ABOUT US
Our Story
The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) promotes inclusion and acceptance through education and advocacy to building inclusive, respectful communities. Since 1927, NCCJ’s mission has evolved to include nine areas of social justice identity: Ability, Age, Body Size, Class, Gender, Race, Religion, Sex, and Sexual Orientation.
Headquartered in Middletown, CT, NCCJ designs and delivers Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs and consulting services to thousands annually. NCCJ offers a continuum of services including fee for service DEI Consultive, executive coaching, focus groups, community conversations, customized curriculum, assessments tools and development of affinity groups. Helping humans human better together is not only our mission, it is our call to action.
WHO WE ARE
Our Staff
Monique Lorenzo
President & CEO
Sandra Vonneissen-Applebee
Director of Operations
Nyaunu Stevens
Director of Programs
Lisa Tatko
Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships
Kristen McNamara
Development & Marketing Manager
President & CEO
Monique Lorenzo
About Monique Lorenzo
Monique Lorenzo’s social justice journey has been defined by several pivotal life-transforming experiences that have coursed her personal, educational, and professional trajectory. As a Dominican woman she was raised with a foundation of faith which ingrained tenets of virtue, value of human rights and life. Lorenzo is a fierce Afro-Latina who has dedicated over two decades as a relentless civil leader, tireless change agent, and fearless disrupter. She has a wealth of experience in the areas of nonprofit C-suite and corporate management.
In July 2022, Lorenzo joined the National Conference for Community and Justice, NCCJ. As President and Chief Executive Officer, Lorenzo leads the human relations organization in its mission to advance equity and equality, promote justice, and build diverse and inclusive communities in Connecticut, Massachusetts and nationwide. Lorenzo is an adaptive leader, strategic visionary, and critical thinker whose results-based approach and transformational leadership support systems change. She believes intrinsic motivation and a growth mindset allow one to leverage strengths to guide positive change. For Lorenzo social justice is standing in the face of oppression, standing with marginalized communities, leading change, and social transformation one person at a time. At NCCJ we understand that life is complex, and it’s our mission to create safe spaces to ‘help humans, human better,’ together.
Lorenzo has a Master of Science in Urban Policy Analysis and Management from Milano, The New School for Management and Urban Policy, and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. In her personal life, she loves to garden year-round, collect vinyl records, write, and play crossword puzzles. Lorenzo lives with her beloved husband, adored son, dog, kittens, and turtle in Connecticut.
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