Spotlight on Past Presidents

Beverly Wellons
Charter President and President Emeritus of NCBW, Inc. Southern New Jersey Chapter

The South Jersey Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) ceased upon the death of the Chapter President Alice Corsey on July 1, 1997. Realizing that there was no longer an organization addressing leadership development, role modeling, cultural awareness, social action, economic development and political awareness in their communities for Black Women, five women: Helen Dessaw (deceased) Beverly Wellons-Ranton, Orissa Tilley, Algiers Holmes, and Joyce Warren, former members of the South Jersey Chapter met in January 1999 to address the void by starting a new NCBW Chapter. We reached out to Linda Watson, Immediate Past President, National Secretary, and National Chair of Membership of the Pennsylvania Chapter who graciously offered to assist us with our efforts.

We immediately began to recruit women who were interested in forming an interest group. On April 3, 1999, a group of 23 women from Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties met with Ms. Watson to discuss the proposed structure of the chapter. By September 11, 1999, thirty three dedicated women had been recruited and a slate of officers was elected. Our official application was submitted to the National Office on December 22, 1999. Beverly Wellons-Ranton was elected as the Chartering President and Lillie Wilson-Wells was elected as the Executive Vice President.

On February 24, 2001, the newly formed National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., Southern New Jersey Chapter was installed by Grazell Howard, National Vice President of Membership of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women at a formal ceremony held in the Alice Corsey Court room in the Deptford Township Municipal Building in Deptford, NJ, where the Honorable Judge Christine Allen-Jackson was our Keynote speaker. We received Proclamations from Jon Corzine and other dignitaries and public officials acknowledging the formation of the chapter.

Under the leadership of the chartering President, the chapter thrived during the next few years and received a grant from the CJ Foundation for SIDS in conjunction with the African American Women Save Our Babies Coalition to provide educational programs designed to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in the communities that we served. As a result, we received recognition from the US Department of Health and Human Services for the work that we did.

We published our inaugural quarterly newsletter on September 8, 2001, and celebrated our First Annual Candace Awards Luncheon on March 29, 2003, when our membership consisted of forty women. Sonia Sanchez, the world renowned poet, offered a very inspiring keynote speech at the luncheon.

We continued to thrive with very active committees and an active book club which featured book signings by well-known authors, and a major Kwanzaa Celebration. Our Political Awareness Committee co-sponsored a Gubernatorial Candidate Debate with the Garden City Delta Sigma Theta Alumni Chapter that featured a representative of Governor Chris Christy.

Chartering Board Members
Beverly Wellons, President
Lillie Wilson-Wells, Executive Vice President
Gloria Hammond, Vice President of Programs
Loretta Williams, Vice President Membership
Maxine Bagley, Vice President Finance
Alma Toegan, Treasurer
Elizabeth Tash, Financial Secretary
Orissa Tilley, Recording Secretary
Margo Wilson, Corresponding Secretary
Helen Dessaw, Historian
Barbara McDowell-Medley, Parliamentarian
Dr. Jacquelyn McLaughlin, Chaplain
Algiers Holmes, Director
Carmelita Correa, Director

Lillie Wilson-Wells
Chartering Executive Vice President
President Emeritus, BOD
Vice President of Membership and Chapter Development

My interest in the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. began when I was introduced to its mission by a former member of an NCBW Chapter in 1999. Passionate about the mission, and full of excitement about an affiliate chapter in Southern New Jersey, I was recruited as a leader in the development of the Southern New Jersey Interest Group. Because of my desire to help grow the organization, I was aggressive in using my contacts and professional resources to provide seed money and in-kind donations for the Interest Group that exceeded five figures. The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News, my former employer for 30 years, was a major corporate sponsor.

During the year and a half that we focused on recruitment and organizational development, I worked diligently recruiting potential members and soliciting additional donations from community stakeholders for the financial support needed to launch the Southern New Jersey Chapter. In 2001, a new chapter was chartered that included me as a founding member of the board of directors in the position of Executive Vice President. As a chartering officer and board member, I am heavily invested in achieving the mission and goals of which this NCBW Chapter was founded. Needless to say, without the passion, vision, and tenacity of thirty-three charter members, this chapter would not exist today.

Through this amazing organization’s leadership training, workshops and extensive networking opportunities, I am proud to say these opportunities strengthened my knowledge in organizational development, enabling me to advance as an organizational leader from Executive Vice President to a two-term President. As a result, I have become more visual in my efforts in branding the Southern New Jersey Chapter in local communities and across the state of New Jersey.

I am proud to be one of many members of the Southern New Jersey Chapter who work hard to build healthier communities, improve economic stability, provide mentoring and scholarship funding in support of the attainment of higher education, and affect public policy in the arena of health, education and economic empowerment.

My goal is to continue to grow in service and leadership, becoming a stronger role model for women and girls to emulate.