26 Jun ESSEX COUNTY EXECUTIVE DIVINCENZO HOSTS ESSEX COUNTY LGBTQ PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION Star of Essex County Awards Presented to Essex County Assistant Prosecutor Tamara V. Chambers, Esq.; Marketsmith, Inc. CEO and Executive Director Monica C. Smith and Bricolage Design Works President & Founder Ronald Chaluisan
Published on June 26, 2024
Newark, NJ – Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr., the Essex County Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs and the Essex County Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Advisory Board hosted the Essex County LGBTQ Pride Month Celebration on Wednesday, June 26th. During the ceremony, DiVincenzo presented Pride of Essex County Awards to Tamara V. Chambers, Esq., Essex County Assistant Prosecutor and Director of the Prosecutor’s Pre-Indictment Unit; Monica C. Smith, CEO and Executive Director, Marketsmith, Inc., and Ronald Chaluisan, MEd, MA, President and Founder of Bricolage Design Works, LLC.
“Every year in Essex County, we celebrate Pride Month and our LGBTQ community. It is our opportunity to raise awareness about issues that affect this segment of the population and recognize outstanding members of our own LGBTQ community,” DiVincenzo said. “Our three honorees have done difficult work in their respective fields of providing support, protecting human rights and promoting understanding,” he remarked.
“We are delighted to celebrate the Essex County LGBTQ+ Pride Month Celebration, which is a time to recognize our community’s strength, resilience, and unity. County Executive DiVincenzo’s unwavering support and leadership has helped Essex County make significant progress in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, setting a great example for other governments and the State of New Jersey. We are working together to create a more inclusive and diverse society, where everyone can thrive, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” said Reginald Bledsoe, Director of the Essex County Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs.
Monica C. Smith founded Marketsmith, Inc. in 1999, and it is now one of the country’s largest LGBTQIA+ independent media and marketing agencies owned and operated by a woman. Marketsmith’s operating philosophy is grounded in the idea that technology and humanity are inextricably linked when creating successful consumer-centric marketing. As CEO, Monica has recruited a winning team of extraordinary humans, actively recruiting, hiring, and promoting staff with diverse experiences, to enrich the corporate culture and enhance MSI’s ability to provide industry-best service to business partners.
Over the past 25 years, she’s also been instrumental in driving creative and go-to-market design for some of the most extensive behavioral change campaigns in New Jersey history, like New Jersey’s ranking of the 5th highest in the nation for Affordable Care Act enrollments in 2023/2024, the 988 Crisis hotline campaign, and the opioid death rate in New Jersey being down 11 percent since 2022. With a keen appreciation for the value of close collaboration and creative innovation, Smtih has consistently delivered exceptional service and added value for her business partners, whether in creating direct-to-consumer/retail go-to-market strategies or behavioral channel expertise and success.
As a corporate leader, Monica understands she has the power and responsibility to help local and global communities grow stronger, healthier, more resilient, and happier through her professional skills and personal talents. A devoted philanthropist, Monica, with her wife Amy, has established charitable organizations dedicated to wiping out hunger and helping needy animals. Monica enjoys spending time at her farmstead with her wife, their five children, and the many animals fortunate to have found their way into their care.
“Giving back to Essex County is easy because of the support I’ve received from the County and State. I started my business because I didn’t think anyone would accept me. To have received this honor and celebrate the anniversary of my company in this month is amazing,” Smith said.
Tamara V. Chambers, Esq., is a dedicated Assistant Prosecutor who has spent the last two decades serving the Essex County community. She began her legal career in Essex County as a law clerk with Superior Court Judge Harold W. Fullilove, Sr. Thereafter, she joined, what would turn out to be her life’s work, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. She began her tenure as a paralegal specialist writing motions for the Adult Trial Section and later became an Assistant Prosecutor. She has been assigned to the Adult Trial Section, Gun Strategy, Essex County Narcotics/Gang Task Force, Operation Ceasefire, the Drug Court Program, Community Liaison to the Rutgers Police Institute, working group member for Beyond Diversity Resource Center (LGBTQIA+ grants), Pre-Screening Unit and the Pre-Indictment Unit. During her tenure, she has tried several cases, notably State v. Saladin Thompson, a homicide and aggravated assault that occurred in a local restaurant. She currently serves as the Director for the Pre-Indictment Unit, a role she values and uses to guide new prosecutors as they acclimate to handling cases at the pre-indictment level and embark on their journey in the legal field.
Assistant Prosecutor Chambers’ guiding tenets are leadership, mentorship, efficiency, honesty, and loyalty. She demonstrates these tenets while developing her mentees, as well as within the organizations with which she is currently involved, such as the Essex County Bar Association, Black Entertainment and Sports Law Association, the National Black Prosecutor’s Association and the Girl Scouts of America which she has been involved with since the second grade. She frequently teaches Continuing Legal Education classes for community organizations. She has volunteered with the Essex County Office of LGBTQ+ Affairs Office.
“I am so very honored to be recognized at this event and proud to be part of this Essex County community and village that has been so supportive,” Chambers said.
Ronald Chaluisán is a visionary leader and strategic innovator renowned for driving transformative change in the education sector. He expertly blends a deep understanding of educational systems with a strong commitment to social and emotional development, consistently advocating for equity, innovation, and community engagement. As the President and Founder of Bricolage Design Works, LLC, he currently oversees the implementation of the Studio Institute’s College Arts Intern Program across four cities. His tenure as Executive Director at Newark Trust for Education from September 2016 to September 2023 was marked by notable achievements. He was part of a team that helped transform 35 Newark Public Schools, implementing safe and supportive learning environments. Furthermore, he managed the Trust-ParentChild+ program, significantly improving early learning and parenting outcomes for 185 families, and led research initiatives to assess the program’s effectiveness, showcasing his commitment to data-driven educational policies.
Chaluisan’s advocacy for the arts is evident in his role at the NYC Museum School, where he championed arts-focused learning, emphasizing the importance of the arts as an integral part of education. During his tenure as Vice President at New Visions for Public Schools from January 2004 to July 2016, he not only expanded high school seats, but achieved significant increases in graduation rates. Beyond traditional educational settings, Chaluisan has offered his expertise to various boards, including the Hispanic Coalition and The LOFT: LGBT Community Services Center in White Plains. His extensive experience in board service highlights his role as a strategic thinker and a staunch advocate for transformative change, poised to continue making a profound impact on the future of education
Chaluisan spoke about family, service and presence and said they are all important to raising awareness about diversity in the community and fostering understanding about people’s differences.
The Essex County LGBTQ Pride Month Celebration is the part of a yearlong cultural series created by County Executive DiVincenzo to highlight Essex County’s diversity. Other cultural heritage celebrations include African American History Month, Irish Heritage Month, Women’s History Month, Italian Heritage Month, Jewish Heritage, Portuguese Heritage and Latino Heritage. Created in December 2010, the Essex County Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Advisory Board is one of several volunteer advisory boards that discusses issues affecting the community and provides recommendations to the Essex County Executive.