Jim has 30 years of experience designing, training, implementing, administrating and evaluating quality human service organizations. He has published numerous research articles and papers in professional journals and has presented at national, regional and local human service conferences on pertinent topics related to organizational change and quality human services. Jim holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from North Adams State College, a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan, and a Masters Degree in Human Development from the University of Kansas. After completing his graduate studies, Jim worked for 17 years at Father Flanagan's Girls and Boys Town, in Boys Town, Nebraska. In 1990, Jim founded Girls and Boys Town of New England. In addition to his work at Father Flanagan’s Girls and Boys Town, Jim has served as the Director of Child and Adolescent Residential Services for McLean Hospital, Director of Family-Based Services for the Northeast Center for Youth and Families, Executive Director of the Kolbourne School, Senior Administrator for Alternative Behavioral Services and Vice President of Residential Services at Brightside for Families and Children, a corporation of the Sisters of Providence Health System and Catholic Health East, the largest faith-based health system in the country. In May 2005 he became a Founding Zen Entrepreneur in the Fellowship of Entrepreneurs of the Zen Peacemakers.

Jay-Sheree Allen earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and pre-medical studies at The City College of New York and studied at New York University. She co-founded a nonprofit that focuses on building strong female leaders, and its success encouraged her to broaden the scope of her advocacy. She has tutored elementary students, worked with preschoolers as a Jumpstart Corps member, and completed a medical center internship. She also traveled to Africa to teach science classes in girls’ empowerment camps sponsored by the Tanzanian Ministry of Education; and, an honors student, she received numerous accolades. She is beginning medical studies at Nashville’s Meharry Medical College.