President (she/her/hers)

Monet L. Reilly represents the labor, policy, and professional interests of public-school teachers and education support professionals K-12 in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Her work includes promoting the recruitment and retention of BIPOC staff and leading workshops on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in public education. Monet is the Founder and CEO of Mirrors in Education, the Co-Director Elect for New Leaders Council Philadelphia (NLC,) and also sits on the Board of the Keystone Research Center, an organization that conducts research to better frame policies to address important economic and civil issues.

Monet graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She was born and raised in Philadelphia and is now a resident of Haverford, PA, where she is raising her two sons. In her spare time, she can be found playing a game of pool and volunteering with Catnip Cats or ACCT Philly rescues.

Treasurer (she/her/hers)

Kia is a Certified Public Accountant, licensed in Georgia and Pennsylvania, and has more than 10 years of experience working with publicly traded and privately held companies, including not-for-profit organizations. Kia's professional experience includes US GAAP and statutory audit and financial consulting with BDO USA, LLP and, most recently, with Johnson Lambert LLP, where she was a Senior Manager until 2017. She is currently an Accounting Policy Principal with Cigna Corporation.

Secretary (he/him/his)

Prior to joining McDonnell & Associates, Tonny was an Assistant District Attorney at the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office. He was assigned to prosecute cases ranging from firearm possession to attempted murder through all stages of the criminal process.

Tonny was awarded a full scholarship to University of Toledo College of Law. He was an Articles Editor for the University of Toledo Law Review. After graduating from law school in 2016, Tonny clerked for President Judge Emeritus Frederica A. Massiah-Jackson at the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas for two and a half years. While clerking, Tonny earned his Master of Laws in Trial Advocacy from Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Tonny is involved with several organizations outside of work. He also has board positions with South Asian Bar Association of Philadelphia, New Leaders Council Philadelphia, and YESPhilly.

Tonny is a first generation Bengali-American. He has lived in Philadelphia with his beloved family for 25 years and is a proud alumnus of Central High School.

(she/her/hers)

Mrs. Dent-Lockett currently serves as the Director, Health Eligibility Center in VHA Member Services.

In 2006, Mrs. Dent-Lockett was selected as the first-female Field Examiner appointed to the position at the Philadelphia Regional Office. In 2007, she was promoted to Supervisor, Legal Administrative Specialist at the National Call Center. Mrs. Dent-Lockett was subsequently named Chief, Fiduciary & Field Operations in 2008 and as the Pre-Determination Coach at the Veterans Service Center in 2009.

Mrs. Dent-Lockett is a proud graduate of the VBA Leadership Development Program Class of 2013.

Mrs. Dent-Lockett holds a BS in Business Management and an MS in Human Resource Management from West Chester University. She and her husband Kenneth have four children and love volunteering in their community.

Helen Lee is a Korean American educator, whose parents immigrated to the United States from South Korea. She is from Elkins Park, PA and graduated from Cheltenham High School, then completed her Bachelor’s at Temple University and received her Master of Arts from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Helen has taught at Abington Senior High School, PS/MS 161 in Harlem, New York and is currently a mathematics teacher at Wissahickon Middle School. She is also a member of the Wissahickon Education Alliance- Educators for Racial Equity and the Wissahickon School Board Racial Equity Oversight Committee.

Stephanie Leister (she/her/hers) is a Korean American and partly transracial adoptee, whose father immigrated to the United States from South Korea and whose mother grew up in West Philadelphia. Stephanie has taught as a social studies teacher at Bensalem Township School District and at Wissahickon School District, and is currently serving as an instructional coach in Wissahickon School District. She is also a member of the Wissahickon Education Alliance - Educators for Racial Equity and the Wissahickon School District Racial Equity Planning Committee.

She was raised in Blue Bell, PA and graduated from Wissahickon High School. Following graduation from high school, Stephanie then completed her Bachelor of Science degree at The Pennsylvania State University, earned her Master of Education degree from Cabrini University, and obtained her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Gwynedd Mercy University.

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Dr. Krista M. Malott is a Professor in the Department of Education and Counseling at Villanova University, where she trains master-level school and mental health counselors. She began her career as a school counselor, and has worked in various clinical roles, including career, domestic violence, and drug and alcohol counseling. Author of numerous articles and a book entitled, Group Activities for Latino/a Youth, her teaching and research areas of passion focus on multicultural counselor education practices that effect greater justice and equity.

Dr. Hamirah Mobley has been a special education teacher since 2005 in both the urban and suburban school setting. Her research was done on the conflict factors that contribute to parental distrust in special education because she believes in creating a foundation that will break down the barriers in our broken educational system. She is a huge proponent of strong home/school alliances to support students and build trusting relationships. Additionally, she leads an affinity group for students of color to teach about race, culture, and identity. Lastly, she also uses her talents to guide aspiring leaders as an adjunct professor at Gwynedd-Mercy University.

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Julie Overly has been an educator for 21 years and is currently an instructional coach in the Upper Merion Area School District. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Elementary Teaching. Her teaching career has taken her all over the world, which ignited her passion for fostering diversity and inclusion in the classroom. Her teaching experience includes kindergarten, first grade, third grade, fifth grade and ELL in public and private systems both overseas (Tanzania and Israel) and Stateside (Virginia and Pennsylvania). In recent years she has earned her ESL Program Specialist Certification and Instructional Coaching Certification. She is active in supporting her district with its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives by co-chairing the Curriculum & Instruction subcommittee of the DEI Task Force and working with teachers and students directly as they create inclusive classroom communities. Julie is a transracial adoptive mom to two Black sons, so she cares deeply about ensuring that they and their peers see themselves at the head of the classroom.

(she/her/hers)

Lisa in an Intervention Teacher in Great Valley School District in Malvern, PA. She is also a member of the district's Council for Diversity and Inclusion. She graduated with a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh. She has a Master's Degree in Instructional Technology from St. Joseph's University. She is certified to teach Elementary Education, Special Education and English as a Second Language. She also has a Principal K-12 certification. She is the Elementary Vice-President of Great Valley Education Association (GVEA), her local teacher's union, as well as a member of her statewide union's Professional Rights and Responsibilities Commission.

(he/him/his)

Leon Smith is an educator with over twenty years of experience. He is a life-long learner and passionate about the profession of teaching.

Leon was driven to pursue a career in education early in his life, when he saw the power a mentor/positive adult figure can have in the life of a young person. More importantly, the impact an educator of color can have for all students.

He graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park with a bachelor’s degree in secondary social studies education. He earned his master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University in Instructional Systems. Leon has led district wide professional development initiatives and currently co-chairs the strategic planning committee on diversity and inclusion.

He is extremely passionate about diversifying the educator workforce and learning about the important legacy of black educator activism. He serves as a mentor with Project IMPACT, a program at Rowan University designed to increase the representation of males from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds in teaching and respond to persistent opportunity gaps faced by young men from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, he is a member of Pennsylvania Educator Diversity Consortium whose goal is to increase the number of teachers of color as well as culturally-responsive and sustaining educators in Pennsylvania.