Board of Directors

  • Carolyn Crane

    Boylston, MA;
    Board Chair
    (3 year term, 2022 - 2025)

  • Rich Ardizzone

    Worcester, MA;
    Board Treasurer, Joy of Music Program
    (3 year term, 2023 - 2026)

  • Jean Borgatti

    Shrewsbury, MA;
    Fitchburg Art Museum
    (3 year term, 2023 - 2026)

  • Rala Cocco

    Fitchburg, MA;
    Fitchburg State University
    (3 year term, 2024 - 2027)

  • Jeffrey Gribouski

    Northborough, MA;
    Bowditch and Dewey
    (3 year term 2023-2026)

  • Honee Hess

    Worcester, MA;
    Worcester Center for Crafts
    (3 year term, 2022 - 2025)

  • Wanjiru Nganga

    Worcester, MA;
    Century Home Care
    (3 year term, 2024 - 2027)

  • John S. Yormie, Jr.

    Worcester, MA;
    African Community Education
    (3 year term, 2022 - 2025)

Jeffrey Gribouski

Northborough, MA; Bowditch and Dewey
(3 year term 2023-2026)

Jeff is a Central Massachusetts native, growing up in Sutton and attending high school in Worcester.  After attending Northeastern University School of Law, Jeff has been practicing law in the Worcester and Boston areas since 2019.  He currently practices at Robinson + Cole, where he is an associate in the firm’s Insurance and Reinsurance Group.  Jeff is also an active member of his hometown, Northborough, where he is a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals.  Jeff’s love for music, travel, community, and African culture attracted him to Crocodile River, where he has served on the board since 2023.

Honee Hess

Worcester, MA; Worcester Center for Crafts
(3 year term, 2022 - 2025)

​​Honee Hess joins Crocodile River Music from a career in the visual arts including over 25 years at the Worcester Art Museum where she was Director of Education.  She recently retired from service as Executive Director of the Worcester Center for Crafts.  But it was in her position of Curator of Education at the University of Iowa Museum of Art that she discovered her love of African Art and its many and varied cultures, and participated in a cultural tour to west Africa that, as she would put it, changed her life.  She brings her educational expertise to the Board, along with a long history in Worcester of volunteer service to the non-profit sector.

Rala Cocco

Fitchburg, MA; Fitchburg State University
(3 year term, 2024 - 2027)

Rala Cocco is a professor in the Humanities Department at Fitchburg State University, where she teaches world languages (Italian and French), as well as Interdisciplinary Studies.  She has helped to enrich the World Music curriculum, music performance and lesson programs at her institution.  Rala is a translator, writer, and researcher on Medieval Italy  She enjoys playing Jazz piano and African drums.

Munya Munochiveyi, PhD

[[Worcester, MA; Worcester Center for Crafts]]
[[[(3 year term, 2022 - 2025)]]]

Munya is originally from Zimbabwe, and is a Professor of African History at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. As a scholar, he specializes in modern histories of decolonization in southern Africa, a historical process that was made possible by not only African people's anticolonial politics, but also infused with vibrant insurgent popular culture such as African anticolonial music, dance, and art. Working with Crocodile River Music always reminds Munya of the vitality and meaning of African music to people of the African continent and abroad, music that tells stories of the past, serenades historical change, and celebrates the triumphs and hopes of African people. Whenever Munya has free time, he attends African music shows, and he is a devoted follower of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a successful and popular South Africa choral group.

John Yormie Jr.

Worcester, MA; African Community Education
(3 year term, 2022 - 2025)

 John, originally from Liberia, West Africa, has a background in academia, research, and youth development. He served as a lecturer at African Methodist Episcopal University and worked with the Liberia Research and Development Networks. He’s been a volunteer adjudicator for the National High School Debate Championship and led literacy-focused seminars to promote writing and research. John is the author of Liberia in the Colorful World of Diplomacy, with proceeds supporting rural students. He earned his MA in Diplomacy Law and Business from Jindal Global University in India and a BA in Sociology from Cuttington University. John brings a strong commitment to education, culture, and social inclusion—and a love of soccer—to his role with Crocodile River Music.

Rich Ardizzone

Worcester, MA; Board Treasurer, Joy of Music Program
(3 year term, 2023 - 2026)

Rich is a dedicated educator and accomplished musician who’s spent decades working in early childhood education and the arts. He earned a Bachelor of Music in Classical Trombone from Boston University and a Master’s in Early Childhood Education from Tufts. Rich served for over 16 years as Executive Director of the Rainbow Child Development Center in Worcester, and earlier worked in day care and preschool programs in Cambridge and Somerville. A strong child advocate, he’s been active in statewide and local child welfare initiatives. Rich is also a lifelong musician, having played with jazz and Latin bands across Boston and Worcester. Now retired from his role as Associate Director at the Joy of Music Program, he continues to teach World Drumming and to blend his passions for music, education, and youth empowerment.

Carrie Crane

Boylston, MA; Board Chair
(3 year term, 2022 - 2025)

Carrie is a multidisciplinary visual artist with an MFA from Lesley University and a BA in Geography. Her creative work, exhibited across eight states, includes residencies at institutions like Mass MoCA, the NSF Worcester Incubator, and Clark University’s Physics Department. In addition to her artistic career, Carrie has advised various philanthropic initiatives and served on nonprofit and corporate boards. Her connection to West African dance led her to Crocodile River Music over a decade ago, where she supported the group’s transition into a 501(c)(3) and served as its first board president. Carrie is driven by a desire to make African music and movement accessible and joyful for all.

Wanjiru Nganga

Worcester, MA; Century Home Care
(3 year term, 2024 - 2027)

Wanjiru is a Senior Certified HR professional with more than 20 years of experience in the financial and healthcare sectors. She currently manages non-clinical operations at Century Homecare as Assistant Administrator. Wanjiru is also the founder of Watoto Poa Inc., a nonprofit that mentors first- and second-generation youth, focusing on academic success and cultural preservation. Originally from Kenya, she’s deeply involved in immigrant community building and event organizing. A proud mother of two, Wanjiru brings a wealth of leadership, compassion, and real-world experience to the board, grounded in her personal journey and commitment to community empowerment.

Jean Borgatti, PhD

Shrewsbury, MA; Fitchburg Art Museum
(3 year term, 2023 - 2026)

Jean is an internationally recognized art historian and curator with a lifetime of experience studying and promoting African art. After earning degrees in Art History from Wellesley College and UCLA, she shifted her focus to African, Oceanic, and Indigenous arts. Jean has spent over 50 years conducting research with the Okpella people of Nigeria and has curated landmark exhibitions—including one on African portraiture for New York’s Center for African Art. She’s taught at Clark University, the University of Benin, and other institutions, and currently serves as consulting curator at Fitchburg Art Museum. Jean’s work has earned her multiple Fulbright awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award from ACASA, underscoring her influence in the field of African art and scholarship.