OUR STAFF

CORI MACKEY
CORI MACKEYExecutive Director
Cori Mackey brings 16 years of executive leadership experience in urban ministry, social justice work, nonprofit management, and faith-based community organizing to the Center for Leadership and Justice (CLJ) where she was appointed executive director in August 2014 of the then Christian Activities Council. Cori’s passion is engaging low-income communities in organizing efforts that bring about quality of life changes. She is also deeply passionate about the intersection of social justice and congregational life embodied in a belief that church must be more than just a gathering space on Sundays. She holds an M.Div. from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, OH and is a member of Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford.
LUZ (LUCY) BERRIOS-TAVERAS
LUZ (LUCY) BERRIOS-TAVERASDirector of Operations
Lucy joins the CLJ team as an executive assistant to manage the office and support Cori Mackey and the CLJ staff. She has 30+ years of experience providing administrative and office management support to non-profit organizations, medical institutions, and in the corporate world. Lucy has a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Phoenix and also has a life coach certification from the Life Purpose Institute.

Originally from Chicago, Lucy has lived in Connecticut for the past 31 years. Lucy is a founding and core team member of Ministerio Nueva Creación church in Manchester, CT.

REV. JOCELYN GARDNER SPENCER
REV. JOCELYN GARDNER SPENCERGHIAA Lead Organizer
Jocelyn (she/her) joins the CLJ team as a full-time community organizer. She is committed to intersectional justice work and to building relationships of authentic solidarity across lines of race, religion, geography, socioeconomics, gender, sexuality, ability, age, and all the other ways we tend to divide ourselves from one another.

An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Jocelyn has led congregations in Massachusetts and Connecticut, serving in urban, suburban, and rural settings. She is past president of the Southern New England Conference of the UCC. She has been active in local interfaith collaborations in Boston, New Haven, and Northeastern Connecticut, and has facilitated racial justice trainings in local churches, at regional workshops, and for denominational staff.

Jocelyn holds a B.A. in human ecology and environmental studies from Williams College and an M.Div. from Harvard Divinity School, and has a Certificate in Executive Leadership at Princeton Theological Seminary.

REV. AJ JOHNSON
REV. AJ JOHNSONDirector of Neighborhood Organizing
AJ joined CLJ’s team as a full time organizer. In addition to organizing, AJ pastors Urban Hope Refuge Church in the north end where AJ’s father pastored for 24 years. AJ has been active in many social justice movements in Hartford, including a key leader in the Fight for 15 Campaign, and is a well-respected community leader. AJ has a master’s degree in organizational management and leadership and a bachelor’s degree in religious studies and education.
MARIKA STEWART (currently on leave)
MARIKA STEWART (currently on leave)GHIAA Organizer
Marika Stewart is joining the CLJ team as a full time Community Organizer. As a lifelong resident of Greater Hartford, her appreciation for the Nutmeg State runs deep; so feel free to share Connecticut trivia, it will be sincerely enjoyed. Marika’s parents and grandparents all immigrated to America from Jamaica, which strongly influenced the development of her worldview as a first generation Jamaican American women in today’s society.

Marika comes to CLJ with experience in faith based organizing and nonprofit management. She has previously worked in leadership development, addiction recovery, and volunteer management. She specializes in training, diversity and racial reconciliation, and engagement. Marika earned a Masters of Social Work with a Concentration in Community Organizing from the University of Connecticut, School of Social Work. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Sociology, Social Justice and Inequality from Wheaton College in Illinois.

TIEASHA GAYLE
TIEASHA GAYLE Neighborhood Organizer
Tieasha Gayle joins the CLJ team as a Community Organizer with an initial focus on South Marshall Street. In collaboration with the South Marshall Street Interfaith Coalition, her role will be to identify and engage resident leaders around issues that affect the neighborhood, as well as community-led solutions.

Tieasha graduated from the University of Connecticut with a bachelor’s in Urban and Community Studies, and from Albertus Magnus College with a master’s in Organizational Leadership. Born and raised in Hartford, she has worked with youth by mentoring and facilitating workshops for college readiness. Tieasha’s passion is building relationships that unite people in finding solutions to common issues.

PAT SPEER
PAT SPEERConsulting Organizer
Pat Speer joined CLJ’s team to mentor and train CLJ’s new organizers and to work with Senior Pastors. Pat has over 25 years of neighborhood and faith-based organizing experience as the founder and lead organizer of Elm City Congregations Organized (ECCO) in New Haven, and organizer of Congregations Organized for A New Connecticut (CONECT). Pat has a master’s degree in Religion and Social Ethics from Boston University.
SARAH MCCOY
SARAH MCCOYNeighborhood Organizer and Grant Writer
Sarah joins CLJ as a Grant Writer after spending much of the last decade serving in various education, entrepreneurial, and artistic roles. She is passionate about Hartford and engaging community members to take an active role in demanding change. In addition to her work at CLJ, Sarah also owns Story and Soil Coffee.

She has a B.A. in Journalism from Temple University and a M.S. in School Counseling from UMass Boston. Sarah is a core team member of Center Church in Hartford.