Elms College’s Black Experience Summit

Dr. Harry Dumay, Ph.D., MBA is President of the College of Our Lady of the Elms. Prior to joining Elms College, Dr. Dumay was Senior Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Saint Anselm College; Chief Financial Officer, Associate Dean for Finance and Information Technology at the Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University; and has also held leadership positions in finance and administration at Boston College and Boston University. Dr. Dumay received a BS degree magna cum laude in Mechanical Technology from Lincoln University, Missouri; a MA degree in Public Administration from Framingham State University; a MBA and graduate certificate in Corporate Finance from Boston University; and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Boston College.

Dr. Dumay has consulted internationally on projects related to international higher education and economic development with organizations in Europe and in the Caribbean. Dr. Dumay is chair of the Board for the Council of Independent Colleges (CIC). He is a Commissioner for the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) and a member of NECHE’s Annual Report on Finance and Enrollment committee. Dr. Dumay also serves as a Board member, Treasurer, and Member of the Executive Committee for the Association of Colleges of St. Joseph. He serves on several other boards including Endicott College, the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council, Build Health International, Health Equity International, and the Haiti Development Institute at the Boston Foundation.

Sister Elizabeth Sullivan, SSJ is the President of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, previously serving as their Vice-President from 2011-2017. Sr. Betsy served three years as a patient advocate at the Sister Caritas Cancer Center, following her three decades of experience as Administrator of the Mont Marie Health Care Center, Inc. She was also the Principal of Sacred Heart Elementary School in Holyoke, MA. Sr. Betsy received a Master’s of Health-Care Administration from St. Louis University, an M.A. in Human Relations and Community Affairs from American International College, a Certificate in Elementary School Administration from Catholic University of America and a B.A. in History and Education from College of Our Lady of the Elms.

Event Schedule

12:30 – 2:00 p.m. | Part I: Red
Signifies the blood that unites all people of African descent, shed during the struggle for liberation.

Welcome
Dr. Tyra Good
Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Equity,
Executive Director, Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE);
Associate Professor of Education, Elms College

Parent Villages Youth Builders
Patience Berrien and Kholi Hall
“Stand Up” by Cynthia Erivo (Song)

Introduction
Dominique McDonald, M.Ed., Master of Ceremonies
Assistant Director, Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE),
Elms College

Opening Remarks
Dr. Harry E. Dumay, Ph.D., MBA
President, Elms College

Sr. Betsy Sullivan, SSJ
President, Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield

Embracing the Essence of Sankofa
Emmanuel Antwi-Tuah
Student, Elms College

Spoken Word Performance
Lyrical Faith, M.S.
Educator, Activist, & Spoken Word Poet

Introduction of Keynote Speaker
Brad Taylor
Student, Elms College

Keynote Speaker
Dr. Stefan M. Bradley
Charles Hamilton Houston 1915 Professor of Black Studies and
History, Department Chair of Black Studies, Amherst College

Q & A
Intermission

2:30 – 4:00 p.m. | Part II: Black
Represents the Black people themselves, affirming their existence and shared collective identity.

Welcome Back

Parent Villages Youth Builders
Melodie Naylor and Jayleani Collazo
“Rise Up” by Andra Day (Dance)

Introduction of Distinguished Invited Speaker
Mya Bray-Motley
Student, Elms College

Distinguished Invited Speaker
Tanisha M. Sullivan, J.D., MBA
Chair, Governor Maura Healy’s Advisory Council on Black
Empowerment

Panel Discussion
Embracing the Essence of Sankofa: Turning Legacy into Action
Dr. Tyra Good
Moderator
Raymond Berry
Founder and President, White Lion Brewing Company
Rich Griffin Jr.
Vice President of Community Development Western Region, MassDevelopment
Samantha Hamilton
Director of Coalition Building and Community Engagement, Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts
Co-Founder, Queen’s Narrative
Terry Powe
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and
Professional Development, Springfield Public Schools

4:00 – 4:30 p.m. | Part III: Green
Symbolizes the abundant natural wealth, fertility, and the vibrant land of Africa, the Motherland, as well as hope for the future.
Closing Remarks
Dominique McDonald, M.Ed., Master of Ceremonies

Call to Action
ArihJey Villon-Nahue and Aniah Daniel-Gresham
Students, Elms College

Strong Young Minds
Teka Jones, Executive Director
Asha Mireku-Israel, Program Director
“Freedom” by Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar (Dance)

Distinguished Invited Speaker

Tanisha M. Sullivan, J.D., MBA
Tanisha M. Sullivan, J.D., MBA is an award-winning civic, legal, and business leader with nearly 30 years of experience across the life sciences ecosystem, including decades in biopharma.

A committed public servant, Ms. Sullivan brings deep expertise in designing public policy solutions that strengthen communities and expand opportunities. She previously served as the inaugural Chief Equity Officer for the Boston Public Schools and a guest lecturer at Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education. Her civic leadership includes developing the nationally recognized Take the Lead anti-racism initiative; co-designing the Boston Office of Police Accountability and Transparency; and launching The State of Race with GBH. She served four terms as President of the NAACP Boston Branch and now serves as President of the NAACP New England Area Conference, representing five states.

A leader trusted by both republican and democratic administrations, Ms. Sullivan has advised two Massachusetts governors and currently chairs Governor Maura Healey’s Advisory Council on Black Empowerment. She serves on the Advisory Board of the Rappaport Center for Law and Public Policy at Boston College Law School and has contributed to several state and city public health task forces. In 2022, Ms. Sullivan ran for MA Secretary of State and became the first Black woman to receive the endorsement of the MA Democratic Party in a statewide election.

A frequent media commentator and the recipient of numerous civic and business honors—including the BBJ Power 50, Boston Magazine’s Most Influential Bostonians, and BLOC’s 100 Most Impactful Leaders in BioPharma.

Ms. Sullivan holds degrees from the University of Virginia and Boston College Law School and an MBA from the Boston College Carroll School of Management, along with executive leadership credentials from Harvard Business School.

Guest Panelist

Raymond Berry 
Founder and President, White Lion Brewing Company

Raymond Berry’s professional journey includes executive posts with regional nonprofits and  quasi-public organizations; the entrepreneurial spirit is what led him to be the founder and general  manager of White Lion Brewing Company; the first craft beer company post prohibition to  recognize the city of Springfield’s as its home. White Lion’s portfolio of beers can be found in 

Massachusetts. White Lion’s branding has received national attention, and its creative event  White Lion Wednesday was recognized by Food and Wine Magazine as a top beer garden in the  country. Its seasonal beer gardens are now community staples in the city of Holyoke, the city of  Westfield and the city of Springfield. 

Ray earned his BS from American International College, MBA from Springfield College and a  graduate certificate from Tufts University. He was a Business West 40 under 40 honoree, and  graduate in the region’s inaugural Leadership Pioneer Valley (LEAP) class. He is also a proud  recipient of the Spirit Award by the local Housing Authority, the Affiliated Chamber of Commerce  Community Leadership Award, the Association of Black Business & Professional’s Business of  the Year Award, a Martin Luther King Social Justice Awardee, and recognized as one of the  region’s top 100 Men of Color. 

Other White Lion acknowledgments include Boston Business Journal’s Power 50, the MA  Economic Impact Award, the Associated Industries of MA Next Century Award, Trip Advisor x  Visit MA recognition, BrewBound Rising Star Award, and the Big Y Beer Partner of the Year  Award.

Richard Griffin Jr.
Vice President of Community Development, MassDevelopment

Richard Griffin Jr. is the Vice President of Community Development at MassDevelopment, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ finance and development agency. He brings more than a decade of experience in economic and community development, with a focus on advancing equitable, place-based investment across the state. At MassDevelopment, Richard oversees key statewide initiatives, including the Transformative Development Initiative (TDI) Equity Program, Collaborative Workspace Grant Program, and the Early Education and Out-of-School Time (EEOST) Capital Fund Small Grant Program. Previously, he served as Senior Project Manager of Planning and Economic Development for the City of Springfield. Richard is a graduate of Tuskegee University with a degree in Business Management.

Samantha S. Hamilton
Director of Coalition Building and Community Engagement at Public Health Institute of Western Mass (PHIWM) and Co-Founder of Queen’s Narrative

With more than 20 years of experience working in Springfield, Samantha S. Hamilton (she/her/hers) brings deep expertise in coalition building, resident leadership development, and community advocacy. She currently serves as the Director of Coalition Building and Community Engagement at the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, where she leads local initiatives advancing health equity, climate justice, and community-driven policy and systems change.

Through her leadership of the Live Well Springfield Coalition, Samantha partners with residents, community organizations, and municipal leaders to develop strategies that address climate change, housing and homelessness, food access, and long-standing structural inequities—centering the voices of those most impacted.

Prior to her current role, Samantha spent over 15 years at Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services, advancing from Camp Counselor to Director of Operations. There, she led state- and federally funded initiatives focused on youth violence prevention, substance abuse prevention, and teen dating violence, and supported youth-led advocacy efforts that contributed to the passage of Tobacco 21 at both the local and state levels.

In addition to her professional leadership, Samantha is the co-founder of A Queen’s Narrative, an organization recognized by the Springfield NAACP for its commitment to empowering women and girls of color through storytelling, self-expression, and leadership development. Her work has been widely recognized with honors including BusinessWest 40 Under Forty, 100 Women of Color, designation as a Kresge Foundation Pathbreaker, the Frederick Douglass Community Service Award, and induction into the Marquis Who’s Who Biographical Registry.

Terry Powe
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development

Terry Powe began her career with Springfield Public Schools in 1998 as an elementary educator and has since served in a range of leadership roles, including classroom teacher, literacy coach, district literacy supervisor, and principal of Brookings Elementary School. She currently serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Development for Springfield Public Schools.

Her leadership was instrumental in Brookings Elementary’s successful turnaround from Level 4 status to a School of Recognition, with MCAS progress increasing from 5 percent to 38 percent. As principal, she led the development of curriculum and instructional strategies that resulted in the school achieving 69 percent progress toward its goals in 2024.

Powe holds a Master of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Springfield College. She serves on the Board of Trustees for Springfield College and the Springfield Museums and is a member of the UMass Amherst College of Education Board and the Elms College Advisory Council, where she continues to contribute her expertise in education and community engagement.

Lyrical Faith, M.S.
A Bronx native born and raised, Lyrical Faith is a Black American Educator, Cultural Curator and international awardwinning Spoken Word Poet. Her words have graced stages beyond NYC to impact cities around the country, and countries around the world, such as France, South Africa and Belize, Ukraine, New Zealand, Mexico.

She is an advanced doctoral researcher in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, examining the social impact of artistic expression for Black communities through Hip-Hop Education. She has toured colleges and universities across the country and been featured on acclaimed platforms such as the World Famous Apollo Theatre and America’s favorite game show, Family Feud. She is a three-time Women of the World Poetry Slam finalist, a two-time Bronx Poet Laureate finalist, the 2015 Syracuse University Poet of the Year, and the Inaugural UMass Amherst W.E.B. Du Bois Center Poet-InResidence. She’s shared stages with icons from Dr. Marc Lamont Hill to Ms. Lauryn Hill.

She’s a graduate of the Public Relations program at Syracuse University and a Masters degree recipient in Higher Education & Student Affairs from NYU. Her work has appeared on NPR, iHeartRadio, Button Poetry, Write About Now, Huffington Post Black Voices, News 12 The Bronx, and many more.

She’s the founder of a nationwide experience known as the Black Artistic Freedom Conference, head coach of the UMass Amherst undergraduate poetry slam team: Slamherst, Co-producer of the only regional youth poetry slam in Western Massachusetts, the Inaugural Ignite Fellow at the Mosesian Center for the Arts, and recognized by the African-American Female Professor Awards Association (AAFPAA) for her devotion to promoting education and activism through the arts.

Through her poetry, Lyrical Faith strives to inspire, educate and advocate for intersectional and institutional issues by merging the arts and activism with a faith-based worldview.

Dr. Tyra Good is the founding executive director of the Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE) and an associate professor of education at Elms College. She also serves as Special Assistant to the President for Strategic Equity. Good is the founder of GOOD Knowledge Connections LLC.

Dr. Good has received numerous awards recognizing her commitment to preparing teachers and school leaders to transform learning ecosystems and influence policies that expand equitable practices in global education. In 2025, Good was recognized by MassLive as one of eight top Higher Education Leaders making a significant impact in transforming education in Massachusetts and was selected to participate in the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy’s Massachusetts Education Policy Fellowship Program. In 2024, she received the President’s Volunteer Service Award, signed by U.S. President Joe Biden, honoring individuals whose service strengthens communities and inspires others to create positive change in the world.

Dr. Good is a co-author in three international bestselling books in which she writes about reimagining urban education. She is also the co-editor of Black Women Navigating Historically White Higher Education Institutions and the Journey Toward Liberation. She earned her bachelor’s degree in business management from Howard University, a master of arts in teaching from Chatham University, and a doctorate in educational leadership and evaluation from Duquesne University.

Dominique McDonald, M.Ed
Dominique serves as the Assistant Director of Elms College’s Center for Equity in Urban Education (CEUE). Prior to this role, he worked as the Academic Coordinator for the CEUE and as a Senior Graduate Admissions Counselor in Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Western New England University and a Master of Education from Elms College. His academic and professional experiences have fueled his commitment to advancing equity, growth, and opportunity for all educators and students, with a particular focus on those in urban education settings.