Michelle Tulloch-Neil has been a Coordinator in the Juvenile Court Unit of the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.  For eighteen years, she has provided supervision and training to all new hires.  She is an educator of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency at Harcum College, and Victim Advocate instructor at NOVA’s Victim Academy.      

She serves as secretary for the 24th Police District’s Youth Aid Panel.  This program provides first-time juvenile offenders an opportunity to appear before a panel of volunteers, as opposed to a Juvenile Court Judge.  She served as co-chair for the Philadelphia Coalition for Victims Advocacy.  PCVA is a membership-based organization of individuals from various agencies throughout City of Philadelphia. Ms. Neil was appointed by Governor Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania as a member of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Committee.

She has been a volunteer with Team Jamaica Bickle Philadelphia since 2004, and currently serves as its Co-Chair.  In 2022, she was awarded by her alma mater Holy Childhood High for her ongoing support of sports. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Temple University and a Master’s of Theological Studies from Palmer Theological Seminary. She is currently a Trustee Board member of ENON Tabernacle Baptist Church. 

Asha Richards is a Master’s student at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in the Development Practice program. Part of Asha’s life mission is to advocate and assist in the development of Jamaica in ways that minimize inequality and empower marginalized communities. 

 

This passion drives her academic and career pursuits, and ultimately compels her to run as the incumbent for the Northeast USA Regional Lead position. During her year as regional lead, Asha has advocated for the embracement of Jamaican diaspora youth and sought innovative ways to advance Jamaica’s development, with interest in strategies that leverage the diaspora. This was displayed through her opening speech for the Jamaica 60 Diaspora Conference, as well as her research and championing of collective remittances.

 

Outside of the council, Asha worked with the Inter-American Dialogue in the Migration, Remittances and Development Program, where she analyzed migration and remittance trends for Jamaica and the greater Latin American region. With a new full term as regional lead of the Northeast USA, Asha hopes to revamp engagement, establish programs to connect Jamaican-Americans with their heritage, and most importantly empower diaspora youth, because a strong and united diaspora contributes to a stronger Jamaica.

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