Kevin Brabazon taught at New York University for 28 years where he taught a variety of courses including statistics, microeconomics, information systems design, management of information systems, and management science. He previously taught college courses in gerontology and intergenerational studies which derived from his earlier career as a social worker in Harlem, where he started developing his intergenerational model of social development and integrating it witheconomics. He refined it for over 10 years doing evaluation research for nonprofit organizations and working under the mentorship of Rose Dobrof – the legendary Chair of Gerontology at Hunter College and long-term editor of the Journal of Gerontological Social Work – and Rick Moody who followed Rose as Director of the Brookdale Center on Aging at Hunter College. It was Rick who set him on his path to study WISDOM in older persons and why it is important in social development. Kevin’s work at NYC Department for the Aging. The Brookdale Foundation (where he worked with grandparents who are raising grandchildren), the New York State Intergenerational Network (which he cofounded with colleagues in 1991,), and his work as a United Nations representative for Generations United. all contributed to the development of the Lalibela Model of social development shown in this website Every one of the Board of Directors listed below has made a major contribution to this model as did the brilliant community organizer in Harlem – Essie Davis – who started him on this road without knowing it 47 years ago!

Susanne Bleiberg Seperson, Ph.D., represents Generations United, Washington, DC, at the UN and is Vice Chair of the CoNGO Committee on Intergenerational Solidarity. She was the 2016 Co-Chair of the UN International Day of Older Persons and has spoken on financial elder abuse, human rights and social security. She has received grants and awards from the Long Island Alzheimer’s Foundation, UN Academic Impact Program (UNAI/Yad Vashem), National Institute of Mental Health, International Research Exchange (IREX) Foundation, Foundation for Long Term Care, NYS United Teachers Higher Education Member of the Year, CUNY Graduate Center Ph.D. Alumni Association, and NYS Office of the Comptroller. Dr. Seperson is a past president of the NYS Sociological Association and Dowling College faculty union and was Professor and Chair of the Sociology Department. She is currently the Secretary of NYSIgN. In addition to her interest in intergenerational issues, Dr. Seperson has written about the Holocaust from a 2G perspective and is working with the recently approved NGO Committee to End Antisemitism and Promote Peace, an Affiliate Substantive Committee of CoNGO.

Dr. Kurt Johnson participates in multiple international initiatives. At the United Nations is an Executive Director of the International Council on Environmental Economics and Development (https://i-ceed.org/), a founder of the NGO Unitive Thematic Cluster of the UN Major Group (https://sdgthoughtleaderscircle.org/ngo-unitive-thematic-cluster/), media partner for the International Day of Yoga Committee at the UN https://www.facebook.com/YogaDayCommittee and https://issuu.com/lightonlight) and Executive Committee Emeritus of the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns. His media work is with Light on Light Publications and Media (https://www.lightonlight.us/) and as a VoiceAmerica radio and video host (https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2610/the-convergence), and Coordinator of the Synergy Circles of The Evolutionary Leaders (https://www.evolutionaryleaders.net/synergycircles).

John Hessell has supported and invested in many non-profits over the years. Besides his active role in the work of www.lalibelafund.org, working on outreach and fund-raising to support the work there, he is part of the website development team. He is also on the board of the Institute for Relational Intelligence www.iri.org, guiding youth towards positive values, and the steering committee for www.higherpurposeforum.org, where positive discussions on important spiritual topics are shared.

Nicola Licorish was born in England and came to the USA in 1977. She has lived in Harlem, New York since she married Rev. Dr. David N. Licorish in 1987. Her husband died in 1999. She is a member of the Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, where she currently serves as treasurer, and a board member of the New York Interfaith Commission for Housing Equality, working for affordable housing in New York City.

In 1940 her father, Leslie Shepley Barlow, then a second lieutenant in the British Army, was detached from his regiment and sent to Khartoum in Sudan to join the Sudan Defense Force as an officer leading a company of Sudanese troops. He had to learn Arabic and to ride a horse. The objective of the campaign, which included 250 camels, was to expel the occupying Italian forces and restore Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, who had been in exile in England, to his throne. In March 1948, Emperor Haile Selassie invested Lt. Col. Leslie Shepley Barlow and three other British officers with the Order of the Star of Ethiopia, in recognition of the part they had played in the Abyssinian Campaign.

Colette Phipps. Her human services background spans approximately 40 years. She presently serves as the Director, Program Development for the Westchester County Department of Senior Programs and Services (DSPS). In her current position, she conducts research and analyses on trends relating to the senior citizen population and develops new programs to address the needs of these residents as well as their caregivers. Ms. Phipps’ additional responsibilities include providing oversight of several major initiatives and projects sponsored by DSPS and its 501(C) 3, the Westchester Public/Private Partnership for Aging Services. She is Executive Director of the Westchester County Livable Communities: A Vision for All Ages Initiative. Under the large umbrella of Livable Communities, she oversees several programs aimed at leveraging support for older adults and their caregivers. They include but are not limited to; Next Stage Network, Caregiving Coaching Program, Telehealth Intervention Programs for Seniors, and Care Circles of Westchester. Ms. Phipps is a licensed master of social work, a certified dementia practitioner with a special Advanced Social Worker in Gerontology certification from the National Association of Social Workers. She is an adjunct professor at Fordham University who has earned a bachelors from Iona College and a master of social work from New York University. Ms. Phipps is a published author and serves on numerous boards focused on the well-being of older adults. Ms. Phipps resides in New Rochelle with her husband Charles. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Rev Edner Pierre Louis was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti and arrived in New York City in 1965 at the age of 9 with his younger brother to join his parents who had immigrated 3 years earlier to prepare a new life for the family. Edner received his elementary education at St. Theresa of Avila Roman Catholic school in Crown Height,Brooklyn. He continued his education in Public High school and went on to graduate from Medgar Evers College of CUNY. Years later he obtained an MA in Religious Education from the Unification Theological Seminary in New York. Since the age of 21, Edner has had one foot in the business world, the other in Religious outreach and pastorship with the Unification movement. At present he is also an active officer with the New York City Department of Probation. He resides with Rev Juanita Pierre Louis, his wife of 41 years, in Harlem, New York.

Abebe Fentaw Sisay has been the director of daily operations for the Lalibela Social Security Project since April 1, 2020. Now, in order to meet Ethiopian regulations for Charities, he has launched the “St. Lalibela Social Security Charity Association”, which is now formally recognized by the Ethiopian government. He has expanded the initial partnerships with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the Mayor’s Office to include the four Kebeles (municipal subdivisions),and the Departments of Education, Health, Social Work and, Agriculture. These partnerships have been critical for effective delivery of services. Abebe is Director of the Lalibela Social Security Project for the Lalibela Fund and is President and Founder of the St. Lalibela Social Security Charity Association. CONTACT Directly: Phone/WhatsApp: +251 91 396 6525; Email: merekezalal@gmail.com