Operation Reach

Director of the Twomey Center for Peace through Justice
Loyola University
New Orleans, LA
Operation REACH board member since its incorporation. Received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from California State College. Serves as the Director of the Twomey Center for Peace through Justice at Loyola University for over 20 years, which provides training for grass roots community organizations, non-profit corporations, school systems, government agencies, and corporations. As the Director, Mr. Quant supervises a variety of programs through his Center including the ECOnomics Institute, the quarterly Blueprint for Social Justice, Urban Partners, the Twomey Print Shop, and the Resolving Conflict Creatively Program. Mr. Quant has years of experience in training and teaching cultural diversity, leadership, team building, conflict resolution, negotiations and communications. Mr. Quant has served as co-chair for the Lindy Boggs National Center for Community Literacy, intricate roles with the 21st Century Youth Leadership Movement, Stephen Fosters Music, Dance, Drama, Arts & Crafts Workshop, and Community Mediation Services.

Youth Program Director
The Maysles Institute
Providence, RI
Elected as an Operation REACH board member in 2007. Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education Studies and state certification in secondary English instruction from Brown University. Currently the National Project Manager for the Alternative High School Initiative and the Youth Program Director for the Maysles Institute. Mr. Seidel’s current work includes convening a network of organizations/schools for young people failed by traditional education systems, directing a program that teaches film-making to children of incarcerated parents, cooperatively founding a Hip Hop education program, fundraising for equitable rebuilding of the Gulf South, and serving on the board of AS220, a non-profit arts organization. In the last five years he’s directed an arts program working with young people in/transitioning out of prison and has consulted on juvenile justice system transformation, youth development/arts programming, repealing the Rockefeller Drug Laws and other projects. He has taught Language Arts in a variety of settings and facilitated workshops at conferences ranging in focus from neighborhood redevelopment to correctional education to leveraging privilege for social change. He has also organized a group of progressive funders on the east coast and is interested in Gulfsouth recovery efforts.

Chair and NCATE Coordinator
Miles College
Birmingham, AL
Operation REACH board member since its incorporation. Former Chair and Professor in the Division of Education at Xavier University of Louisiana. Currently serves as the Chair and NCATE Coordinator at Miles College, Division of Education in Birmingham, Alabama.

New Orleans, LA
Operation REACH board member since its incorporation. Received a Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Southern University at New Orleans and is a Master’s degree candidate in Social Work from SUNO. Currently works at Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans with youth programs. Mrs. Lewis has experience working in the fields of social work and community non-profits. She has also worked in corporate settings at Bellsouth and Touro Hospital & Infirmary of New Orleans.

City of Atlanta Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs
Atlanta, GA
Elected as an Operation REACH board member in 2007. Charlene is the former Director of the New Orleans Recreation Department. Assisted Operation REACH with procuring its first large citywide replication contract to expand Home for Homework under her administration. After the storm, she currently serves as the Recreation Director of the City of Atlanta Department of Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs. Over the years, Ms. Braud has served on numerous boards and has worked with a number of community organizations including the Youth Juvenile Justice Programming Board, New Orleans Collaborative, Ursuline Academy Athletic Council Board, National Recreation and Parks Ethnic Minority Society board member, Georgia Recreation and Parks Association governmental policy board member, Recreation ADA Advisory board member, etc.

City of Birmingham Division of Youth Services
Birmingham, AL
Elected as an Operation REACH board member in 2007. Cedric currently serves as the Executive Director of the Division of Youth Services where he works with public and private business owners to develop programs and partnerships that will benefit Birmingham’s youth. The Division of Youth Services falls under the Mayor’s Office and strives to ensure that youth in the city of Birmingham are provided with quality, efficient, and effective programs and activities.

New Orleans, LA
Elected as an Operation REACH board member in 2007. Sandra holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning (M.U.R.P.) degree from the University of New Orleans College of Urban and Public Affairs and a B.A. in Political Science from Southern University at New Orleans. Over the years Mrs. Robertson has been a member of the NAACP first as an active student member at Fisk University where she helped with voter registration drives and then as an individual local member and has been a member of the NCNW (National Council of Negro Women). Mrs. Robertson has also worked with community organizations as a development consultant for the Community Development Corporation of New Orleans and Community Project Coordinator for the Annie E. Casey Foundation Making Connections Program.

Northrop Grumman Corporation
Bowie, MD
Elected as an Operation REACH board member in 2007. Kim received a Master of Business Administration from Maryland University College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Systems from Virginia State University. Currently works as a Program Manager for Northrop Grumman, Corporation in Northern Virginia, where she manages a multi-million dollar Enterprise Resource Planning program at the Department of Treasury Office of the Chief Information Office. She is certified in Project Management by the Project Management Institute. Ms. Sawyer is a Golden Life Member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. During her 27 years of membership, she has held leadership positions on all levels to include chapter President, National Secretary, National Fundraiser Chair and most recently, National First Vice President. Ms. Sawyer is a member of the Project Management Institute, the National Association of Female Executives, the Black MBA Association, the NAACP and NCNW. She is also the CEO of Bolina Elegant Jewelry, a company that designs and sells Venetian glass beaded jewelry. Other boards Ms. Sawyer has served on include Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., National Capital Area March of Dimes and the National Cancer Society Breast Cancer Unit of Prince George’s County, MD.