Chol-Awan Majok |Director of Workforce Development, Syracuse Northeast Community Center
Chol Majok is the Director of Workforce Development for the Supported Employment Program (SEP), at Syracuse Northeast Community Center. An Alliance for Economic Inclusion Initiative, SEP helps community members find equitable jobs and wealth-building opportunities. Previously, Chol was a Community Engagement Representative under former New York State Senator David J. Valesky, 53rd Senate District.
Chol has over 11 years of government and not-for-profit work experience. Chol holds a doctorate in Executive Leadership (2020) from St. John Fisher College. His dissertation topic was Civic Political Engagement of Sub-Saharan African Naturalized Immigrants where he examined how the stories and lived experiences influenced sub-Saharan Africans’ civic, political engagement in the communities they live. Currently, Chol sits on the board of directors of On Point for College, Toomey Residential and Community Services, and New American Forum.
Maribel Arce | Director of Strategic Initiatives, Syracuse Community Center Collaborative
Maribel Arce is Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Syracuse Community Center Collaborative. She is also University Neighborhood Preservation Association’s Executive Director. Previously, she was Community Services Director at Community Action Partnership for Madison County.
Maribel has over a decade of international development experience in microfinance, economic development, and community development. In Bolivia, she headed a Swiss government funded program that helped make markets work for low-income and rural populations. She holds a Master’s in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University and a Bachelor’s in Business from Universidad Catolica Boliviana.
Brian Fay | Executive Director, Syracuse Northeast Community Center
Brian Fay became Executive Director of the Syracuse Northeast Community Center in April 2020. He has guided the agency through the pandemic, transformed programming, and engaged in new funding streams and services.
Previously, he was the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Syracuse Community Center Collaborative where he advocated and represented the Collaborative across Syracuse and New York State, developed funding streams, and was part of the team developing new programs and programming.
Before joining the nonprofit world, Brian was an English teacher for over two-decades inspiring at-risk youth to find their own paths towards success. His pedagogical philosophy centered on helping students learn to become self-sufficient, reflective, and able to connect with others. These values have translated well into his work at Syracuse Northeast Community Center whose mission is to engage, connect, and grow neighbors.
Brian was born and raised in Syracuse. He and his family live in the Meadowbrook neighborhood. He is a 2020 Lead Up CNY graduate, a 2019 Citizen’s Academy participant, and FOCUS Greater Syracuse Board Member.
Joan Royle | Executive Director, Westcott Community Center
Joan Royle has served as Executive Director for Westcott Community Center since 2015. There she has more than doubled the annual budget and staff, enabling the center to grow with the community’s changing needs.
She is president of the board of Greater Syracuse Works and the board chair of Child Care Solutions. An active member of her local community, Joan is President of her neighborhood association and ran for a councilors position for the Town of Salina in 2019.
Joan has a background in education. She has an advanced degree in Educational Administration. She began her nonprofit career as a Head Start Literacy Coordinator at PEACE Inc. and Vice President of Community Impact for United Way of CNY where she led program funding. As a member of the inaugural class of Marcellus Executive Development Program, Joan saw the value of strong collaborative relationships, a vision that led to her work in developing the Syracuse Community Center Collaborative.
