'Mocha Moms' Announces New Nat'l President

UPPER MARLBORO, MD - The National Board of Mocha Moms, Inc. is thrilled to announce that Kuae Kelch Mattox is the new National President of Mocha Moms, Inc. The organization sincerely thanks former president, Dee Dee Jackson, who has resigned, for her years of service "as she has done a great deal for this organization and has contributed to its growth."

Kuae Mattox is no stranger to Mocha Moms, Inc. She became a Mocha Mom in 2001 and joined the National Board as Director of Media and Publicity in 2003. During her tenure, she has increased the visibility of Mocha Moms and highlighted the stories of numerous mothers of color who have made the choice to modify or eliminate their employment to spend more time raising their children. Mocha Moms, Inc. has been featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams, ABC's Nightline, Good Morning America and The Oprah Winfrey Show, as well as in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Essence, Ebony and JET.

Mattox has also served for the past three years as National Co-Director of Community Service and has been instrumental in developing and implementing our current national community service initiative, "Closing the Gap in Minority Health, Prosperity and Achievement." She is the founder and former president of the Essex County, NJ chapter of Mocha Moms, Inc., which was chartered in 2002. Kuae is an Emmy-nominated journalist with more than 20 years experience in the print and broadcast media. She is a former member of the Board of Trustees of the Montclair Early Childhood Corporation, which oversees the Montclair Community Pre-K, an award-winning, nationally recognized program based on the theory of multiple intelligence developed by Harvard professor Dr. Howard Gardner.

Mattox holds a B.A. in Print Journalism from Howard University, where she was Campus Editor of the critically acclaimed student newspaper The Hilltop, a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, the Frederick Douglass Honor Society and the Golden Key National Honor Society. She also holds an M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, where she was awarded a fellowship with the Alfred I. DuPont Center for Broadcast Journalism.

The organization is also excited to announce that joining them as the new National Director of Media and Publicity is Vanessa "Max" Russell, their current Mid-Atlantic Media Coordinator and Mocha Mom since 2003. Vanessa is the former Virginia State Coordinator, Co-President of the Fredericksburg, VA Chapter and Membership Coordinator of the Alexandria, VA chapter. She is an Emmy-award winning television producer and former general assignment reporter who owns her own television production company, LMR Media, LLC.

Born and raised in Florida, Vanessa received a BA in Mass Communication from the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Mocha Moms, Inc. was founded in 1997 by four mothers of color in Maryland who saw the need for a growing segment of stay at home mothers of color to connect and support each other. Today, the fast growing national, non-profit organization has 100 chapters and more than 3,000 members in 28 states throughout the country, as well as partnerships with such organizations as the America's Promise Alliance, the Black Women's Health Imperative, the National Institute for Literacy, the National Marrow Donor Program and PBS Kids.

The primary mission of Mocha Moms, Inc. is to support and encourage women of color who are making parenting a priority in this season in their lives. Its platform includes strengthening marriages and families, promoting self-care, strong educational foundations and volunteerism. Mocha Moms, Inc. welcomes people of all genders, religions, races, educational backgrounds, and income levels. Anyone who supports the mission of Mocha Moms, Inc. is welcome to join.