The 2023 Carol Buchanan Award for Outstanding Contribution to Civic and Intellectual Life will be presented to Audrey Rowe and Nancy Gagnier, for their work with the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race.
Audrey Rowe is Program Director for the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race, where she has worked for over twenty years to make racial integration, equity and inclusion a reality for Maplewood, South Orange and beyond. She has developed unique programs, has organized the Coalition’s Conversations on Race signature event; has conducted training on unconscious bias facilitating discussions about race; and has represented the Coalition on radio and TV.
Ms. Rowe lives in Maplewood with her husband, Abdul Alim Mubarak (Ronald) Rowe. They have two adult daughters, Solana Rowe (SZA) and Panya Rowe.
Nancy Gagnier has been the Executive Director of the South Orange/Maplewood Community Coalition on Race since 2008. Nancy develops pro-integrative strategies that help to build a community that is supportive of racial equity and inclusion. She has designed anti-racism trainings and has led research to inform areas of challenge and success in integration. Nancy is passionate about developing a racial equity ethos among residents and within institutions for the benefit of all.
Ms. Gagnier brings professional and academic writing, non-profit development, public relations, and teaching experience to her role. She has served on volunteer boards and strategic planning initiatives, and served on the South Orange/Maplewood School Board, where she focused on policy development.
Dr. Katherine McCaffrey is President of the Maplewood Memorial Library Board of Trustees and Professor of Anthropology at Montclair State University where she teaches classes on Latin America, the Twentieth Century, Refugees, and Building Sustainable Communities. Kate is honored to have served on the Library Board for ten years with Carol Buchanan who taught her the importance of infusing community building efforts with warmth and joy.
Photos courtesy Tracy Sham Photography