SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — JESPY House announced the addition of business consultant Samantha Jones and Broadway actress Diane Davis to its board of trustees. A nonprofit organization based in South Orange, JESPY House provides a wide range of support services to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities; visit jespy.org to learn more.
Jones, a resident of Princeton, has been a civil servant since 2000 and brings a breadth of experience in executive coaching, digital transformation, leadership and change management. A published author, she obtained her bachelor’s degree in communications from Stockton University. She later earned a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management from Centenary University and a doctorate in business administration from Liberty University, with a concentration in leadership, graduating cum laude. Jones said that once she became familiar with JESPY, she was impressed with the support that was provided for adults with IDD.
“With a close family member with an IDD, I often think about how life will be for them as they get older. So I knew I had to join this board to contribute to this great cause,” Jones said.
Davis, a Maplewood resident who has previous history with JESPY, is a longtime thespian. Most widely known for starring on stage as Ginny Potter in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” on Broadway, she has also appeared in “Golden Boy,” “Old Acquaintance” and “Festen.” Her performance credits also include a host of off-Broadway productions, regional theater, and television shows such as “FBI: Most Wanted,” “Person of Interest” and “Blue Bloods.” She holds a Master of Fine Arts from the graduate acting program at New York University.
In 2018, Davis worked with JESPY clients on a campaign to help keep and continue Division of Developmental Disabilities funding in New Jersey, coaching clients on telling stories about what JESPY has meant for their lives.
“I then helped to edit and roll out a series of videos directed to state senators,” Davis said. “I fell in love with the clients, the mission, and with all that JESPY brings to our SOMA community.”
Both of JESPY’s new board members look forward to participating in the future of the agency. “The growth of JESPY House means helping more clients navigate within the community,” said Jones, who has also tutored and done course instruction at the Princeton Review. “I am hoping to contribute to the further growth and development of JESPY in any way that I can.”
One of Davis’ goals as a board member is to utilize her love of and connection to the arts.
“I believe I can offer my artistic skills to integrate JESPY and its clients further into the local community through outreach programs,” she said, adding that those client projects would include working with clients to create and write their own theater pieces to perform locally.
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