Board of Directors

Erica G. Bradley
Chairwoman
Full Bio
Erica G. Bradley is the Board Chairperson for Urban Community Alliance. Professionally, Erica is a Business Consultant with First Data/Fiserv, a global provider of financial technology services. Along with her husband, Frankie, she also owns Crimson World Travel: a full-service, luxury travel agency.
Erica graduated from Albertus Magnus College with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management. She is a member of the New Haven Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she currently serves as the Philanthropy Committee Chairperson, a Board Member of the Delta Foundation of Greater New Haven, a member of the New Haven Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. currently serving as Editor Historian, and a member of St. Matthews Unison Freewill Baptist Church, serving on the Trustee Ministry and as Church Treasurer.
Erica and her husband Frankie are blessed to be the very proud parents of one daughter, Zaria, two bonus children, Cinque and Ivelisse, one daughter-in-law, Zayda, and four grandchildren.
Erica’s core belief system is, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” ~ Luke 12:48

Erica G. Young
Vice Chairwoman and Co-Chair, Fundraising Committee
Full Bio
Erica is currently pursuing a Professional Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Administration at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT. She earned a Master of Public Health concentrated in Community Health Education from Southern Connecticut State University and has a Public Service Management Certificate from the Business Mastery Program-Executive Education at the University of Connecticut. Her passion for health care systems began as an undergraduate student at UCONN, where she designed her own bachelor’s degree titling it, “Health and Societal Issues”. Erica received an Entrepreneurial Economic Development & Small Business Certification from the New Haven Small Business Academy in December 2018.
Erica Garcia-Young has committed over 25 years of community service as a member of Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority Incorporated since May 8th, 1993. While attending the University of Connecticut, she along with seven other young women charted the first chapter in Connecticut, Nu Mu, as an undergraduate. In 1995 and 2005 she became again a charter member for Theta Alpha Sigma and Iota Chi Sigma, graduate chapters, respectively. Ms. Garcia-Young has served in many leadership positions, including Chapter Basileus (president) of Iota Chi Sigma from 2006-2010. As a segment of the Iota Chi Sigma Chapter, Erica and four other members worked together to receive 501 (c)3 status for the Iota Chi Sigma Foundation, to augment fiscal patronage and other resource support, she serves as Vice-Chair.
Erica is married to Dr. Darnell Young, a pediatric dentist practicing at True Pediatric Dental Care in West Haven. They live in New Haven’s Westville neighborhood where their daughter, Cyan, attends Edgewood Magnet School.
Erica Garcia-Young is an Urban Community Alliance board member serving as vice-chair.

Carol Ruiz
Treasurer
Full Bio
Carol holds a BS in Accounting from the State University of New York in Albany. She is a CPA licensed to practice in Massachusetts and New York. Carol is also a member of the Massachusetts Society of CPAs (MSCPA), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and a member of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). Carol serves on the board of the MSCPA as well as on the board of Urban Community Alliance.

Howard K. Hill
Secretary
Full Bio
Mr. Hill’s business is exemplified by his slogan “We’re Honored to Serve You”. His dedication and commitment to the community has been recognized by many churches, civic, and professional organizations. Since 2011, Howard K. Hill Funeral Services has been recognized by The National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) “Pursuit of Excellence” program. This program recognizes Funeral Homes that are committed to providing outstanding services to the families and communities they serve and are dedicated to achieving the highest professional and ethical standards. The Pursuit of Excellence program encourages funeral homes to further the educational and professional development of their staff, create innovative ideas to better serve families within the community and consistently strive for excellence. He has coined this pursuit into his own brand called “Aria” The Highest Level of Service.
Mr. Hill is convinced that one of the best gifts he can offer to those in need is to provide a blueprint for change. Because of his concern for the community, he has begun speaking to audiences about philanthropy, which is the love of mankind. “The Prosperity Foundation” formerly known as “The Urban Prosperity Fund” which he founded in 2009, is an opportunity to organize philanthropy and educate Black Communities about the power of endowment. Mr. Hill has also served on the Board of Directors for the V.E.T.T.S mentoring program.

Lieutenant Colonel (LTC), NOEL MILIAN, United States Army
Chair, V.E.T.T.S.™ Committee
Full Bio
LTC Milian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish Education from the University at Albany and a Masters in Business Administration from Tarleton State University. He is married to the former Cindy Villafane, a Social Work Supervisor and they have 2 children; Gabriela, a Community Reporter with ABC in Los Angeles, CA and Christian, a student at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. He and Cindy are natives of Brooklyn, NY and currently reside in Reading, PA.

Angela Wardlaw
Co-Chair, Fundraising Committee
Full Bio
Angela is married to Douglas Wardlaw. They have two beautiful children, Douglas and Angela.. Her son Douglas is a Senior at Uconn where he majors in Economics and plays on the football team. Jordan is a teacher’s assistant at the Village School located in North Haven and works with kids with special needs at an area group home. Angela is also a proud first time grandmother to her beautiful granddaughter Nolyne Rose.

Darrell Draughn
Chair, Youth Programming and Donor Development
Full Bio

Dr. Maysa Akbar
Founder and Co-creator, Center for Psychology & Culture & V.E.T.T.S™
Full Bio
Dr. Akbar is a board-certified clinical psychologist and is an Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale University, School of Medicine. She is a media expert, addressing the role of Urban Trauma in community tensions as well as violence, race relations, and educational disparities in real-time. Dr. Akbar represents the American Psychological Association at the United Nations where she informs psychology practice within the international community. She also serves on the board of the Connecticut Psychological Association, the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, and Urban Community Alliance.
Our Staff

Shirley Ellis-West
Executive Director
Full Bio
Shirley is a New Haven resident and has a long history of civic and community involvement in the Greater New Haven NAACP representing both the State Conference and National Association; New Haven Board of Alderman Elected Official 2000 through 2007 serving as President Pro_Tempore 2002-2006; New Haven
Public Schools Suspension/Expulsion Advisory, Community Engagement and Accountability Taskforce; National League of Cities Black Elected Officials, Human Service Policy and Energy and Environment committees; Sojourner Network of Democratic Women and Yale University Research Assistant, Photovoice Project on youth violence.
Shirley is a recent graduate of Albertus Magnus College obtaining a Bachelor of Science Degree in Human Services and will be entering the Human Services Master’s Program in January 2021. Shirley is a member of the Community Action Agency Board of Directors and Church on the Rock, New Haven, Connecticut.
Shirley is a proud mother to Nicole and Glenn; and grandmother to nine grandchildren ranging from 32 to 2 years of age. Shirley dares to dream and encourages others to never give up on their dreams because “Dreams Do Come True”.

Kayla Edwards
Executive Assistant
2020

Danita Bowen
Administrative Assistant
2010
V.E.T.T.S.™

Anthony Stanley
Lead V.E.T.T.S.™ Mentor
2017

Alexander Warden
V.E.T.T.S.™ Mentor
2020

Olivia Henderson
V.E.T.T.S.™ Mentor
2017
Intensive Family Preservation

Zoraida Martinez
IFP Case Manager
2016

Joyce Halliday
IFP Case Manager
2019
Male Involvement Network

Thomas Harris
MIN Manager

DeLon Wright
MIN Case Manager
2018
Juvenile Review Board

Felder Jean-Baptiste
Manager of JRB
2010

Mary Hall
JRB Lead Case Manager
2012

Darcy Hudson
JRB Case Manager
2015

Delana Dukes
JRB Case Manager
2019