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Our Leadership
Danielle Nygaard, Co-Chair
Danielle spent 8 years teaching in St. Louis private schools when she realized she was ready for a change. As a mostly life-long resident of St. Louis, she decided to commit to a year of AmeriCorps VISTA service at a local nonprofit. That one year led to two and now she spends her day supporting others who have made the commitment to work towards alleviating poverty in our city through national service. However, it was during this service that she realized this was only the band aid; that in order to really alleviate poverty we need to work to change the systems that allow for its development in the first place. So she spends her nights and weekends doing just that.
Ashley Kuykendall, Co-Chair
Ashley is a public health professional who believes that racial justice is a necessary part of creating healthy, thriving communities.
She is passionate about having conversations about equity and moving towards changes in practice and policy to make it a reality. She is proud to call St. Louis her life-long home.
Belinda Johnson-Gordon
Belinda is a very Proud, Strong, African American woman, wife, & mother, with an over 30 year plus career as a Healthcare professional. Alongside a professional career & unwavering commitment to family, there has been an even longer tenure of dedication to various organizations, groups, & individual friendships; to educate & advocate via meaningful discussion, resolve, & or redress of issues that impede equality, justice, wellness, peace, or our love for one another. Wholeheartedly she believes that we should & WE CAN. She claims no hobbies, interest are wide & eclectic. She loves the art of conversation or the quiet of a walk in the woods.
Joy Weese Moll
Joy’s community activism began over a decade ago with the Kirkwood City Hall shooting. She was a founding member of a Kirkwood-based book group that has read over a hundred books about race in America. Joy attended the first Black Lives Matter vigil in 2014 by the group that later became the West County Community Action Network. She co-leads the WE CAN team that works to address racial disparities in school discipline in West County schools.
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Rebecca Janski
Becky comes with decades of social justice advocacy. She raised her children with vigils, marches and educating for social justice causes. She and her son, Charlie, were at Canfield Drive the week after Michael Brown's murder. She declares Black Lives Matter at protests and weekly WECAN vigils (now with face masks and social distancing). She has worked with the WECAN ASSIST Team to address racial disparities in school discipline. She commits to learning in community.