President - Duane Johnson
Duane Johnson is a native of San Diego, California. He is a buyer for the TJX Companies, Inc., a worldwide leader in off-price retailing. Mr. Johnson received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota. As a student leader and organizer, he was the Executive Director of the Africana Cultural Center. As a member of the NAACP Boston Branch, he was the chairman of the education committee. He volunteers with the Big Brothers of Massachusetts Bay and serves on the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts board of directors. Mr. Johnson holds a black belt in Taekwondo and has studied Shotokan.

He was Vice President of YPN from 2004-2006 and was elected President in 2006.

Vice President– Jonathan Santos Silva
Mr. Santos Silva graduated from Northeastern University summa cum laude in 2005 with dual concentrations in Entrepreneurship & Small Business and Marketing. During his undergraduate tenure he was president of the student group, Brothers About Change, which was responsible for developing and implementing such influential programs as Why White Kids Love Hip-Hop and the Women of Distinction Awards Banquet.  Following a short break after graduation Jonathan returned to Northeastern, where he now directs Legacy 2000, a peer mentoring program for Black and Latino first-year students.  He also serves as staff advisor to BAC and the campus chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.  Jonathan is currently working on creating an organization to promote entrepreneurship and financial independence among students of color.

His main goals as Marketing & PR Chair are to increase the visibility of YPN, assist in increasing membership, and help make the chapter a model for others nationwide.

Treasurer and Finance Chair– David Halbert


 

 

            

Secretary – Josi Chapman
Josi Chapman is a native to Boston.  After graduating from Brookline High School, she earned her bachelor’s from Umass Amherst in 2004, with a concentration in Psychology and Sociology.  She then spent three years in Portland, Oregon earning her Masters Degree in Public Administration and Non Profit Management at Portland State University.  Since returning to Boston, Josi has worked as the Program Manager for Operation HOPE’s Banking on Our Future program.  She has a passion for financial literacy and bridging the economic gap for our young people in Boston. Josi has been a member of the Young Professionals Network since 2006, and was elected secretary during the 2006 elections. Through her work with YPN, Josi plans to assist in the organizational strategies and growth of YPN, and to create a successful chapter for our next generation of young Bostonians of color to participate in.

Josi is also a single parent to her 4-year old, Kayla, and enjoys reading non-fiction, movie night in, and traveling.


Community Service Chair – Vilmore Wiltshire
Vilmore is a native of Bridgetown, Barbados. He has received a B.A. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Boston University. Vilmore has been employed at State Street since 1995 and currently works on a technical help desk. Vilmore has extensive volunteer experience, due to his family’s commitment to their church, over the years. Through YPN, Vilmore intends to utilize his analytical and interpersonal skills to empower the youth of the community to achieve their full potential.



Membership Chair – Cedric Cooper


Professional Development Chair – Trent Watson
Born in Boston, he moved to Stoughton when he was 7 years old to be raised south of Boston on the “south shore” as it’s called. Trent attended and graduated from Stoughton High School in 1986. After graduating from high school he attended UMASS Amherst to pursue a degree in communications with a concentration in radio and television. In college he caught an early bug for community service where he was instrumental in helping to bring powerful speakers such as Minister Louis Farrakhan as well as Angela Davis to campus. He became a vocal and passionate student leader early on in college. Being apart of the social uprising in Amherst in 1987 he was able to gain some leadership skills he has taken with him in life’s travels. You might not know this, but our own co-chair of the professional development committee was featured in a nation wide Associated Press picture taken in 1987 during the occupation of a campus building. This picture was circulated nationwide and on the front page of the Boston Globe. Working at American Student Assistance as an electronic processing analyst for the past two years Trent resides in Roxbury and has once again awakened his passion for leadership by joining the YPN executive board.




Webmaster – Sean Armstrong
Sean Armstrong is a Manager of Commercial Markets Operations Analysis, an internal consulting group at Liberty Mutual Insurance Company. 

Mr. Armstrong received his Master of Business Administration degree from the Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business, where he was a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Fellow and president of the Black Business Student Association.
 
Mr. Armstrong also holds a degree in Systems and Computer Science from Howard University and was a former consultant  in the New York office of Accenture. He has been actively involved with a number of civic organizations.