The Board of Trustees
Joel Torres - Board President
Born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey, Joel Torres grew up in various areas of Jersey City from Bergen-Lafayette, to West Side, to Downtown, to where he resides now in the Western Slope section of the Heights along with his wife and their three children. His parents, both born in Puerto Rico, moved to Jersey City in the late 1970’s.
Joel graduated from St. Mary’s Grammar and High School in Downtown Jersey City. In 2011, Joel graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health and a minor in Latin American & Latino Studies with Summa Cum Laude Honors from Montclair State University (MSU). In May 2014, he received his Masters of Arts in Public and Organizational Relations from MSU.
Joel previously served as the President of the Jersey City Board of Education and completed a three-year term in December 2017. He is currently serving his first three-year term as a Hudson County Freeholder representing Hudson County’s 4th District, containing parts of The Heights, Journal Square, and Downtown Jersey City.
Joel is currently the Manager for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team (ADAPT), a countywide organization focused on decreasing and preventing underage drinking and substance abuse in Essex County, based out of Orange, New Jersey. In addition, he is involved in issues including, but not limited to, education, quality of life issues, Autism awareness, health and senior services, and support services for residents in our local area.
Brigid D'Souza - Board Treasurer
Brigid D'Souza is an assistant professor at Saint Peter's University's School of Business. She is a licensed CPA and holds an MBA in accounting and worked for 10 years in public accounting with Deloitte and Ernst & Young. She currently resides in Jersey City and serves as a strategy team leader with Jersey City Together. Brigid is a mom to two children who attend Jersey City Public Schools. Brigid was an athlete throughout her youth, experiences she views as formative to a foundation of team-building and leadership skills that were instrumental in college and beyond. She is excited to be part of Team Wilderness, where students can experience team-building, new and renewed friendships, new environments outside of the urban landscape, and an exploration and stretching of their own potential which can have potential life-long impact.
Lilia R. Diaz - Board Member
Lilia R Diaz is currently the Energy Conservation Director for the Puertorriqueños Asociado for Community Organization (PACO), a nonprofit community-based organization, which provides vital social services to the communities of Hudson County. An experienced association executive, Lilia previously was a Partner at her family business, Diaz Agency, an income tax preparation and insurance business. Prior to working for PACO, she was a board trustee from 2007 to 2015; and currently serves as a board trustee for Metropolitan Family Health Network and Urban League of Hudson County. Lilia earned her Bachelor of Arts at Montclair State University with a major in Justice Studies. Most importantly Lilia is a mother of two children, Noah, 22 and Bella, 14.
Elvi Guzman - Board Member
Elvi Guzman is the founder of City Challenge Race, a company that produces obstacle race, road races, and fitness events around the country. Founded in 2013, in Hoboken, City Challenge Race promotes health and fitness while fundraising for local & national charities. To date City Challenge Race events have seen over 200,000 participants cross the finish line and have raised over $800,000 for local and national charities. Elvi grew up in central Jersey, has a bachelor’s in business from Florida International University (Miami, FL), and currently resides in Hoboken. His love for the outdoors and active lifestyle has drawn him to join the family at Team Wilderness where he hopes to contribute to the growing the program.
Pamela Johnson - Board Member
Pamela Johnson is a community activist and anti-violence advocate in Jersey City, New Jersey. She is the Founder of the Anti-Violence Coalition of Hudson County and the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Jersey City Anti-Violence Coalition Movement which addresses the needs of public safety through various programs and initiatives that focus on preventing violence and improving the quality of life for all residents. She received her master’s degree in Public Administration from Saint Peter’s University where she also received her bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences graduating Cum Laude. Pamela is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in Communication and Public Relations at SPU. As a lifelong resident of Jersey City, her parents raised her to know the struggles of others and to be an advocate to those who need it the most. Pamela has spent her career deeply committed to improving the quality of life throughout Jersey City and serving our most vulnerable communities. She believes strongly in investing in people and leading a progressive movement that focuses on moving communities forward. “It's about standing together to do better for the entire community.” This is a motto for every facet of her life. She believes in it and lives by it.
Juan Melli - Board Vice President
A first-generation immigrant from Argentina, Juan Melli is passionate about the outdoors and giving back to his community. Juan hikes hundreds of miles per year, is a volunteer trail maintainer with the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, and is NOLS certified in Wilderness First Aid. He is a communications and political strategist who is currently Senior Vice President at Mercury Public Affairs. Juan is a graduate of Rutgers University and earned a Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University. He resides in Hoboken with his wife and two boys.
Lauren Tortorete - Board Secretary
Lauren Tortorete is a corporate communications professional dedicated to helping companies and brands translate their work into compelling stories that help them grow their businesses. She is currently the vice president of Powell Communications, focusing on clients in the advertising, marketing, media, technology and entertainment industries. Before joining Powell, Lauren amassed 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, advising clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and healthcare provider categories. Lauren has lived in Jersey City since 2002 and has a son who attends public school in Jersey City. An avid skier, runner and hiker, she is excited to be a part of Team Wilderness to help young people build teamwork and leadership skills through outdoor adventures. Lauren graduated from Boston University, College of Communication with a bachelor’s degree in communication.
April Vella - Board Member
April Vella is the District Supervisor of Mathematics at Northern Valley Regional High School District. She has valued outdoor education from a young age as a camp counselor at Camp Speers-Eljabar YMCA. She participated in an intense three-week Outward Bound adventure in Alaska in 1999. Travel is her passion and her love for the outdoors has brought her to Costa Rica, the Galapagos Islands, and many beautiful places around the world. As a high school teacher, Ms. Vella advised the Ski Club for many years and chaperoned student cultural exchanges with American and Scottish students. She is excited to be a part of Team Wilderness giving inner city students the opportunity to explore the outdoors, challenge their limits, and be adventurous.
Executive Director
Steve Cunningham
Steve Cunningham taught high school history in Jersey City for 15 years. Believing that city kids should have an opportunity to discover the wilderness, he founded an after-school outdoors club at his school. Through that experience he realized there was a demand for a robust outdoor organization that would allow youth from every Jersey City neighborhood to experience empowering outdoor adventures and character growth together.
Steve is certified in Advance First Aid by the Emergency Care & Safety Institute, a certified Hiking Guide with the American Hiking Guides Association, and a licensed guide for hiking and camping with the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.