Ibn-hashim bakariDirector & Chairman of the Board
Ibn-Hashim Bakari has spent several years in law enforcement as a juvenile correctional officer, Police Action Control Concepts (PACC) Training Instructor, Anger Management & Domestic Violence Instructor and currently a DOT Inspector.
A Proud member of the Rhode Island Minority Police Association (RIMPA) & Associate member of the National Association of Black Law Enforcement Officers Inc. (NABLEO) over the last 20 years. Ibn founded Lights & Sirens International (LSI) in 2009 hosting an International basketball tournament for law enforcement and public safety personnel with the mission in addressing the mental health of public safety personal and helping those less fortunate in the Dominican Republic with essential needs. In 2020 LSI started to remedy the long-standing damaged relationship between law enforcement and the minority community with a Bocce Ball Community Outreach Program. The overall project design of interaction is community-based, increases accountability for all, acknowledges the impacts of attitudes and egos towards individuals and generates greater confidence in everyone's de-escalation skills. This format has improved communication, relationships, and leadership for individuals in crisis and ensures population safety. "Our programs encourage the youth of our community and public safety personnel to be active participants in understanding others' perspectives through meaningful conversations. We discuss important topics that we view as a driver to understanding and articulating our perspectives and listening to and learning the perspective of others. We have conversations on relevant issues such as Accountability, Ego, Implicit Bias, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Conflict Resolution, and Social Responsibility. While the path to progress is neither clear nor straightforward, our future depends on our actions today. " Ibn-Hashim also serves on the University of Rhode Island Athletic Advisory Board as a policy review board for all athletic programs. Advises and reviews fiscal, educational, and social policies affecting all athletic programs. Makes recommendations regarding the level of competition and nature of intercollegiate schedules. Serves as liaison to President on issues regarding championships and tournaments during final examination period. |
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Jianny bautistaBoard Member
Jianny joined Lights and Sirens International as a volunteer in 2016, later joining the Board of Directors in 2018. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Finance from Bryant University. Being a Dominican-American from Providence, he has a strong connection to the communities we serve.
Outside of his responsibilities at LSI, Jianny works in the investment management industry. He is currently a Portfolio Associate at Income Research + Management in Boston. At LSI, Jianny oversees our use of technology. In addition to leading our technology efforts, Jianny lends his background in financial services to provide guidance on accounting, budgeting, and grant writing. “Giving back and helping others have always been important to me. I want to inspire others to do the same and I think I can do that by setting an example.” - Jianny |
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Christopher manciniBoard Member
Born and raised in Rhode Island, Chris attended Lincoln Central Elementary School and Lincoln Jr./Sr. High School in Lincoln RI. Chris furthered his education at the Community College of Rhode Island and The University of Rhode Island Providence campus. Chris has earned several insurance designations including Property Claims Law Specialist, Associate in Claims and Associate in Insurance Services.
Chris is a Sr. Complex Claim Director with the American International Group. He has worked as a claim professional for over 30 years helping families and businesses recover from loss of property and/or income. He has handled claims both at home in the United States and Internationally. Currently, Chris handles large commercial property and economic loss claims for the Major Loss Unit of American International Group. Chris was appointed to the Lights and Sirens International Board of Directors in 2022. He has been a participant and co contributor of the Lights and Sirens summer bocce clinics since its creation in 2020. |
Charles "chuck" watsonBoard Member
Charles Watson is from Hammond, Louisiana. He moved to Cranston, Rhode Island in his early teens, where he attended and graduated from Cranston High School East in 1983. After high school in 1983, he was recruited to the University of Rhode Island, where he was offered a scholarship to play football at the University. Charles is an active member of the URI College of Engineering DE&I Advisory Board, The Partnership, INC., Community, Equity and Diversity (CED) College Diversity Professionals and Partners, National Association of Multicultural Engineering Program Advocates (NAMEPA) and serves as Region A Chair, National Advisory Council for the Minorities in Engineering (NACME). He is the University representative member of the National GEM Consortium (GEM gradlab), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), Society of Advancing Chicano/Hispanic & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), 50K Coalition, Cox Communications Charities Executive Board, the Northeast Louis Stoke Alliance for Minority Participation Executive Board (NELSAMP), Lights & Sirens International Board of Directors and has served on the URI Alumni Executive Board and Institutional Review Board (IRB), Rhode Island Community Food Bank Executive Board and the YMCA Executive Board Cranston, RI. For 20 years plus Charles has been the senior coordinator for the URI’s NSF Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation initiative so that thousands of additional underrepresented minority students in STEM can receive significant financial and academic support. He is and has been diversity lead on more than $48 million in National Science Foundation (NSF) awards that supports the broader impact for underrepresented minority research efforts, including a $19 million NSF grant funded Rhode Island Consortium for Coastal Ecology Assessment, Innovation, and Modeling (RI C-AIM) and serves as lead for the grants Diversity Action Committee (DAC). His open, candid, and personal discussion of the needs of underrepresented minority students pursuing engineering and science and the personal responsibility that goes with it has been embraced by the University of Rhodes Islands leadership. |
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John glover, jr.Board Member
John Glover, Jr. is a LCDR USN Ret with 28 years of honorable military service, Surface Warfare Officer and Submarine Qualified Designations Nuclear Weapons Engineer, Strategic Deterrent Patrol Ballistic Pin (8) patrols, who has held and holds SSBI, PRP, SSI Top secret clearance levels and programs. Born and raised in Henderson, North Carolina, John has been teaching, living and working in Rhode Island off and on since 2000. His last assignment was Lead Instructor/Professor Amphibious Warfare at (Naval Education and Training Command) Surface Warfare Officers School Command, Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island. He furthered his education NROTC North Carolina State University, Raleigh North Carolina, Naval Science, BA International Law and Foreign Relations, Naval Post graduate School Monterey, CA MBA Financial Management. John is currently the Director of Operations for Patrice and Associates Providence. John joined Lights and Sirens International as a volunteer in 2018 and was appointed to Board of Directors in 2020. Throughout John’s Naval career in the military and higher education, he has established programs, policies, community relations programs globally fundamental to the advancement of the military personnel under him and his professional development. His three decades of career service spans a broad range of Command, Executive, Operations, Executive staffs, Program Development and Management with top corporations NASA and Lockheed Martin to name a few, academia, administrative roles in the US Navy and civilian adds to valuable inputs to the Diversity Equity Inclusion programs being implemented by Lights and Sirens International. His wealth of professional experience and volunteer involvement on the boards of non-profit organization and donating to civil rights committees have earned him a reputation as a cultural architect able to build and sustain real and lasting change. Learn, earn, give back! |
Delano "Joe" BrooksBoard Member
Mr. Brooks joined the Lights and Sirens board in 2016. He graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 1982 and received his BA in Business. He began his career at Gilbane Building Company where he was responsible for project accounting, forecasting, budgeting, coordinating small business programs with minority contractors, government compliance, and contract administrators. He is currently the Vice President of Excell Construction Corp.
Mr. Brooks brings to Lights and Sirens an esteemed career in Non-Profit and charitable work. Throughout the years, he has been involved with the Newport County Boys & Girls Club, Dorcas Place for Adult Literacy, Black Craftsmen of Rhode Island, National Association of Women in Construction, National Association of Minority Contractors, Special Olympics, Big Brothers of RI, and many more. |
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