Former Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno is the President and Executive Director of Mercy Center in Asbury Park and a partner at the law firm of Connell Foley. Mercy Center’s vision is to end generational poverty in the greater Asbury Park area and does so by providing crisis services such as food, long term counseling to stabilize families as well as an independent, faith-based, tuition-free school for 4th to 8th grade girls.
From 2010 through 2018, Guadagno was New Jersey’s first Lieutenant Governor and its 33rd Secretary of State. As Lieutenant Governor, Kim was advocated for businesses statewide. As Secretary of State, she was also responsible for Elections, Travel and Tourism and roughly 300 other programs and commissions.
Guadagno has been a criminal lawyer and a federal and state prosecutor for more than three decades. She also taught at Rutgers Law School in Newark for six years. Guadagno was the first woman Sheriff of Monmouth County, New Jersey supervising a law enforcement agency of 650 men and women. She is married to Judge Michael Guadagno, retired, and the mother of three grown sons.
Nazanin Ash brings decades of experience in the areas of refugees, integration, coalition building, and policy to her role as Welcome.US’s Chief Executive Officer. She was most recently the vice president of Global Policy and Advocacy at the International Rescue Committee, which serves people in crisis in over 40 countries and resettles refugees in 25 U.S. cities.
Previously, Ash served as deputy assistant secretary in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the Department of State, leading the Middle East Partnership Initiative and working to advance political and economic reform in the Middle East. From June 2007 to April 2012, she served on the secretary of state’s policy planning staff, designing initiatives to strengthen U.S. government aid effectiveness and approaches to political and economic development. Nazanin also served as principal advisor and chief of staff to the first director of U.S. foreign assistance and administrator at USAID, designing strategies for U.S. foreign assistance reform and policies for allocating foreign assistance.
Prior to this, Nazanin worked for ActionAid–Kenya, one of the largest rights-based NGOs in Kenya and a leading advocacy and local capacity-building institution. She holds an MPP from Harvard Kennedy School of Government and a BA in political science from Bryn Mawr College.
Paul Aronsohn is currently serving as New Jersey’s statewide Ombudsman for Individuals with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities and Their Families – a position to which he was appointed by Governor Phil Murphy in April 2018. As such, he serves as the administration’s lead advocate and ally for New Jersey residents in need of critical services and supports ranging from early childhood through adulthood.
Paul was also recently appointed by President Biden to serve on the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities, which serves as a federal advisor to the President and the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Paul was graduated from The George Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Communication and a Master of Arts in Political Science.
Paul’s understanding and passion for disability issues is rooted in his family experience. Specifically, he learned so much from his siblings, including his sister, Patti, who lived her life with disabilities as well as with enormous strength, courage, grace and beauty. He also learned so much from their mother, Margot, who was his sister’s primary caregiver.
Mayor Sam Joshi has a long history of serving Edison Township in New Jersey. Prior to taking on the role as Edison’s first South Asian Mayor in January 2022, he had previously served as a 911 dispatch operator, a member of the zoning board, a member of the fair rental housing authority, a member of the library board of trustees, and as the Township Council Vice President. A lifelong Edison resident, Mayor Joshi values the Township’s immense diversity and is always seeking ways to ensure that the municipality prioritizes inclusivity and that events and initiatives across the municipality both reflect and meet the needs of one of the most diverse townships in the nation. Since taking office as Mayor, he has initiated Edison’s first Juneteenth celebration, Diwali celebration and Winter holiday festival. He understands that effective government includes everyone and integrates the values of his community into each decision he makes.
Ojas M. Chitnis, from Washington, District of Columbia, USA, was appointed by International President Brian E. Sheehan to serve as a Leo-Lion Board Liaison of Lions Clubs International from 2022 through 2023.
Board Liaison Chitnis is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international business and finance from George Washington University.
As a charter member of the George Washington University Campus Lions Club since 2021, and a former Leo of six years, he has held several offices within the association, including charter club president, zone chairperson and Leo Club program advisory panelist. He has been an active participant at a number of international events and forums including Lions Day on Capitol Hill, and has attended eight international conventions and eleven Lions Days with the United Nations.
Colonel Alan R. Smith was born in New York City. He served with Ground, Air, Combat Service Support, and Headquarters Elements during his active and reserve career. Upon graduation from St. Joseph High School, Toms River, NJ, he enlisted in the Marine Corps in July 1967.
After returning from Vietnam, Corporal Smith continued his education at Glassboro State College. He graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and completed his Master of Arts Degree in History. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in March 1975. Colonel Smith completed his Marine Corps career after returning from Iraq in 2004, retiring in 2005.
He taught Western Civilization as an adjunct professor at Ocean County College and Georgian Court University. His civilian career was happily spent in a NJ 5th grade classroom.
In September 2011, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs appointed Colonel Smith, State Chairman, New Jersey Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. Colonel Smith is a volunteer Deputy Coordinator with the Stafford Township Office of Emergency Management. Presently, he is the Volunteer Chair of the Red Cross Central NJ Chapter Board of Directors. He has earned multiple Presidential Gold Volunteer Service Awards. He was awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service and in October 2014 was presented with the State of New Jersey Meritorious Medal for Public Service, and the 2017 recipient of the Red Cross Pacesetter Award and the Regional Award for Volunteerism. Colonel Smith served as an elected councilman in Stafford Township, NJ. His published historical fiction, The Enchanted Opal is targeted for all ages telling them they can, through dogged determination, overcome any roadblock and achieve success.
Ashton Burrell has organized marches and rallies for social justice and judicial equity, advocated for all communities, and petitioned corporations for fair and diverse hiring practices. In addition to his local work, he has aided in the coordination of efforts across the country.
Mr. Burrell is Chairman of the Human Relations Council for the State of New Jersey and a member of the NAACP New Brunswick Branch Executive Board. He previously served as Chairman of the Highland Park Human Relations Commission for five years. He has received numerous awards, including the Johnson and Johnson MLK Community Service Award, the NAACP New Brunswick Branch President’s Award, the Spread the Word 2nd Annual Humanitarian Award, the Highland Park MLK Humanitarian Award, and many others. He was recently awarded the 2020 New Jersey Governors Jefferson Award for Innovator and Founder of the Live Mentorship Program.
While a student at Lincoln University, Mr. Burrell founded the Hometownheroclub and Live Mentorship Program, which provides mentoring to youth ages 9-19. This program has maintained a 100% graduation rate, and over 3,000 students have been assisted and inspired.
Lion John JD Schweska is a 16J past Cabinet Secretary and current Zone Chair, and is a licensed professional counselor and NJ certified disaster response counselor. He’s worked with persons in crisis for over 25 years. He headed two solidarity teams in post tsunami aide to SE India for rebuilding cultural and faith centers in villages, empowerment programs for widows, and nursing scholarships for young women.
