|
|
Eugene Franklin is the author of the Pan African American Cultural Heritage Initiative and the architect and organizer of the Pan African Cultural Heritage Alliance, whose membership includes the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc., National Cultural Heritage Tourism Center, Inc., National Black Business Support Corporation, National Black Tourism Marketing Corporation, and the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute, Inc. Franklin also serves as the President of the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. Gene is known internationally as a driving force behind the Pan African American cultural economic development movement. His efforts include the creation and development of cultural programs and infrastructure models that benefit disadvantaged and under served historic communities. His latest endeavor includes the development of “Pan Africa!”, an e’ magazine that will promote the culture, history and traditions of the People of African Descent in support of cultural heritage tourism and travel, and the arts and as a expositor on the cultural economics impact of the historic ‘Green Book’.
Eugene was born August 19, 1948, in Ethel, Louisiana and moved to New Orleans in 1953. Gene attended grade school and high school in Metairie, Louisiana. To serve his country and further his educational dreams, Gene enlisted in the United States Navy in 1969, and served a total of 27 years on active duty. Gene retired 1996 in Pensacola, Florida after serving his command tour as Officer-in-Charge of Naval Air Training Management Support Activity at the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, with the rank of Lieutenant Commander. After the military, Gene founded Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company and worked in the industry for approximately ten years.
Gene Franklin currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc. Washington, D.C., the Florida Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, and serves as Chairman of the Board for the Florida Black Business Support Corporation. He supports his local community by his service as a board member for Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, the Escambia County Health Facilities Authority, and Every Child a Reader in Escambia. Gene previously served as a board member for the Pensacola Area Chamber of Commerce, the Gulf Coast African American Chamber of Commerce, the Small Business Administration - Northern Florida Region Advisory Board, and a host of local and state boards and committees.
As the President of the Florida Black Chamber, he works closely with over twenty local chambers and in partnership with the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Visit Florida. His many awards include being named as one of Florida’s Most Influential People in 2004 and as One Of Florida's Most 500 Influential Business Leaders in 2018 and 2019. His other awards are too many to mention. Gene Franklin is also an ordained minister and serves as an associate minister for a local church and as the lead evangelist of a local ministry. His thirst for knowledge and service continues………!
|
|
Captain (Retired) Smith graduated from Savannah State University in June 1976 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electronics Engineering Technology. He was also commissioned in June 1976 via Savannah State University’s Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) Program and was designated an Aeronautical Engineering Duty Officer in 1979. He received a Master’s Degree in National Resource Strategy from the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (formerly the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF)) in 1995 and graduated from the Defense Acquisition University Senior Acquisition Course Acquisition at Fort McNair in Washington, DC that same year. He was later designated as a level-three certified member of the Department of Defense Acquisition Professional Community where he provided oversight and negotiated contracting, acquisition and logistics support agreements with major commercial, government, and academic organizations nation-wide.
Operational tours include two tours onboard Aircraft Carrier USS John F. Kennedy in Norfolk, Virginia; Attack Squadron One Forty-Seven in Lemoore, California; Aircraft Carrier USS Constellation in San Diego, California; Training Squadron Eighty-Six, Pensacola, Florida; and Aircraft Carrier USS Coral Sea in Norfolk, Virginia; Captain Smith’s acquisition tours include the Navy Supply Corps School; the National Defense University in Washington, DC; Defense Acquisition University, Washington, DC; The Pentagon, Washington, DC; and the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (formerly Naval Air Maintenance Training Group Headquarters) onboard Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (three awards) Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Expeditionary Medal (two awards), National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, NATO Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (Four awards).
He currently works as a consultant for several Government contractors. He manages significant Contracts supporting Cyber Security, Training Solutions, Systems Integration, Virtual Engineering, and other Information Technology Support Services to Department of Defense Agencies and Commercial Corporations. Also, he resides in Pensacola Florida where he supports the local community as Vice Chairman for the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce.
Operational tours include two tours onboard Aircraft Carrier USS John F. Kennedy in Norfolk, Virginia; Attack Squadron One Forty-Seven in Lemoore, California; Aircraft Carrier USS Constellation in San Diego, California; Training Squadron Eighty-Six, Pensacola, Florida; and Aircraft Carrier USS Coral Sea in Norfolk, Virginia; Captain Smith’s acquisition tours include the Navy Supply Corps School; the National Defense University in Washington, DC; Defense Acquisition University, Washington, DC; The Pentagon, Washington, DC; and the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (formerly Naval Air Maintenance Training Group Headquarters) onboard Naval Air Station in Pensacola, Florida. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (three awards) Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), Meritorious Unit Commendation, Navy Expeditionary Medal (two awards), National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, NATO Medal, and Sea Service Deployment Ribbon (Four awards).
He currently works as a consultant for several Government contractors. He manages significant Contracts supporting Cyber Security, Training Solutions, Systems Integration, Virtual Engineering, and other Information Technology Support Services to Department of Defense Agencies and Commercial Corporations. Also, he resides in Pensacola Florida where he supports the local community as Vice Chairman for the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce.
|
|
Dr. Phyllis A. Gray is currently Professor of Sociology and Social Psychology at Florida A & M University in Tallahassee, FL. Previously, she served as the Vice President for Research, and then as the Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Research Institute at Florida A & M University. Other positions include being the Chief Research Officer and Dean of the School of Graduate Studies and Research at Winston-Salem State University; Head of the Division of Social Sciences, and Chair of the Department of Sociology at Voorhees College; Professor and Research Director of the Institute for Disability Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi; The City of Jackson (Mississippi)Chief Strategic Planner/Consultant for the city’s 2000 – 2004 Strategic Plan; Executive Director of the Mississippi Urban Research Center at Jackson State University; Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at North Carolina Central University; Associate Professor and Assistant Professor of Sociology/Criminology, and Coordinator of the Mississippi Crime and Justice Research Unit of the Social Science Research Center at Mississippi State University, as well as an Instructor of Sociology at Iowa State University. Dr. Gray has produced approximately 20 professional research final reports, 8 major strategic plans, and presented nearly 60 papers at national and international conferences. She has published numerous scholarly research articles in both national and international journals, and is the recipient of many honors and awards including induction into the prestigious Sigma Xi National Scientific Research Society. She is also the founding Executive Director of the National Black Graduate Student Association, Inc. Dr. Gray has generated close to 10 million dollars in external research funds. Her research has been funded by The National Science Foundation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, the U. S. Department of Education, the Mississippi Department of Health, the Mississippi Department of Human Services, and the Kellogg Foundation. During her tenure as Vice President for Research at Florida A & M University, faculty generated over $60 million in single-year funds and over $100 million in multi-year funds, within one year. Her current book, From Imagining to Understanding the African American Experience, was published in August, 2012. Her second book, focusing on the disparate treatment of minority youth in the juvenile justice system is slated for publication in 2013. Dr. Phyllis A. Gray is a native of Beaufort, SC and received her B. S. degree in Psychology from South Carolina State University, and both the M. S. degree and Ph.D. in Sociology/Social Psychology from Iowa State University. She is the mother of two, Akeem T. Ray, a Junior majoring in Psychology at Florida State University, and Shakenna J. Durant, a 5th grader at Killearn Lakes Elementary School in Tallahassee, Florida.
|
|
FLORIDA BLACK CHAMBER BOARD SECRETARY
Manager, 2010 to Present:
Site manager and accounting professional for major business corporation.
General Manager, January 2002 to 2009:
Responsibilities included: Develop control procedures for variable and semi-variable expenses, forecast each departments sales and expenses each month with each department manager for the Dealer, conduct weekly management meetings with all departmental managers, develop growth plans for service and parts department.
Parts and Service Director, July 2003 to 2008:
Responsibilities included: Develop control procedures to develop growth plans for service and parts department to attain 100% absorption. Took service operation customer pay from 1.4 to 2.5 currently (goal 3.0 by Feb 05). Total Service operation average gross from $78,830.00 in 2003 to $90,249.00 at the end of 2004. Working with new Parts manger to develop control procedures for Parts.
Dealer Manager, January 1996 to December 2001
Responsibilities included: ordering of vehicles, develop control procedures for the dealership utilizing computer software, conduct weekly management meeting with sales managers, manage the wholesaling of new and used vehicles, attend vehicle auctions and co-ordinate with my financial controller the balance of vehicle inventory to minimize frozen capital.
Finance Manager, January 1994 to December 1996
As a finance manager I was involved in presenting vehicle products and payments, terms and rates to customers.
Sales Consultant, October 1992 – December 1993
As a sales consultant I was involved in performing the proper selling techniques, prospecting, consulting, closing and plan presentations.
The First Boston Corporation
Financial and Methods Analysts, January 1989 – October 1992
Productivity Analysis: Develop and improve productivity reporting procedures utilizing computer software. Maintain historical expense, staffing and trade volume databases to perform projections for budgeting and planning estimates, volume and growth comparisons and measuring productivity.
Budget Preparations: Provide management with a comprehensive budget package detailing methods of calculating and supporting justification for each department’s budget ($33 million). Prepare detailed variance analysis comparing budget versus actual expenses.
Management Reporting: Prepare monthly operations management report outlining key operations measures. Utilize all types of computer software to compose senior management presentations.
Junior Statistical Analyst May 1985 – January 1989
Provide managers with accurate and timely financial and direct expense information and analysis. Analyze major key controllable items for 15 departments in operations. Introduce methods to control, reduce, and report on expenses to operations.
Dean Witter-Reynolds Inc.
National Credit Administrative Assistant, June 1983 – May 1995
Monitored debit balances in customer cash accounts to estimate the firm’s overnight cash debit balance, and adjusted interest earned in these accounts. Prepared interest income, interest expense, branch write-off reports for senior management, and national account executives.
Corporate Account Analyst/Canadian Trading Operations.
Developed daily profiles and handled the reconciliation of client account. Responsibilities include reconciliation of accounts funds and security transfers, verified and authorized trade adjustments, provided and documented security dividend claims, and filed New York Stock exchange extensions.
EDUCATION
St. John’s University New York, New York
M.B.A, Quantitative Analysis September 1988 – May 1991
Bachelor of Science in Finance September 1979 – May 1983
NADA October 1997 – July 1998
AWARDS/PERSONAL
Full four-year athletic scholarship, Division One Basketball.
Team Captain.
Awarded – District 2 All American; Big East player of the Year; Lady Niagara (NY State) player of the Year; St. Johns MVP; St. John’s Hall of Fame; Big East Conference Legend.
Board Member: Florida Sports Foundation-Grant Committee, Florida Black Chamber of Commerce, Appetite4Life.
|
|
Mark is and Accounting Professional and the former President of the Florida Black Business Support Corporation, and dba, Access Florida Finance Corporation. He is well known in the finance service arena as an avid advocate for micro and minority enterprises. He is constantly sought for his advice and expertise. He serves on several boards of directors and has made significant strides in addressing policy issues that inhibit black business development and growth.
Previously, Mark was the Sr. Vice President/Chief Financial Officer for the Florida Black Business Investment Board, Inc., a public private partner with the state. His twenty years experience in accounting and finance, starting at Arthur Andersen LLP in the audit division, continuing on serving as the controller and Chief Financial Officer for various companies in the Detroit area.
Mark is a CPA in the State of Michigan. Mark was born and raised near Detroit, Michigan and now resides with his wife and children in Tallahassee, Florida.
|
|
Lawrence R. Williams, Jr. serves on the Board of the Harmony Institute (FL), One World Foundation (Atlanta, GA), and the Osceola County (FL) Industrial Development Authority. He serves as counsel to Millennium Management, a professional sports and entertainment management company in Atlanta, GA and Connectiv Solutions, a business development firm (FL). Mr. Williams was formerly: President of the Osceola County (FL) Black Business Council, a member of the Executive Board of Trustees for the Osceola County-Kissimmee (FL) Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Executive Board of Trustees for the Lake Buena Vista Rotary (Disney), a member of the Board of Directors for the Osceola County (FL) Education Foundation, and also a former member of the Osceola County(FL) Charter Review Committee. Mr. Williams is a licensed attorney in the State of Ohio, and former member of the National Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association and the Thurgood Marshall Law Society. His area of expertise has been in Mergers and Acquisitions, Charitable Foundations, Corporate Structures, Estate Planning and Civil Law.
|
|
Victor is the Executive Producer for the African Network Television. ANTV broadcasts globally from Gainesville Florida, United States featuring breaking news from across the African continent and lively discussion on current affairs, politics, health, money, cultural lifestyle reflecting the global African experience for all people of African descent.
ANTV bridges current media gap on Africa through trustworthy and reliable Africans led discussion on Africa; by engaging Africans in reshaping Africa’s image and by making it possible for Africans to take a lead in telling Africa’s story.
With enormous natural economic wealth and the abundance of numerous untapped resources, ANTV sheds unprecedented spotlight on Africa’s role on the global future while portraying the numerous highly skilled people of African descent that are crafting the global economic future.
ANTV Network provides reliable central platform for serious conversations on real issues, prospects, challenges, and concerns of both the continent of Africa and all people of its descent.
ANTV’s core audience spans the globe, and includes all people of African descent, foreign investors to Africa, and members of general public with interests on Africa and its beautiful cultures.
|
|
Leon King is the Founder and Managing Partner of K-WAM Financial Solutions. He launched K-WAM in 2005, with the goal of supporting the financial needs of small and mid-sized companies; with a focus on veteran and minority-owned companies doing business with federal and state government agencies. Recognizing that access to capital is essential for starting, sustaining and growing a business; he has positioned K-WAM as a pivotal funding source for start-ups and rapidly growing companies. Through his network of traditional, alternative lenders and investors; Leon has secured financing for business owners across many industry sectors.
Prior to launching K-WAM, Leon served as a financial consultant with Washington Mutual and several boutique lenders; focused on residential mortgages, small business and commercial real estate lending. He also had a long career in healthcare administration at the University of California, San Francisco.
|
|
Professional Positions Held
•Equal Opportunity Specialist – Federal Transportation Administration
•President – Alliance for Global Education and Leadership
•Executive Director – Southeastern Consortium of Minorities in Engineering
•Senior Research and Policy Associate – Integra Ventures
•Associate Administrator-Senior Executive – NASA
•Senior Manager – NASA/JPL
•Special Assistant to the Director of Civil Rights – U.S. Department of Agriculture
Awards & Recognitions
•NASA and Tuskegee University 2007 Excellence Award for the Tuskegee University Center for Food and Environmental Systems for Human Exploration of Space
•Top 50 Blacks in Technology
•Black Engineer of the Year Awards, Baltimore, Maryland, 2006
•Top 100 Blacks in Technology
•Black Engineer of the Year Awards, Baltimore, Maryland, 2005
•Congressional Black Caucus, Women Opening the Pipeline Award 2004
•Congressional Award Educational Leadership 2005
•Congressional Black Caucus, Women Opening the Pipeline Award 2004
•Congressional Award Educational Leadership 2005
•National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education Leadership Award, 1995
•NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal, 1996
•Presidential Award of Distinction, Morehouse College, 1995
•NASA Group Achievement Award (for Equal Opportunity Council), 1995
•NASA Senior Executive Distinguished Service Medal, 1994
•Prairie View A&M University, College of Engineering and Architecture, Presidents Bronze Panther Statue, 1994
•National Association of Professional Asian American Women Federal Agency Special Recognition Award, 1993
•Leadership Award, Pasadena Unified School District, 1992
•Women in Action Leadership Award, 1992
•Outstanding Service Award, Pasadena Unified School District Space Academy, 1992
•NASA Group Achievement Award, 1992
•Women at Work, Twelfth Anniversary Medal of Excellence Luncheon Honoree, Pasadena, California, 1992
•Appreciation Award, Native American Sacred Mountain Scholars, College of Engineering and Technology, Northern Arizona University, 1991 (Sequoia Fellow)
•Life Member, Alumni Association of Fisk University, 1991
•NASA Appreciation Award, 1988
•Martin Luther King Award, Vincennes University, Evansville, Indiana, 1988
•First William Cosby Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Massachusetts, 1981
•President’s Medallion, Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio
Distinguished Service Awards
Alabama A&M University; University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff; Central State University; Clark Atlanta University; Elizabeth City State University; Florida A&M University; Grambling State University; Howard University; Jackson State University; Lincoln University; North Carolina A&T State University; Spelman College; Northern Arizona University; Quality Education for Minorities (QEM); Mobile Alabama Business Alliance; The National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education; Distinguished Service Award, Tuskegee University.
Memberships
Hampton University Engineering Council, National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering- NACME, National Advisory Committee for the National Engineering Coalition, National Urban Coalition Education Taskforce, Aerospace Advisory Compliance Council, Clinton/Gore Transition Team—Space Science and Technology, 1992, Chair, University Space Research Association (URSA) Science Council, Chair, Wiley College NASA Science, Engineering, Math, Aerospace Academy Advisory Board, American Association of Higher Education, Association of Women in Higher Education, Leadership California, National Organization of Women (NOW), National Association of Minority Engineering Program Administrators
|
|
Jerry Mitchell serves as President and CEO of the Alabama State Black Chamber of Commerce (ASBCC). The ASBCC is focused on advancing the interests of its membership and chartered affiliates through advocacy, education, business and economic research, accessing competitive intelligence and forming strategic alliances to maximize opportunities for success. In this position he interacts with businesses across Alabama and oversees the ASBCC’s 3 affiliates. He consulted with more than thousand businesses/non-profits providing business development planning and technical assistance. Additionally, he assisted over 170 businesses in acquiring needed capital for start-up and expansion, securing amounts ranging from $25,000 to $1.5 million. Mr. Mitchell writes a weekly opinion column for Speakin’ Out News, a weekly news publication targeting the North Alabama’s African American community, focused on community issues and the challenging of cultural myths. Since 2003 he has served as an adjunct professor for the Alabama A&M University School of Business. He currently is a weekly guest contributor on WEUPTalk, a community affairs talk show.
In 2014 Mitchell was named to the Alabama Small Business Advisory Committee by Governor Robert Bentley and to the Huntsville Times’ Most Influential list. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for: the National Black Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau of North Alabama. He is the recipient of a number awards for community service and leadership from churches, business associations and service organizations, including the Distinguished Service Award from the City of Huntsville in 2009 and the Community Service Award from the Huntsville/Madison Co. NAAACP in 2008.
Mitchell has bachelors in accounting from VSU, a masters degree in business management from Central Michigan University, and completed doctoral coursework at the University of Alabama.