SOMA Action is thrilled to welcome Jessica James as our new President, Allison Posner as our new Secretary, and Ritu Pancholy Bachawat as our new Executive Committee member at-large.

We send mountainous piles of loving gratitude to our outgoing President, Ritu Pancholy Bachawat, Secretary Jessica Shaw, and Executive Committee member at-large Barbara Velazquez. Their passion, dedication and commitment to progressive causes were an inspirational guiding light for us. We will work hard to honor your legacy.

Read a statement from our new EC members below.

Jessica James, President

"I found my people in SOMA Action — the fighters of the good fight who somehow manage to bring joy to every action and fill me with hope for the future of our community and our country, despite the odds. I’ve learned you don’t have to wait for someone to give you the title “activist.” You earn it just by showing up, making the call, attending the rally. When you do it alongside people you truly respect and enjoy being around, it starts to feel like fun."

Jessica James is a corporate social responsibility and nonprofit fundraising consultant and mindfulness-based meditation teacher. She lives in Maplewood with her husband Chris and two sons, Baxter and Pearce. She started her life in activism doing peer-based HIV/AIDS prevention in high school in her hometown of Birmingham, AL. Jessica serves on the Board of Hand in Hand: The Domestic Employers Network and is currently leading Development for Common Defense, the country's only grassroots movement of progressive veterans.

Allison Posner, Secretary

“I’m honored to be joining Soma Action's Executive Committee as Secretary. An active member since the 2018 midterms, I became a trustee one year ago after co-leading the Georgia run-offs special action team and am currently the co-chair of the Democracy Action Committee. While an actor/singer by trade, my activism is rooted in community care and engagement as well as teaching my young sons the importance of taking a stand in the face of adversity.”

Originally from Florida, Allison Posner is a graduate of Brown University and the Bank Street College of Education. She is an actor/singer/voiceover artist and teacher. A resident of Maplewood for 6 years, she lives with her husband, Emmy-nominated composer Eli Bolin, and their two children, Walter and Harry.

Ritu Pancholy Bachawat, Executive Committee Member At-Large

“Serving as SOMA Action's President for the last two and half years has been some of the most rewarding and thrilling experiences of my life. We took a small grassroots organization grew into a much larger well known and respected entity across the state. We spent thousands of hours phone banking, post carding writing, and calling our elected leaders. We raised a ton of money for our grassroots causes. We also had some fun along the way! W threw our first gala in September of 2021 that featured prominent speakers and an evening cocktail party. Ultimately, grassroots activism for me has meant building relationships with my fellow community members, advocating on local issues that matter to us, but also channeling our frustration and feelings of impotence into true action. I look forward to seeing new leadership on SOMA Action's Executive Board take us to new heights while I continue to serve as an at large board member on the Executive Committee. We have to be the change we want to see!”

Ritu Pancholy, Esq., is the founder and CEO of Culturupt a HR consulting firm. Recently she worked with Governor Murphy’s campaign and the NJDSC in 2021 to administer a wide-ranging program that included workplace culture issues and mandatory sexual harassment and diversity and inclusion training for all employees. She continues to support other Democratic candidates and organizations across the country, as well as corporations and nonprofits, in their desire to create a respectful workplace.

Leadership Changes at SOMA Action

A Message from SOMA Action’s President

New Trustees Join Board