Board of Directors
JAMES A. TALBOT
( Past President)
James A. Talbot, born 16-Jun-1932 and departed recently passed on 13-Apr-2022. He was a retired telecommunication and electronic data transfer technologist for Transport Canada. "Skip" as he is known throughout Canada, is dedicated to advancing equality and cross-cultural understanding. He has served in top executive roles with MAGMA, NBMC, Prude INC., and the Canadian Bar Association. James was also past president for MAGMA and NBMC as well a dedicated his heart and soul to many more organizations, such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner’s Advisory Committee for multiculturalism and the Moncton Press Club.
JOE GEE
Founding Member & Vice President (Acting President)
Joe Gee grew up in Carlingford, a small farming community in northwestern New Brunswick which shares the US/Canada international border with Fort Fairfield, Maine. A lifelong art and history buff, his interest in New Brunswick's Black heritage was piqued when he learned about the Underground Railroad that passed right through his own backyard.
Since 2013, Joe Gee has organized the Tomlinson Lake Hike To Freedom, an annual hiking event that takes place along North America’s northernmost route of the Underground Railroad. Joe has also extended his research in the search for Black burial sites and has taken part in many historical projects that create awareness of Black history.
RALPH THOMAS
Founding Member & Projects Coordinator
Ralph Thomas is a well-known amateur and professional boxer who has been inducted into several Sports Halls of Fame. Ralph spent the better part of 33 years promoting and developing the sport at the amateur level, both in Saint John and throughout the Province. Ralph was the New Brunswick Amateur Association's first President, and served 20 years at the helm of the organization. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Amateur Boxing Association for 28 years. In 1976 Mr. Thomas received the Canadian Amateur Boxing Association's Builder Award in recognition of his contributions at a national level.
Mr. Thomas has been recognized for his qualities as a leader, adviser, negotiator, mentor, role model and motivator. He is known for his positive attitude, quiet strength, speaking with passion and conviction, and leading by example. Ralph is a founding member of the New Brunswick Black History Society and served as a Board Member for various non-profit organizations including the Kings Landing Historical Settlement. Mr. Thomas is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, the YMCA Peace Medal and the Toastmasters Communications and Leadership Award.
Since 1997, Mr. Thomas has been president of PRUDE Inc. (Pride of Race, Unity and Dignity through Education), an advocacy and service group for Black, ethnic and newcomer communities in Saint John. He has led PRUDE to expand their mandate by including visible multicultural minorities and newcomers, and to mitigate the barriers faced by women from these communities. He championed an awareness program to challenge Racial and Ethnic stereotypes among youth, and developed partnerships with the Anglophone School District and Multicultural groups. Mr. Thomas was honored in 2012 as a recipient of the New Brunswick Human Rights Award. He is a dedicated individual that is focused on uncovering various aspects of New Brunswick's Black history and sharing it with the province and beyond. Ralph has worked on multiple projects for the NBBHS and never disappoints with his ideas and executions. A recent successful project Ralph worked on was changing the names of certain roads in New Brunswick that held racailly insensitive names.
DAVID PETERS
Founding Member & Past President
David Peters is one of the co-founding members of PRUDE Inc. (Pride of Race, Unity & Dignity through Education). Professionally, David is a retired teacher and a Certified Chef de Cuisine (CCdC), making him one of the first Black men in Canada to become a registered chef. He has also received a three year business course at Ryerson. David is extremely active and influential in the promotion of Black Loyalist history. He is a 4th degree knight with the Knights of Columbus.
DENISE W. NAUFFTS
Executive Treasurer
Denise is one of the founding members of the New Brunswick Black History Society. She has held the position of Executive Treasurer since its incorporation in 2013. Denise brings to her role 14 years of professional accounting and finance experience and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Mount Saint Vincent University with concentrations in History and English.
She has always had a particular interest in Black History, making her role with the board all the more satisfying. Denise is delighted to be a part of The New Brunswick Black History Society and looks forward to continuing to raise public awareness and understanding of New Brunswick’s Black community and their history.
DR. NEVILLE SLOANE
Secretary
Dr. Sloane is a co-founding member of the New Brunswick Black History Society (NBBHS). Since 2013 he has served as Secretary and Director of the NBBHS. He served as a member of the management committee and a trustee for the Trans-Atlantic Studies Association from 2008-13. A diplomatic historian by profession, Sloane has lectured in Canada and extensively in Argentina where he developed, for the federally owned Universidad Nacional de Misiones, the course, ‘The Search for Security, 1914-45: Parallels, Perspectives, and Politics’, (‘La Búsqueda de la Securidad, 1914-1945: Paralelos, Perspectivas y Politicas’). Registered Course Identification Number: H.C.D. No 057/11.
He is also the author of several works, including “Anglo-American Atomic Diplomacy and the Canadian Dimension, 1942-48”, and “Neville Chamberlain, Appeasement, and the Role of the British Dominions”.
At present, Dr. Sloane serves as the secretary of the parish advisory committee and is also a member of the vestry committee for the Anglican parishes of St. Mary’s and St. Alban’s in Hillsborough-Riverside, New Brunswick, Canada.
HEATHER HASTINGS
Officer