Professional Development Trainers

Ayoka Noelle Mota Samuels – BCPN PROGRAM DIRECTOR

For over 25 years, Ayoka Noelle Mota Samuels has been a civic and community leader committed to the improved quality of life for underestimated communities throughout metropolitan Chicago and the country. As Vice President of Bitwise Chicago, Ayoka worked to ensure that the residents of Southside Chicago and beyond had access to the support, services, and opportunities related to technology upskilling/career development and quality job placement in the tech workforce ecosystem. Before her time with Bitwise, Samuels was appointed by Governor J.B. Pritzker to serve as the Executive Director for the Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service. In this role, she was responsible for the stewardship of AmeriCorps funding for the State of Illinois while leading statewide volunteer efforts, including COVID-19 mitigation efforts, for Illinoisans. Prior to her tenure as a public servant, for 15 years she served as the Director of the Gary Comer Youth Center in Chicago’s Grand Crossing community providing programs and services for over 4,000 youth and their families annually since 2006. A native Chicagoan, Mrs. Mota Samuels studied at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in Agricultural Communications and Education then later received a Master of Nonprofit Management degree from Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies.

In addition to her academic accomplishments, Ayoka has served in the nonprofit sector professionally since 1993. The organizations where she has served include Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago, Boys & Girls Clubs of America, BR&R Communications, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, and New Concept Development Center. Additionally, Ayoka has been an advisor, trainer, contributor, or consultant to several organizations, initiatives and coalitions over the years including After School Matters, UCAN, the Chicago Park District, Chicago Department of Support Services, the Illinois Afterschool Network, The Kenwood Oakland Community Organization, LISC, Habitat for Humanity, and the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities. She has been a member of the Chicago Community Chorus, The Chicago Peace Hub and founding member of Antonio’s Response for Victims of Gun Violence. Additionally, she is a fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago, The Allstate Greater Good Nonprofit Leadership Program and the UBS Nonprofit Leadership Program at Northwestern University. Ayoka also serves as a board member of the Leadership Fellows Association of Leadership Greater Chicago, The Seminary Co-Op Bookstore, former advisory board member for the Trauma Center at University of Chicago Medicine and chair of the Wright Connection (a family unity organization). Ayoka enjoys her love of community with her husband Miguel Mota and son Eriks Mota Vasquez.

Senyah Haynes

Senyah Haynes has been a youth development practitioner for more than 20 years and she was certified in AYD in 2007. She has created curricula and facilitated workshops for the Obama Foundation, the Gary Comer Youth Center, The Community Builders, After School Matters, Greater Chatham Initiative, Diasporal Discoveries, Teens Take On Climate, and more. In addition to being a trainer and workshop facilitator, she’s also an artist and the author of the children’s book series, Jayla’s Jaunts.

Dr. Jarmese Sherrod

Dr. Jarmese Sherrod is the President/CEO and founder of Sherrod’s Independent Mentoring Program (S.I.M.P.), and SheWill Legacy NFP. She specializes in youth development, professional development, women’s empowerment, and selfless service and empowers in violence prevention, reentry, and international programming. Her 20-year legacy as a curriculum & instruction developer and professor has helped her advance students to their next level of greatness. Her legacy impact can be found in Macon and Cook County, Haiti, Germany, South Africa, and Puerto Rico, and each year she adds another country to start a selfless service project.

Her recent proudest moments were earning a 2019 National Excellence Award, having Governor Pritzker announced her leadership, service, and philanthropy Youth Program as #1 in the State of Illinois for the 2020-2021 Governor’s Hometown Awards with over 100 Macon County high school students (10-12th grade) in 12 school districts and home school students (sponsored by a local foundation), and earning a 2023 Partnership of the Year with the Boys & Girls Club of Decatur.

Dr. Sherrod leads by serving on boards for the She Will Legacy, American Red Cross (International Team), and Chicago Youth Centers. She served as the Co-Chair of the Faculty Advisory Board to help make changes for students who attend Illinois institutions of higher learning in three areas: Institutional Support, Professional Development, and Pedagogy and Support and the Council for Advancing Standards for Higher Education. Her impact has inspired thousands of children, youth, and adults all over the world with the help of sponsorships and grants.

Crystal Turner

Crystal Turner is a passionate advocate for holistic healing, empowerment, and social change. With a background as a psychiatric nurse practitioner and extensive experience in the field, Crystal has witnessed the profound impact of addressing childhood trauma on individuals’ lives. Her mission is to guide others towards healing and resilience, empowering them to become powerful agents of positive change in their communities.

As the founder of Mentally Magnificent, Crystal combines her deep knowledge of mental health with ancient African principles and holistic approaches. Her programs, including the acclaimed Sacred Circle 8-Week Program, offer transformative journeys where participants rediscover their inner strength, cultural roots, and personal fulfillment.

Crystal’s approach is deeply rooted in the belief that vulnerability is a source of strength. She encourages individuals to embrace their past, heal their wounds, and use their experiences to fuel their journey towards triumph. Through her work, she has impacted countless lives, helping individuals break free from the chains of their past and rewrite their stories.

A sought-after speaker, mentor, and healer, Crystal has created a supportive community of like-minded change-makers, fostering a sense of belonging and shared purpose. Her commitment to holistic healing, combined with her rich expertise, empowers individuals to heal, grow, and create a lasting impact on the world. Join Crystal on her mission to transform lives, one journey from trauma to triumph at a time, and discover the boundless potential that lies within.”

Norman Livingston Kerr

Norman Livingston Kerr is the Chief Executive Officer of Trajectory Changing Solutions (TCS), LLC. TCS provides support to better implement violence reduction strategies while providing capacity-building support to community-based organizations and municipalities. Norman has been working in social services and government for thirty years.

He recently served as the Assistant Deputy Mayor for Public Safety in the Mayor’s Office, City of Chicago for over two years. There he led the Office of Violence Reduction, an office charged with implementing a violence reduction strategy that coordinated existing efforts, incorporated evidence-based strategies, and promoted collaboration at all levels.

In a previous role, Norman was employed at UCAN, a longstanding organization, where he led the Peace Hub and started UCAN’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Services (VIPS) department and grew this department to over one hundred staff in five years. VIPS applied community violence intervention efforts designed to address the violence crisis plaguing Chicago’s neighborhoods. These initiatives were designed to transform young lives through programs promoting individual healing, self-empowerment, and community transformation.

Prior to UCAN, Norman worked for fourteen years at Cure Violence (CeaseFire), a violence prevention program he was instrumental in crafting through his experience as an outreach worker supporting high-risk individuals, a mentor, and as a grassroots community worker. He also served as the Director and later worked as an International Liaison focusing on preventing violence in the Caribbean and Canada. This work was highlighted in the documentary “The Interrupters” Mr. Kerr received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Illinois State University and his Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the Crown Family School of Social Work at the University of Chicago, with a special interest in addressing the impact of trauma in our communities. Norman is extremely intentional about self-care and carves out time to cook, bake, travel, and sing in his reggae band.

Elle Davis

Through a career and life committed to serving others, LaTrice Davis, known as Elle, is a steadfast professional striving to make organizations and people better. With over two decades of experience in non-profit management, program development, grant writing, and staff training and facilitation, Elle has honed her ability to assess and create viable and results-driven solutions that positively impact her clients. Elle’s first love is for children – especially providing opportunities and increasing positive experiences for underserved youth, as evidenced by her work with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago.

Her passion for improving the lives of children and adults was only fueled higher during her eight years of service. Being downsized only inspired Elle to grow her influence and led her to establish The Ellevate Group, LLC in 2009, an independent consulting firm specializing in empowering professionals by providing interactive training, meeting facilitation, coaching, and fund development solutions, where she is the Chief Elevation Officer. With a proven track record of results, Elle garnered a robust clientele, understanding what organizations need to help children. She used this know-how to help a select clientele secure more than $20 million in grant funding. Through the many personal losses and hurdles that Elle has experienced, she learned that every obstacle can be turned into an opportunity to live a greater, fuller life, filled with purpose. Instead of allowing loss to overtake her, Elle began to share her story by encouraging others who were facing their own obstacles.

Born of Elle’s challenges and her ability to rebound is her signature talk, Being Resilient in Troubling Times in which she has shared both in-person and virtually, providing participants with tools to utilize toward living a more resilient life. Her story of resilience has been featured on BlackDoctor.org. Elle holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Creighton University, and a Master’s from New York University also in Social Work. Elle has previously served on the board of Reflections Foundation, the governing body for the Polished Pebbles Girls Mentoring Program, Henry Booth House, and other organizations. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and serves as a charter member of the Chicago Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter. Elle lives in the Bronzeville community with her school-aged daughter, Simone.

The mission of The Black Community Provider Network is to keep families intact by keeping children safe and well educated in their communities while providing support, resources, programs, and services needed to improve the well-being of Black communities through sustainable systemic change.

OUR BLACK COMMUNITY PROVIDER NETWORK

CONTACT US: 708-627-0567

Professional Development Trainers

Ayoka Noelle Mota Samuels – BCPN PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Senyah Haynes

Senyah Haynes

Dr. Jarmese Sherrod

Dr. Jarmese Sherrod

Crystal Turner

Crystal Turner

Norman Livingston Kerr

Norman Livingston Kerr

Elle Davis

Elle Davis

The mission of The Black Community Provider Network is to keep families intact by keeping children safe and well educated in their communities while providing support, resources, programs, and services needed to improve the well-being of Black communities through sustainable systemic change.

OUR BLACK COMMUNITY PROVIDER NETWORK

Chicago Urban League

Cook County Southland Juvenile Justice Council

Bobby E. Wright Mental Health Center

Youth Connection Charter School

2016 Ma’AT

Habilitative Systems, Inc.

MYSI Corporation

Primed 4 Life, Inc.

Academic Development Institute

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