lama vision - Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta

LAMA VISION
A Connected Community where Liberian Culture and People
Thrive
LAMA MISSION
To foster targeted programs and sustainable partnerships
which support the enrichment of the community and the
promotion of the Liberian Culture
LAMA VALUES
1. Respect for all
2. Cultural diversity
3. Innovation and creative problem solving
4. Taking care of others
5. Celebrating togetherness
INAUGURATION WEEKEND 2016
MESSAGE FROM
HON. CYNTHIA BLANFORD
SENATOR DONZELLA JAMES
Senator Donzella James is a democratic senator representing Metropolitan Atlanta’s
35th District of Georgia, which includes portions of Fulton and Douglas Counties.
She proudly served four and one half full terms and retired to offer herself to serve
in the US Congress. In 2009, Senator James was re-elected to serve once again in
the State Senate.
Senator James currently serves as the Chairwoman of Interstate Cooperation. She is
also a member of the Education and Youth, Special Judiciary, and Economic
Development, and committees. She has worked to bring progressive change in the
areas of crime reduction, a safe and clean environment, stronger drunk driving laws
and drug trafficking laws, economic development, increased access to affordable
healthcare and quality education.
Senator James is a distinguished and experienced lawmaker, having sponsored or
co-sponsored more than 400 pieces of legislation throughout her tenure in the
Georgia Senate. She was proud to support Senate Bill 1 during the 2015 Legislative session which requires insurance
companies provide coverage for autistic children ages 6 and under, up to $30,000 per year. Senator James
championed House Bill 89, a piece of legislation that gives local ordinance continued flexibility to incorporate
drug-free commercial zones, undoubtedly making our communities safer place for Georgia families.
Senator James has been an ardent supporter of education, fighting to increase funding and minimize cuts to the
budget during the most recent economic recession. She has also championed veterans issues, dedicating a Douglas
County bridge in PFC Melvin Johnson’s honor, the first African American solider to lose his life in the Vietnam War
from Douglas County.
A state senator with passion for issues affecting those in need around the world, Senator James has lead the charge
to strengthen Georgia’s relationship with the continent of Africa. With the passage of Senate Resolution 9 during the
2013 Legislative Session, she was instrumental in urging the Georgia Department of Economic Development to promote and strengthen beneficial ties with African nations. She has traveled extensively to gain a better understanding
of the humanitarian issues facing nations around the world, specifically those in Nigeria, Congo, Turkey, Costa Rica,
and South Korea.
Senator James earned a Bachelor degree in criminal justice and political science from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Georgia, an honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Macon’s Emmanuel Bible College, an honorary doctorate degree from the Bride of Christ Bible College and Seminary in Nigeria and studied additionally at Georgia State University. Senator James has a proven record as a successful policy-maker and known to be committed to the people, a
fiscally responsible professional, and a strong woman of faith. She has been a major force for progressive change,
and her commitment to family values and the salvation of Georgia’s children has been exemplary.
Senator James is a retired federal employee with dedicated service as a member of the National Alliance of Postal
and Federal Employees. Senator James, a native of Atlanta, also taught in Atlanta public schools for more than a decade.
The Senator and the late Mr. Elmo James were married for more than 35 years. They are parents of two sons, Brian
James and the late Kerry James; daughter-in-law Cheryl Renee; and three grandchildren, Kerri, Ryan and Bryce.
SHERIFF VICTOR HILL
Victor Hill was born and raised in Charleston S.C. where he attended
public school and studied criminal justice at Trident Technical College.
He began his law enforcement career at 18 years of age when he
joined the Charleston City Police force as a police cadet, hired by the
late legendary Chief Ruben Greenburg who became his “Law Enforcement Father”. Chief Greenburg promoted Sheriff Victor Hill to a full
fledge police officer as soon as he turned 21 years of age.
Victor Hill relocated to Atlanta Georgia and continued his law enforcement career with the Clayton County Police Department. He was promoted to Detective, served in the robbery/homicide division, and became the first African American to serve as a hostage negotiator for
the Clayton County Police Force.
In 2002, Victor Hill ran for the State House of Representatives and was
elected to serve the 2003-2004 term. While at the House of Representatives, Victor Hill successfully authored four bills that were passed into law that cracked down on crimes that
were related to drugs, domestic violence, use of bullet proof vests in the commission of a crime, and stricter
regulations on child molesters, preventing them from hiding under the first offender status.
In 2004, Victor Hill ran for and was elected Sheriff of Clayton County making him the first African American
Sheriff in the county’s history. During his inaugural term, Sheriff Victor Hill waged an unprecedented war on
crime in Clayton County. In his first term, nine of Clayton County’s ten most wanted were captured. Three elite
task forces were created to address the high crime rate; the elite “Cobra Unit” to combat drugs in saturated
high crime areas, a “Joint Vice Task Force” to fight gambling, and prostitution, and the “Stalking Unit” designed
to combat domestic violence by “stalking the stalkers”. The most successful and largest county wide assault on
drugs “Operation Jericho” was initiated by the Sheriff and his staff and during this period the county saw a reduction in crime with murders decreasing by 30% and aggravated assaults decreasing by 11%. In addition to
cracking down on crime, Sheriff Victor Hill is also credited for running the toughest jail in Georgia by implementing military boot camp standards and making inmates perform hard labor to clean up the roads in the
community. Sheriff Hill and his staff while taking a tough stance on crime also continue to initiate numerous
outreach programs to protect seniors, rehabilitate persons with drug addictions, and deter youth from incarceration.
Sheriff Hill launched his 2013 bid for re-election based on his longstanding reputation as Clayton County’s
“Crime Fighter” and won convincingly continuing his unprecedented quest to rid Clayton County of drugs and
violence.
PRESIDENT
YAHSYNDI MARTIN-KPEYEI
Yahsyndi is the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Cross Crete Service, a
Liberian professional services corporation headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Cross Crete Service Corporation is also registered in the Republic of Liberia as a
“Class A” Consultant company with the Ministry of Public Works. As the CAO,
Yahsyndi is responsible for managing all administrative, sales, client relations,
financial, human resources, and public relations facets of the company. She
has been in this position since 2007.
Prior to Cross Crete Service Corp, Yahsyndi served as a Manager at Total System Service Inc. (TSYS), the largest processor of merchant and acquired and
credit card issuers in the United States with over $ 1 trillion a year in credit
and debit card transactions from 2001 to 2011.
Yahsyndi served as the Vice President of the Liberian Association of Metropolitan Atlanta (LAMA). She joined the LAMA
executives team in April 2014 after serving as the Chairlady of the Education Committee. Since her democratic election
as Vice President, she has led several initiatives, including Ebola awareness carried on many media outlets including TV
channel 57, CNBC, and Radio 88.5. She also solicited supplies for Ebola Affected countries, Adult literacy, after school
and tutoring programs. On March 2nd, 2015 Yahsyndi was honored for her service in the community by the Shepherds
International Outreach Network and amongst the honorees were Bishop Musser of TIC, Pastor Faraj of KDMI, etc.
In and outside of LAMA, Yahsyndi is visible in the community. On March 19, 2015 a young Liberian who had just moved
to our community suddenly passed away with no family member(s) to underwrite his funeral cost. Yahsyndi, along with
her now Vice President Mr. Jerry Yekeh, took the initiative to rally the community to raise funds for a courteous home
going. Through her hard work and her belief in servant leadership, Yahsyndi ably assisted President Leo Mulbah to accomplish a thirty seven years lifelong dream of acquiring a community center for the up to 20,000 Liberians living in
Metro Atlanta Georgia.
In addition to her roles in LAMA and her professional career, Yahsyndi served five years as the President of the Women’s
Department at New Life Christian Fellowship (NLCF), a multicultural and diverse non-denominational church in Lawrenceville, Georgia. With Yahsyndi as a key part of the leadership, NLCF mobilized the membership in raising over
$30,000 in less than two months in 2009 to renovate the church’s current place of worship - transforming a vacant
warehouse to a 250-seat- sanctuary that is being used by the entire Liberian Community in Metro Atlanta.
Yahsyndi also served as one of the coaches and trainers of the Junior Miss Liberia-Georgia Pageant. In both roles,
Yahsyndi was involved in developing and molding the minds of potential contestants into young ladies and future leaders of their communities in Georgia, the United States and Liberia.
Yahsyndi is a Liberian citizen and a college graduate. She is married to Sei Simeon Gofan Kpeyei and their union is
blessed with five children: Us , Shawn , Kelhwon, Leila and Alyssa and grandchild: Yah Nayla. She has resided in Lawrenceville, Georgia since 2005. Besides her outstanding professional experience, Yahsyndi Martin-Kpeyei, a philanthropist with a passion for helping the disadvantaged she co-founded Christ Foundation School which provides free education and feeding to underprivileged children in her native Liberia. She is best described as a mother, community organizer and an independent career woman with integrity and passion to serve her community.
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD OF
DIRECTORS
LIBERIAN NATIONAL ANTHEMS
All Hail, Liberia, Hail
The Lone Star Forever
All hail, Liberia, hail! (All hail!)
All hail, Liberia, hail! (All hail!)
This glorious land of liberty,
Shall long be ours.
Though new her name,
Great be her fame,
And mighty be her powers,
And mighty be her powers.
In joy and gladness,
With our hearts united,
We'll shout the freedom,
Of a race benighted.
Long live Liberia, happy land!
A home of glorious liberty,
By God's command!
A home of glorious liberty,
By God's command!
I. When Freedom raised her glowing
form
On Montserrado's verdant height,
She set within the dome of night,
Midst lowering skies and thunderstorm,
The star of Liberty!
And seizing from the waking morn,
Its burnished shield of golden flame,
She lifted it in her proud name,
And roused a nation long forlorn,
To nobler destiny!
All hail, Liberia, hail! (All hail!)
All hail, Liberia, hail! (All hail!)
In union strong success is sure.
We cannot fail!
With God above,
Our rights to prove,
We will o'er all prevail,
We will o'er all prevail!
With heart and hand our country's
cause defending,
We'll meet the foe with valour
unpretending.
Long live Liberia, happy land!
A home of glorious liberty,
By God's command!
A home of glorious liberty,
By God's command!
REFRAIN
III. Then, forward, sons of Freedom,
March!
Defend the sacred heritage!
The nation's call from age to age
Where'er it sounds 'neath heaven's
arch,
Wherever foes assail,
be ever ready to obey
'Gainst treason and rebellion's front,
'Gainst foul aggression. In the brunt
Of battle lay the hero's way!
All hail, Lone Star, all hail!
REFRAIN
The lone star forever!
REFRAIN
The lone star forever!
Unfurled in the currents of heaven's
pure breeze,
O long may it float o'er land and o'er
seas
Desert it? No! Never!
Uphold it? ay, ever!
O shout for the lone-starred banner,
Hurrah!
II. Then speeding in her course,
along
The broad Atlantic's golden strand,
She woke reverb'rant through the
land
A nation's loud triumphant song,
The song of Liberty!
And o'er Liberia's altar fires
She wide the lone-starred flag unfurled,
proclaimed to an expectant world,
The birth, for Africa's sons and sires,
The birth of Liberty!
ORDER OF PROGRAM
Opening Prayer..……………………………………………………………….………………...……...Chaplain Rev. Pastor Oliver Worjloh
Introductory Remarks……………………………………………………………………………..………………….Vice President Jerry Yekeh
Liberian National Anthem.……………………………..Pastor Rev. Dr. Peter Nehsahn, Caring Believers Bible Fellowship
Recognition of VIPs and Special Guests..……………………………………………………….………………………Chairman Will Jallah
Statement From Consul General..……………………………..…………………………………………….…………Hon. Cynthia Blanford
Introduction of the Installation Officer………………………………………….…….……………………………Kelhwon Vanity Power
Presentation & Swearing in of President and Team………………………………..…………………….……………Sheriff Victor Hill
Recognition of Board of Directors and Committees………………………………………..President Yahsyndi Martin-Kpeyei
Introduction of Keynote Speaker………………………………………………………………………...…………………………Ophelia Vulue
Keynote Address……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Senator Donzella James
Introduction of the President……………………………………………………………………………………..……...Matilda Okai-Johnson
Inaugural Address……………………………………………………………………………………………President Yahsyndi Martin-Kpeyei
Solo………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Jestine Faraj
LAMA’s Permanent Home Rally……………………..Pastor Rev. Lawrence Kennedy, Bethel World Outreach –Norcross
Vote of Thanks……………………………………………………………………….………Eleanor Davis, Inauguration Committee Chair
Closing Song…………………………….…………………………………………..…………….The Lone Star Forever, led by Grace Bollie
Benediction………………………...Pastor Rev. Dr. William B. G. K. Harris, International Christian Fellowship Ministries
Masters of Ceremony
Cyril Lurlay
“Bishop” Matthew Gongbee
Taniqua Russ
Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball… Ball…
LEADERSHIP
Yahsyndi Martin-Kpeyei
Jerry Yekeh
Nwane-Rose Williams
Titoe Sayeneatue
Oliver Worjloh
Stephen Paye
William Passawe
Arthur B. Welwean
Dennis Jah
Bior Bropleh
Etrenda Dillon
Community Center
Veronica Harmon
Eben Davis
Property Manager
Asst. Property Manager
Standing Committee Heads
Legal Affairs
Patience Kaysee
President
Vice President
Secretary General
Treasurer
Chaplain
Parliamentarian
Financial Secretary
Assistant Financial Secretary
Principal Staff Officer
Consultant
Consultant
LAMA Board of Directors
Will Jallah
Chairman
Layee Toure
Co-Chair
Matthew Gongbee
Secretary
Bonah Sengbe
Member
Kemah Diggs
Member
Chairperson
LAMA Council of Presidents
Sports
Augustus Lakpor
Monette Thomas
Chairperson
Co-chair
Communication
Cyril Lurlay
Patrick Ansah
Chairperson
Co-chair
Audit
Jonathan Geegbae
Augustus Miller
Chairperson
Co-chair
Education
Taniqua Russ
Daniel Knuckles
Chairperson
Co-chair
Programs and Planning
Snorwlor Bropleh
Ivis Wonlah
Dede Dalmeida
Chairman
Co-chair
Co-chair
Amos Johnson
Beatrice Gildersleve
Oscar Sherman
Reeves Vincent
James Davis
Meleh Duarto
Michael Hanson
Bong County
Grand Bassa
Grand Cape Mount
Grand Gedeh
Maryland
Nimba
River Gee
LAMA Advisory Board
Lawrence Kennedy
Juanita Caulker
Anthony Harmon
Mabel Green
Joe Yeah
Tewroh Sungbeh
Jacob Diama
Chairman
Co-chair
Member
Member
Member
Member
Member
Coming Soon
The unveiling of the presidential Wall
Honoring all lama former presidents
From 1976 to 2015
Come and lets give flowers to the ones
on whose shoulders we stand.
Let’s celebrate our leaders!
“Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts, it is about
one life influencing the other.” John Maxwell
John Davis
Classic Used Auto Sales, Inc.
5300 Memorial Drive, Suite 123C
Stone Mountain, GA 30083
390 Bethesda Church Rd
Lawrenceville, GA 30044
bethesdachristianacademyga.com
770.559.1257
“Congratulations to the newly installed officers and
members of LAMA. Wishing you much success in
your new role.” - Amelia
Amelia Barclay
REALTOR
BHGRE-Metro Brokers
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ANNOUCEMENT:
Please don’t miss out on this spectacular event.
There will be a fashion show on October 22, 2016 and we are looking for models of all nationalities, ages 6 and up,
male and female.
If you are interested, please contact Evelyn Williams by phone or text @ 678 600 7712 or email designer Massa Williams @ massaw1104@gmail.com.
Please save the date. This is an event you don’t want to miss!