Meet the Board

SHARNICE A. JONES, MPH

Founder & Executive Director

SHARNICE JONES, MPH Founder, and Executive Director. Sharnice of Success 1st is also an author, entertainer, and speaker. Sharnice expressed an interest in volunteering in the community while in elementary school. Sharnice's inquisitive nature led to the founding of "Success 1st" a 501c3 non-profit organization during her senior year of high school. Through Success 1st, Sharnice developed a means of encouraging her high school peers, friends, and family to join her in making healthy choices to support personal success. Public service remained an important facet of Sharnice's life through graduate school and her passion for contributing to the world in a positive way continues. Sharnice has worked or volunteered in multiple states domestically as well as abroad. These opportunities expanded my passion and interest in compassion and understanding. Sharnice has been working as. a professional in the non-profit sector since 2012. Most recently, in the role of Program Director of Patients’ Rights Advocacy, Sharnice's directs the organization's advocacy for patients in Alameda, San Mateo, and Marin Counties. The department that Sharnice leads is instrumental in responding to questions from patients in psychiatric hospitals and mental health facilities, monitoring facilities for compliance with regulations, and preparing involuntary patients for hearings and standing by people with mental health conditions.

LAKIA M. SCOTT, Ph.D.

VP of Straegy & Innovation

"Lakia M. Scott, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor and Graduate Program Coordinator in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction at Baylor University. Currently, Dr. Scott teaches sociocultural foundations courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Scott has amassed over 15 years of combined experience at the elementary, secondary, undergraduate, and graduate teaching levels. Dr. Scott is a two-time HBCU alumnus, hailing from Texas Southern University (BA in Journalism, 2005) and Prairie View A&M University (MSEd in Curriculum and Instruction, 2009). She received her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2014).

In addition to her scholarship on the Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School model, Dr. Scott also explores culturally responsive teaching training and teacher preparation, issues in diversity, and language differentiation. She is also well-known for her work in recapturing the historical and contemporary significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through a host of book publications.

MARIETTA WILLIS

Board Member

MARIETTA WILLIS, of Houston TX is a founding member of the board supporting the vision and mission from inception. Marietta is a serial entrepreneur who has a commitment to achieving goals and exceeding expectations. Marietta’s passion for supporting the communities where she lives, and works is as important and succeeding in business. Core to supporting communities is inspiring other to be their best. Marietta is a results-oriented professional with experience across a variety of industries. Areas of knowledge and experience include Information Technology, Sales, Consulting, Project Planning, Event Management, Staff Supervision, and Real Estate Investment.

ALANA SWINTON

Vice President

ALANA SWINTON, is a Technical Service Specialist at The Chemours Company and serves transitioned from the role of Secretary to that of Vice President of the Success 1st Board of Trustees. Alana began with Success 1st as a youth volunteer. While attending Rowan University, Alana continued serving as Youth Council Leader. After graduating from College, Alana joined the Success 1st Board of Trustees serving as Committee Outreach Chair. At Chemours, Alana applies her degree in Chemistry as Technical Service Specialist. Alana has 2+ years of experience in biophysical chemistry research. In this role, Alana also analyzes experimental data using analysis programs such as OriginLab and Microsoft Excel. Alana collaborates with a team to process quantitative experimental data into qualitative data. Additional skills include Customer Service in a high-functioning environment.

CARLOTTA JONES

President

CARLOTTA JONES, President, Success 1st, Inc. Board President, and a founding member of the board of trustees. A life-long learner with a commitment to community service, Carlotta considers it a privilege to support Sharnice's vision for helping young people be safe, smart, and successful. Carlotta holds a BA in Community and family Service from Lamar University, Beaumont, TX. Carlotta has over 25 years of experience in front line leadership including, department leadership, program management, collections, sales, and customer service. Recognized as a resulted oriented leader, strong communicator and skilled motivator, Carlotta has supported the success of numerous organizations through team and department management. Carlotta is senior supervisor in Credit and Collections at Pepco Holdings Inc, an Exelon Company. Areas of responsibility include revenue recovery, customer service, regulatory compliance. A member of the steering committee that launched the Atlantic City Electric Network of Exelon Women Employee Resource Group, a platform that provided personal and professional development opportunities, comradery, and empowerment of its members.

CARLA CLEMENTS, Ph.D.x & CRNP

VP of Education

Carla P. Clements, PhD, CRNP is a doctoral-prepared skin scientist, nurse practitioner, health educator, and community advocate and a founding member of the Success 1st Board of Trustees.

Ms. Clements is passionate about providing the best possible care for our nation’s heroes and served tirelessly working in the Emergency Department as a front-line charge nurse throughout the pandemic surge.

In her present role as the Service Chief for the Philadelphia VA Office of Connected Care, she leads an interdisciplinary team of 30 healthcare professionals. The Office of Connected Care focuses on improving healthcare through virtual technology by engaging Veterans and care teams outside of traditional healthcare visits.

Additionally, Ms. Clements enjoys mentoring STEM high school students who participate in the NAACP ACTSO program. She has served on the advisory committee for the New Jersey STEM Pathways initiative and is a member of the Healthy New Jersey 2030 (HNJ2030) Implementation Committee. HNJ 2030 is a statewide initiative that establishes a framework and determines topic areas to address the needs of improving the health of all NJ residents.

MALACHI SHY

Treasurer

Malachi Shy iMALACHI SHY Corporate Accountant at ServiceNow received a Bachelor of Science in Accounting form Montclair State University in 2021. Recognized for critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills, Malachi is committed to professional and personal success. Malachie is passionate about making a positive impact in all areas and is always striving to be the best. "The question of “how can we produce/sell/grow more” means nothing if “how can we perform better work” is not first answered." When tine allows, Malachi enjoys playing video games, trying out new recipes, dancing, and exploring.