ROSELLE, NJ — Mayor Donald Shaw and Borough Council celebrated volunteers, a community leader and the Abraham Clark High School cheerleading team to commemorate Women’s History Month at the regular council meeting on Wednesday, March 15.
Tamara Suvil, a community manager for Community and Business at the Chase Bank in Roselle, was highlighted for her work with community leaders, nonprofits and small businesses to build stronger community relationships. Suvil hosts workshops on financial health, and provides tools and resources to improve financial wellbeing in support of black, Hispanic and Latinx communities.
Suvil partnered with the All Grit Experience and the Roselle Public Library for the creation of a book club for second- and third-graders that included titles to teach financial literacy.
“I am so excited to be here and honored to receive this recognition from the Borough for fostering a financially healthy community,” said Suvil, in her comments to the mayor and council. “At JP Morgan Chase, we understand the realities of a post pandemic economy and it has never been more important to address economic disparities facing our communities of colors.”
Latifah Smith and her nonprofit mentoring group, Style Ur Life, aim to foster better human life experiences for at-risk youth and families around Union County by providing recreational activities, educational services, workshops and mentoring sessions.
Smith, founder and CEO, was honored for showing youth how to influence positive change in the community by being involved and letting them discover that their environment does not define their success.
“I couldn’t do this work without my team and I certainly couldn’t do it without my children because, if they don’t show up, this program wouldn’t flow,” Smith said. “We come every Thursday to the community center and we work hard.”
Delia Ware-Tibbs has been a long-standing resident of Roselle and an advocate for the development of children.
Ware-Tibbs, who retired from Verizon Communications after a 30-year career, is also a retired lieutenant colonel from the US Army Reserves, where she is a combat veteran and has served as a trainer of reserve soldiers.
She is a founding member of the Roselle Women on the Move mentoring group, and is an associate member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Ware-Tibbs also proudly served on the Roselle Board of Education, holding the position of board president for two consecutive years. She now serves as a member and officer of the National Council of Negro Women Roselle Section, Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey and the Roselle Day Care Center.
Since her retirement, Ware-Tibbs has also participated as a member of Roselle’s Active Seniors, AARP and the 24th Infantry Buffalo Soldiers.
“I think it’s very appropriate that so many women in volunteer groups are honored here tonight,” Ware-Tibbs said. “There are many residents in Roselle who want to give back to our children, to dedicate their time and energy to our kids so they can have the lives that they were destined to have.
“One of those organizations I’m very proud to have been a founder of is Roselle Women on the Move,” she added. “I’m here to give back to our community and I am proud to be able to do so.”
The Abraham Clark High School Cheerleading team and coaches received recognition for their first place championship in the “CER Wildcats 10th annual Jungle Cheer Challenge,” after an exciting, hard-fought and successful season.
Honorees included Captain Montana Dixon and Captain Nyana Tookes, as well as Ashlee Barratt, Brianna Bell, Farrah Castel, Dejanea Dwyer, Jordyn Fant, Keina Jean-Francois, Tyeeka Leonard, Leah Loiseau, Yhamiya McMurrian, Keyshia Saincius, Ann-Marie Wimbush, and Coach Yary and Junior Coach Summer.
“I am extremely proud of my girls. They work hard day and night, weekends, and this year we even did Sundays,” Yary said. “Roselle has not competed for almost four years and for us to be able to bring the program back and win first place is a feeling like no other.”
The council chamber was filled with proud family, friends and community members as the women were honored.
“These volunteers and members of our community are just a few who inspire me to work hard for this borough and I’m so proud that we were able to honor them tonight during Women’s History Month,” Shaw said.
Photos Courtesy of Liv Meier