Leadership

Project YES Africa Leadership and Board of Directors

Project Yes Africa’s Board of Directors is comprised of professionals with considerable experience in non-profit, corporate and government service. Our Advisory Board consists of educators, public servants and business persons—both in the U.S. and on the continent of Africa—who provide critical guidance from a local perspective, and on the ground support to PYA’s Board of Director’s.

Working together with the Board of Directors, Project YES Africa’s leadership team is responsible for all aspects of the organization’s work in South Africa. Our Board shapes the organization’s direction through its mission, strategy, budget, and key policies; ensures that the leadership, resources, and finances in place match Project YES Africa’s vision; and monitors and improves the performance of the organization.

Our Senior Leadership and Board of Directors

Michelle Riley Jones
Executive Director

Michelle Riley Jones is the Executive Director of Project YES Africa. After visiting Khayelitsha in Western Cape, South Africa, she committed to working to improve educational opportunities for children and youth. Throughout her 25+ year career, she has held senior executive and consulting positions in human capital management for corporate and non-profit organizations, including several whose mission is to address issues related to children and education. Locally, Michelle is an active Mentor/Sponsor with Generation Hope, whose mission is college completion for teen parents; she supports reading and play resources for children at emergency shelter and transitional housing sites in D.C.; and is a member of 100 Women Who Care-DC evaluating local charities for consideration for group donation; in addition to other causes related to children, women, and families, that she supports with her time and resources. She is the proud daughter of an educator, and mother to her daughter who is a high school educator in Richmond, VA.  Michelle is committed to working towards a brighter future for all young South Africans.

Beverly Crockett
Chief Program Officer/Secretary

Beverly Crockett (Taylor) has been a grass roots activist for issues related to human and civil rights since before her college years at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Her experiences in South Africa in 2013 greatly inspired her to make a commitment to serve children in Africa. Over the last 25+ years, she has had successful careers in both marketing and human resources and has worked in HR consulting, financial services, and the legal industry.  She is currently the Regional Director of Human Resources for Nixon Peabody in Washington, DC.

Craig Jones
Treasurer

Craig Jones is a business development senior executive with over 25 years of experience in sales, strategic partnerships, program strategy, and management consulting for several corporate industry leaders. He is a graduate of Howard University, with a degree in Marketing. He has served as a mentor to youth, and enjoys volunteering to support children.

Kathryn Niles-Jolly
Director of Fundraising and Assistant Treasurer

Kathryn Niles-Jolly has been greatly influenced by a focus on education. When visiting South Africa in 2013, she learned of educational opportunities in South Africa as well as imbalances in access to those opportunities. This experience led to her commitment to Project YES Africa. Professionally, Kathryn is an industrial/organizational psychologist working on targeted projects for hiring, developing, and promoting employees. In addition, she volunteers for professional and service activities to support children and students.

Antoinette Charles-Aqui
Director of Marketing

Antoinette Charles-Aqui is a professional photographer and business woman serving the Washington DC Metropolitan Area. A graduate of the University of Maryland University College, Antoinette holds a degree in Business and Certificates in Photography. Her 30+ years as a marketing and sales professional in areas such as financial investments, real estate and sales, and her travels throughout the Caribbean, Europe and Africa translate well for her ability to interact with people of various cultures. Antoinette is very passionate about the African continent and has spent time volunteering in West Africa.

Linwood Jolly
Partnerships Officer

Linwood Jolly is a Chief Executive Officer with over 20 years progressive experience in starting and running an information technology firm with focus on federal government contracting and private sector growth. He is an innovative thinker with broad based expertise in operations, finance, sales/marketing and business development.  With proven ability to quickly analyze key business drivers and develop strategies for effective program implementation, he has formed strategic partnerships within the African continent to include; South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Lesotho.

Our Advisory Board

Project YES Africa’s Advisory Board are key partners in fostering critical relationships, advising on strategic direction, and guiding quality improvement. They offer a unique multidisciplinary approach to non-profit management, and assessing program effectiveness in the communities we serve. Our Advisory Board consists of educators, public servants and business persons—both in the U.S. and in Africa—who provide critical guidance from a local perspective, and on the ground support to PYA’s Leadership and Board of Directors.

Mvuyisi Mbono — Mvuyisi Mbono has over 25 years of teaching experience and has been appointed to serve the Department of Basic Education for the Republic of South Africa, writing curriculum and standards for assessment and learning for grades R to 9.  He is a recognized cultural “ambassador” in the Khayelitsha township and beyond, facilitating the exchange of ideas, information, history, and other aspects of South African and township culture among peoples in order to foster mutual understanding. He was part of the marketing team for Cape Town and Western Cape for the FIFA-sponsored Soccerex prior to the 2010 Soccer World Cup.