About

MISSION

NCLF’s mission is to provide financial and technical resources to change makers – working in the arts, non-profit and for-profit small businesses – to strengthen disenfranchised communities.

VISION

Our vision is to restore the economic health and vigor of minority communities.

New Community Leadership Foundation

Board of Directors

Lily Robinson-Trezvant
Board President

Ms. Robinson-Trezvant is a native of Galveston, Texas. She moved to San Francisco when she was three years old and has been a resident of Filmore for over seven decades. Growing up, she had experienced losing her family homes to the eminent domain of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. Lily graduated from Galileo High School in 1962 and also attended the Laney College in Oakland.

She brings a wealth of knowledge and a practical and inclusive approach to leadership from her work and leadership experience. In her previous career roles, she worked for the San Francisco School Board in 1971 during the integration of schools in the position of community relations. Mr. Robinson-Trezvant worked as a counselor at the Real Alternative Program (RAP) High School, where she helped formerly incarcerated juveniles with housing, schools, and jobs. Lily also participated in the administration and assisting in office management for Golden Gate University Dean of Management.

Also, Lily has served as a board member of Rosa Park Senior Apartment tenants associations for the past five years and as President of two of those years. She is also an executive board member of the City of San Francisco’s Senior and Disabled Housing Committee.  Lily has been an active member of Zion Missionary Baptist Church for 68 years and a member of fraternal organizations for 53 years. A highly dedicated individual, She brings an unwavering passion for success and solutions to the role of President of the New Community Leadership Foundation. Ms. Robinson-Trezvant is a proud mother of four successful sons.

Hugh (Hugh EMC) Gregory
Board Vice President

New Community Leadership Foundation

Hugh EMC Gregory is a natural leader and a man of multiple facets. He was born and raised in San Francisco’s Fillmore district’s Yerba Buena Plaza East Projects, infamously known as the Out of Control Projects. Before his current position in leadership, he was outstanding in his academics and a lover of music and Hip-Hop. Hugh-EMC’s reputation in the mainstream music scene of the Bay Area was remarkable. Not only was he a Bay Area Hip-Hop artist, pioneer, and legend, Hugh-EMC became the first Hip-Hop artist to produce an album in San Francisco history. Over the years, he has risen to prominence by influencing the Fillmore Hip-Hop music alongside legendary Rapper Rappin’ 4-Tay passing the baton to protege’s like JT the Bigga Figga, San Quinn and Messy Marv.

A firm believer in giving back to the community, besides inspiring growth in the entertainment scene of this area, he has actively contributed to its growth. As one of the pioneers of the New Community Leadership Foundation, he is committed to coordinating and making this community a more habitable place. Hugh is a grant writer and helped established some of the NCLF’s 1st funding sources. Also, he spearheaded the NCLF collaboration with OWED and SF Park and Rec to activate the long-neglected Fillmore Mini-Park. By conducting consistent arts and music events, rallies, health and fitness functions and community feedings, the NCLF has turned the Fillmore Mini-park into a safe space for the entire Fillmore community, specifically children and the elderly.

A highly-motivating individual, Hugh-EMC, has mentored at-risk youths. As an outreach worker, case manager, and housing specialist for the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team, he has conducted workshops at San Francisco’s Juvenile Hall. Hugh-E has helped transitional aged youth and adult homeless persons find housing and employment. He currently works for San Francisco’s Public health Department on the front lines dealing with the current COVID-19 crisis as a Disease Investigator Specialist. Hugh-EMC is a keen visionary, diligent, patriotic, compassionate, and fervent in service.

Jada Curry
Board Secretary

A natural leader, Jada Curry, is presently the Board Secretary for NCLF. The 21-year-old is a keen visionary with a high-spirit and passion for innovation. In her current role, she is charged with the responsibilities of carrying out executive administrative works, event production, and also permit work. Jada brings sheer life experience, including being homeless for six months at the age of ten. She attended George Washington High school, where she was the Black Student Union president by her senior year, a union recognized by Supervisor Fewer commendation. During her high school years, she also was apart of the student-career readiness program, Enterprise for Youth and earned an Honor roll of nine scholarships total.

She is currently a student of Physics at the University of San Francisco. Jada is a forward-thinker and consistently taps into her creative prowess to find solutions. She is a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, which recognizes high performing scholars active in the community and the Society of Physics Students. In her previous work experience, she worked as a Junior Caddie at the Olympic Club, volunteered at an Asian art museum, managed events as an intern at Fort mason, and also worked as an ESL coach, where she trained students for their naturalization tests at Project shine.

Presently, Jada represents Transitional Age Youth as seat 7 on the oversight and advisory committee of the Department of Children Youth & Their Families (DCYF). She also works in the Physics department at USF as a program assistant coordinator and at Booker T. Washington Community Service Center as a site lead and literacy tutor for Engage Literacy (USF). Jada strongly believes in giving back to the community and continues to seek more ways to create opportunities that foster growth. She is accountable, compassionate, and a leader with a servant’s heart. During her free time, she enjoys gaming and watching movies.

Markell S. Yager
Board Member At-Large

College student and outdoor extraordinaire, Markell Yager Trezvant, is one of NCLF’s newest board members. Ready to offer her skills and efforts to support the Fillmore and Black Community at large.

While Markell is new to her board position, by no means is she new to community involvement. She attributes her interest in serving her community to her mother/ Grandmother Ms. Lily Trezvant, NCLF’s own Board President and jack of all trades. Observing her mom build up her community inspired Markell to do the same! Being raised in the Bayview, Diamond Heights and Fillmore has granted Markell her ability to not only adapt but thrive in various environments and situations.

Markell is currently 3 semesters away from graduating with her Associate’s degree in Sociology from City College of San Francisco, then heading to California State University, Los Angeles to continue her education. When she started off at CCSF, Markell was studying Real Estate but recognized that unconsciously her heart was set on Sociology. When she is not studying hard, Markell can be found reading books of all kinds and enjoying time with her dog Simba. Markell also enjoys hiking, fishing and can put together some gorgeous floral arrangements! Talent and ambition are not limited to just Markell, as she comes from four brothers; one of which graduated from Briar Cliff University and one who is currently in the Military, as well as three sisters. Coming from a large tight-knit family is what has helped mold Markell into the person she is today.

Five years from now Markell sees herself walking after the aneurysm she sustained 4 years ago, traveling to Europe once again and striving to sustain equal opportunities for her community!

Katherine Campbell
Board Member At-Large

The most powerful moment of my life was when I developed a strong community relationship and became a community leader, working in the communities of San Francisco and Oakland – Katherine Campbell.

Ms. Campbell’s journey into community leadership and service began in 1969. She had received a scholarship to Miami University and left San Francisco for Miami, Florida. Less than a year after leaving for Miami, she moved back to San Francisco and committed to serving the community. She received political education from the Black Panther Party (BPP) and was a member of BPP from 1969 – 1978.

To serve the community effectively, Ms. Campbell acquired skills and certifications. As a member of BPP, she received an Associate Degree in social sciences from Laney College. She went on to study Civil Engineering at San Francisco State University and Family Counseling and Eviction Defense at UC Berkeley. She got her counseling certification from UC Berkeley.

In line with her purpose and passion, Ms. Campbell’s career was centered around community leadership and service. After her education, she took an internship at S.F. County Jail at 850 Bryant for its pre-release program. In this position, she provided counseling for inmates to help find housing placement and readjust to life after incarceration. She also interned at Juli House as a counselor for young pregnant women, providing assessment and counseling and helping them prepare for motherhood and independent living.

As a counselor for Mission Housing, Ms. Campbell worked on the transitional housing program for homeless people by providing counseling and other supportive services. She was also a case manager and counselor for the Family Service Agency.

Katherine Campbell was part of BPP during the development of its 10-point service plan and supported the Sickle Cell Anemia program. She was also an active part of BPP’s projects, Seniors Against a Fearful Environment and Oakland Community School. Oakland Community School was one of the best accredited alternative schools. Ms. Campbell was also part of the free breakfast project of the party in Fillmore, San Francisco. In 2019, she commemorated the 50^th year anniversary of the establishment of Black Panther Party breakfast program serving hunger kids.

From when she was a young child and every member of her family played roles towards a common goal and then all through her life, Ms. Campbell has seen how teamwork is essential for productivity. She is a strong believer in the values of teamwork. In her words, “It took all of us to work out a plan: a whole team, I, my mom, and siblings, contributed in sustaining the home and maintaining the family as important building blocks.” She also believes that teamwork inspires ownership describing that as, a young child, it was “exciting to know that we can have some ownership through teamwork.”

As someone who makes decisions after carefully thinking them through, Ms. Campbell’s top pieces of advice for anyone are: take advice from your elders, stay focused, look before you leap into things, and let your dreams of ownership materialize. Katherine Campbell summarizes her life’s journey in the pursuit of happiness as “If you put your mind to it; then, you can do it.” In her words, “I have learned that life is a building block; you have to build up to it because I find it instrumental in accomplishing goals.”

Phyllis Bowie
Board Member At-Large

From Hollywood to Food Stamps – Phyllis Bowie is a native San Franciscan raised in the Fillmore district and is a proud Air Force veteran. She is a community advocate for urban food security and fair and equitable housing. After 10 years of working in the entertainment industry as a lifestyle expert and interior designer, Phyllis Bowie lost both her TV contract and her booking agent. Bowie found herself faced with quadruple raised rent and as a result was threatened with eviction from her apartment of 25 years and literally found herself hungry. Eventually putting her pride aside, she applied for food stamps. Bowie was depressed and feared homelessness like so many of her fellow veterans. Faced with skyrocketed rents, unfair housing, out of control homelessness, gentrification, watching the City’s’ Black population reduce to 3% and witnessing Black businesses in her beloved Fillmore community fall like dominoes. Bowie had reached her limit. She became sick and tired of being sick and tired of hopelessness. At that point after being in front of the camera, Bowie picked up a borrowed video camera and from behind the camera never looked back. Her nonprofit business Living with Phyllis was born.

Living with Phyllis grew into an award-winning local television show and a food blog that entertains and provides information to the underserved to remove the stigma of receiving food benefits and on how to feed their families on food stamps and on a rent poor budget.

Bowie reclaimed her uplifting and contagious happy disposition. “…prayer and being in service to others was the medicine I needed to lift myself up and to find the beauty of living every day in gratitude..” said Bowie now no longer on food stamps as she darted off with camera in hand to the Fillmore Farmer’s Market to spread the news about the food stamp Market Match program.

Phyllis Bowies’ life commitment to the San Francisco African American community is to address food insecurity by creating community vegetable gardens, partnering with local farmer’s markets and partnering with community leaders to educate underserved families. This education empowers the community with knowledge and skills on how to grow and prepare healthy foods that help to reduce diseases like diabetes, high-blood pressure and obesity which disproportionately plaques Black communities.