SOUTHERN DOOR COMMUNITY LAND TRUST
Housing Is A Human Right!
OUR TEAM
Get to Know the Faces behind Southern Door Community Land Trust
Since its founding in 2019, the Southern Door Community Land Trust has developed and grown exponentially—We'reproud of our staff's expertise and ability to contribute their unique experience and skills to our success.
HAJRA AZIZ
Executive Director
Hajra is a licensed social worker who focuses on social work for social justice. As a long-time resident, community advocate, and mother of four, Hajra finds it imperative to get involved in work that will uplift and empower historically marginalized folks.
Since coming on board as the Executive Director of the SDCLT Hajra has been keenly focused on developing relationships with stakeholders, community leaders, residents and power brokers in an effort to develop a footprint in the community around housing justice.
ADA ROBINSON-PEREZ
SDCLT Board President
Ada Robinson-Perez, PhD, LMSW, CEAP
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Ada Robinson-Perez is a licensed social worker with over 25 years of experience serving communities across upstate New York. She has led an internal Employee Assistance Program and provided mental health services for children and families. Currently, she works at Binghamton University in the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as the affirmative action officer and ADA Coordinator.
Ada holds a PhD in Community Research and Action from Binghamton University (2019) and an MSW from Syracuse University (2001). She also holds certifications in employee assistance and affirmative action/EEO practice. Her academic and professional background includes work as a social work professor and a therapist/consultant in the local community.
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Her research explores topics such as the mental health impact of racial microaggressions, the experiences of intersectional identities, and class-based dynamics in rural school parent engagement. Ada has served in leadership roles on nonprofit boards focused on women, children, families, and charter school development. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, reading, traveling, and singing karaoke.
SDCLT BOARD MEMBERS
KHADEJAH AZIZ (Secretary)
Khadejah is an Upstate NY native and a SUNY Broome graduate of Criminal Justice and Community Policing. She has had her fair share of experiences with a lack of access to affordable, safe, and energy-efficient housing, which has developed into a proactive approach to righting the wrongs of housing injustice.
KORSAH AKUMFI
Korsah has been a Binghamton resident since 2015. As a renter, Korsah has experienced firsthand the difficulties people encounter in getting a house and making it a home for themselves and their families.
Korsah strongly believes there is a need for an occupant to have a say in how their homes are managed and cared for by landlords. Korsah strongly believes that community residents have a vested interest in living spaces just as much as homeowners.
CHARLES LOVE (Treasure Manager)
With 38 years of experience in financial and operational leadership, I’ve built a career in budget development, financial analysis, project management, and administrative support—first in high-tech industries, and later in higher education. I’ve held roles of increasing responsibility, from senior financial analyst to finance director, and contributed to cross-functional teams managing finance, HR, facilities, payroll, and accounting operations.
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One of the most meaningful experiences in my career was helping launch a mentoring program for at-risk middle school students in the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, CA.
I’m proud to support the mission of the Southern Door Community Land Trust and the essential services it provides. I understand how critical stable, adequate housing is to the physical and mental well-being of individuals and families in our community.
AMBER JOHNSON
SHAKEEMA BROWN
Amber Johnson has a strong passion for social justice with a racial justice lens. She has been a community organizer for 5+ years, loving environmental and housing justice.
Amber is a founding member of the CLT. She finds good reason to invest her time in local housing crises due to many other community connections, such as working with Citizen Action and Binghamton Regional Sustainable Communities.
Shakeema Brown owns Aligned Elevation Coaching and Consulting LLC, which provides comprehensive and interactive training programs that cultivate thriving individuals and inclusive, sustainable work environments. With a profound passion for social justice, racial equity, personal/professional advancement, and development, Shakeema drives meaningful change and fosters environments where everyone can succeed. In her career, she has amassed significant experience in roles that underscore her dedication to improving overall wellness and quality of life for her community.