2023 Board of Directors
Violette Haldane, President
Violette O. Haldane, entrepreneur, and community advocate is passionate about people in the communities where she lives and works. Ms. Haldane works on a consulting basis with hospitals, nonprofits, and government agencies helping them with community engagement on numerous topics from the “digital divide” to the literacy gap. She identifies problems and offers solutions using her analytical, organizational, project management, and communication skills. She is a co-founder of “Advocacy to Legacy, Inc.”, a non-profit which educates individuals, families, and communities on how to advocate for themselves in order to change lives and policy. She has a BA in Communications from the University of Connecticut and an MBA from the University of Hartford. She is a 2009 CT Health Foundation Fellow. In 2018, she was acknowledged as one of the “100 Woman of Color” honorees. Ms. Haldane was born in Jamaica, West Indies but considers Ct her home. She is the proud mom of Eva and Joshua.
Hugh B. Freeney, Vice President
Mr. Hugh B Freeney is one of the founders of the West Indian Foundation and the foundation's first president. After seeing the success of organizations such as La Casa De Puerto Rico, he felt the need to do things to assist the English-speaking Caribbean Community. He served on the board of directors from 1978 to 1982. He made the first donation on behalf of the foundation by hiring Attorney Syd Schulman to write the West Indian Foundation By-Laws and Constitution and help the organization officially attain its status. After leaving the organization, he also served as president and treasurer for many other community organizations. Upon his return, over the past 15 years, the Freeney Family has donated approximately $100,000 to the West Indian Foundation in the areas of education & cultural events.
Lisa Lazarus, Interim Secretary
Lisa Lazarus is a Realtor specializing in Commercial and Multi-Family Investments. Prior to becoming a Realtor, Lisa served as Vice President of Operations and Business Development for the first and only black- and woman-owned financial compliance consulting firm in the US, Hartford-based ICSGroup. Lisa has also held roles in Human Resources at KRA Corporation; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and Booz Allen Hamilton. Before entering the private and quasi-government sector, Lisa worked in education as an education director for Score! Education center, counselor for Prep for Prep and classroom teacher in Hartford Public Schools.
Lisa serves on the board of Girls For Technology and West Indian Foundation; as a Finance Committee member for Copper Beech Institute; as a Corporator for Renbrook School; and is actively involved at her alma mater, Miss Porter’s School. Lisa holds an MBA from American University, BA from Connecticut College and Commercial Real Estate Analysis and Investment Certificate from MIT. When she is not providing high-touch advisory services to her real estate clients Lisa enjoys spending time with family and friends, teaching and practicing yoga, mentoring, reading, running, hiking and traveling.
LeRoy Smith, Treasurer
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Sonia Worrell Asare,
Esq.
Sonia Worrell Asare is the Vice President of Programming for the West Indian Foundation. Sonia has served as a Board member since 2016. Sonia Asare is an Attorney and Adjunct Professor. Sonia has a diverse career in government and healthcare. Sonia has over 10 years of experience working in various legal roles with the State of Connecticut. Sonia is a 2017 winner of the Hartford Business Journal’s 40 under Forty, after being nominated for her work at the CT Secretary of State. Sonia has a BA in Economics from Spelman College, MA in Economics from Maxwell School of Public Administration, a JD from Syracuse University, and an MBA from Quinnipiac University. Sonia teaches Business Law and Economics at Central Connecticut State University, Capital Community College and University of Hartford. Sonia is a mother of two and a wife. Sonia enjoys volunteering and fundraising.
Joy Chance-Blake
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Curtis Clarke
Curtis, who holds a degree in business from Long Island University and has worked as a general manager and trainer for McDonald’s, Roy Rogers and Taco Bell restaurants for several years until he retired, has devoted his time and service to the development and growth of the game in the region for more than 58 years. Before leaving Barbados, he played cricket and soccer for Empire Cricket Club. On his arrival in the U.S. he played cricket for Mount Vernon Cricket Club from 1970-1972 and in later years was elected captain of the club’s team. He went on to play cricket for Demarara Sports Club from1972-1983, held the office of Vice Captain and served on the board of the New York Regional League. He later relocated to Connecticut where he became actively involved in his community, becoming a member or volunteering in several organizations. He played for the West Indian Social Club for two years, before joining the Barbados American Society in Hartford, where he served as Sports Coordinator and captain of the Society’s cricket team. In these positions, he was instrumental in bringing in teams from other states and Canada to participate in games in Hartford.
Penny Davis
Penny Davis is the Associate Vice President for Human Resources at Mount Holyoke College. As member of the senior leadership team, she is responsible for setting the Human Resources strategy for the institution.
Ms. Davis is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut, where she teaches graduate fellows in the Department of Public Policy. Prior to joining Mount Holyoke College, Ms. Davis was the Chief Human Resources Officer at the Department of Social Services and had held several leadership roles throughout her 25-year career with the State of Connecticut.
She has received numerous awards for both teaching and her professional work. Ms. Davis is committed to civic activities in her community and abroad. She and her family enjoys traveling and experiencing the world.
Anthony Grant
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Gian Grant-McGarvey
Gian Grant-McGarvey, MD, MPH is a physician completing her Family Medicine Residency at the University of Connecticut (UCONN), where she will serve as Co-Chief during her final year. While obtaining her Master’s in Public Health, Gian completed a thesis exploring the racial disparity within skin cancer prevention and education. During her academic training, she has served as a mentor at the UCONN Health Career Opportunity Programs working with high school students from underserved areas. Her current academic interests include establishing an anti-racism medical curriculum and practicing preventative medicine in underserved populations. She was born in St. Ann, Jamaica but has lived in the Greater-Hartford Region for most of her life. Her interests outside of medicine include traveling, reading, and spending time with family. She looks forward to giving back to the West Indian community that has shaped her to be who she is today.
Althea Gray
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Jacqueline Lucier
Jacqueline M. Lucier is the Executive Director of the Connecticut Commission on Community Service. Housed within the Connecticut Office of Higher Education, Ms. Lucier also serves as the agency’s Director of Programs and Student Services. Focusing on grants management, public policy and compliance she has extensive experience in board governance, internal controls, volunteer resource development and results-based accountability.
A committed lifelong learner, Ms. Lucier holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania, a BS from Trinity College and an MBA with a concentration in Management from the University of Connecticut. She serves on several boards, alumni associations and committees. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Trinity Episcopal Church
Nickhadian Lynch
Nickhadian is an experienced Human Resources professional with over 15 years of experience in various Human Resources and Leadership roles. Nickhadian currently works as a Human Resources Manager for a local Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to improving whole person health in the community regardless of socio-economic backgrounds.
Nickhadian prides herself in being a results focused leader. She is dedicated to creating robust corporate cultures that promotes continuous business growth, by empowering and motivating employees to realize their full potentials. She possesses experience in all areas of HR including recruiting, transformational leadership, onboarding, employee relations, performance management, leadership training and development, workers compensation, and benefits.
Nickhadian has a BA in Business Management, with a specialization in Human Resources from Johnson & Wales University, MBA in Organizational leadership with a Human Resource specialization from Ashford University and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration in Organizational Leadership & Development from Capella University.
Jackie Phillips, EdD
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Dr. Fiona Vernal
Fiona Vernal is the director of Engaged, Public, Oral and Community Histories (EPOCH) and Associate Professor of History at the University of Connecticut. She has extensive teaching and research interests African, Caribbean, and African Diaspora history. She holds a B.A. from Princeton, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from Yale University. Dr. Vernal has consulted with CHS on two oral history projects (September 11, Connecticut Responds and Reflects; and Finding a Place, Maintaining Ties: Greater Hartford’s West Indians). Her current research interests include a history of African American, Puerto Rican, and West Indian Migration to the Greater Hartford region through the lens of housing and mobility; and a graphic novel on gender, slavery, and the law in South Africa.
2022 Board of Directors
Violette Haldane, President
Hugh Freeney, Vice President
Janice Castle, Recording Secretary
Gary Rhule, MD, Corresponding Secretary
Leroy Smith, Treasurer
Lisa Lazarus, Assistant Treasurer
Sonia Worrell Asare, Esq.
Joy Chance
Curtis Clarke
Anthony Grant
Althea Gray
Jacqueline M. Lucier
Fiona Vernal, PhD