2024 Mother’s Day
Keynote Speaker
Rev. Lori Person Baynard
Firmly believing that education is one of the essential keys to freedom, our keynote speaker Lori Person Baynard lobbies for justice wherever she finds injustice or oppression. She draws strength from Provers 21:21, NIV, believing that "He who pursues righteousness (justice) and love, finds life, prosperity and honor."
With a background in the Master of Organizational Leadership Program at Eastern University Rev. Baynard, generously imparts her leadership skills, human rights knowledge, and strategic planning, to educate others. Over the years, Rev. Baynard has demonstrated a strong commitment to international engagement by actively participating in several United Nations Commission on the Status of Women sessions. Her involvement in these sessions signifies her deep-rooted interest in global issues affecting women. One of Rev. Baynard's notable achievements is her participation in the United Nations Ethics of Reciprocity and the Ecumenical Women's "Girls on Fire" program. The latter not only focuses on increasing African – American Women's participation in technology but also emphasizes their leadership roles within the field.
Furthermore, her commitment to working with groups like the Alice Paul Foundation, aimed at generating policy recommendations for the betterment of women, showcases her proactive approach to advocating for women's rights and well-being. In 2020, she led the chartering of the Central NJ Chapter of 100 Black Women to further advocate for African American Women and girls. Rev. Baynard's extensive community involvement as a member of the Burlington County Commissioners’ Minority Equality Rights Task Force demonstrates her commitment to creating a positive impact for minorities at the local level. Her active engagement in various community projects reflects her dedication to the betterment of our community and the promotion of minority rights.
In addition to her community work, Rev. Baynard is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Theta Pi Omega Chapter where she serves as the Co- Chairman of the Advocate for Justice Committee. Through this role, she has been instrumental in educating the community on politics, organizing forums, and contributing to policy discussions.
In 2024, Rev. Baynard’s founded the African American Public Policy & Advocacy Group. This group further underscores her expertise and dedication to advocating for African American rights and public policy issues. She is an ordained Reverend and a ministry partner for the Gathering, a Womanist Church. She is the former Pastor, alongside of her husband of Locust Lane Chapel in Harrisburg, Pa.
Rev. Baynard holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration Degree from Rutgers University. Additionally, she holds a Master of Theology degree in Faith and Public Policy from Palmer Seminary. Rev. Baynard’s most prominent roles are that of wife to Paul Baynard and mother to Alex and Aaliyah.
Carol Clark
Paulette Doe Williams
Marilyn I. Dunham
Jacqueline Farmer
Plyshette Wiggins
Plyshette Wiggins has over twenty years of public health experience working for national and local non-profit organizations, federal, state, and local government agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA. Initially trained in health education, Plyshette is skilled in program planning, implementation, and evaluation, with specialization in policy, system, and health equity initiatives. After years of experience with grant writing, implementation, and management, Plyshette thrives in her passion for assisting non-profit organizations with grant writing. In addition to her professional writing as a grants manager and public health prevention expert, Plyshette is a self-published creative writer. She developed a passion for writing while in grade school. After experiencing the death of several loved ones, including her father and husband in 2013, Plyshette began to share her grief journey on social media. In 2014, she started a blog, to share her grief journey with the intent to help others: “I am Living Through It, and You Can Too." https://livethroughit.wordpress.com/. In 2021, she published her first book: Loving Love: A Poetic Journey Through Love, Loss, and Grief.
Whether she is sharing health information or reciting poetry, Plyshette loves to encourage others through speaking engagements. Topics include and are not limited to cancer, health equity, grief, social connection and community and poetry. Plyshette Wiggins is a well-respected public health professional who lives in South Jersey with her two children.
Carol Clark is the founder and Executive Director of Exhale Women’s Fellowship, Incorporated. This nonprofit organization was established in 2009. Its mission is to leverage resources to help women who are in crisis and distress. It serves domestic violence victims, widows, senior citizens, single mothers and other women regardless of age, race, creed, religion or economic status. Exhale provides emergency financial assistance, emergency shelter, mentoring and educational programs to help women, many of whom are from unserved and underserved communities. With its outstanding Board of Directors and dedicated volunteer network, Exhale is a growing organization that is constantly looking for ways to support women who feel unsafe, distressed, rejected, helpless and abandoned. Carol did her undergraduate and graduate studies at Kean University. She also studied at World Harvest Bible Training Center in Pennsauken, New Jersey. She has taught Women’s Bible Study classes and led support groups for many years.
Carol has been married for 43 years and has two adult sons and one daughter-in law. In addition to being retired from a 31-year career as a Speech-Language Specialist, Carol has over 13 years of experience in business leadership. She believes that God has used these skills and experiences to prepare her to lead Exhale Women’s Fellowship, developing it into a significant community resource that is making a lasting impact on women. What began as a Valentine's Day celebration for 16 women who were widowed or abandoned has flourished into a growing agency that helps many women build confidence and strength, inspiring them to begin again. Today, Carol works with eight staff members, over 30 volunteer members, and ten Board Members, all who have the same heart to assist women with the love of Jesus Christ. Carol is a Faith-walker. She believes that Exhale has been ordained by God and is comforted that many survivors have expressed their thanks that Exhale exists to support them in a warm and compassionate way.
Paulette Doe-Williams is the Head of Reference at the Willingboro Public Library where she has worked for over eighteen years. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting with a minor in Management from the University of Liberia and a Master’s in Library and Information Science from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. After working as a Banker with a local bank, and as a Program Developer with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Liberia. She immigrated to the United States and joined the Willingboro Public Library where she started as a library assistant in the Circulation Department. After completing library school, she worked as the Adult Services Librarian and Head of Youth Services before becoming Head of Reference. She is also the liaison to the Friends of the Willingboro Public Library. Mrs. Doe-Williams’ responsibilities at the Willingboro Library include, outreach to the community and serving as liaison to groups that partner with the library on various activities, for occasions such as lecture series, exhibits, cultural activities, author visits, movies and documentaries. As Project Director, she successfully implemented the series African Immigrants in New Jersey: A Celebration with a grant award from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. Her work with this project and other cultural programs she has developed and implemented has earned her the 2014 Multicultural Award from the New Jersey State Library. In addition to her many accomplishments, she implemented the African Cultural Festival, a product of the African Immigrant Series, for five years.
Mrs. Doe-Williams affiliates with organizations linked with assisting people in her home country, Liberia. She offers her time and talent to the University of Liberia Alumni Association in the Americas New Jersey Chapter, Ward Fund and Providence Baptist Fellowship. Paulette, a resident of Willingboro, is married to Gus, her husband of 32 years. She is the proud mother of three wonderful children, Trolette, Shakie and Belloh, and grandmother to one beautiful granddaughter, Serayah.
Lady and Servant of the Lord, Marilyn I. Dunham was introduced to the Lord and born again on October 8, 2000, in Nashville, TN. Upon returning home to New Jersey, she visited several churches before finding the Bible Way Cathedral of Deliverance. One visit was all she needed to know that this would be her new church home. That was her home until her husband accepted the call to the office of Pastor at the First Way of the Cross Church in Newark, NJ, in July, 2021. After 20 years, Lady Dunham and her family have settled at 295 Clinton Place since the way of the cross leads home!
Lady Marilyn I. Dunham is married to the Pastor of the First Way of Cross Church, District Elder Wynton L. Dunham. The Lord has blessed them with two sons, Jeremiah Andrew, and Ezra Matthew. Lady Dunham has held several positions in the church, including Youth President, Usher Board Vice President, Chair of the Social Media Ministry, and Trustee. She has also proudly served as Adjutant to First Lady Dyanne Parrott of the Bible Way Cathedral of Deliverance.
Lady Marilyn I. Dunham is the dedicated Director of Elementary Education, a Founder of a charter school, Vice President of a school board, and a board member of an educational foundation. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is currently conducting research towards her dissertation at Rowan University.
Lady Dunham’s favorite scriptures are Psalm 150 and Proverbs 10:22. She loves all songs by Fred Hammond. She enjoys spending time with her family, dancing and shopping. Lady Dunham feels that she has been given the gift of help and enjoys building up others.
Jacqueline Farmer is a woman with many hats. She retired from the NJ Juvenile Justice Commission after 31 years of service. Two months after retiring she took on the auspicious hat of being the Business Manager of the West Jersey Music Academy. But her greatest and most precious hat is being a wife to Richard Farmer, Jr., and mom to her 16-year-old son, Richard Farmer, III.
Born in Newark, NJ, she, and her family moved to Baltimore in 1973. They returned to Jersey and settled in Willingboro in 1978. She attended and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Theater from Trenton State College (now known as The College of New Jersey) in 1986. Jacqueline has always had a passion for service, which led her to pursue a master’s degree in counseling. During her tenure with the State of New Jersey she was employed with the NJ Civil Service Commission, Casino Control Commission, and the Division of Youth and Family Services, completing her tenure with the NJ Juvenile Justice Commission. During her time with the Juvenile Justice Commission, she held several administrative positions before retiring in December 2016.
It came as no surprise to family and friends when Jacqueline retired from the state to care for her mother, and to be more available to various family members. She would often volunteer for activities her son participated in, with piano being one of them.
She followed in her mother’s footsteps when it came to serving the community, her mother, Ida Bright, was a member of many community organizations.
Jacqueline was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Zeta Sigma Chapter in May 1981 at Trenton State College. As a member of Tabernacle Baptist Church in Burlington, NJ, she serves as an usher, a ministry she has been a part of for nearly 10 years. As a recently reactivated member of her sorority and a member of Pi Mu Omega Chapter, she has been involved in many initiatives that serve the greater Willingboro community.
Through her involvement with her son’s classical piano program, she joined the Board of Directors for the Moorestown School of Music as a Parent Liaison, communicating with the parents and informing the Board of parent concerns. In 2017, the school had to close, and Jacqueline took on the challenge to open a music school, convinced that
God was opening doors for the school to move forward. In February 2017, she became one of the founding members of the West Jersey Music Academy (WJMA), a non-profit music school that provides music instruction in piano, voice, violin, guitar and a mommy and me class called Music Together. This endeavor enabled the teachers and
students, her son included, from the prior school to maintain consistency with giving and receiving lessons. In 2019, she was hired as the school’s Business Manager. In her role, she has been able to partner with organizations such as the Willingboro Recreation and Parks Department, The Bancroft School and Building Kings and Queens, Incorporated to provide opportunities for young people to embrace and be engaged with the arts.
She is delighted that the school has entered its eighth year and is gearing up for more enriched programs for the remainder of the year. She describes her involvement with the school as a complete labor of love, as words cannot express the emotions evoked when she sees students clamoring to get a turn at the piano, performing at recitals, and simply growing in their musical skill. Jacqueline is quick to share that being a part of the West Jersey Music Academy is a phenomenal musical experience, one she would not trade for anything, and one for which she gives God ALL the Glory!
