Staff

Evan Weiss is the President and CEO of the Newark Alliance. He assumed the role in December 2021.  
 
Previously, he was Senior Advisor for Finance and Major Projects to Governor Phil Murphy. He focused on finding creative solutions to New Jersey’s most pressing economic and community development problems, including managing the fiscal response to COVID-19, establishing New Jersey as the base of the US offshore wind industry, and financing affordable housing, transit, and water infrastructure projects. He was also the administration's point person for key city initiatives in Newark, Trenton, and Atlantic City. Most recently, he helped craft the legislation to reform the Urban Enterprise Zone program and the $14+ billion suite of Economic Development Authority tax credit programs, as well as lead the State's financial review of the Gateway Project, the largest infrastructure project in the United States.  
 
Prior to entering the Governor’s administration, Mr. Weiss was Director at the Pennsylvania Economy League and HJA Strategies, where he specialized in developing and implementing turnaround strategies for distressed cities and school districts, including for the City of Newark, Newark Public Schools, Scranton, Atlantic City, and Trenton.  
He has published several articles on economic development, tax policy, and corporate social responsibility. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago. 

Della M. Walker, Jr. is the Director of Newark 2020. A Newark, New Jersey native and veteran management professional, Della has over twenty years of experience in operations, business development, training, coaching, and workforce development. Della is a natural-born visionary thinker with an entrepreneurial spirit, who specializes in operational excellence, process improvement, contract negotiations, and strategic planning. In her current role, Della leads the Alliance’s HR Roundtable promoting equitable hiring as an essential hiring practice. She works with our employer partners to implement policies and practices that create cultural shifts towards more equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplaces. 

Prior to joining Newark Alliance, Della served as the Program Coordinator of NewarkWORKS, the Mayor’s Office of Employment, where she launched training programs with PSEG, Rising Tide Capital-Returning Citizens, NJMEP, Essex County College, and Clara Maass Medical Center. 

Della is a servant leader who is passionate about Newark, the economic empowerment of its residents, and creating communities of change and diverse corporations that reflect the communities they serve.

Sibu is a seasoned public servant committed to mobilizing disenfranchised communities through public policy and partnerships. She holds over ten years of professional experience in public affairs, community relations, volunteer management, and fundraising. As NAC Director, Sibu is responsible for developing and directing collective NAC action, as well as managing the Newark Live Local housing incentive program.

Prior to the Newark Alliance, Sibu served as National Urban Fellow in the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Department at Prudential. Previously, Sibu served as Executive Director for the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus (MBLLC) where she was responsible for defining, highlighting, and analyzing issues affecting people of color in Massachusetts. Under her leadership, the MBLLC secured several policy victories in the state budget, criminal justice reform, cannabis regulation, equal pay, and racial justice legislation.

Prior to the MBLLC, Sibu held roles in the Office of Senator Chang-Diaz (D-MA), Governor Deval Patrick’s re-election campaign, and educational nonprofits. Sibu holds a B.A. in History and English Communications from Emmanuel College, an M.A. in Public Policy from Tufts University (Neighborhood Fellow), and an M.A. in Public Administration from Baruch College (National Urban Fellow).

Kaili Baucum Sanderson is a non-profit leader, serving educational institutions for nearly two decades.

Prior to coming to the Newark Alliance, Kaili has had the privilege of working at some of the country's top non-profit organizations on educational challenges in districts across the country. These organizations include PDK, International, American University, The Panasonic Foundation, Teach for America. Kaili was also the Founding Executive Director of Pallus, a non-profit organization, focused on growing the number of minority students in top tier colleges.

Kaili began her education career with Teach for America at P.S. 28 in the South Bronx, where she taught third and fifth grade students. Kaili is a proud Plainfield, New Jersey native; holds a Ph.D. in Education Policy from Rutgers University-Newark, a Master's Degree in Secondary Social Studies from Teachers College, Columbia University and a Bachelor's degree in Public Policy Studies from Duke University

Kaleena K. [E1] Berryman is a social justice advocate, community organizer, author, mentor, and program director committed to the empowerment of children, parents, women, and people of color. With a commitment to leadership development, she has empowered Newark youth and parents to raise their voices and work collaboratively to create change within their schools, neighborhoods, and community.

Born and raised in Newark, NJ, Kaleena K. Berryman graduated with honors from Arts High School in 2000 as a Television Communications major. After being awarded a Presidential Scholarship to William Paterson University, Kaleena earned a Bachelor’s degree in Communications in 2004, with a minor in African American and Caribbean Studies. She served as President of William Paterson’s college chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and founded the first culturally responsive campus monthly publication, entitled UMOJA, in 2007. In January 2011, she earned a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Rutgers University-Newark.

Before coming to the Newark Alliance, Kaleena served as the Director for the Abbott Leadership Institute (ALI) at Rutgers University-Newark. ALI’s mission is to teach education advocacy and family engagement skills to parents, educators, community leaders, and students in Newark, NJ. ALI’s Youth Media Symposium (YMS) develops youth leaders by inspiring high school students to use the power of their voices and the media to advocate for better schools.  In her role at ALI, Kaleena develop critical programs such as the New-Ark Leaders of Health in partnership with Mayor Ras Baraka’s Office of Youth and College Affairs, Parents as Partners in Extended Learning Time, Parents Empowered: Developing Your Family’s Social and Emotional Learning Skills, Parent Outreach 101, and Ten Tips for the Empowered Parent. In 2015, Kaleena led Newark high school students through the process of planning and opening YMS College Success Centers in the city, which provide free college readiness assistance to students and families in Newark. These centers are managed by YMS graduates. In addition to her work at ALI, Kaleena held the position of President for the Organization of Black Faculty and Staff on the Rutgers-Newark campus. 

In 2013, Kaleena founded Newark Circle of Sisters (NCOS), an organization of women in the city of Newark who provide service scholarships to Newark women at all stages in their advanced education pursuits. NCOS currently has over 5,000 members on social media and 100 active members; the group is steadily growing. The NCOS Board hosts well attended events and meetings throughout the year in the spirit of sisterhood, support, celebration, service, and scholarship. Kaleena also serves on the board of the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network of NJ (SPANN) and Mayor Ras Baraka’s National Community Schools Advisory Board.

Kaleena’s most important job, however, is that of mother to Jharid Jr, born 16 weeks premature in 2012. Inspired by his early birth, five-month NICU stay, and cerebral palsy diagnosis, Kaleena is committed to spreading the importance of prematurity awareness. In 2016, Kaleena founded The Preemie Parent’s Club, Inc., which provides support services to mothers and fathers whose babies are currently in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Newark, NJ[E2] , her hometown.

As a writer of poetry and inspirational blogs, she has reached thousands of parents across the country and the world via her online preemie support network;[E3]  viral poem, “On the Day You Were Born”; and blog, Praying4MyPreemie.  In 2014, Kaleena published her first book, Stronger than We Thought: Poetry for the Preemie Mom’s Journey, available on Amazon.