It’s that time of year again! As we prepare for our 2021 Annual Meeting, we’re excited to announce this year's nominees for the ACLU of Delaware Board of Directors.
We invite all ACLU-DE members to vote on the confirmation of these nominees. In order to vote, you'll need your membership ID number. If you're not yet an ACLU-DE member and would like to join, or need to renew your membership, please visit our "join" page.
Meet the Nominees
Akilah S. Alleyne, M.A.
Akilah Alleyne is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Sociology & Criminology at the University of Delaware. Her interdisciplinary research in sociology, education, and criminology focuses on the impact of state-level education policies on students’ home-to-school commuting experience, school choice, plans to attend college and other education-related outcomes.
By joining the ACLU of Delaware board, Akilah wants to work with colleagues to reveal hidden structural barriers that may result in stratified student experiences by race, class, income, or social identity. These may include inequitable school funding systems, major school closings, and slow investments in local school building or rebuilding.
Rony Baltazar-Lopez
I was born and raised in Milford, Delaware and I am the son of Latino immigrants. I became the first college graduate in my family, and I am currently pursuing my MPA degree from the University of Delaware. I have worked in both the nonprofit and public sectors, and serve on multiple public boards, including the Milford School Board where I serve as the Vice President.
I want to join the ACLU Board of Directors because I want to help advance the causes that are important to me, including immigration, education equity, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Kate Cowperthwait
Kate (Sroog) Cowperthwait, a Delaware native, is the President of the Sterling Group – DE, a lobbying firm representing selected industries. Through her thirty year career in advertising and non-profit management her career focused on foundational principles of growth and fairness. “I’ve wanted to meet people halfway, wherever halfway is to them.” In addition to the ACLU Board, Kate serves on the Mary Campbell Foundation and Brandywine YMCA boards.
Carmen Twyman
Carmen Twyman is a Director of Human Resources for BlackRock, a global investment manager and technology provider. She serves as the firm’s EEO Officer as well as site lead of its Delaware HR operations. She has 20 years’ experience as an employment and labor attorney and HR professional, advising organizations on creating fair and inclusive workplaces. Carmen is passionate about all human and civil rights, racial and gender equity. Her connection to the ACLU and Delaware date back to the marriage of her parents—an interracial couple who married in Delaware the same year the ACLU won the Loving v. Virginia decision, which legalized interracial marriages.
Save the Date for Our Annual Meeting: May 27, 2021
Systemic Equality in Delaware: 2021 ACLU of Delaware Annual Meeting
Thursday, May 27, 6 p.m., virtual via Zoom webinar and livestreamed on Facebook.
Join us at our annual meeting to celebrate 60 years of work protecting and expanding civil liberties in Delaware.
This year, we're talking about ACLU National's Systemic Equality campaign, and highlighting the work we're doing in Delaware to address systemic racism and advance systemic equality.
Registration required for Zoom invite link. Zoom event will be recorded.