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Patricia W. “Trish” Collins was born in Fairfax, Virginia, the daughter of the late Freddie L. Winston, Sr. and Estelle Winston Anderson of Landover, Maryland. She is the daughter-in-law of LeVinso and Helen Collins of Jackson, Mississippi.

Trish has been part of ������ since August 2000, where she currently serves as the Community Engagement Liaison and Site Supervisor in the Office of Community Engagement. In this role, she oversees the Homework Completion Program at Stanley S. Holmes, supervises multiple Social Hour Programs in Atlantic City and Pleasantville, and leads other engagement initiatives. Prior to this position, she spent 17 years as Special Assistant to the Chief of Staff and Board of Trustees Liaison in the Office of the President. She is also serving her sixth term as President of the Council of Black Faculty and Staff, having previously served as Treasurer for seven years.
 
Before joining ������, Trish built an extensive career in business and finance. She was Director of Operations for F&L Construction, Inc., a Staff Accountant for the Claridge Casino & Hotel, and, from 1983–1992, she and her husband, Michael were Owner/Operators of a McDonald’s Franchise (C&C Enterprises) in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. Together, Trish and Michael currently own C&C Unified Limited Partnership. Her expertise spans more than 35 years in fiscal management, payroll operations, and organizational leadership.
Trish is deeply involved in community and professional service. She is a member of the Atlantic City Chapter of the NAACP, serves on the Board of Directors of the Treetops Homeowners Association, is a certified poll worker, and is a Life Member of Outstanding Young Women of America. Over the years, she has been recognized with numerous awards, including:

• Service Award for Helping Future Leaders – ������, Intramural and Recreation (IRC), 2023
• Omega Nu Lambda Honors Society – Liberty University, 2021
• Many Faces of the African American Woman in Education Award – Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA), Atlantic City Chapter, 2020
• Outstanding Community Engagement Award from National Association of Colored People (NAACP), Atlantic City Chapter, April 2016
• Outstanding Community Engagement Award – NAACP Atlantic City Chapter, 2016
• African American Achievers Award – Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., 2010
• Merit Award Recipient, ������-The Council of Black Faculty & Staff, 2008

Currently, Trish is pursuing a Doctor of Public Administration at Liberty University (expected graduation May 2027). She earned a Master of Arts in Organizational Management (Human Resources focus) from Ashford University in 2014 and a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Phoenix.

Trish and her husband, Michael, have been married for 37 years and live in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. They are proud parents of Jasmine (Maurice) and Brandon (Lindsey) and grandparents of Ayden and Elliott. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, traveling, and reading.

James Gwathney, Jr., received a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education and Health from Montclair State University where he played football as a Running back. After more than 32 years at ������ as Coordinator of Intramural and Recreation he retired in 2023. He went back to work at ������ part time in 2024. His passion has always been sports and he has been involved in football, basketball, rugby, and track since elementary school. One of his biggest accomplishments has been working with today’s youth. When he was living in Northern New Jersey he was a mentor for the Boys and Girls Club. He enjoys traveling, jazz and spending time with his family. He was inducted into the Summit High School Hall of Fame in October 2025 for his excellence in football, basketball, and track.

Jim is originally from Summit; NJ has lived in Absecon, NJ for 20 years. He met his lovely wife Carole in 2005, and they have been married for three years. He has twin daughters, Jean, and Angela, who are both Ph.D.’s and work as Special Education Supervisors locally. His wonderful son-in-law, Garvin, is married to his daughter Jean. Jim anxiously awaits grandfather hood. Carole and Jim are especially proud of his daughters who took to heart when he told them about the importance of education.

Deon Davis, ������ Class of 2020,earned a degree in Communications with a concentration in Production. During his time at ������, he was deeply engaged in campus life—serving as a Student Senator for two years before being elected to the Board of Trustees, first as the alternate student trustee and then as the full student trustee. He is a proud brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., where he served as vice president and later president, expanding the chapter’s annual scholarship competition into a successful fundraising dinner that raised thousands of dollars for student scholarships. Deon also served as a Residential Assistant for four years, dedicating himself to creating community, mentorship, and safe spaces for students to thrive.

Today, Deon is the founder of BLU Moon Media Group, whose mission is to make once-in-a-blue-moon moments last a lifetime, and Moments Floral Design by BLU Moon, a narrative-driven floral company that helps individuals capture the essence of special moments through intentional and story-centered design. He works at Rowan University with the CHAMP GEAR UP program, preparing Camden City students to excel in their academic journeys. Currently a master’s candidate in Writing at Rowan, he is completing his first novel in the spring of 2025. Guided by Malcolm X’s words, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today,” Deon continues to use education and storytelling as tools for empowerment and legacy.

The African Student Organization (ASO) increases cultural, historical, political, and economic awareness about Africa and brings together people from diverse backgrounds to work together to bring diversity to the ������ Community. Jeffrey Wakemen, Director of Student Development, is AFO’s Advisor. This organization is open to all students at ������. Tapiwanashe Khumalo is the current president of the organization. The group’s activities events included: ASO Fashion Shows, Meet Black ������, Black Hair Care Day Demonstrations and Discussions, Black History Mongh Flag Raising, Generational Wealth Workshop, Annual Black Galas, REP your Flag Party, Joint Club Meetings, Afro-Latin Colorism Talk, Paint by Numbers: Black History Month Edition, Story Space: Black Voices, Waist Beads and Art Nights, Black Lives Matter March, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Movie Night, Spaces Welcome Reception: Be. Believe. Belong., Spaces Multicultural Welcome ASO Game Night, The Fusion Experience, Juneteenth Cookout, A Conversation with Chanel Miller, ASO Candlelight Vigil, Phoenix Night Market, ASO General Meetings, Welcome Back Bash, Kook Owt After Party, Fiesta Night, and Rowan University Tase of Afrique, Multi-Culti Con, and Multicultural Fashion Show.

Yolanda Nicole Melville, Esq. is a respected attorney, public servant, and community leader dedicated to advancing civil rights, equity, and justice. She currently serves as Director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights, where she provides strategic leadership for the state agency responsible for enforcing New Jersey’s civil rights laws, including the Law Against Discrimination, the Family Leave Act, and the Fair Chance in Housing Act. In this role, she oversees investigations, develops statewide enforcement strategies, and leads a multidisciplinary team committed to protecting the rights of New Jersey residents.

Prior to this appointment, Melville held senior leadership roles within the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General, including Assistant Attorney General, Senior Counsel, and Director of Community Engagement, where she served as a trusted advisor to Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. In that capacity, she acted as a key liaison to stakeholders across the state, developing innovative community engagement and crisis communication strategies that strengthened public trust and enhanced statewide public safety initiatives.

Melville built a strong foundation in private practice as a Partner at Cooper Levenson, P.A., where she represented municipalities, school districts, housing authorities, and private companies in matters ranging from land use and education law to civil litigation. She also chaired the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Earlier in her career, she served as an associate at Bisgaier Hoff, LLC, as an attorney in the Brennan Center for Justice’s Democracy Program, and as a law clerk to the Honorable Susan F. Maven in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

Her dedication to civil rights is longstanding, demonstrated by her work as a Kellogg’s Law Fellow at the NAACP National Headquarters, where she advanced initiatives on voting rights, criminal justice, housing, and education. She has also been deeply involved in community service, including leadership within the NAACP at both the national and local levels, the Atlantic City Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, the Atlantic City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and numerous civic and cultural boards across New Jersey.

Melville’s scholarship and voice have been featured in national and regional media, and she is a sought-after speaker on issues of equity, leadership, and democracy. She has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Atlantic County Bar Association’s Benjamin A. Rimm Young Lawyer of the Year Award, the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Young Professional Award, and the Governor’s Jefferson Award for Public Service as a Champion for Justice. She has also been listed among New Jersey Rising Stars by Super Lawyers and included in multiple African American Power Lists for her influence in law and public service.

A proud graduate of Howard University School of Law, Melville also earned a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Bachelor of Arts in Government and English from the College of William and Mary.
Through her work, Yolanda Nicole Melville continues to champion justice, inspire the next generation of leaders, and strengthen communities across New Jersey and beyond.