Board of Directors

Ms. Jimmie Brown was born in Harlem Hospital and raised in Harlem in the Abraham Lincoln Projects. She attended NYC Department of Education public schools from elementary to high school. Ms. Jimmie Brown is one of the founding members of NMPP. In 1992 she received a call from the Supervisor, Mrs. Helen Jordan, of Family Redirection a program under The New York Urban League a program she was involved with due to domestic violence. Mrs. Jordan asked how did I feel about infant morality and babies dying? She explained that community residents like myself felt the same and were interested in an initiative to assist in reducing the infant morality here in Central Harlem. With The New York Urban League, Ms. Brown, along with other founding members took interest in this initiative which has turned into Greater Harlem Healthy Start, NMPP's longest standing program. At age 38, she decided to return to school. While caring for her family which included 6 children, Ms. Brown was able to attend summer classes from 1992 to 1996 and earned her BS in Sociology from the College of New Rochelle. She then continued furthering her education at Adelphi University, attaining a dual Masters in Special Education and General Education, as well as a third Masters in Reading. During her school days she volunteered as surrogate parent in District 5 for children referred to special education and those children with an IEP. Ms. Brown has worked for the NYC Department of Education as a Special Education and General Education Teacher. She has worked as a Special Education provider for children in their homes. She is still actively involved in her community, working with PA/PTAs of Title I schools in District 3.

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Paula Odellas has served on the NMPP board since joining it shortly after its creation, in its first year of full operation. She is an analyst, educator, speaker and certified financial planner. She currently serves as an administrative staff analyst, permanent civil service, in the NYC Buildings Department and is active in various community organizations.
As a National Achievement Scholar, she received her Bachelor's Degree from Adelphi University, followed by a Master's from the Harvard University School of Education, also under full tuition scholarship. While employed by New York City, she acquired a Master's Degree in Business Administration in finance from Baruch College of the City University of New York, under the Mayor's Graduate Scholarship Program.
A resident of Harlem in New York City, Ms. Odellas serves in various capacities on the boards of several New York City non-profit organizations, including that of Personnel Committee Chairperson of NMPP. She also serves as treasurer of the American Association of Individual Investors, New York City Chapter, an educational organization for investors, and as treasurer and a founding member of Buyers and Renters United to Save Harlem (BRUSH), a Harlem advocacy group for residents. As a professional dancer, she performed with several modern dance companies and for more than 20 years has served as a dance judge in the NAACP's annual Academic, Cultural, Technical, Scientifiec and Oratory (ACT-SO) Competition. She has served on the New York Urban League Manhattan Advisory Board as well as the board of the New York Urban League, and as co-chair of the Women's Advisors of New York City, an organization for women City employees. She has received a National Association of Business and Professional Women's Club, NYC Chapter, Women's History Month Celebrarion Award and has participated in the Club's annual Women History Month events as mistress of ceremonies.

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