- (215) 279 7060
- nsm@sanctuaryphiladelphia.org
- 2601 Potter St., Philadelphia, PA 19125
MEET OUR Board

Chantelle Todman-Moore
Chantelle Todman (she/they) seeks to embody personal and collective liberation through their coaching and consulting business, unlock Ngenuity, since 2016. They also co-own a radical coffee and tea house, Franny Lou’s Porch, in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia. Chantelle is a Black, afro-Caribbean, afro-Latinx, queer contemplative. They can be found having conversations and taking action to embrace and celebrate ALL people as Divine and essential to our collective healing, committed to justice, exploring pleasure, and building a liberative world. Originally from Miami, FL, Chantelle currently lives in Philadelphia with her family.

Gerardo Flores
Gerardo Flores is from a small town called Tianguistengo, Acatlan de Osorio, Puebla, Mexico. He finished high school in agriculture and his dream was to enter Chapingo University. He passed the academic exam in 1975, but not the socioeconomic examination (requiring money and land) and they suspended me after that. He began to organize students in the Peasant Torch group to return to their villages to fight injustice and the exclusive control of power. The organization sent him to the US to Chicago in 1985 and then to New York and Philadelphia in 2006 to financially support the organization. Gerardo has been a member of NSM since the beginning, 10 years ago. During the day he owns his own food truck with his wife Teresa. Gerardo is a member of Visitacion BVM church.

Angela Chan
Angela Chan was born and raised in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. She is a member of Holy Redeemer Chinese Catholic Church. Her involvement with Asian Americans United (AAU) as a youth sparked her interest in teaching. Angela spent two years teaching English in Japan and has been an educator in the School District of Philadelphia since 2003. She currently teaches third grade in a diverse neighborhood in South Philadelphia. Angela believes the work of an educator also includes advocating for justice and building strong connections with communities. She is glad to have the opportunity to connect with NSM and their community as a board member.

Laura Smith
Laura is a Philadelphia native who has worked with immigrant communities in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Quito, and the Bay Area. Her work with Somali Bantu refugees in the early 2000s drew her to work in policy and free legal services, and eventually to law school. She has since had the chance to provide legal services to asylum seekers, people in detention, and immigrants harmed by business, lenders, and government agencies. She now works as a consumer attorney providing free legal services to advance economic justice. She is honored to play a small role in supporting NSM’s fierce advocacy and courageous campaigns, and to be part of its loving community.

Rama J. Assaf-Smith
Rama was born in Ivory Coast to parents who immigrated from Guinea. She spent her childhood and adolescence in Ivory Coast and at the age of 19 she moved to the United States to further her education. Rama now calls Philadelphia home where she lives with her husband and four children. As a first-generation immigrant, she is excited to serve on the NSM board and support the critical work they are doing to help immigrant communities and uplift their mission.

Prudence Powell
Prudence Powell is a DACA recipient, from Jamaica she has been living in the united states for 26 years she is a single mother of 2 US Born children ages 21 and 16. She’s an advocate for herself and others in immigrant justice work. For the last 4 years, she has been working at Pennsylvania Immigration & Citizenship Coalition here in Pennsylvania. As the civic engagement coordinator, Prudence is also an active board member for the Caribbean community in Philadelphia as their immigrant advisory where she helps lead FB meetings and inform the community about any immigration changes. Prudence is a firm believer in storytelling and sharing her story. Prudence is excited to be part of the NSM board and looking forward to learning more and growing.

Philippe Weisz
Philippe was born in Bogota, Colombia to parents who were both Holocaust survivors. An immigration lawyer, he began his career as a staff attorney at the American Friends Service Committee, Immigrant Rights Program in New Jersey where he worked together with Salvadoran and Guatemalan families. Today, he continues his work as an immigration lawyer at HIAS Pennsylvania and is a congregant at Rodeph Shalom synagogue in Philadelphia. Having had the opportunity to work side by side with NSM members, staff and allies, Philippe is excited to be on the organization’s Board to support its critical work.

Lauren Ballester
Lauren is a Dominican-American Philadelphian
who grew up in Norristown and Germantown. She is a former SDP teacher and got her start with NSM as an intern in 2014. She is passionate about making space for kids in social movements and has helped design and execute curricula for several grassroots organizations in Philadelphia. She is a member of Calvary United Methodist Church in West Philly where she lives with her sister. You can find her nannying, serving, being an Auntie, hanging out with her partner, spending time outside and writing and editing nonfiction.