About The Systas

Individually speaking, each Board member and/or volunteer brings her own unique qualities to S4S. Together they comprise the perfect blend of formal collegiate training and real life experiences, which translate into a formidable force against the ills in their community. The following “big systas” make-up the foundation upon which rests S4S:

Brigitte Johnson, Co-Founder and Board President
Ms. Johnson’s heartfelt love of her community comes from a lifetime of living and loving in East Orange and is expressed through her hard work in S4S. As Board President, her duties often span the scope of the organization in order to guarantee the smooth running of each department.

She currently works in the pharmaceutical industry as a Clinical Research Associate. She is required to oversee the initiation, progress, and conduct of clinical trials, ensuring the scientific integrity of data collected, and the protection of the rights, safety, and well-being of human study subjects. She is simultaneously obtaining an Associates Degree in Business Management with plans to also obtain a Bachelors Degree in Business Management.

With such diverse skills and vast amounts of experience in the administrative field, it is no wonder that she is such a valuable asset to SYSTAS 4 SYSTAS, Inc. Yet her most important contribution is that which she gives the youth she serves. It is her personal belief that everyone must do something to give back to the community and she intends to carry that responsibility each lil systa.

Adrienne McCall, Co-Founder, Board Secretary and SitC Program Director
Early in her adolescence, Adrienne McCall, began building a stake in the City of East Orange. She developed a supportive nature and dedicated spirit as a cheerleader for the East Orange Rams football team, under leadership of Stanley Edwards. She learned the benefits and rewards of being part of an extended family while growing up in public housing in East Orange. Adrienne, raised by a very nurturing mother, Margaret Evans, was widely known for running errands, which made her especially popular with the elders and seniors. Her unselfishness and generosity earned her the honorary title of “Auntie Adrienne” by all of the neighborhood kids.

Adrienne, a name of Greek and Latin origin, means rich, dark one. Her riches come in the form the valuable and worthy friendships that she has created. She is a true and loyal friend in every sense of the word. So much so, that she was recognized in East Orange High School’s yearbook for her devotion as a best friend. She is truly the kind of friend you can count not to divulge a secret, even under torturous conditions.

Her unbreakable bond with sisterhood manifested itself into an organization, SYSTAs 4 Systas (S4S), she co-founded with childhood friends in 1994. S4S embodies many of Adrienne’s favorable character assets. Today she serves as the Director of Community Service where she oversees projects that focus health awareness, literacy and food/clothes drives.

Since 2006, she has worn the hat of Executive Director of the East Orange Weed & Seed initiative that liaisons between the residents of the 2nd Ward and the East Orange Police Department. Weed & Seed involves a two-prong approach: law enforcement, agencies and prosecutor cooperate in “weeding out” violent criminals, gangs, and drug abusers “seeding” the community with neighborhood restoration, economic development, prevention/intervention programs, and community policing. In that capacity, Adrienne worked hand and hand with the U.S. Attorney’s office, Essex County Prosecutor’s office, Essex Sheriff office, DEA, and the Mayor of East Orange. During her tenure, the initiative has delivered quality of life programs to the youth and senior citizens.

Currently, Adrienne devotes her community efforts to serving on the board for some of Essex County’s prestigious influential organizations such as Historical Society of East Orange, Inc., Essex County Prosecutors’ Office Community Advisory Board, Housing and Community Development Network of New Jersey, and Salvation Army of Orange and Maplewood.

God has definitely groomed Adrienne for greatness and carefully laid her path. And when it’s all said and done- her commitment to her fellow citizen and community is how she would like her legacy to be remembered.

Taraja A. Barnett, Board Treasurer, Grant Writer and Data Analyst
After years of battling her mother, Ms. Barnett came to the conclusion that her mother did actually know what she was talking about. Unfortunately, this lesson was learned shortly after becoming an unwed mother. She states, “When I think of all of the illegal and potentially life-threatening situations from which GOD has delivered me, I feel obligated to share my mistakes so that others may avoid the same pit-falls and lost opportunities.”

Ms. Barnett has proved her dedication by working her way up to her current position as Board Treasurer, Grant Writer and Data Analyst. In the past, Ms. Barnett served as Membership Coordinator and Volunteer Advocate and was responsible for tracking, maintaining and updating the files all of the registered participants. She also identified scholarship funding and summer jobs for qualified program participants. In her duties as Volunteer Advocate Ms. Barnett recruited and trained volunteers and delegated volunteer duties for the organization.

Currently, Ms. Barnett’s duties include administering fiscal oversight for grant funds awarded to the organization and compiling periodic productivity reports along with other statistical data. As Grant Writer, she worked with Mrs. Epps and Ms. Everson on the structuring, coordination and implementation of the Survival Course pilot program at an alternative high school in 1999. Since then, the Survival Course has been conducted at more than 20 schools and community agencies throughout Essex County, NJ. In 2004, Ms. Barnett also spearheaded the development and implementation of strategic business solutions for the organization that led to a 406% increase in S4S’s operating budget.

Ms. Barnett brings over 14 years community outreach, social service delivery/management and program development experience through her diverse career with AmeriChoice of NJ. She also possesses more than 12 years marketing and promotions, event planning know-how, as well as five years highly successful business-to-business and direct sales experience. Her knowledge of and expertise in the NJ FamilyCare and Medicaid programs guidelines has made her an invaluable asset to the organization.

Zelda Everson, Co-Founder and Executive Director
Ms. Everson along with three childhood friends founded S4S on the sentiments of a John Quincy Adams’ quote, “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” It was with the feat of creating S4S thatdeveloped a blueprint to inspireothers to take control of their destiny. She holds up S4S as living proof of how a dedicated group of friends with great ambitions can deeply influence a positive change. Moreover, she believes in pursuing dreams until they are fulfilled.

Ms. Everson received her formal education through Gifted and Talented programs within the Newark and East Orange public school systems. However, it was various challenging life experiences and independent studies that helped shape her upstanding character and natural leadership abilities. As Executive Director of S4S, she is responsible for overseeing the overall operations of the entireorganization. Her outside-the-box management style and marketing efforts has helped to structure innovative community projects, strategic grassroot alliances, and exponential growth of the organizations’ membership since 1994.
Her affinity for misunderstood youth is the motivating force for creating dynamic programming specifically targeting at-risk youth and adolescent females. In addition to being a youth advocate, she consistently promotes the bond of sisterhood and female agendas. She also owns a publishing company, Tru Systa Books, which released her first in a series of word game books, Hip Hop Holla-Backs: Systahood Edition. Zelda’s close relationship with GOD helps to maintain her ‘faith-of-a-mustard-seed’ attitude which she believes S4S will create a legacy of distinctiveness for generations to come.

M. Sakinah Reed, SfdH Program Director
Mrs. Reed is primarily responsible for with developing quality programs for the SYSTAS from da HOOD program’s participants. Her duties include booking guest speakers for the bi-weekly programs; gathering supporting materials for the programs; coordinating the safe and timely return of the participants to their homes after the programs; as well as completing program reports that are submitted to the Board of Directors.

Mrs. Reed was introduced to S4S through the Executive Director, Zelda Everson, who noticed her leadership skills as an employee for Eye Care Optical. At Eye Care Optical, she was not only charged with customer service and the billing for Medicaid and other third party insurance carriers, but also with the day-to-day operations of that business. Currently, Mrs. Reed is a teacher in the Paterson School System.

Everything positive about herself Mrs. Reed credits to her father, whose ways she misunderstood in the past. She enjoys her volunteer work for S4S, because it has allowed her to finally become a “big systa” after years of being the “baby girl” in her family. Her main goal in life is “to do everything with a higher purpose,” and she hopes to transmit that same ambition to the youth she serves.

Hawaiian Epps, SitS Program Director and Public Relations Director
Mrs. Epps volunteer spirit and leadership skills were sparked as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. However, they flourished during her four years supervising an independent living program. She intends to teach the youth she serves that always putting GOD first will help them overcome the obstacles that are bound to impede their progress along the road of life.

Mrs. Epps is primarily responsible for establishing positive collaborative relationships between S4S and other community based organizations. In addition to customizing the Survival Course Curriculum for our community partners, she also secures and coordinates all of the contracts for the SYSTAS in the SYSTEM Program and completes program reports for the Board of Directors.

Because of her positive and energetic personality, Mrs. Epps was selected to be SYSTAS 4 SYSTAS, Inc.’s Public Relations Director, although her background may suggest otherwise. She received both her elementary and high school education from the Newark Public School System before she went on to obtain a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Prior to her current job at the Department of Public Advocate, she worked for five years with the Essex County Division of Citizens Services in Newark.

Since her tenure began, S4S has been featured in many of the Essex County areas local publications and talk shows, as well as many national and international publications. And she can most certainly be credited with the phenomenal success of the Survival Course Program. Moreover, Mrs. Epps was integral to the development of the three day training course for S4S that teaches volunteers how to identify behaviors that may indicate when a participant is experiencing emotional/psychological issues.