Essex County honors Divine Nine leaders; prosecutor highlights diversion programs

Essex County Commissioner Adorian Marie Thomas presided over a ceremony honoring leaders from the National Pan-Hellenic Council on Wednesday, calling the gathering the county’s first formal recognition of the Divine Nine and praising honorees for decades of community service.

The event in the county commissioners’ chambers spotlighted leaders from local chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi and other Greek-letter organizations alongside nonprofit directors and educators. ‘‘These walls, these chambers…this is your community,’’ Thomas said in opening remarks, asking attendees to identify the municipalities of Essex County represented in the room.

The program included short remarks from several honorees. Sharon Fouche, identified as president of the National Pan Hellenic Council of Essex County, invited attendees to join the Council and described monthly meetings aimed at coordinating chapter efforts. Vesta Godwin Clark, executive director of Saint James Social Service Corporation, described her 25 years running a neighborhood social-services agency and warned that ‘‘there is no funding that goes directly to stand-alone soup kitchens and food pantries’’ in current budgets, saying recent freezes have left nonprofits uncertain about sustaining services.

Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stevens, also an honoree, framed public-safety work as broader than prosecution. ‘‘We cannot prosecute our way to a better society,’’ Stevens said, describing diversionary efforts the office runs — including a mental-health diversion program he said has operated in Essex County for 15 years and that served as a model for statewide legislation. Stevens identified the need for education, employment and recovery programs alongside enforcement, and said the office aims to expand veterans’ and recovery-court efforts that offer second chances.

Other honorees who spoke included community leaders involved in affordable-housing work, education and youth arts programs. Leonard Robbins discussed housing development and his family’s legacy in building affordable units; Siobhan Armstrong described two decades as an educator who mentors students; and Tyrone Day and Shaday McDaniel highlighted fraternity and arts-based youth initiatives that aim to connect students with internships and cultural programming.

Commissioner Thomas closed with logistical notes about photographs and a fellowship reception after the program. The event concluded with a prayer from Donna Beck and an invitation for attendees to continue community connections.

The ceremony was celebratory and largely symbolic; no formal county actions, motions or votes were recorded during the program. Several speakers used the platform to press for sustained nonprofit funding and for continued investment in diversionary justice programs that pair services with alternatives to incarceration.