Meet The Board

Inspired by her three children, Wicondra Stovall is the product of a single-mother household and is most passionate about parental engagement and African American families, as she believes it was her mother's dedication to her schooling that made the difference. This ultimately led to her launching Ara’s Education Consulting, LLC in July of 2019 and the completion of her dissertation on Black Othermothering as a Framework for Cultural Brokering for African American Students and Families in April of 2022. The name of the company was later switched to "Just Like a Mom" to reflect the company’s othermothering approach. In 2021, we gained our 501(c)(3) status. Wicondra's research would lead her to a much more expansive lens of parental engagement and exclusivity of systemic structures that directly inhibit success in Black students. Wicondra possesses a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from CSU, Sacramento, a Master of Arts in Learning Technologies from Pepperdine University , a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development from CSU, East Bay and an Associate of Arts from Contra Costa College. Wicondra is a proud woman of faith and views her work at Just Like a Mom, Inc. as her personal ministry. She labors alongside her love of nearly 20 years, Rodney Stovall Jr., at the Bayview Church of Christ in San Francisco, CA.

Lerneda Lacy-English was born and raised in Oakland CA. She graduated from Skyline High School and earned a BS degree in Economics from the University of California Santa Cruz. While still in college, and after graduation, she worked as a Taxpayer Service Specialist and later as a Supervisory Tax Technician for the Internal Revenue Service for over 10 years and received extensive training in income and employment tax law. She has also worked as an Enforcement Officer and Administrative Analyst for the City of Oakland and as a Customer Services Supervisor for the East Bay Municipal Utility District. She retired over 5 years ago and has since worked as the Culinary Manager for the BayNorth Church of Christ Nomadic Shelter program where she managed the staffing and food budget and worked in the kitchen to prepare and serve over 2000 meals a month during and after the
Covid outbreak.

She currently works part-time for the Fairfield Suisun Unified School District as a Substitute Teacher. Lerneda’s parents always impressed upon her the importance of education. In high school she was part of the Upward Bound program at Mills College and was the first in her family to attend and complete college. As a substitute teacher she is always looking for ways to work with students and administrators to help improve the learning environment. She spends much of her own time and resources in activities that reward and encourage students to appreciate and take advantage of every learning opportunity.

Lissette Maliza has worked as an educator in various capacities, and brings a significant amount of experience to Just Like a Mom, Inc. She has served as a Success Coach at Let’s Get Ready, a Behavior Therapist at Songbird Therapy, and an Assistant Teacher at Winston Preparatory School in New York. Lissette has guided cohorts of 40+ freshman and sophomore students at the City College of New York and brings a strong passion and commitment to working with young people with different learning styles. Her personal experience of growing up an Ecuadorian immigrant in the New York City Public School system has given her an immense sense of urgency around how students navigate education and social communities. She feels a great commitment to uplifting under-resourced communities through education and mentorship.Lissette received a B.A. in Sociology from The City College of New York and an A.A. in Sociology from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. She enjoys analog photography, reading, museums, dancing and spending time with her friends and family.

Lynnette Mawhinney is an award-winning writer, creator, and long-time educator. Dr. Mawhinney was a former high school English teacher at the School District of Philadelphia and transitioned into teacher education. She has conducted teacher trainings in the U.S., Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa, Bahrain, and Egypt. Dr. Mawhinney is Professor of Urban Education and Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Academic Initiatives at Rutgers University-Newark. As a secret artist, she applies her craft of visual-based approaches to her research and scholarship on the recruitment and retention of teachers of Color. 

Dr. Sarah M. Jouganatos has over 20 years of experience working in education both in the California TK-12 system and in higher education. She presently holds the position of Associate Dean for Instruction and Student Success in the College of Education. Previously, she served as professor in both the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies program and the Doctorate in Educational Leadership program at California State University, Sacramento. Dr. Jouganatos' research focuses on inclusive leadership practices, with a specific emphasis on Transformative leadership. Her work aims to empower educational leaders by guiding them in collaboratively constructing inclusive and educationally just systems and practices.

Anthony Nelson Sr. used to make money-cutting hair on his porch. One of the many talents you just pick up in the ‘hood and became a Master Barber in 2014 and, shortly after, opened a barbershop in Brentwood and another in Oakland in 2017. He is a resource for the community, mentoring through apprenticeships, supporting through scholarships, and uplifting through employment. These tentacles reach all ages. His barbershop has developed partnerships with neighboring businesses, public schools and Police Departments, which have opened doors to assist with counter-recidivism efforts. Plus, his chair has become a proverbial therapist’s couch, critical especially for many men of color who do not receive therapy in the traditional sense but truly need it. His reward is being the chosen ear for those who otherwise aren’t vulnerable and transparent. It’s the connection felt when he is able to share his life experiences. It’s the light bulb that goes off in the eyes when imparted wisdom lands. For the past three years, he has also partnered with the Antioch School District as a workshop facilitator for the Kings Conference, a movement to support high-

risk, underserved youth. The barbershop is utilized to educate the young participants about personal grooming, confidence, and professional presentation. He brings value to his surrounding community with the optimism that the “each one teach one” proverb will inspire a lasting legacy. 

Anthony worked for UPI Steel Mill in Pittsburg California from September 2004 until December 2023 (plant shutdown). In his time at the Mill, his duties continued to evolve and consisted of developing, facilitating and managing grass roots teams by utilizing the expertise of over 500 employees along with the application of specific problem solving tools to identify process breakdowns and opportunities for improvement. He worked with the President, Vice President of Operations, Organization Development Manager and created a network of Team Building Problem Solving workshops, safety programs and employee engagement initiatives. He was considered a liaison between union and management and garnered expertise in Six Sigma, Conflict Resolution, Coaching Style Management and Root Cause Analysis, technically and practically. He also trained and worked as a Quality ISO Coordinator for two divisions where he developed quality procedures, conducted plant wide audits, trained employees and more. 

A life-long learner and enamored by how the mind impacts behavior, Anthony has immersed himself in the fields of psychology and sociology and has earned an A.A. degree in Psychology and has nearly completed an A.A. degree in Sociology from Los Medanos College. Anthony has been accepted to a number of public 4-years universities and is currently deliberating on where he will finish his upper division requirements to complete his B.A. degree in psychology.

Janelle Weiner (EdM, Boston University), has been an educator for over 10 years, serving students with special needs from 4th through 12th grade in Oakland, Boston, and Sacramento. She is committed to providing a nurturing environment and empowering students in the classroom.  As a middle school special education teacher, she tries to ensure her students feel seen and encouraged every day. From 2021-2023, she collaborated with Just Like a Mom to help achieve the mission of deepening the home-school connection for students of color and their families. She has served on the Instructional Leadership Team at multiple sites and is currently the Special Education Department Chair at her middle school. In 2023, she was voted her school’s Teacher of the Year. Janelle has also volunteered as an ESL teacher, playcare provider for mothers furthering their education, and clothing closet organizer at the Sacramento Food Bank. She enjoys running, knitting, and having family dinners with her husband, Josh, and their three sons.