Newark

Dr. Naima Ricks is a dynamic and visionary leader with over 15 years of experience in education and youth development. She currently serves as the Managing Director of Partnerships and Growth at Reading Partners, where she leads strategic initiatives to expand access to literacy and empower students across Newark. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of After-School All-Stars New Jersey, overseeing high-quality programming statewide and driving development efforts. A proud alumna of William Paterson University and Seton Hall University, Dr. Ricks holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership. In 2013, she became the youngest elected official in Roselle, NJ, serving as Vice President of the Board of Education. Her leadership has earned her recognition on InsiderNJ’s African American Power List and NJ.com’s 2025 Top 25 Women to Watch. Most recently, Dr. Ricks was selected as a 2026 Forty Under 40 honoree by NJBIZ, recognizing her leadership, community impact, and commitment to expanding opportunity across New Jersey. She is also a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Gamma Omicron Zeta Chapter, and remains deeply committed to community service and equity.

Clara Prest is the community engagement director (Eastern Regions) at Reading Partners supporting volunteer recruitment, onboarding, and engagement efforts for Reading Partners’ Minnesota, South Carolina, Mid-Atlantic, and Newark regions. Prior to this role, she was the national community engagement manager and community engagement manager for the New York region and has been at Reading Partners since 2020. Clara is a graduate of the FAO Schwarz Fellowship in Social Impact and holds a master’s in Public Administration from the Marxe School at Baruch College and a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Education from Columbia University. Clara is based in Brooklyn, New York.