At the West Chester University Martin Luther King Jr. Brunch on Jan. 26, two highly accomplished alumnae were recognized as Drum Majors for Justice.

Nicole Barkley-Jones (’99) has over 20 years of legal and higher education administration experience. She is the inaugural Associate Director of Title IX Operations in the Office of the Provost at Princeton University.

Milena Oberti Lanz (M’13), who has served as Executive Director of the Maternal and Child Health Consortium of Chester County (MCHC) since 2016, has more than 25 years of experience in leading non-profit efforts in the Philadelphia area.

Nicole Barkley-Jones

Barkley-Jones has more than 20 years of legal and higher education administrative experience. She previously served as an Assistant Dean for student affairs in Princeton University’s Graduate School. Before her tenure at Princeton University, she was the Assistant Dean and Multicultural Affairs Officer at Widener University Delaware Law School. In these roles, she worked to foster a campus climate that valued multiple perspectives and varied experiences.

A licensed attorney, Barkley-Jones began her legal career as an assistant district attorney in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, where she prosecuted cases in the Family Violence Sexual Assault Unit. Her work on behalf of women and children affected by both physical and sexual violence was critical to her growth and development as a fierce advocate and voice for those who are unable to speak for themselves.

A native Philadelphian, Barkley-Jones earned her undergraduate degree in communication studies from West Chester University, where she was an engaged student leader holding offices in several student organizations. She was initiated as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., served as president of the WCU chapter (Rho Alpha), and remains an active member of the Philadelphia Alumnae Chapter. Barkley-Jones was also Vice President of the Student Government Association, President of the Black Student Union, and a member of the Abbe Society. She was a student paraprofessional in roles such as Resident Assistant, Orientation Leader, and Student Director in Sykes Student Union.

Barkley-Jones is a 2011 Legacy of Leadership Award recipient. She earned her law degree from Delaware Law School, where she served as President of the Black Law Students Association and the Research Editor of the Widener Law Review.

Barkley-Jones resides in Pennsburg with her husband and children. She devotes her spare time to advocacy work and mentoring prospective attorneys of color.

Milena Oberti Lanz

Lanz is the Executive Director of the Maternal and Child Health Consortium of Chester County (MCHC) and has served in this role since 2016. Under Lanz’s leadership, MCHC has consistently received the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations (PANO) Seal of Excellence, an accreditation demonstrating excellence in openness, accountability, and efficient management and governing board practices.

MCHC is a non-profit agency providing families in Chester County with health care access, prenatal health support, and kindergarten readiness since 1991. MCHC’s mission is to improve maternal and child health through the collaborative efforts of individuals, providers, and policymakers. Annually, MCHC serves more than 5,000 individuals across its programs. It has evolved into a leading maternal and child health service provider, with recognition in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Over the past seven years, Lanz has collaborated with WCU’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health internship program on a research project to understand parenting and the well-being of young mothers in Chester County. She and MCHC are also dedicated to mentoring the next generation of non-profit professionals and, each academic year, have hired at least three WCU student interns in each fall and spring semester.

Lanz has more than 25 years of experience in leading non-profit efforts in the Philadelphia area and has a passion for supporting underserved children and families. She spearheaded a county-wide effort to research best practices and evidence-based strategies in trauma-informed care by the study of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) at Home of the Sparrow while also serving as a board member for MCHC. Between 2004 and 2012, she managed MCHC’s flagship Healthy Start program and became Senior Director of Healthy Start and family benefits. Before joining MCHC, she worked at Congreso in Philadelphia for four years in the Women’s Wellness Division, overseeing the education component of domestic violence and parental education programs.

A 2013 graduate of the WCU master’s in public health (MPH) healthcare management program, Lanz has demonstrated leadership through her initiative, welcoming collaboration, advocating to ensure healthy families, mentoring, and building community.

Learn more about West Chester University (WCU), the largest member of Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education, which offers a comprehensive public institution offering a diverse range of more than 180 academic opportunities in 40 fields of study across undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels.