Paula Mann-Agnew – Executive Director

Paula Mann-Agnew, DA’s executive director, comes from a family culture defined by cultural pride and resilience. The child of a sharecropper and civil rights activist, she has built a career around various social justice initiatives and brings this experience to DA with the hope of making the organization synonymous with a collective striving for freedom. The story of the Amistad Africans and their resilience connects at a deep level with her vision for contemporary justice work: celebrate the victories and keep up the good fight, for the task requires both hope and perseverance.

Chris Menapace – Director of Education

As DA’s Director of Education, Chris Menapace develops and implements several types of virtual and in-person programming for both children and adults. He has always been interested in history that has a connection to social justice, and the Amistad story’s themes of dehumanization and resistance are as relevant today as they were in the nineteenth century. He loves helping students to comprehend how the history they are learning has directly impacted their world and what they hear in the news, and to understand the importance of being involved in their communities in pursuit of a better future.

Reeshemah Norfleet – Director of Community Initiatives

She has a multifaceted role which includes DA Education, Events Planner and Amistad Leadership Coordinator. Reeshemah describes herself as a servant leader always willing to help and serve her community. She has 8+ years working in the nonprofit sector. Her background includes Community Development, Training and Development, Theatre, and Human Resource Management. She feels that the story of the Amistad represents courage, bravery, and determination. She appreciates the Discovering Amistad mission: as she feels that it opens a way for individuals to have transparent conversations. “It’s a story that connects people from all walks of life. When we learn how to understand each other’s differences, we can then learn how to come together collectively and build a better world."

Victoria Meskill – Operations Administrative Manager

Victoria's role at Discovering Amistad helps hold the organization together as she maintains and organizes the day-to-day tasks involved with running a non-profit. She has 8 years non-profit admin and development experience, and she hopes to assist DA in growing as an organization. She has a BA in Theater Design and Management and plans to use her love of live entertainment and event management to spread the Amistad African story and what it means to the history of today.