MEET OUR STAFF

Elizabeth Williams-Riley
Executive Director
ewilliams@nccjny.org
212-870-2113

Elizabeth has worked with NCCJ since 1995 to promote understanding and respect among all races, religions and cultures across the United States. Elizabeth served as lead facilitator in a number of nation-wide initiatives, working with diversity professionals as well as business professionals to examine the impact of bias and prejudice in their schools, workplaces, faith communities, and neighborhoods. She has also worked with a number of companies and agencies from the public and private sectors to implement new initiatives to address issues of social justice. These organizations include: MTV, ADL, Cornell University, Rutgers University, Advest, Bank of America, MIKIMOTO, Macy’s East, Lucent Technologies, National Association For Conflict Resolution and Mediation, NABRE, GLSEN, University of Michigan, Annie E. Casey Foundation, Walt Disney World Inc., Offsite Educational Services, International High School at LaGuardia Community College, Frank Sinatra School of Performing Arts, City of Orlando Mayor’s MLK Commission, University of Central Florida, and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and Central Florida School Districts (Orange, Osceola, Brevard, and Lake Counties).

Elizabeth has designed and conducted diversity and inclusion leadership conferences, training sessions, community dialogue forums, humanitarian awards ceremonies, city-wide cultural awareness events, and city-wide Martin Luther King, Jr. celebrations for more than 10,000 youth and adults from all segments of the community. Elizabeth has been featured on radio and television programs in numerous cities and has also been featured in news articles for her outstanding work with youth to challenge stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination. (Orlando Sentinel, Florida Today, Orlando Times, Cox Radio, WB, NBC, PBS and Faith and Values Media).

Bari Katz
Program Director
212.870.2114
bkatz@nccjgnyr.org

Bari L. Katz is the Program Director for The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ) of Greater New York, Inc. Bari joins us after working as a Special Projects Coordinator at New York University, creating and administering new human rights programs both in New York and abroad. Bari has also worked directly with New York-based human rights and social justice organizations, conducting research and writing about such issues as housing for the homeless in New York, hate crimes, immigration, child prostitution, and institutional barriers to achieving human rights.

Bari obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Politics and Sociology from New York University, graduating magna cum laude. She then pursued her graduate degree and received her Master of Arts in Political Sociology from NYU.
Most of Bari's academic career has focused on issues of discrimination, oppression, racism, race and ethnicity, and human rights abuses. She has done extensive research on social movements, strategies and tactics, grassroots organizing, and has an area expertise in South Africa.

Bari is thrilled to join NCCJ and serve as the Program Director, working on current programs like Hate in the Hallways Youth Leadership Summit and Anytown Summer Leadership Institute. She will focus on increasing the visibility of NCCJ in the social justice and human rights communities in New York and expanding NCCJ’s programs by forming strategic partnerships. Bari will also work on creating a program based on healing through history by exploring global and local social movements and the concept of truth and reconciliation worldwide and connecting them to local issues affecting New York communities. Working with youth and adult populations to increase awareness through education, the main focus will be to emphasize the levels of advocacy and how people can act to create change.

“We can change the world… it’s dying to get better.”