MEET THE TEAM
The Faces Of Our Executive Board
JENNIFER LIMA (SHE/HER)
Founder and Co-President
Lima was inspired to start this group after seeing a similar group in a nearby community enact change in their school department by raising awareness of racial issues within their town. As a long time North Kingstown resident and mother of four children educated within the NK school district Lima recently ran for and was elected to the North Kingstown School committee and is looking forward to advancing diversity and equity in this position. She works at Toray Plastics, is a longtime member of The Herren Project Runs team, and is a sucker for a big slobbery dog.
CARLOS HERNANDEZ (HE/HIM)
Co-President
Hernandez was raised in NY, and lived in several places across the country, before settling in North Kingstown 11 years ago. He and his wife Nina have two children currently educated through the NK school district. As a first generation American, and child of immigrants, diversity, inclusion and, anti-racism are very personal for him. With the continued rise of racial injustice and police brutality, Carlos is inspired to take action: advance diversity, promote anti racism, and advocate for the BIPOC community. He works at United Healthcare, enjoys hiking, music, and a good dad joke.
TRACY WILKINSON (SHE/HER)
Treasurer
Wilkinson is a qualified accountant, having trained with PriceWaterhouse Coopers in the UK and identifies as a serial volunteer. She has been involved with Boy Scouts – as a den leader and as an ongoing merit badge counsellor for Troop 152; took on treasurer of St Paul’s Church in Wickford in the midst of the pandemic; has been treasurer of the LINKS (Laymen in North Kingstown Schools) Board, where she is now employed and helped many of the school PTO’s become registered 501c3 charities whilst acting as their treasurers. She also teaches water fitness at URI and can often be found on deck or in the water singing and working out.
BETSY DELEIRIS (SHE/HER)
Secretary
DeLeiris is a newer resident of North Kingstown. She lived in Newport for 30 years, and then spent 13 years in southwestern Montana. Working for a non-proft building housing, and training tribal members in construction, she gained a new understanding of racism in her experiences with the overwhelmingly white population of the state, and its overt racism toward our first nations. When she moved back to RI, she was committed to bringing the lessons from that experience to her life in Rhode Island. Betsy previously worked as a lawyer for 27 years, and was active as a volunteer advocate in programs combatting domestic violence and sexual assault. She also worked as the director of a non-profit environmental education center and land preserve on Aquidneck Island, and was a jack of all trades at the Montana non-profit housing and training organization working in reservation communities. Currently retired, in addition to working with TANK, she is a volunteer therapeutic riding instructor in South County, working mostly with children with special needs.