Kelvin O. Howell Jr. (Kels) assumed the role of Operations Manager at Somos Inc. on April 1, 2023, breaking new ground as the first gender nonconforming/nonbinary multicultural Afro-Panamanian in this capacity. Drawing on a diverse background, Kels’s journey includes volunteering at Somos Inc.’s 2022 Puerto Rico Conference and 2023 Albany Conference, highlighting a commitment to community engagement.
Kels is a results-oriented, ethical, compassionate, and empathetic Civic and Political Engagement Practitioner driven by a purpose to actively engage and organize disenfranchised populations and underserved communities. Their mission centers on fostering upward mobility, addressing human needs, and providing empowerment through grassroots strategic responses and collective actions to address public concerns. Kels advocates for volunteerism, organizational involvement, and engagement with representative democracy, leveraging firsthand lived experiences to guide communities toward empowerment, effective life management, and realizing their potential as agents of positive change.
Before joining Somos Inc., Kels served as a Wellness Advocate at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Bureau of Alcohol and Drug Use, Prevention, Care, and Treatment. In this role, they played a crucial part in addressing opioid-related overdose deaths, collaborating citywide with emergency departments (EDs) through the nonfatal overdose response system, Relay.
Notably, Kels also contributed significantly as the LGBTQIA+ Services Coordinator/Compliance Manager at the New York City Department of Corrections, championing a groundbreaking initiative to ensure the respect and affirmation of individuals in custody with LGBTQIA+ identities. As the first gender nonconforming/nonbinary formerly incarcerated individual, Kels returned to the correctional environment, marking a global first in implementing this pioneering initiative.
Beyond civil service, Kels boasts a diverse background in civic and political engagement, showcasing adaptability in roles ranging from frontline services to leadership positions.
A proud native New Yorker, Kels was born in Union Hospital on Fordham Road in the Bronx. They earned a Bachelor of Professional Studies and an Associate of Arts degree from the Audrey Cohen School for Human Services and Education at Metropolitan College of New York. Currently pursuing an executive master’s degree in public administration at Syracuse University, Kels continues to exemplify a dedication to excellence in public service with aspirations for law school.
Kels takes pride in being the fur parent of Sir Winston, a 7-month-old French Bulldog named after Great Britain’s former Prime Minister, Sir. Winston Churchill. Sir Winston serves as a loving and emotionally supportive office companion, embodying a spirit of warmth and camaraderie for all.
Self-Affirmation and Self-Empowerment
“You have to decide who you are and force the world to deal with you, not what its idea of you”
-James Baldwin (an African American gay novelist, playwright, essayist, and activist from Harlem, New York)
“If we desire a society in which men are brothers, then we must act towards one another with brotherhood. If we can build such a society, then we would have achieved the ultimate goal of human freedom.”
-Bayard Rustin (an African American gay leader in social movements for civil rights, socialism, nonviolence, and gay rights)