Meet The Board of Directors
Daphne Denis (aka Dee Journey) | President
Daphne Denis (aka Dee Journey) has always had a passionate love for storytelling as a performing art for as long as she can remember. Her most recent work was published in the Power in the Pen 2020/2021 anthologies. A Whispering Rage (2020) and Save The Children (2021) is a collection of spell-binding story-writing performances. She was featured in the PNMC Debut Readers Series: Highway 8 as the leading protagonist.
Brooklyn native and soft-spoken as a child. Then she had a shift that led to dream visits from spirits. She is glad to be used as a gateway to give voice to voiceless spirits and interpret their thoughts, ideas, and messages into a symbolic performance. She is a licensed clinician and a doctoral candidate. She is presently working on her first graphic novel which will be released in 2023.
Margo Janet Johnson McKenzie | Vice President
After retirement as an educational administrator with the NYC DOE, Margo Janet Johnson McKenzie acquired her MFA in creative writing, developed a website, and started an editing business, Trinity Author Services. Her writing has appeared in Our Time Press, Faith-Fill Family Magazine and Stay Focused Magazine. Her church, Bethany Baptist of Brooklyn (Pastor Adolphus Lacey, PhD) has published my poems in our monthly newsletter. All her writing is predicated on Paul’s advice to the Colossians, “Whatever you do whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (3:23NIV). She also has a few unpublished book projects in the works.
Katonya Trent | Treasurer
Katonya Trent was born and raised in Riverhead, NY located on the east end of Long Island. After having a traumatic birth experience she is inspired to become an author. Her son has helped change her perspective of life. She is on a mission of bringing her story to light while educating the world about the challenges that could arise from having a preterm birth. By sharing her story, she hopes to reassure others of their inner strengths when being placed in some of the most difficult situations in life.
Katonya obtained her bachelor’s in Accounting from Lincoln University, the first Historical Black College/University, in December of 2007. Her desire to help others helped her land a career at a non-for-profit where she currently works as a Senior Program Accountant. She is responsible for budget analysis - creating, maintaining, and reconstructing financial budgets for a variety of programs that are implemented to help communities throughout Suffolk County, Long Island.
Katonya is currently a member and Treasurer of the PIP workshop, Family Advisory Council at StonyBrook Hospital where she advocates for family-centered care. She had and plans to continue after COVID 19 to coordinate with Stonybrook Hospital blood bank to hold annual blood drives in honor of her son’s birthday to help raise awareness of prematurity. She is an author, social impact speaker and an active member of the March of Dimes Long Island chapter. Her family was chosen to be the ambassador for the March of Dimes LI Chapter in 2022.
Katonya has let a personal experience motivate her to write her first book titled 22 and 6 Born on 11/26 in which she provides hope and encouragement to women and families who may have or will encounter a Traumatic birth experience. In writing her memoir, Katonya has created an organization called Konnected Thru 22, where she provides a safe space for families with premature babies to connect through stories and resources, while supporting and uplifting one another. She will be hosting her first community baby shower in 2022, to help raise funds and essential supplies to donate to families in the NICU.
Katheann Woodroffe | Secretary
Katheann M. Ifill-Woodroffe, pseudonym MW Dacosta is an author and poet. Originally, from the beautiful island of Barbados, she has made Brooklyn her home for the past forty years.
Katheann began writing in 2010, the year in which her first book, A Spiritual Heart, a Must Have for All Believers, was published. Katheann attributes her sudden ability to write and compose poetry as a spiritual manifestation that occurred during a very life changing episode in her life.
Katheann writes Romance fiction and Spiritual/Motivational literature. Forever isn’t Long Enough to Love You is the third romance fiction with the “love forever” theme. Journey into Forever (2012), and Forever My Love (2014) are her two other books.
So Says My Heart (2015) is a book of poetry and Living Daily by His Word(2019) is her spiritually motivational book. Poetry taken from these books were recorded to CDs, with original music composed by H. Charles Green and produced by Jarod Romaine of E & A Musik Dynasty.
Videos of poetry composed by Katheann and produced E& A Musik Dynasty can be seen on You Tube. They’re entitled, I Can’t Breathe, Quiet the Noiseand The Night Wind.
Katheann expects to have her website shortly where one will be able to purchase her books and other book related merchandise. She can be reached at katheann53@gmail.com.
Diane Ortiz | Ambassador
Diane Ortiz was born and raised in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene projects in the 50’s. Diane is the third child of nine siblings and attended P.S. 67. Diane graduated from New York City College of Technology with a Bachelors of Science in Hospitality and Management. Diane is a mother of three, and has two grandchildren and one great grandchild.
Ms. Ortiz believes children have plenty to say if we just let them speak. Diane has worked in childcare for over fifteen years and when the children spoke to her they were always very funny, honest, and they never ran out of questions to ask.
Diane feels that if the belief that “Children should be seen and not heard” wasn’t so deeply seeded in most black and brown households, her niece would have never been molested and felt like she could not tell anyone.
Ms. Ortiz is currently writing her first book, a memoir of her life and the effects her niece’s sexual abuse has on her family. It is through Diane’s bravery and her honesty that she aims to stop the generational curses in her family and others to finally let the children be heard everywhere.