Nilaja Diana Stewart

Diana has over 40 years of experience working in the religious, non-profit, public and private sectors. She is the Executive Director of Jefferson East Business Association, a non-profit community,business and economic development corporation in the City of Detroit. Prior to this position, she served as a Social Service Coordinator for a senior citizens housing development corporation; Program Coordinator for the Wayne County Youth Assistant Program, and as the Executive Administrator for the Shrines of the Black Madonna of the Pan- African Orthodox Christian Church.

 

During this 40-year period, her responsibilities included: economic and community development

initiatives, specialized program development & implementation, budget development and oversight, finance management, project management, fundraising, grant writing, business consulting and training, and community coalition building. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration from Davenport University and completed coursework at Wayne State

University’s Master of Education Counseling Program. Diana received training and certification in small business entrepreneur development from Grand Valley State University, and leadership

training from Leadership Detroit, a Detroit Regional Chamber initiative, and LISC Midwest Executive Leadership Training Institute.