Outstanding Leadership in Queens
2020 Honoree of the Queens Federation of Churches

Saywalah Kessell

Saywalah Kesselly is the Executive Director of the African Center for Community Empowerment; a not-for-profit organization servicing youth and families in Southeast Queens, and extended works in Africa. He is Chairman of the Steering Committee of the Proposed Southeast Queens Federal Credit Union, a community-wide initiative in Southeast Queens to establish a community based financial institution and Vice President of the Farmers Boulevard Community Development Corp.

Saywalah was born in Sasstown Territory, Liberia, to Barwehn and Teresa Kesselly. He graduated from the William V.S. Tubman High School in 1981 and immigrated to the United States in 1984 in search of higher education.

Saywalah worked at various odd jobs which included dish washer, messenger, shipping and mail room clerk, factory worker and livery van driver to pay his way through college. He graduated from Baruch College, CUNY. with a BBA degree in Economics in 1991.

Previously, Saywalah served as President of the Board of Directors of Arverne Limited Profit Housing Corp, Controller of KLEAR Electrical Corp, Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Addabbo Family Health Center, Member Advisory Committee York College (CUNY) Department of Teachers’ Education, National President of the Tubman High Alumni Association in the U.S. and Business Administrator of Full Gospel Tabernacle Church in Queens. Saywalah was also a candidate for New York City Council District 31, Queens, in 2013.

While in Liberia, Saywalah served as International Commissioner of the Boy Scouts of Liberia, General Coordinator of the Monrovia Chapter of the Liberian Red Cross Society, and President of the student government of the W.V.S Tubman High School. Saywalah also served as a member of the Liberian Delegations to the Games of the XXII Olympiad in the USSR in 1980, and the 29th World Scout Conference in Dearborn, Michigan in 1984.

Saywalah is also the recipient of numerous awards including the 2005 Union Square Awards, 2006 HBA/Times Ledger “Community Impact Awards,” 2016 Immigrant Impact Awards, New York City Council Citations, and NY1 “New Yorker of the Week.” He was also featured on ABC and CBS TV.

Saywalah is happily married to his loving wife Gwendolyn of 30 years and the couple is blessed with three children: Leah Yassah, Tarnue Barwehn and Sonie Tenneh.