From SOMA Action:
SOUTH ORANGE AND MAPLEWOOD, NJ – SOMA Action has selected seven new members to its Board of Trustees, expanding the leadership of one of the area’s most active progressive grassroots organizations.
SOMA Action Co-President Erika Malinoski said the addition of the new trustees reflects the organization’s continued growth at a moment of heightened civic engagement in the South Orange and Maplewood communities.
“At a moment when democratic institutions are under extraordinary pressure, SOMA Action is doing what grassroots organizations are supposed to do — growing stronger,” she said. “Each of these new trustees has already demonstrated what it means to show up in local government, in advocacy, in service. We’re thrilled to have them helping shape what comes next.”
For Co-President Allison Posner, the new trustees signal something beyond organizational growth — they represent a deepening of the skills SOMA Action can bring to every level of its work.
“What excites me most about this group is the range of experience they bring,” said Posner. “We have former elected officials, immigration attorneys, social workers, fundraisers, digital strategists, and organizers who have been doing this work for decades. That depth of talent doesn’t just strengthen our board, it strengthens every committee, every campaign, and every conversation we have with our neighbors about what’s possible when people come together.”
Deb Engel, Jamaine Cripe, Kate Reilly, Deborah Allesandro, Alison Grant, Sara Kirkwood, JT Sturm
The newly elected trustees are:
Deborah Alessandro has been an active civic participant in South Orange for more than 25 years. She currently serves as co-Chair of SOMA Action’s Reproductive Rights Committee and is an active member of its Democracy Action Committee. Deborah also serves as a Democratic Party District Leader in South Orange, where she works to create greater transparency in party operations and increase voter engagement. She holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Columbia University.
Jamaine Cripe has spent her career in service to educational, faith-based, and community organizations across multiple states. A former Maplewood Township Committeewoman and Deputy Mayor, she is focused on economically and environmentally responsible policymaking that fosters connection across demographics. Jamaine is a religious and sexuality educator at Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit, NJ, and believes that leaning into what communities have in common is the path to meaningful change.
Deb Engel is a community builder, entrepreneur, and former Maplewood Deputy Mayor who served three years on the Maplewood Township Committee. During her tenure, she focused on government transparency, pedestrian and bicycle safety, and inter-municipal collaboration. Deb helped build the Maplewood Democratic Committee’s early get-out-the-vote infrastructure, including launching its first website and newsletter and training volunteers for local and federal elections. She is also a two-time startup founder whose ventures have included one of the world’s first coworking spaces with licensed childcare and a cooperative retail model that incubated more than 30 small businesses.
Alison Grant is a social worker, psychotherapist, and educator at the Rutgers School of Social Work whose professional values center on challenging oppression and promoting social justice. A Maplewood resident of nearly 20 years, Alison sees the current political moment—the erosion of democratic norms and the rise of authoritarianism—as a call to stay engaged and committed to action. She is excited to support SOMA Action’s mission to advance progressive change.
Sara Kirkwood is an activist, fundraiser, and writer who has worked in progressive movements for more than 20 years. For the past 15 years, she has been a development professional at sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice organizations, raising funds to ensure access to abortion care domestically and internationally. Sara has been a SOMA Action volunteer since 2023.
Kate Reilly is an immigration attorney with more than 15 years of experience in advocacy, leadership, and direct support for individuals navigating the U.S. immigration system. She is the founder and managing attorney of Reilly Immigration Law, PLLC, and previously spent a decade in federal service with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, including work on anti-trafficking initiatives and international refugee processing missions. A former Peace Corps Volunteer, Kate is active in the Maplewood Democratic Committee and has lived in Maplewood with her family since 2019.
JT Sturm is a queer parent, Maplewood resident, local organizer, digital strategist, and advocacy and electoral campaigner. They currently lead stakeholder communications at the Urban Institute and previously spent six years at MoveOn, where they ran campaigns that mobilized millions, including the 2020 Save the Post Office campaign, a nationwide coalition effort that culminated in 800 rallies to protect mail delivery and the right to vote by mail. JT has been involved in local electoral campaigns and community advocacy since moving to the area in 2019.
For more information about SOMA Action or to get involved, visit somaaction.org.
