2007 Adult Ed PGO, and 2008 PBHA President. I also enjoyed being involved with other PBHA programs in smaller capacities such as E4SA (Education for Social Action, a not-for-credit course) and Alternative Spring Break. Today I am a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and have the privilege of being Senior Director of Program for Beyond 12, an ed-tech nonprofit serving first-generation college students. I also serve as Chair of the Board of Directors for YES, Nature-to-Neighborhoods, a nature-based leadership & wellness organization serving the community where I grew up.

Representative Liz Miranda is the State Representative of the 5th Suffolk and is running for State Senate in the 2nd Suffolk. She is a community organizer, former youth worker, and entrepreneur who ran for office in 2018 to center those who have struggled when the government left us out of the conversation. Propelled to act after gun violence took the life of her brother, Representative Miranda has been a tireless fighter for the constituents of the 5th Suffolk, and families across the Commonwealth. 

Henry Santana, your At-Large City Councilor, brings a unique blend of experiences and a deep commitment to community upliftment. Born in Bani, Dominican Republic, Henry made Boston his home as a child, growing up in Mission Hill. From the Alice Taylor Boston Housing Authority apartments to earning a B.A. in history and political science at Lasell University, Henry's journey mirrors the resilience and vibrancy of our city.

My name is Melissa Luna, from the class of 2003, and I live in Boston, MA.  At PBHA, I volunteered at Keylatch After School Program and directed Keylatch Summer Program. I'm also currently on the board of PBHA. Today I am Vice President for Site Success and Boston Executive Director at the GreenLight Fund.  A fun fact about me is that I work hard so that my dog, Onyx, can enjoy a good life.

My name is Remi Cruz, from the class of 1986, and I live in Ewing, NJ.  At PBHA, I directed the Keylatch program.  Today I teach Spanish and Music Production at an elementary school.  A fun fact about me is I met my spouse as a result of my participation in PBHA.

Meherina Khan is the Chief of Staff at the El-Hibri Foundation (EHF). She assists the President and senior leadership team with strategic planning, board management, and program operations, ensuring effective communication and execution of institutional priorities. She previously served as the Executive Assistant to the President and was EHF’s inaugural Fellow. In her role, she stewards the organization’s core principles of advancing inclusion, building capacity, and organizing communities to continue cultivating a future where Muslims and marginalized communities can thrive. Meherina is a graduate of Harvard College. Prior to EHF, she served as President and student officer at the Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA)—one of the nation’s largest student-led nonprofits.