The Riverbay Fund

After an eight-year stint as one of 15 elected members of the Riverbay Corporation Board, where she held several executive level positions from 2016 through 2024 including Treasurer, 1st Vice President and later President where she skillfully ensured that the Corporation’s annual budget of $250 million was efficiently spent. In February 2024, Sonia was elected President of the Riverbay Fund by its 11-member Board. As President of the Riverbay Fund, a 501(c)3, non-profit based in the Co-op City community in the Northeast Bronx, Sonia is helping guide the organization towards a self-sustaining future while advancing its mission and vision to the benefit of the shareholders by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies and practices.

Sonia graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Empire State College and later obtained an MBA from Long Island University. Fluent in Spanish, Sonia has two adult daughters and two grandchildren. While devoted to caring for her mother, Sonia is actively involved in numerous community-based organizations with which she’s affiliated either as an officer or member:

⦁ United Methodist Church of Co-op City, Trustee/Chair
⦁ Spanish American Community Club of Co-op City, Youth Scholarship Chair
⦁ 45 Precinct Council (NYPD), Secretary
⦁ National Council of Negro Women Co-op City Chapter, Life Member
⦁ NAACP, Life Member
⦁ African American Association of Co-op City, Member
⦁ AARP Co-op City Chapter, Member
⦁ Retirees of Dreiser Loop, Member
⦁ Coalition to Save Affordable Housing, Member

During his tenure at Riverbay, Noel served in several senior managerial positions. He has been an Area Manager, Deputy Director of Contracts Administration, Director of Restorations, Director of Parking Facilities, and Director of Operations and General Manager.

As General Manager, Noel supervised more than 1,000 employees and contract workers who provided a wide array of services to the more than 40,000 shareholders who live at Co-op City in the Bronx, N.Y., where he also resides. He was involved in major labor negotiations; has planned and implemented strike contingency operations plans for the Co-op City development; and played a major role in the planning, scheduling, marketing and implementation of capital projects that included installation of GFI outlets and smoke detectors and apartment window replacement in more than 15,000 apartments throughout Co-op City.

Prior to joining Riverbay Corporation, Noel worked for the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) as a Supervisor of Building Maintenance and as a Procurement Liaison reporting to the Assistant Commissioner for Maintenance and Technical Support. He also worked in senior management positions for several leading property management companies, including Webb & Brooker Real Estate, Century Management Systems, Shinda Management Corp. and Insignia Management Services (now Douglass Elliman).

Noel is a certified Registered Apartment Manager (RAM). In addition, he has served on both the New York and National RAM Board of Governors. He holds Certificates of Training in Elevators and Escalators, Warehouse Management and Inventory Control, Disaster Management for High Rise Office and Residential Buildings, and Advanced Personnel Practices for Property Managers.

Born in Harlem, New York, Noel is a spiritual person who recently served as President of the Board of Trustees for the Presbytery of New York City where he was responsible for Corporate Governance of Presbyterian churches throughout the city of New York. He continues to serve on the Presbytery’s Trustee Board and chairs their Property Committee and Martinez Fund.
Noel also serves on the Boards of several non-profit and civic organizations.

Noel attained a B.A. from Case Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He’s married to his life partner, Jacquelynn and has one son, Jamaal, a daughter, Courtney, a daughter-in-law, Elisha, a grandson Ryan, and granddaughter Nova.

Aisha’s skilled in Finance, Strategic Development, Hospital and Medical Regulations Compliance, Capital Budget, and Legislation as well as Private, Corporate and Government experience. 

She implemented Civil Rights and Justice legislation and facilitated workshops; created education projects; organized cultural affairs in New York; developed programs for youth development services through Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD; and currently works on immigration constituent services while interfacing with City, State, and the Federal Government to secure entitlements and social services. She’s secured funding various organizations in Coop City as Chief of staff to the NYC Council.  In this role, Aisha
facilitated community engagements giveaways, backpacks, school supplies, clothing, masks, face shields and food giveaways for shareholders in Coop City and the Bronx. My appointment to NYC Dept. of Youth and Community Development provided funding distribution in the City of New York to our Community Boards and NYCHA Family Day funding Initiative.

Accomplishments and Honors:
Executive Board Member of Discovery for Justice
NY Health and Hospital Community Advisory Board
​New York State Chaplains Task Force- Government & Community Relations
Puerto Rican Bar Association Recognition Award
Liberty Democratic Association Public Service Award                        
Learning Disabilities and Keys to Success Humanitarian Award 
Community Achievement Award, Hon. Ruth Hassel-Thompson
NYC Health and Hospital Marjorie Matthews Community Recognition Award
NorthWell Certificate of Merit 

Education: 
Bronx Community College Pre Pharmacy
St. John’s University Undergrad Pharmacy 
Henry George a School of Social Sciences 
Natural Health and Nutrition Studies 

Ms. Jones is a native New Yorker, born in Harlem, raised in Brooklyn and has, for most of her adult life, lived in the Bronx. She converted her childhood hobby of fashion design into creating fashions for herself and others and has taught the art of dress-making as well. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, dancing and reading.

Ms. Jones’ community activism began in the 1960’s with her involvement with New World Developers, which studied the history and living conditions of people of “third world” countries, as well as Africans living in America. This knowledge motivated her to enlighten others about the plight of poor people in America and the world. Due to her and her husband’s time-consuming responsibilities of working outside of the home and raising two daughters, her activism was put on hold.

In 1996, Ms. Jones became active again when Co-op City ministers and community leaders founded the Coalition of African-American Churches & Community Organizations of Co-op City, Inc. and she became a representative. Upon the sudden death of its president, Ms. Jones was unanimously elected president and served for four years. She is still a member and actively involved in planning the Friends & Family Day and Kwanzaa events.

Some years later, Ms. Jones was elected Vice-President of the Building 20 Association. Around the same time, she was elected President of the African American Association of Co-op City and initiated or sponsored many of its programs. In 2009, she was elected to and continues to serve on the Riverbay Board of Directors in Co-op City.

Ms. Jones has been a member of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem since 1989 and involved with their Blue Nile Passage Program where she is a mentor. She satisfied her desire to teach elementary school children by volunteering for the NCNW’s Saturday tutorial. In addition to community activities, she assisted a family of the Zodiacs Track Club that could not afford to pay for their child and, she also sponsored a child in the Gambia, West Africa, whose family could not afford to pay his tuition.

Formerly married, Ms. Jones and is the mother of two daughters. In 2009, she became the grandmother of a handsome baby boy.

Claudia graduated Columbia University with a BA in French and Political Science. In addition to speaking French, she is also fluent in Spanish. She was awarded an M.S. in Organizational Change Management at the Milano New School for Public Engagement in May 2014. She also received the 2014 Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Excellence in Academics, Leadership and Community Service. She later was awarded an M.A. in Politics from the New School in Social Research in New York.

Elected to the Riverbay Corporation’s Board in 2016, she served in various roles as Assistant Treasurer, First Vice President, and co-chaired the Board Committee as well as chair of the Safety & Quality of Life Committee. In 2019 she was elected as President of the Riverbay Fund until 2024 when she was nominated as Vice President of Grants Administration. She recently resigned from this role but continues to serve as an Advisory Board Member.

Claudia has received various professional designations over the years from many organizations including the Institute for Diversity Certification, the Society for Human Resources Management, and the Institute for Executive Development.

Claudia has leveraged her hands-on experience of two years as Assistant Admissions Director at Columbia Business School to advise clients on gaining a competitive advantage. She delivered year over year yield of Columbia Business School students of color by 60% and minority enrollment by 150%. She successfully managed new Pfizer scholarship awards while promoting existing relationships with key stakeholders like Goldman and JP Morgan. She also designed and delivered graduate business school selection, application, and career management strategies for 200+ fellows in Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) program for over five years. Claudia continues to deliver graduate business school selection, application, and test preparation strategies to ensure successful career transition as an independent MBA Consultant. She offers admissions consulting on goal setting, career mapping, effective storytelling and interviewing. In addition, she has conducted interview preparation at NYU Stern, Fordham Gabelli School of Business and Rutgers Graduate School of Business. Over the years, she has read approximately 15,000 graduate applications for top business schools including Yale SOM and MIT Sloan. Currently works as an MBA Admissions Consultant with Solomon Admissions Consulting.

Relevant Experience

Vice President, Grants Administration, THE RIVERBAY FUND, INC. New York, NY
Board Member, THE RIVERBAY CORPORATION, New York, NY
Chief Diversity Officer, Diversity & Inclusion, NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, New York, NY
Director, Diversity & Inclusion, Deloitte, New York, NY
Manager, Diversity Talent Acquisition, PRICEWATERHOUSECOOPERS, New York, NY
Manager, Corporate Employee Resources, PFIZER INC, New York, NY
Assistant Director of Admissions, COLUMBIA BUSINESS SCHOOL, New York, NY
MIS Consultant & Operations Manager, MARSH & McLENNAN, New York, NY & Puerto Rico

Education:

M.A. Politics, The New School for Social Research, New York
M.S, Organizational Change Management, The New School of Public Engagement, New York,
B.A. Liberal Arts, Columbia University, New York

Sheila Richburg is a Registered Nurse in the Bronx, NY. Sheila holds a master’s in nursing education from Mercy College and has held many professional nursing roles over the last 25 plus years. Sheila recently served as the President of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. Bronx NY. Sheila is a proud member of the Illustrious Bronx Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and a member of many community organizations here in the Bronx.

Sheila has been an informative speaker at various events here in the Bronx & Westchester, providing information on topics such as Mental Health, Heart Health, Cardiac Disease and Diabetes. Sheila’s favorite quote is: “A woman is free if she lives by her own standards and creates her own destiny, if she prizes her individuality and puts no boundaries on her hopes for tomorrow.”- Mary McLeod Bethune