Sarah Bice
Board President
Sarah Bice is the owner/founder of Sarah Bice & Associates Real Estate, LLC, a Glen Allen-based real estate firm. In 1989, Sarah Bice came to the US as a scholarship student from China with only two suitcases, $121, and a dream. She landed in Richmond while working with a consulting firm as a CPA and fell in love with this town. Becoming a real estate entrepreneur enabled her to stay in The Richmond area. Sarah’s successful American journey was not a straightforward route. She went back to school and earned her master’s degree in Accounting after waiting on tables, delivering newspapers, and selling cars. She finally built a successful firm and is blessed and grateful! Sarah also passionately serves as a local ambassador, providing help and connections to many new Americans.
Jennifer Quezada
Vice President
As an immigrant of Dominican origin, Jennifer’s lifelong dream was to become an attorney and defend the rights of those who needed it the most. After moving to the United States to study, Jennifer graduated from the University of Central Florida and earned her law degree from the College of William and Mary, later becoming a naturalized citizen of the United States. She is a dedicated and passionate advocate, looking out for the rights of her clients and their families. Now settled in Richmond, Virginia, she enjoys interacting with and learning from various cultures. You can often find her at a cultural food festival, or trying out new restaurants with her husband.
Amma Gatty
Founder & Executive Director
For Amma, bridging cultures isn’t just a passion. It’s personal. Raised in Ghana and shaped by her journey to the U.S., she has spent her life using storytelling, food, and community events to bring people together.
She’s the kind of leader who makes space for real conversation and the voices that often go unheard. Her work connects immigrants and longtime residents, turning everyday moments into opportunities for learning, connection, and belonging.
She launched Culture Encounters after realizing her community needed more than just multicultural events. It needed a space where people from all backgrounds could show up fully, without explanation.
Based in Richmond, she continues to grow Culture Encounters into a hub for connection and cultural equity. On any given day, she’s planning a community event, cooking dinner, or spending time with her family. Always building bridges. Always staying rooted.
Debbie Campbell-Rance
Treasurer
Debbie is a native of Jamaica, an island that embraces the culture of all its people. The Jamaican national motto is “Out of Many, One People” a statement that speaks to the population’s multiracial and multicultural roots. Jamaican culture is heavily influenced by Africa since the majority of its people are of African descent. However, the British, Indian and Chinese impacted the Jamaican culture via colonization, indentured servitude and trade respectively.
Debbie is an educator and mentor, currently at Virginia State University, an institution that welcomes students from different backgrounds and cultures .Over the past decade, Debbie has served her students best by accepting them as members of the human race while simultaneously learning about them as individuals. Her unique position in the classroom with future world shapers and changers, has made this opportunity to engage with and commit to the mission of Culture Encounters even more critical.
Debbie believes that fostering diversity and inclusion is pivotal to our success as a society and there is no better way to initiate this than to respect others and learn as much as one can about the culture of others. Learning about others through culture exchange fosters understanding , awareness and unity among people.
Susan Campbell
Secretary
Susan Campbell has lived most of her life in Richmond, VA, but loves to travel and learn about other cultures, customs, and people. When she was 10 years old, her family lived in Germany for a year, where they traveled to 11 other countries. She lived in Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala for 8 months and has traveled to China, South Korea, and Cuba. Her next trip is to Southeast Asia. In her work life, she has helped seniors and their families navigate the many services available during an often overwhelming time for over 25 years. She lives in a 100-year-old house with her dog.
Jackie Granchamps
Board Member
Born to immigrant parents in Brooklyn, Jackie Granchamps grew up surrounded by diverse cultures. She graduated with her BA and MBA from the University of South Florida with specializations in Marketing Strategy and Entrepreneurship. Jackie is the founder & CEO of Cecile’s Bath & Body, a clean skincare brand focused on producing elevated selections that nourish sensitive and melanin-rich skin.
Dr. Nash Fayad
Board Member
Dr. Fayad brings decades of global legal experience and a deep personal commitment to bridging cultures. He holds an LLB and PhD in International Law from leading institutions in Moscow and completed his Master of Laws in the American Legal System at the William & Mary School of Law.
As the Founder and Principal Attorney of Fayad Law, PC, Dr. Fayad has built and led a full-service immigration law firm for more than twenty years. His work has included advising diplomatic missions, companies, and individuals, as well as managing diverse legal and administrative teams. His background reflects a career shaped by cross-cultural navigation, international policy, and public service.
He is also a co-author of Human Rights Law in the 21st Century, highlighting his longstanding commitment to justice and global understanding.
Virgil Suarez
Board Member
Virgil Suarez is an Army veteran and longtime community servant with more than three decades of experience in public safety, leadership, and re-entry work. His career began in Virginia’s prison system in downtown Richmond, where he later helped launch a faith-based re-entry program supporting both men and women returning to their communities. He has also worked with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Re-Entry Program, deepening his commitment to rehabilitation and second chances.
Virgil is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Law and is a proud alumnus of Syracuse University’s Veterans Program for Politics and Civic Engagement. He has completed leadership training through the Leadership Institute and participated in advanced crime analysis training with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Beyond his professional work, Virgil has served on numerous civic, cultural, and community boards, including as a founding board member of the Asian American Society of Central Virginia. Since 1997, he has also served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the U.S. Army Sustainment University. His life’s work reflects a deep belief in service, accountability, and building stronger, more connected communities.
Born to immigrant parents in Brooklyn, Jackie Granchamps grew up surrounded by diverse cultures. She graduated with her BA and MBA from the University of South Florida with specializations in Marketing Strategy and Entrepreneurship. Jackie is the founder & CEO of Cecile’s Bath & Body, a clean skincare brand focused on producing elevated selections that nourish sensitive and melanin-rich skin.
Our Team
Chad Ownby
Podcast Producer / Team Member
Chad Ownby Is the acting instructor for Next Star! A licensed theatre teacher in the state of Virginia, Chad began his journey with Next Star when they first opened its doors in 2015. Since that time, Chad has written and directed numerous theatrical productions for Next Star including our very first show: “The Meadow,” “Arvolution”, “Cultural Adventure ” and “Alice In Christmas Land”, among others. It has been an honor and a pleasure for Chad to be a part of helping this wonderful program grow and reach as many individuals as possible. Chad feels it is his purpose in life to help students of all ages express themselves creatively and grow as individuals utilizing theatrical endeavors.
