History
The Bucks County Human Relations Council (BCHRC) was formed as an outgrowth of the Violence Prevention Task Force (VPTF) force established by the Bucks County Commissioners in May, 1995 with Bill Eastburn as Chair. The VPTF Master Plan was adopted on May 23, 1996. Strategy 6 of the Master Plan read: “Create a sense of community and foster leadership development in all our neighborhoods.” Objective 4 of Strategy 6 read: “Establish a county-wide council dedicated to ending discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, religion, creed, culture, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, ancestry, handicap, or disability.” The first meeting took place on January 22, 1997. Rea Boylan Thomas elected Chair, Ernestine Johnson elected Vice-Chair. Other Council Members are Queen Sumbler, Chris Whitney, Nelson Torres, Bernadette Heenan, Gilbert Ridley, Rev. Alfred Krass, Police Chief Joseph Stine, and Bernard Hoffman.
Structure
There are three permanent members of the BCHRC, the three sitting Bucks County Commissioners. The Council serves as the Board of Directors of the BCHRC. The BCHRC is a 501(c)(3) federally registered non-profit. All contributions are tax deductible.
Meetings
Monthly meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of every month except November and December. There is no meeting in November. The December meeting is on the second Wednesday. The May and September meetings will be held in person from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm at:
Free Library of Northampton Township
25 Upper Holland Rd
Richboro, PA 18954
7:00 pm
All other meetings will be held from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm online via zoom.
Please inform us if you plan to attend by sending us an e-mail at : Info@BCHumanRelations.org
Current Council Members 2024
Joyce A. Hadley, Chairperson
Joyce has been a member of BCHRC since July 2013. She retired from Verizon Communications, as a Presidential Appeals Consultant. Joyce attended Temple University and received a B.A. in Journalism. She was elected to the Bensalem School Board (1997-2001) and formerly served on the board for the following organizations: Family Service Association of Bucks County, Vice-President and Secretary for the Bucks County NAACP, The Peace Center, and Vice-Chair of the Bensalem Democratic Organization. Joyce is an Associate with the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and is a member of the Sisters’ Social Justice Committee. Joyce serves on the Program Committee and President’s Council for Cranaleith Spiritual Center.
Joyce received the following awards; The Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Award from Bensalem High School, The Legends in Peace Award, from The Peace Center, and Annual Al Krass Peace Award, from The Interfaith Community of Bucks County.
Joyce strongly believes that a diverse and inclusive society makes America great. She grew up in Concord Park, the first planned integrated community in the United States, founded by Morris Milgram in 1954.
Celia Sharp, Deputy Chairperson
Celia Sharp, MBE, is a member of the Medical Ethics Committee at Doylestown (PA) Hospital, volunteer medical interpreter at the Ann Silverman Community Health Clinic in Doylestown, and a board member of the Bucks County (PA) Human Relations Council. She was born and raised and received her undergraduate education in Cali, Colombia. After immigrating to the U.S., Celia pursued graduate studies in chemistry and biology, got married, became a U.S. citizen, had two daughters, and worked as a chemist at EPA and NIH, among others. She retired as the Director of Biology for Abzena Pharmaceutical.
At NIH she became involved with the Human Genome Project which reinforced her interest in genomics and bioethics. This eventually led her to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s Master of Bioethics (MBE) program, graduating in 2013.
Celia is an active member of the American Society for Bioethics and Humanities, Bucks County League of Women Voters, Bucks County Women’s Advocacy Coalition, Immigrant Rights Action of Doylestown, and Buxmont Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship Peace and Justice Committee. She interpreted for COVID-19 vaccine clinics for the BCHD and the ASCHC. She was named Bucks County Woman of the Year 2020 by the Bucks County Women’s History Month Award Committee, and one of Women Who Make a Difference by the YWCA. Celia is very grateful and honored for these nominations.
Celia is interested in mentoring students toward science careers and college placement, and helping the immigrant community understand of the importance of vaccine protection against COVID-19 and any future pandemic. She is currently studying the connection to medical practice of “Critical Race Theory” (CRT). Celia enjoys music, reading, gardening, cooking, watching sports on TV, and quality time with her granddaughter and other family and friends.
Keith Pacheco, Treasurer
Keith is retired from full time work as an IT consultant for NCR and Teradata Corporation. He has been active in the peace movement in Lower Bucks County for nearly 30 years including a member of the board of directors and past president of The Peace Center. Keith now works part-time Treasurer of United Christian Church – Levittown. He shares Nonviolent Communication, a method of communication that fosters everyone’s needs being met. Keith has a BS in Liberal Arts & Sciences from the University of Illinois and an MBA from Temple University. He is a life member of the NAACP and an active member of United Christian Church and has two favorite daughters.
Seema Kazmi, Pharm.D, Secretary
Dr. Seema Kazmi grew up in Falls Township and obtained her Doctor of Pharmacy degree, Magna Cum Laude from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Dr. Kazmi is a licensed pharmacist in six states and has held positions in pharmacy management, managed care, public service and pharmaceutical industry with over 15 years in the field. Currently, Dr. Kazmi servies as Bucks County Director with the BucksMont Pharmacist Association. She also serves as a Consumer reviewer and consultant to the US Department of Defense for Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.
Dr. Kazmi is an ardent advocate for her patients and fellow citizens at the federal and state levels of government in Harrisburg, PA and on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. She has done volunteer grassroots advocacy work with the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, and the Every Life Foundation for rare diseases, NIH funding, initiatives to end youth vaping, and health equity. Moreover, Dr. Kazmi has volunteered her time on the planning committee for the ADA Tour de Cure to fund raise for diabetes research and summer camps for children.
Dr. Kazmi was part of the inaugural 2018 class of the NAACP Next Gen Leadership Program and is a member of the NAACP. She was a panelist on the Pennsylvania NAACP forum on the “Future of Civil Rights Advocacy” and has presented on “Voting and Civic Engagements for Millennials of Color.
David Boekel, Member
Mary Jane Leonard, Member
Alex Rajan, Member
Alex works in Information Technology for a Retail Health Care Company. He has worked in IT for over 30 years. Early in his career, Alex served as a Diversity Awareness Facilitator/Trainer for a US Fortune 100 company. The organization sent him across the country to deliver the corporation’s position on Diversity and Inclusion. The training impacted him professionally and personally. After having their first child, Alex and his wife became Foster/Adoptive Parents to their second child. Alex has a BSBA from Boston University and an MBA from Rutgers University.