LEGACY
PRESIDENTS
Past to Present
Jillian Harvey, 2022- Present
Jill (she/her(s)) serves as the inaugural Director of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Division of Health & Human Services for the Town of Arlington, MA. Prior to obtaining her Masters in Public Affairs from Brown University in 2019, she resided in the greater Boston area and worked in the Autism Spectrum Center at the Boston Children’s Hospital and as a youth leader at the Brookline Teen Center. Her occupations and personal experiences exposed her to the lack of access to healthcare and the educational gaps within underserved communities which compelled her to further serve under-represented communities and combat social injustices. Jill attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst and received her Bachelors in Anthropology in 2013. It was during her undergraduate career that she stepped into a leadership role leading the Black Student Union. Jill has been a member of the Mystic Valley Area Branch since 2020, and is also a steering committee member of the Coalition of Racial Equity (CORE) in Mental Health, and the co-founder and current chair of the MA DEI Coalition.
Jill Harvey (2nd in from left) at Arlington Town Day, 2022
Zane Crute (left) at the Woburn Juneteenth Celebration, 2021
Zane T. Crute, 2017- 2022
Zane is a financial services professional with a diversity of experiences within the field. Currently, Zane serves as a financial analyst at JP Morgan Chase within their Corporate & Investment Bank. He is a graduate of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management with a Bachelor of Science in Management and concentration in Finance and Marketing. Zane also holds his MBA from Boston University’s Questrom School of Business as of May 2022. He has been serving as the current President of the Mystic Valley Area Branch of the NAACP since January 2017. The Mystic Valley Area Branch has served northern Boston suburban communities for over forty years in the fight to promote social, economic, educational, and political equity for all. Additionally, since 2013 Zane has served as an officer of the New England Area Conference (NEAC) of the NAACP, which oversees all High School Chapters, College Chapters, and Adult NAACP Branches in the states of MA, RI, NH, VT, and ME. He is also a 2018 graduate of the NAACP NextGen Leadership Training Program.
Neil Osborne, 2008-2016
Neil currently serves as the City of Medford’s Chief People Officer/Director of Human Resources. Neil's responsibilities include managing the Human Resources function for the City and processing all Civil Service hires of Police and Fire Departments. Prior to his initial appointment with the City of Medford in 2017 as its Director of Diversity and Inclusion, Neil was a private practice attorney primarily representing plaintiffs in discrimination matters. He values civic and community service, and previously served as the NEAC 3rd Vice President while he was president of the Mystic Valley Branch, is a Board Member (and former president) of Medford Health Matters, participates in the Massachusetts Human Rights Coalition, and Melrose Wakefield Healthcare Community Benefits Advisory Council. Neil received a Bachelor of Science in 1986 from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, followed by a Master of Science in Labor Relations/Studies in 1991. Neil attained his J.D. in 1994 from Suffolk University Law School.
Neil Osborne (left) and Rev. Dorothy Emerson (right), with the key to the city in Medford, 2007
Rev. Dorothy Emerson, 2006-2007
Rev. Emerson, was a dedicated member of the Mystic Valley Area Branch, and held a number of roles as a community activist. Dorothy served as chairperson for the Black Concerns Working Group of the Massachusetts Bay District; was a member of the Sustainable Business Networks of Massachusetts; and WAND, Women’s Action for New Directions. She was a co-founder of Rainbow Solutions, Inc, a socially responsible investing firm in Medford, MA. Dorothy also had several books and articles published in her lifetime, in addition to her ministry work.
Carol Sharpton, 2005-2006
Carol is a legendary figure in contemporary Medford history. She was the first woman of color in the the Guidance Department of the Medford Public Schools and was a tremendous advocate for equity and diversity in the city's education system. Carol also served as an elected member of the Medford School Committee. She became a "go-to" resource during some tense racial times at Medford High School in the 1980s. After a distinguished career in education, she became the Executive Director of the West Medford Community Center and led the Center, as a chartered United Way agency, for a number of prosperous and productive years.
Carol Sharpton at the Annual Freedom Fund, 2010
Wallace Kountze, 1977-1979
Wallace who was born in Boston in 1931, led an active life devoted to serving his community of West Medford. Wallace worked in public service for over 40 years, at every level- city, state and federal government. He was a champion for equal opportunity and broadening the range of career possibilities for minorities and other under-represented groups. In 1977 Wallace was voted as the first president of the Medford Branch of the NAACP, and he later was a mentor for future presidents. He was a lifetime member of both the West Medford Community Center and the NAACP​.
