SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — JESPY House, a nonprofit organization helping more than 250 adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to live independently, recently welcomed Ahadi Bugg-Levine as its new board president.
“JESPY House, our clients, and our staff inspire me every day,” Bugg-Levine said. “I am truly honored that my fellow Board members elected me as their president. I grew up in SOMA and always remember seeing JESPY clients. They are an integral part of the diversity that makes South Orange a wonderful place to live, where, as we say: ‘Everybody belongs.’ JESPY also has a rich history and continues to welcome adults from all backgrounds into our family.”
JESPY House clients work in businesses in South Orange and a number of surrounding towns in New Jersey. They are integral to the local economy. For example, they contribute more than $3 million annually to downtown South Orange businesses and landlords.
“I look forward to working with South Orange and surrounding communities on issues such as developing employment opportunities, more affordable housing and keener insights into the lives of people with disabilities,” Bugg-Levine said. “These issues are critical for our clients.”
Bugg-Levine’s background in advocacy and disability issues includes drafting national disability laws while serving as an attorney in the South African Human Rights Commission’s Disability Unit; working with Supreme Court justices in Mozambique on their nation’s disability laws; and serving as policy counsel for the National Partnership for Women and Families. She also worked as senior counsel in the Affirmative Litigation Division of the New York City Law Department during the Bloomberg administration and with the president of the Atlantic Philanthropies to spearhead the foundation’s successful efforts to improve U.S.-Cuba policy.
“I am thrilled that Dr. Bugg-Levine is the president of our board,” JESPY House Executive Director Audrey Winkler said. “As a board member, she skillfully combined her unique skills with her passion for JESPY House to help us achieve our mission and further our goals. I am confident that under her leadership we will continue to improve our services and help even more adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to realize their right to independence, especially during these difficult times.”
Bugg-Levine earned her Bachelor of Arts from Wellesley College, Juris Doctorate from Yale Law School and Ph.D. from Yale University. She is the president of Bugg-Levine Inc., a philanthropic consulting company. She lives in South Orange with her husband and daughter.
Photo Courtesy of Elise Campbell of Elise Campbell Photography
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