BOARD OF DIRECTORS | phenomenaliam

Board of Directors

Brittany Baines

Brittany Baines, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Phenomenal I Am, Inc., is a born and raised resident of New Haven, CT. Brittany is a 2015 Alumni of Quinnipiac University, where she earned a Master’s of Science in Organizational Leadership: Nonprofit/Public Service. Brittany Baines is also a 2010 Alumni of the University of Connecticut, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Family Studies:

Concentration in Individual and Families: Services and Counseling.

Brittany has worked with a diverse population of individuals with special needs for 10 years, and 9 years of experience providing a variety of services to at-risk youth through mentoring and therapy. Thinking of her own community and reflecting on her childhood, Brittany felt the need to establish a meaningful way to give back and help girls that she can relate to. Being an active youth through participating in programs such as, Gear-Up, LEAP, Youth Rights Media, James Hill-House Track and Field, H.O.N.E.Y, Teen Crisis Connection etc., Brittany feels the need to provide the same opportunity that she once had when she was a youth.

Brittany believes that every girl is phenomenal in their own rights and decided to do the work necessary to help them too see just how phenomenal they are. Brittany believes mentorship and empowerment enrichment services can ultimately change their outlook on life. Brittany is inspired to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloudy sky because….

“When you learn, teach… When you get, give….”. ------Maya Angelou

Tomi M. Veale

Tomi M. Veale is the Program Coordinator for Youth@Work at the City of New Haven where she is responsible for ensuring the success of the Youth@Work initiative to provide summer and year-round employment and career exposure to youth of New Haven. She also works at Gateway Community College as an adjunct Professor of Sociology in the Social Services Department. Prior to working at the City of New Haven, Tomi was the Alumni College Dean for Amistad Academy where she provided college support services to postgraduate non-traditional students and students transitioning from two-year to four-year colleges through the college application process. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Central Connecticut State University and later earned her Masters of Public Administration degree from the University of New Haven.

Tomi is an active member of the Order of Eastern Star and chairs her chapter’s scholarship committee along with being the State Youth Director. She lives in New Haven where she was born and raised.

Chanel Rice

Chanel Reneé Rice earned her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Connecticut, double majoring in psychology and individualized in Children at Risk. She also holds a Master of Arts in School Counseling from Fairfield University. Chanel earned her administration certification / and currently earning her sixth year from Sacred Heart University. She is currently in her 9th year of private practice work, focusing mainly on children and adolescents. She truly enjoys helping inner-city youth to ensure academic and personal success in difficult environments. Chanel is also currently serving her 11th year in the New Haven Public Schools (as a School Counselor) and has served at many different schools in the district, gaining a diverse background of experience. She is involved in many school and district-wide working groups. Chanel is also the Varsity Assistant Girls’ Basketball Coach for the James Hillhouse High School Lady Academics (in New Haven, CT). Prior to becoming a school counselor, she served as a clinical therapist at the Children’s Center of Hamden in the Extended Day Program, as well as a part-time clinical therapist at Behavioral Management (North Haven, CT), where her work included individual and group therapy, family therapy and community collaborations/partnerships. She is a currently a member of both the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) and Connecticut Counseling Association, as well as a member of American Counselor Association. Chanel truly loves her work and enjoys being able to work both within the mental health field and school field.

Lakisha Jordan

LaKisha Jordan serves as the Corporate Responsibility Officer for KeyBank’s Connecticut, Massachusetts and Hudson Valley markets. In her role, LaKisha oversees a broad community engagement strategy, which includes Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) compliance and execution of KeyBank’s $16.5 billion National Community Benefits Plan. Additionally, LaKisha works closely with local KeyBank leadership and community organizations in partnership on critical community issues impacting the respective markets.

LaKisha has more than Eighteen years of experience in financial services and banking. She joined KeyBank in 2016 as a Relationship Officer for the Commercial Banking team. Prior to KeyBank, LaKisha spent 9 plus years at Bank of America in various roles in Commercial Banking. LaKisha holds a Master’s in Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science from Southern Connecticut State University with concentrations in psychology, sociology, and public health.

An active community volunteer, LaKisha has served as a mentor and currently sits on the board of directors for Phenomenal I Am, a nonprofit in New Haven, which provides mentorships and empowerment enrichment workshops to at-risk female teens. She also serves as the Assistant Program Coordinator for KeyBank’s mentoring program, a partnership with the New Haven Public Schools that pairs students starting in their Freshman year of high school with a Mentor at the Bank. Additionally, she serves on the KeyBank Servicing Company Board of Directors, Community Economic Development Fund Foundation Board of Directors, The Governor’s Prevention Partnership Board of Directors and Gateway Community College Foundation Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Hartford Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC) Advisory Committee and recently joined Southern Connecticut State University’s Business Advisory Council.

LaKisha is a member of several social and professional organizations volunteering her time to various initiatives supporting her community. She was named as one of the “100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut” for 2018 by the State Conference of NAACP Branches. LaKisha resides in Hamden with her husband and three children whom she enjoys spending quality time with.

Jamie Boussicot

Jamie Boussicot earned her Bachelor's degree in Business from Bay Path College in 2003 and graduated from Southern Connecticut State University in 2007 earning her Master's in Business Administration (MBA). She is born in New Haven, CT and recently moved back to CT after residing in Boston for almost 10 years. There she worked in Housing and Judicial Affairs at Mount Ida College and was the Director of Multicultural Affairs at Wheelock College. While Wheelock, Jamie was the founding director of the Multicultural Center and created a student leadership position that solely focused on issues related to Diversity & Inclusion.

Jamie is currently a College Success Counselor at Achievement First Amistad High School (AFAHS) in New Haven, CT. In this role, Jamie works to ensure AFAHS Alumni are accessing campus supports, thriving on campus, and successful through to college graduation. In Jamie's spare time, she does Diversity & Inclusion Consulting at various Secondary and Higher Education institutions in the New England Area.

Jamie is passionate about urban education, college access and success for urban scholars, youth advocacy and mentorship. She's especially excited to serve on the Board of Directors for PIA!

Yvonne Temple

Yvonne Temple is the Assistant Director of Human Resources for Stratford Public Schools where she is able to implement her passion for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in every aspect within her position. She works diligently within her local community and with the Connecticut State Department of Education to promote the educational field as a viable profession for those in the BIPOC community. She is a graduate of Southern CT State University with a BA in English Literature and Sacred Heart University with a MS in Human Resource Management.

Yvonne is the wife of Christopher Temple and mother of three to Crystal, Christopher, and Caitlyn. In her spare time she likes to listen to Autobiographies/Memoirs on Audible and work on creating a journal to publish and sell soon.

Yakeita Robinson

Board Secretary