The NAACP of Snohomish County Monday announced a name change as well as new executive committee members.

The organization will now be known as NAACP Snohomish County .

“2020 was a year of great turmoil, loss, and strife for our community and our country, but even in the most troubled times, we have had great opportunities for development and the organizational changes we are making will position us to provide greater assistance to our communities in 2021 and beyond,” said Dr. Janice Greene, president of NAACP Snohomish County.

In November 2020, the branch conducted its biennial elections in which Dr. Janice Greene was elected to serve another term as president; Louis Harris, Sandra Palmer, and Nigel Lindsey were elected vice presidents; Marcia Miller was elected branch secretary; and John Agyapong was elected branch treasurer.

During the organization’s first meeting of 2021, several chairs were appointed to serve on the organization’s standing committees. These committees will focus on a range of social justice, equity issues and continued advocacy in Snohomish County. The committee chairs include:

• Ed Glazer – Education Committee
• Cena Conteh – Women in NAACP and Membership
• Dyshauntic (Monet) Bletson – Youth Works
• Jasyrie Darby – Youth Council President
• Riall Johnson – Political Action and Criminal Justice
• Louis Harris – Communications, Press and Publicity
• Nigel Lindsey – Economic Development
• Joe Coverson – Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs
• Rev. Leilani Miller – Religious Affairs
• Sandra Palmer – Legal Redress
• Isiah Brown – Community Coordination
• Brandy Donaghy – Housing
• Amy Plumb – Health
• Simone Tarver – Young Adults
• Ramonda Sosa – Senior Engagement
• Helene Wright – Environmental Justice

In addition to the organization’s standing committee chairs, President Greene made several at-large appointments to the executive committee. They include:

• Yvonne Terrell-Powell
• Cynthia Andrews
• Ben Young
• Kathy Christensen
• Adasha Turner
• Christopher Graves

“We have been working hard for our communities for years,” Harris said. “With our new Executive Committee, we now have more expertise and greater capacity to move into a new chapter of that work.”

The NAACP is the oldest civil rights advocacy organization in Snohomish County. The local branch was established in 2005. Historically, the organization has been sustaining its programs through the generosity of community volunteers and contributions. In 2020, Group Health Foundation, Community Foundation of Snohomish County, and Philanthropy Northwest provided grants that support the operations and expanded the NAACP’s ability to support the community. The donations of these community partners allowed NAACP Snohomish County to offer assistance for families and individuals impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, the organization is launching several new programs in 2021 that will support the community in areas such as financial literacy, mental health, youth development, adult education, and legal clinics.

“We have a golden opportunity to really make an impact in Snohomish County, and to improve the outcomes for African American and the BIPOC communities in general,” Greene said.

You can find more information about the NAACP Snohomish County at www.naacp-snoco.org, or on social media.