COMPANY HISTORY

Todd Smith, Monroe France and Jessica Gonzalez all share a common interest in issues of social justice education; while each have distinct focus area, their passions collided in a powerful and positive way at New York University in 2002.  Monroe served in the NYU Office of Student Activities, Todd Smith at the Office of LGBT Student Services and Jessica at the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs.  A strong commitment to collaboration and a vision for a just student community, the three colleagues worked together to develop and implement numerous trainings around leadership, diversity, social justice and LGBT issues at NYU.  As partners in Envision, they seek to expand their programs and trainings to the greater community in an effort to promote understanding and bring about social change. Envision has expanded to include consultants with various specialities and expertise in social justice and diversity training.

Monroe France, MA

Monroe believes that ‘nothing great has ever been accomplished without passion.’ Monroe’s passion for anti-oppression and social justice work has translated into his regularly presenting and giving keynote addresses at universities/colleges, national conferences, and other events on topics impacting people of color, LGBT people, and on multiple identity development, economic justice, trends in social justice movements, men’s issues, organizational culture (with an emphasis on social justice), and cross-cultural communication.

Monroe is a professional trainer, consultant, strategist, and keynote presenter.  Monroe has created, implemented, and managed social justice and human rights education programs and initiatives. He has worked as the Education Training Manager for the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) where he was responsible for building GLSEN’s national Training of Trainers Program on LGBT issues in schools.  In this role, Monroe trained thousands of educators and K-12 upper-level administrators on how to make schools safer for every student regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity expression.  Prior to working at GLSEN, Monroe was the Coordinator of Social Justice Programs at New York University where he created opportunities for students, staff, and other community members to explore both domestic and global social justice and human rights issues and causes.

Monroe has worked at Barnard College, The Ohio State University, and Northern Arizona University.  He received his BA in English from John Carroll University; completed a dual MA in Higher Education Administration and Cultural Studies in Education from The Ohio State University; completed graduate coursework at Columbia Teacher’s College; and a degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology. 

Monroe is the board fiscal officer for Queers for Economic Justice.  He served as the Coordinator of the National Task Force Creating Change Conference People of Color Organizing Institute and on the board of Al-Fatiha LGBT Muslim Foundation.  He regularly serves on social justice, POC, and LGBT related committees.

Jessica Gonzalez, MPA

Jessica's unique mixture of experience in higher education administration, public service and community activism brings a distinctive element into the programs and initiatives she develops.   Jessica currently serves as the Director of Policy and Advocacy at a national nonprofit Latina health organization working to advance reproductive justice for women of color.  Prior to that, she was the Associate Director of the New York University Center for Multicultural Education and Programs (CMEP), where she worked for 5 years.   In that role, she provided support, programs, and services to address the aspirations and challenges of students from ethnically diverse backgrounds.   She achieved this by developing programs that focus on fostering student leadership and promoting socially conscience change agents. Jessica received a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from the NYU Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service and graduated with honors from Boston University with a BA in International Relations and Visual Arts.

In collaboration with student affairs colleagues, she led the creation of a full-day Social Justice Organizing Institute, intermingling social justice theory and methodology with the realities of grassroots organizing by bringing in local and national organizers to the dialogue. She expanded the scope of the NYU Annual Forum on Social Justice and Activism by promoting engaging discourse around current local and global social issues such as disability rights, the prison industrial complex, post-9/11 policies in communities of color, propaganda in the media, global human trafficking, social entrepreneurship and modernity vs. tradition.   Jessica also worked to infuse social justice into all the programs that she organized, including the monthly Speaker Series, the Future Administrators Cultural Training Seminar, the Leadership Institute and other collaborative activities.  

In addition to her work at her organization, Jessica currently serves as the President of New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE), Inc., an immigrant rights advocacy organization and is an advisory member of the Women of Color Policy Network.   She is also an appointed representative of the New York City Transit Riders Council, the Permanent Citizen's Advisory Committee, and serves as a member of the New Visions Democratic Club, the Latina Political Action Committee (LPAC), the 115 th Police Precinct Community Council, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) and the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA).   In 2002, Jessica was elected as Democratic State Committeewoman in the 39th Assembly District in Queens , New York and was subsequently appointed to the Queens County Committee. She was re-elected in 2004, the same year that she was nominated and selected as a Delegate to the Democratic National Convention.   Jessica completed her elected term in 2006 but remains active in political and community organizing.

Todd Smith, MA

Todd believes education and self-reflection are the keys to making change and is committed to his involvement in the social justice movement.  Through this work, Todd has gained a greater understanding of various forms of oppression and the ways in which all forms of oppression intersect and negatively affect every member of our society. Within his presentations, he discusses these intersections and the multiple identities that exist within each marginalized group of people.

Todd has been the Director for the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Student Services at New York University since 1999. He also holds the position of Associate Director for the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs at NYU.  His campus work includes direct student services and support, advocacy and bias response, and creating and facilitating educational workshops and trainings for the entire campus community. Todd received his MA in Higher Education Administration from New York University. At State University of New York at Geneseo, he completed his BA in Mathematics and Secondary Education.

In striving to create more inclusive and educated campus communities in regards to LGBT issues, Todd has created a Safe Zone Training that has been presented numerous times at New York University and several other institutions as well. This training provides participants with the tools necessary to effectively and sensitively serve LGBT and questioning students on a college campus.

Todd has served as the Co-Chairperson of the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education. This organization strives to support LGBT student services that exist on college campuses nationwide and to assist those who are doing this work. The Consortium also works to encourage other campuses to provide services to LGBT and questioning students. Todd also served on the Board of Directors of the Ali Forney Center, a non-profit organization that provides housing to homeless LGBT youth in New York City. He has worked in Residence Life and in the non-profit field at an organization serving youth in crisis. Todd regularly attends both Student Affairs and LGBT Conferences including those of the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF).

Todd enjoys traveling to new places and loves planning his next vacation with his partner.  Todd’s other passions include music, entertaining friends, and finding new ways to be creative.  Top

Top