The Committee

Since 1978, Ambrose Jearld, Jr., a charter member of and formal chair of the Woods Hole Black History Month Committee, has worked as a Fisheries Biologist at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center's Woods Hole Laboratory. He is currently Chief of Research Planning and Coordination. Read more about Ambrose...

Lionel E. Hall, Jr. is the Purchasing Services Supervisor for the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) and is the chairperson of the WHBHMC. He is a life-long resident of Falmouth and has worked for MBL for the past 15 years. He's been a member of the committee for 13 years and also serves on the Equity/ Affirmative Action Committee for the Town of Falmouth.

Karen Plumadore Rauss is an Ombudsperson and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Officer for the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Reporting to the Director and/or Chair of the Board of Trustees, as appropriate, she is primarily responsible for confidential, informal complaint handling. She completed her undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts at St. Lawrence University in 1969 and a Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution at UMass Boston in 1991. Prior to coming to WHOI, she held a variety of positions in the human resources/employee relations field in industry for nearly 15 years. Ms. Rauss has been an active member of the Woods Hole Black History Month Committee for more than 15 years.

Nancy J. Munroe has worked for the National Marine Fisheries Science Center, FEMA-Population Biology Branch since 1983. She currently works as a Biology Laboratory Technician determining the age of butterfish, cod, haddock, and yellowtail from scales and otolith samples. She spent most of her life on Cape Cod and graduated from Lawrence High School in June 1960. She's been an active member of the Cape Cod Chapter of the NAACP and the WHBHMC since 1984.

Norene H. Baker became a member of the Woods Hole Black History Committee in 1991, while working at the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard Steamship Authority. Although Norene now works for Accusonic Technologies, in E. Falmouth as a Purchasing Agent, she is still an active member of the WHBHMC. Norene spent the majority of her child hood life traveling the world with her Air Force family. Her father retired on the Cape in 1971. Norene went to both Bourne and Falmouth High Schools.

Jane MacNeil is the Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator at the MBL. A ten-year resident of Plymouth, Jane first came to Woods Hole in 1979 to work in MBL's Education Office. Since then, she has owned and operated her own secretarial service in Woods Hole and has served as
Executive Secretary to the Society of General Physiologists for 17 years. In 1993, the MBL requested that she take on the position of EEO Coordinator which she does today in addition to her job as Executive Assistant to MBL's Architectural Dynamics in Living Cells Program. A recent graduate in Organizational Behavior at Skidmore College, Jane is
a new member of the Black History Month Committee in 2003 and welcomes the opportunity to actively participate in supporting a more diverse Woods Hole scientific community.

Chief Warrant Officer (CWO) Art Akeley is currently the Administrative Officer at Coast Guard Group Woods Hole. He coordinates and manages the delivery of administrative and personnel services for smaller Coast Guard cutters and shore stations located throughout southeastern New England. CWO Akeley additionally serves as the Civil Rights Officer for the Group and its units and is a graduate of the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute. He previously served on the committee from 1991 to 1995 and then again starting in 1999 after completion of an assignment in Hawaii.

Glynn Williams currently works for the U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Field Center (USGS-WHFC) as a full-time student Intern. He will complete his academic education at Bridgewater State College with his undergraduate degree in Geotechnology and Master's in Geography. He was born and raised in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood and attended Boston Public Schools. He teaches inner city teenagers how to ski on the weekends, practices Christianity actively and keeps Christian tenets in his heart and mind. As a member of the committee, he is dedicated to working with others and helping to foster diversity. He believes every one of our diverse American groups has the wisdom, capability and abilitity to improve the whole culture and quality of life.

Troy Belmont Currence currently works for the USGS-WHFC as a PC Specialist. He was born in Bitburg, Germany and was raised as a "military brat" in Europe and South America. His career background has been in human services working with the mentally challenged and for the Department of Social Services. His career experience also includes time with State Street Bank in Quincy, MA.