'The Think Tank'
and
Research Center
Senior Fellows
Dr. Phyllis Gray Ray
|
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. |
Dr. Anthony L. Jenkins
President West Virginia State University |
Anthony L. Jenkins, Ph.D., West Virginia State University’s 11th President effective July 1, 2016, is an established higher education leader committed to advocating for students and creating opportunity to higher education for all students, especially culturally under-represented groups.
Born in Washington D.C., and raised between our nation’s capital and North Carolina, Jenkins is a vocal proponent for education and public policy issues. He has fostered meaningful dialogue within the national higher education community. His research, speeches and publications focus on crisis management, enrollment and retention, diversity, African-American male initiatives, first-generation college student success, state funding for higher education, mentoring and high-risk college campus behavior such as alcohol consumption and sexual misconduct. Throughout his career, he has enhanced the quality of the university experience for students, strengthened financial infrastructures, developed comprehensive retention and enrollment plans, increased retention and graduation rates, expanded access, improved student conduct systems, and more. Jenkins began his path to West Virginia State University as a United States Army veteran and first-generation college graduate. Jenkins earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Virginia Tech University, a Master of Science degree from North Carolina Central University, and a Bachelor’s of Applied Science degree from Fayetteville State University. Prior to joining West Virginia State University, Jenkins worked at the University of Central Florida – the nation’s second largest university, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, Northeastern Illinois University, the University of Houston-Clear Lake and Jackson State University. Jenkins is a Life-member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated. He is an active member of several higher education organizations, including: the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA); the American College Personnel Association (ACPA); the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals (NASAP); and the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). The Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute In 2014, he served as a faculty member for the NASPA Region II Mid Manager Institute. A supporter of quality higher education, he has served as a site evaluator for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). He has been inducted into several of the most prestigious academic honor, business and leadership societies in the nation: Alpha Kappa Psi; Phi Kappa Phi; Sigma Alpha Pi; Alpha Sigma Lambda; Omicron Delta Kappa; Alpha Phi Sigma; and Order of Omega. Jenkins is married to Toinette Jenkins and they have three daughters. |
Dr. Leroy A. Durant
|
Dr. Leroy A. Durant is currently the Vice President for Student Development and Services at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. He has over 22 years of experience in higher education.
Previous positions held include Vice President for Student Affairs; Vice President for Student Life and Alumni Affairs; and Vice President for Operations, Campus Development and Services at Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi. Additionally, he has served as Vice President of Student Life; Dean of Students, and Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Grambling State University in Grambling, Louisiana. Applied experiences include working in the Criminal Justice System for 12 years as a Probation Officer, Intake Supervisor, and an Alcohol and Drug Coordinator. He has served on the faculty at the following institutions - Claflin University, Associate Professor of Sociology/Criminal Justice; Voorhees College, Assistant Professor of Sociology; Grambling State University, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice and Sociology; and Lamar University, Instructor of Sociology. Some of his achievements through fund raising involved major external funds for the University as principal and co-principal investigator of grants through the U.S. Departments of Education, Justice, and UNCFSP Learn and Serve, and other funding opportunities. At Claflin University, he was Principal Investigator, Family and Violence project, U.S. Department of Justice; Principal Investigator, MDRC and UNCF Performance-Based Scholarship Demonstration Proposal - Financial Aid Support to Improve Persistence and Graduation Rates among African-American Male Students; Principal Investigator, Strengthening Student Retention, Presidents’ Initiative, 5-year Award; Principal Investigator, U.S. Department of Education, Education Research Program, 2009-2010; Principal Investigator, Wal-Mart Minority Student Success Award, Institute for Higher Education Policy, Wal-Mart Foundation; Co-Principal Investigator, U.S. Department of Education, Disability Enhancement Grant; Co-Principal Investigator, U.S. Department of Justice, Violence against Women on College Campuses; Principal Investigator, UNCFSP Learn and Serve Grant Program, Service Learning Project; Fundraiser for Division of Student Development and Services, 5-year period, Athletic Program. At Jackson State University, he was the Principal Investigator, U.S. Department of Education, Ronald E. McNair Program; and New Student Orientation; Principal Investigator, Affordable Access, Karse Foundation. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology and Masters of Arts Degree in Sociology from Grambling State University, and a Doctorate Degree in Higher Education Administration from Texas Southern University. Other areas of expertise include strategic planning, organizational management training, budgeting and counseling. Dr. Leroy A Durant is a native of Trinidad and is the father of three children and three grandchildren. |
Dr. Huberta Jackson-Lowman
|
Huberta Jackson-Lowman is a Professor of Psychology and past Chair of the Department of Psychology at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida. A Fulbright-Hays Scholar and editor of the anthology Afrikan American Women: Living at the Crossroads of Race, Gender, Class and Culture (2013), her post-doctoral career spans nearly 40 years and has consisted of roles in both the private and public sectors. These positions include serving as Executive Director/Director of the Mayor’s Commission on Families in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; as co-director of the former Institute for the Black Family at the University of Pittsburgh; and as a psychologist and consultant in private practice for 15 years.
She is the newly elected (2015) President-Elect of the National Association of Black Psychologists and has served in various capacities within the organization, both locally and nationally. She is certified through the Association of Black Psychologists as a diplomate and fellow in Afrikan-centered psychology. In 2008, the Association of Black Psychologists presented her with the annual Scholarship Award for her research and presentations. In 2011, she received the Asa Hilliard Road Scholar Travel Award. Dr. Jackson-Lowman demonstrates an ongoing commitment to engaging the community to promote the health and well-being of families. In previous roles, she developed and implemented Teen Pregnancy Prevention Campaigns and Healthy Family Fairs, and also worked with her students to implement “We Believe in Youth” community days in Tallahassee’s Orange Avenue community in 2007-08. She provided leadership in the development and implementation of Community Healing Days in Tallahassee, Florida, in 2012, 2013, and 2014. She is currently implementing training of trainers focusing on the implementation of Emotional Emancipation Circles in the greater Tallahassee community. Emotional Emancipation Circles utilize a curriculum developed by the Community Healing Network and the Association of Black Psychologists to debunk the myth of black inferiority and promote knowledge of the history and culture of people of Afrikan ancestry. Additionally, she serves as a Commissioner on the Tallahassee/Leon County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Dr. Jackson-Lowman’s research examines the effects of the intersectionality of race, gender, class, and culture on the health, mental health, and relationships of women of Afrikan ancestry and explores the use of cultural strategies, such as proverbs and rites of passage, as tools of socialization for Afrikan American youth. An emerging area of research focuses on the use of cultural policy to facilitate a sense of agency in disadvantaged neighborhoods. In addition to her recently published textbook, she has developed measures that assess levels of internalization of engendered racial myths that target Afrikan American women, The Engendered Racial Myths Scale (ERMS), and a measure which evaluates the quality of relationships between Black women, The Totem Self Scale-II (TSS), both of which she utilizes in ongoing research. |
Dr. Thankdekile Ruth Mason Mvusi
|
Thandekile Ruth Mason Mvusi is Founder and CEO of the History Lesson Project. She has more than 25 years of experience teaching, studying, and researching the history and cultures of Africa, African Americans, and the Diaspora. Her areas of expertise in African History are 20th century Zambia, Apartheid South Africa, and Swaziland. She has a long-held interest in the 19th Century South and its legacies for 21st Century America. Gender and Race construction in each of the above, as well as the Diaspora constitute her current interests, as well as the Civil Rights and Labor Movements in the USA. She uses disciplines within the Humanities, along with those of the Social Sciences, to reach audiences both within the walls of The Academy , as well as in the Community.
Dr. Mvusi earned her Ph.D. from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, where she wrote a dissertation on “The Creation of Unemployment in Northern Rhodesia, ca. 1891-1936,” and taught herself Anthropology to develop her historical narrative. She holds M.A. degrees from Northwestern University and The University of Chicago, and a B.A. degree from Spelman College. She has been a three-time recipient of Fulbright Awards, a recipient of the Mississippi Council of Humanities Award for Teacher of the Year (with the Hamer Institute), and has served as a Consultant to the International Training in Women and Development Project. |
Dr. Anthony E. Dixon
|
Dr. Dixon is a native of Fort Valley, Georgia. In 1994, he received his B.S. in History with a minor in African American Studies from Florida A&M University. However, during his undergraduate studies, he became involved in many detrimental and illegal activities. Thus unlike most hopeful graduates, he was incarcerated and subsequently served five and a half years in the Florida Department of Corrections. Dr. Dixon explains that incarceration was a “nightmare, a blessing, and a learning experience all rolled up into one unforgettable experience.” He was released from prison in late 1999. In 2000, Dr. Dixon was given the opportunity to return to his alma mater and enter a master’s program.
Dr. Dixon received his M.A.S.S. (Master’s of Applied Social Science) from Florida A&M University in 2001, with a concentration in History. In 2001, he also received a doctoral fellowship from Indiana University’s History Department where he majored in the African Diaspora. His studies included African American History, and African History, with a minor in Library Science (specifically Special Collections and Archives). In 2002, Dr. Dixon received a Foreign Language Area Studies Fellowship in which he entered the Summer Cooperative African Language Institute at Michigan State University. There, he studied the African language Bamana. Upon finishing my doctoral coursework, in 2004 Dr. Dixon became an archival intern at the John G. Riley Museum, Tallahassee, Florida. In 2006, he became a Visiting Professor at Florida A & M University as well as the head Archivist and Historian for the John G. Riley Museum. In the following year (2007), he completed his dissertation entitled “Black Seminole Involvement and Leadership during the Second Seminole War, 1835-1842”, and received a Ph.D. in History from the Indiana University. During that same year, he became the Museum Curator for the Virginia Key Beach Park Museum in Miami, Florida and an Adjunct Professor at Florida International University. During that time, he continued to work with the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network as the Associate Director. In 2008, he became a Florida Commissioner for the National Gullah Geechee Heritage Corridor, the only National African American Heritage Corridor in the United States. He currently still holds this position. In 2009, Dr. Dixon ventured out and co-founded the Archival and Historical Research Associates, LLC, an archival and historical research firm. Since 2009, Dr. Dixon has been the Director of Projects and Programs for the John G. Riley Museum, Assistant Director of the Florida African American Heritage Preservation Network, as well as an adjunct history professor at Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College. Also since 2009, he has become a member of the State of Florida Task Force on African American History. This entity was created by the State of Florida’s Department of Education and is responsible for the implementation of African American History in Florida public schools. According to Dr. Dixon, in 2012 he began to feel a strong sense of commitment to helping troubled young people. This in turn, caused him to create Up From Incarceration, a series of books dedicated to examining the incarceration phenomenon that is adversely affecting so many communities and families. “Volume I: Dispelling Myths of the Thug Life” is written primarily for young adults. The objective of this volume is to dispel many of the myths that glorify being a gangster. |
Calvin E. Robinson Jr., D.Min
|
Pastor Robinson is a native of Pamplico, South Carolina. He attended South Carolina State College where he earned a B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Aerospace Science and is a Distinguished Graduate of the Air Force ROTC. Pastor Robinson is a proud veteran of the USAF wherein he served as an Air Intelligence Officer.
Pastor Robinson earned an M.A. in Procurement and Acquisitions Management from Webster University and has an earned Doctor of Ministry degree from Virginia University of Lynchburg. His doctoral dissertation is entitled: How the Church Can Edify and Encourage Youth Ages Eleven Through Fourteen to Avert Illicit Drug Activity. Dr. Robinson believes that Christian Education is vital to one’s spiritual growth. Three of several classes he has developed are: How to Be Godly Singles in an Ungodly World, a guide for single Christians; Daniel’s Way, an anti-drug class for youth that emphasizes biblical morals, and community and personal responsibility while stressing the medical dangers and legal ramifications of illicit drug, alcohol, and tobacco use; and Making Your House A Home, a ten week study of biblical principles to assist in marital enrichment. Pastor Robinson exudes agape for his community through service. He is a member of the Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention where he serves as a vice president for the parent body and as president of the Board of Trustees for the Christian Leadership School. He is a member of the Board of Trustees for Virginia University of Lynchburg, the Board of Directors for United Way of Milford, Connecticut; the Milford Prevention Council (to help prevent youth substance abuse), a member of the Design Team for the Parent Leadership Training Institute, and meets regularly with other community leaders in an effort to devise plans to assist youth in New Haven, CT. Pastor Robinson has been blessed to preach and teach throughout the east coast of the United States as well as the city of Nairobi, Kenya. He counts it a great joy that he serves as the Under Shepherd of the First Baptist Church located in Milford, Connecticut. As a Servant Leader, he challenges his parishioners to increase their personal spiritual growth through prayer, the study of God’s word, and meditation. He stresses evangelizing the lost, nurturing new Christians, giving liberally to foreign and local missions, fostering Christian fellowship, and giving liberally according to how God has allowed one to prosper. Pastor Robinson and his loving wife, Ann, are blessed to have three wonderful children: Avril, Angel, and Calvin III. Including all Scripture, Pastor Robinson especially lives by Proverbs 3: 6, “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.” Education: Doctor of Ministry Youth Ministry/Social Action Virginia University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg, VA September 2003 – May 2006 Dissertation: How The Church Can Edify And Encourage Youth Ages Eleven Through Fourteen To Avert Illicit Drug Activity. MA Procurement and Acquisitions Management Bolling AFB Campus, Washington, DC Webster University, St. Louis, MO September 1991 – March 1993 BA Political Science Distinguished Graduate, Air Force ROTC South Carolina State College, Orangeburg, SC September 1978 – May 1982 Service Board of Trustees, Virginia University of Lynchburg Vice President, Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention Chairman of the Board, CSMBC Christian Leadership School Board of Trustees, Milford United Way Milford Prevention Council Milford Christian Clergy Milford Clergy Association Read Aloud Program Bridgeport, CT Schools Annual Guest Lecturer Mauro-Sheridan School, New Haven, CT Affiliations National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc American Baptist Churches USA Connecticut State Missionary Baptist Convention Uganda Farmers Inc. NAACP, Life Member Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Nu Chapter Air Force Association, Life Member |
Dr. Rose Brewer
|
Dr. Rose M. Brewer is a scholar and activist. She is the Morse Alumni Distinguished Teaching Professor of African American & African Studies at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. She is a founding board member of Project South: Institute for the Elimination of Poverty and Genocide. She served as a board member of United for a Fair Economy, and was a founding member of the Black Radical Congress. She received her M.A and Ph.D degrees in sociology from Indiana University, and did post doctoral studies at the University of Chicago. She has written extensively on Black Families, the intersectionality of race, class and gender, political change and social transformation, publishing over 50 refereed journal articles, book chapters, and scholarly essays in these areas. Her multi-authored book, The Color of Wealth, New Press, received the 2006 Gustavus Meyer national book award.
Her most recent book is the co-edited, The United States Social Forum: Perspectives of a Movement, ChangeMaker Publications, 2010. Her involvement in the U.S. Social Forum and the World Social Forum processes is fueled by a long term commitment to Pan African struggles and radical resistance for fundamental social transformation. |
Kenneth Jolly, Ph.D.
|
Kenneth Jolly earned his Ph.D. in African American history from the University of Missouri, Columbia and is currently Associate Professor of History and Advisor to Black Studies at Saginaw Valley State University. Jolly’s book "By Our Own Strength": William Sherrill, the UNIA and the Fight for African American Self-Determination in Detroit, was published in 2013 by Peter Lang Academic Publishing Group as part of the Black Studies and Critical Thinking series.
Jolly’s book Black Liberation in the Midwest: The Struggle in St. Louis, Missouri, 1964-1970 was published by Routledge in 2006 as part of the African American History and Culture series. His research interests include African American History, the Black Power and Civil Rights Movements, and Black Liberation movements in the African Diaspora. |
Dr. Rodney Coates
|
Rodney D. Coates* born in East St. Louis, Ill., received his B.A. from Southern Illinois University, a M.A. in sociology and anthropology from the University of Illinois, a second M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Chicago. He holds the rank of professor in the Department of Sociology and Gerontology, for 15 years Directed the Black World Studies Program at Miami University. Dr. Coates specializes in the study of race and ethnic relations, inequality, critical race theory, and social justice. Coates serves on the editorial boards of the American Sociological Review; Social Forces; and Race, Class and Gender |
Dr. Sharon Wright Austin |
Sharon Wright Austin is the Director of the African American Studies Program and an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Florida. She is a former associate professor of political science and black studies at the University of Missouri, Columbia and has also taught courses at the Universities of Michigan and Louisville and at Yale University. Dr. Austin received a doctorate in political science from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1993. Her teaching interests are in American Government, Urban Politics, and African American Politics and her research interests are in African American mayoral elections, rural African American political activism, and African American political behavior. She is also the author of two books - Race, Power, and Political Emergence in Memphis, The Transformation of Plantation Politics in the Mississippi Delta: Black Politics, Concentrated Poverty, and Social Capital in the Mississippi Delta. In addition, she has published scholarly articles in the National Political Science Review, The Political Research Quarterly, The Journal of Black Studies The Social Science Quarterly, and Politics and Policy. She has also written several book chapters. Currently, she is completing her third book, The Caribbeanization of Black Politics: Race, Group Consciousness, and Political Participation in America. |
Dr. Barbara J. Haile
|
Barbara J. Haile is a tenured Associate Professor and coordinator of the social policy sequence for the Master’s Program in social work at Florida A&M University. She received her B.A. at the University of Kentucky; M.A. in sociology at Indiana University; M.S.W. at Howard University; and D.S.W. at the University of Pennsylvania. The recipient of a Senior Congressional Fellowship, she served in the U.S. House of Representatives in two capacities: the Committee on Ways and Means’ Subcommittee on Public Assistance and Unemployment Compensation, preparing briefing documents for Congressional hearings; and in the office of a U.S. Congressman, tracking and analyzing legislative initiatives in health care, poverty, and human services. She also has extensive experience in higher education, administration, and policy practice.
Dr. Haile’s teaching areas are social policy, HIV/AIDS, social work practice in health care, and dynamics of oppression. Her current research interests focus on health disparities relative to HIV/AIDS, in both the American and South African contexts; gerontology; and the role of social workers in bringing about policy changes in systems of health care and social services. She has conducted research, published, and presented scholarly papers in these areas. In 2002, she had the opportunity to travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, to attend an A.M.E. Church-led Annual Conference, where one of the issues under discussion was HIV/AIDS. Two of her most recent accomplishments include: a book chapter entitled: A different look through the lens of oppression: African American women and HIV/AIDS, in H. Jackson-Lowman (Ed.), Afrikan American women: Living at the crossroads of race, gender, class, and culture; and selection as a 2013-2014 Faculty Scholar by the Geriatric Education Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Over the course of the year-long program, she will further her research and curriculum development in gerontology and geriatrics through examining the relationships between health literacy, ethno-geriatrics, health policy, and the quality of care provided to older adults. Dr. Haile has been active at the community level working with agencies in the planning and delivery of health care services to underserved populations. One of her passions is to decrease the incidence of HIV among African Americans, particularly women, through family and community education. To that end, she has conducted research and prevention education with African American women age 50 and older. She holds membership on the Leon County Capital Coalition for Health, and its Subcommittee on Health Disparities, which is focused on infant mortality and HIV/AIDS; until recently, Sistas Organizing to Survive, a state-wide advisory committee to the Florida Department of Health that provided guidance to the Bureau of HIV/AIDS staff on prevention and intervention initiatives for Black women; and a past participant in projects that address obesity and diabetes with the Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council. She was recently able to make health messaging a part of a 2012 Kwanzaa Program in Tallahassee. At the national level, she is a Volunteer Consultant with the Behavioral and Social Science Program of the American Psychological Association. In this capacity, she lends assistance to community-based organizations and health departments in planning and implementing HIV programs. |
Dr. Lesia L. Crupton-Young
|
Dr. Young is the recipient of the US Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) which she received from President Obama in 2010. She is the founder and CEO of Powerful Education Technologies a company dedicated to enhancing the personal and professional development of youth and adults throughout our nation. She is the creator of the You’ve Got The Power! Workbook series dedicated to empowering individuals to unleash the greatness that exists within them. Also, she is currently working on developing the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFÉ) which will provide research and resources for helping faculty improve their performance and productivity. She has co-authored a workbook entitled “Advancing Your Faculty Career” which is helping faculty members around the country.Also, she is a certified Life and Career Coach who uses her knowledge and experience to help further the career of female faculty. She previously founded the Power Promise Organization a non-profit entity dedicated to helping students realize the promise of a brighter future.
Dr. Crumpton-Young received her BS, MS, and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Texas A&M University; where she was the 1st African-American female to receive a Ph.D in engineering. Dr. Crumpton-Young-Young received the 2006 Outstanding Women of Color in Science and Technology Educator Award and the 1999 Janice A. Lumpkin, Educator of the Year Golden Torch Award from the National Society of Black Engineers. Also, Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young received the 1997 Black Engineer of the Year Education Award which is given to the one candidate whose qualifications place him/her in the ranks of the nation's highest achievers in the field of engineering. She has served on the NSF CEOSE Committee, Engineering Advisory Committee and the Army Science Board for our country. Previously, Dr. Crumpton-Young served as a Program Director at the National Science Foundation. Also, she served as Associate Provost at Texas A&M University. She also served as Department Head and Professor of the Industrial Engineering and Management Systems Department at the University of Central Florida. At UCF she received the Trail Blazer award for being the first female to serve as a Department Head within the College of Engineering. Prior to joining UCF, she held the position of Associate Dean of Engineering at Mississippi State University (MSU) where she was the first female to serve as Associate Dean of Engineering. Also, she was one of the first females to receive the Hearin-Hess Professor of Engineering Award Also, Dr. Crumpton-Young served as the developer and director of the Ergonomics/Human Factors Experimentation Laboratory during her tenure at Mississippi State University. In addition, she is an active researcher in the area of modeling Human Systems under Dynamic conditions.For example, her various research interests include: faculty development, STEM education, mentoring, curriculum reform, STEM leadership development, human performance modeling and analysis, human reliability analysis, human fatigue assessment and modeling, use of virtual reality and computer simulation in ergonomics design and analysis, design of displays and controls, workplace design; carpal tunnel syndrome prevention and control; and workplace redesign for disabled persons. Dr. Crumpton-Young received the CAREER development award from the National Science Foundation for her research on Developing Engineering Criteria for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. In addition, she received the outstanding industrial paper award for her research entitled: An Investigation of Cumulative Trauma Disorders in the Construction Industry at the Seventh International Occupational Ergonomics and Safety Conference. She has served as Principal Investigator on numerous research projects and published hundreds of scholarly publications. Her research has been externally supported by the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, NASA, and Department of Education; also, she has worked on many industrial research projects with sponsorship from companies such as UPS, IBM, Caterpillar, Intel, Garan Manufacturing, Southwest Airlines, and Lockheed Martin. She has been married for 21 years to Mr. Reginald Young, owner of Ebay’s Graphic Designs, and is the mother of two beautiful daughters, Mattlyn Young age 15, and Ashlee Young age 12. |
Dr. Reynaldo Anderson
|
Dr. Reynaldo Anderson currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Humanities at Harris-Stowe State University in Saint Louis, MO. Dr. Anderson has published articles, book chapters and has presented extensive research documenting the Africana experience and the Communication Studies field. For example, Dr. Anderson presented his latest research on the Africana futurist perspective at the Sorbonne in Paris, France at a conference hosted by UNESCO. Dr. Anderson is a past chair of the Black Caucus of the National Communication Association. Finally, as an executive board member of the Missouri Arts Council, Dr. Anderson and other members procured resources from the American Recovery Act and utilized the stimulus to support the Arts community in the region. Dr. Anderson was recognized in 2010 for his efforts in the humanities with a community leadership award from Gov. Jay Nixon. |
Dr. John W. Chambers
|
Over the past 35 years Dr. Chambers have served in a number of positions in the federal government and in universities. I served as a research administrator at the National Institute of Education in Washington, DC, and held various faculty positions at Howard University, University of Maine at Augusta, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina Central University, and Florida A&M University. For the past 23 years I have been a tenured professor of psychology at Florida A&M University. I received the B.A. degree in psychology from Wabash College, and the M.A. and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from the University of Cincinnati. In addition, I was the recipient of a William T. Grant Post-Doctoral Fellowship to the Center for Research in Human Learning at the University of Minnesota.
My academic training and research are in the areas of health psychology, research design and statistical analyses. I have developed research methods and statistic courses at both the graduate and undergraduate levels that include SPSS. I have also taught course in health psychology, cognitive development, and stress management. My research interests are two-fold, stress management and HIV/AIDS with a focus on community intervention and education. The stress research examines the constellation of factors that are associated with how people cope with stress and the impact stress has on physical and mental health. The HIV/AIDS research examines risk factors for HIV transmission. I have collaborated with a colleague on a project with the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in the Republic of South Africa that examines the relationship between HIV intervention activities of the AME Church, knowledge of HIV transmission and behavioral risk factors. |
Dr. Shawnta S.
|
Shawnta S. Friday-Stroud, Ph.D., Professor of Management, is the Dean of the Florida A&M University School of Business and Industry. She is a former McKnight Doctoral Fellow and McKnight Junior Faculty Development Fellow. Dr. Friday-Stroud received her Ph.D. in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Florida International University and her BS and MBA from Florida A&M University. She has been recognized in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers several times. Dr. Friday-Stroud has taught Organization Theory, Organizational Behavior, Negotiations, Strategic Management, and other management-related courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Her research interests include issues pertaining to diversity, mentoring, intergroup relations, and other organizational behavior topics.
She was featured in the January 2, 2003 issue of Black Issues in Higher Education as a “Standout Scholar.” Dr. Friday-Stroud has also self-published two books, Take A.C.T.I.O.N.® and Cultivate Your S.P.I.R.I.T®. The books offer professionals and individuals a simple holistic process for accomplishing more of their personal and professional goals in less time with less effort and stress. Dr. Friday-Stroud has over 20 years of consulting experience in the areas of strategic planning, leadership training, diversity course development and training, employee attitudinal assessments, workload analysis, strategic market assessment, team building, computer training, financial literacy training, conflict resolution and management, employee-management relations liaison, standards of performance, mentoring strategy formulation, implementation, and evaluation, formulating departmental vision and mission statements, and program evaluation. She has provided consulting services for organizations such as the National Bar Association, Frenchtown Credit Union, Florida A&M University, General Mills, Eli Lilly and Company, Ford Motor Company, Mentor Exchange, Inc., The Houston Chronicle, New Orleans Parish School District, Miami Police Department, United States Tennis Association, Dade County (FL) Beacon Council, and Florida Memorial College to name a few. Dr. Friday-Stroud serves on the Knight Creative Communities Institute (KCCI) Advisory Board, the Leon County Research and Development Authority’s Board of Governors, and as the 2012-2013 President of the National HBCU Business Deans Roundtable. Dr. Friday-Stroud has been appointed by the governor of the State of Florida and confirmed by the Florida Senate as a consumer member of the Florida Board of Respiratory Care. She has served as the Board’s Chair, Vice Chair, and Budget Liaison. |
Dr. CoSandra McNeal
|
Dr. McNeal is a Professor of Sociology in the Department of Criminal Justice and Sociology at Jackson State University. She received her doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her areas of teaching include Marriage and the Family, Alcohol and Drug Studies, Sociological Theory, Gender Studies, and Criminology. Her research focuses on minority health disparities, the role of Black churches in health prevention, parental marital violence and the effects on children, and the issues of gender disparities at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
Currently, Dr. McNeal is a CO-Principal Investigator to an ADVANCE IT Grant from the National Science Foundation: “Transforming the Climate and Advancing STEM women at JSU.” She has also served as a Senior Personnel to other NSF funded grants: “Students Promoting Interest in Computing supported by Educational Scholarships (SPICES) and Advancing Computational Thinkers and Computing Innovators in a Cyber-Enabled Environment. In the area of health disparities, she has received funding from the Mississippi Institute for Improvement of Geographic Minority Health, The University of Mississippi Medical Center to gain a better understanding of cardiovascular disease risk factors among college-aged African-American students. For this accomplishment, she was the recipient of the Outstanding Proposal, Community Pilot Grant Program. Additionally, Dr. McNeal has received other pilot research grants in health disparities and the role of Black churches in health prevention. Dr. McNeal has served as a past journal reviewer for several mainstream journals, a book reviewer for Pearson Publishing Company, Prentice Hall Publishing, and Allyn Bacon Publishing Company, a proposal reviewer for the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Science Foundation, and a Subject Matter Expert for McGraw Hill Publishing Company. She has also served as a Program Evaluator for the City of Jackson, MS. Dr. McNeal has published manuscripts in various journals in her respective discipline, while presenting her research nationally. For two years, she served as a mentor for the JSU NIMH-COR Honors Program; giving her the opportunity to work with bright and promising undergraduate and high school students on research projects. She was recently elected Vice President of JSU Faculty Senate for the upcoming academic year. She has one daughter, Kourtney McNeal-Thomas. |
Dr. Bobby Eugene Mills
|
Experienced, college and public sector administrator, with proven ability to train, motivate, and supervise personnel. Strong academic background, excellent research credentials, excellent budgetary knowledge, superior knowledge of core curriculum evaluation, and outstanding public speaking and human relations skills.
Experience: Executive Director Board Relations Texas Southern University 1997-1999 Managed the day to day affairs of the Board of Regents. Extensive dealings with policy and procedural research issues, public relations, budgets, and strategic planning issues. Ass’t Director Inst. Research Texas Southern University 1993-1997 Responsible for external reporting to oversight agencies (e.g., Higher Education Coordinating Board), prepared research “Fact Book” for internal/external purposes, involved in the strategic planning process, and served on the Southern Association Accrediting Committee. Research Administrator Texas Southern University 1988-1993 Ass’t Director Title III Programs Prepared internal research reports for departments and colleges, evaluated Title III programs, evaluated budget requests for Title III programs, and assisted with the University strategic planning process. Associate Professor of Sociology Texas Southern University 1977-1979 Taught undergraduate and graduate courses in sociology in the College of Arts and Sciences. Health Administrator Fort Bend Health Dept. 2000-2002 Managed five (5) departments, including oversight of the budget process. Ass’t Dean Research & Development Governors State Univ. Ill. 1975-1977 Managed all of the research activities for internal and external reporting to State, Federal, and internal units. Dean of Instruction (Urban Center) Monroe College (Roch.,N.Y.) 1967-1969 Oversight responsibility for academic program quality and supervisory responsibility for teaching personnel. Education: Ph.D. in Sociology Syracuse University (1976) M.A. In Sociology University of Rochester (1968) B.D. In Theology Colgate Rochester Divinity School (1966) B.S. In Education Barber-Scotia College (1963) |
Dr. Anita
|
Dr. Anita Bledsoe-Gardner is an Assistant Professor of Criminology at Johnson C. Smith University (Charlotte, North Carolina). Bledsoe-Gardner has worked as principal investigator and co-principal investigator to facilitate research projects in the substantive areas of community safety (in concert with Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department), victimology, and juvenile delinquency. With her educational experiences and business acumen, she also currently serves as a consultant for the United States Department of Justice, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Education. Notwithstanding, Dr. Bledsoe-Gardner has served as a research consultant for the Minister of Education in St. Kitts, Basseterre, West Indies. In 2002, she developed and implemented an international mentoring program for the Minister of Education of St. Kitts, Basseterre. Her work with youth is also underscored by serving as a School Crisis Counselor for Gwinnett, Rockdale and Union Counties where she served as court liaison for a tri-county area. While serving as a School Crisis Counselor, Dr. Bledsoe-Gardner developed enrichment and anger management programs for teens.
Dr. Bledsoe Gardner has presented and published several professional papers during her tenure as a university professor; recent examples of such work found in Community Disasters and Community Disaster Recovery and Resiliency: Exploring Global Opportunities and Challenges, Journal of Faculty Development, Sage Publications, and The Researcher. She has also secured grant funding ranging over 3 million dollars for non-profit organizations. She serves as a faculty research mentor to several undergraduate students. Additionally, Anita is the 2013 recipient of the Social Scientist of the Year Award from Brookhaven Mississippi Alumni Association, Incorporated. Dr. Bledsoe-Gardner is also a member of several professional and social organizations, including but not limited to, American Criminal Justice Association, Southern Sociological Association, Mid-South Association (current president-elect), and South Carolina Probation and Parole Association. She also serves on the Executive Board for Give and Go, North Carolina Public Safety Advisory Board, and Les Gemmes, Incorporated—nonprofit organizations. |
FELLOWS
Laura Dorsey -
|
Professor Laura Dorsey is an educational professional and community activist. She has a wide-ranging background in educational administration and corporate management. Her experiences include quality management, performance improvement, accreditation compliance, education, instructional design, and training/development. She is a professional in Higher Education with experience in proprietary, post-secondary institutions directing, lecturing/teaching, facilitating/delivering curriculum, and providing academic counseling regarding retention, progression and graduation. Facilitation using multiple distance educational modalities including assessment and evaluation is one of her specialties. In addition, she has served as a University Academic Cabinet Member, SME General Education & English and Area Chair: Academic Writing and General Studies in the College of Humanities.
Prior to her academic career, Laura had a very extensive career in financial services; retiring as the Assistant Vice President directly responsible for merger/acquisition, strategic planning, development, budgeting and forecasting. She was also a Securitas Trader, managing over 200 IRA accounts, responsible for purchasing, balancing and reposting over $1 million of daily transaction. Currently, she has combined both careers and is a sought-after speaker on financial literacy. Laura is the Associate Editor of ONYX Magazine and publishes a column on Money Matter and current editorial topics. She is CEO/President of LLD Consulting LLC, where she provides consultation on strategic planning, organizational structure and writing to a number of major clients and organizations. As a community activist, Laura is involved in several professional associations and service organizations. She serves as the Vice President of Women of Excellence and Leadership, Founding Board Member of Central Florida Higher Education Alliance, Chair of BOD Clarita’s House Outreach Ministry, Board Member and SE Regional Vice President of Infinite Scholars Program. She is also a key presenter and speaker at BIG (Blacks in Government) Conference, National Teach In, Goodwill Industries, Junior Achievement, Career Education Clubs of America, Youth Employment Services (YES) Program, Upward Bound Program, and has worked on several Congressional campaigns. Awards for her commitment have been numerous: Who’s Who of American Women, Who’s Who in American Education, Who’s Who in the World, and Alpha Sigma Lambda (Lifetime Member). Laura holds a Bachelor’s in Business Management and a Master’s in Organizational Management. She also has a specialized certification in Personal Trust Operations. Her doctoral research and specialized studies have all been in Adult Education |
Dr. Nzinga Metzger
Pan African Cultural and Heritage Chair |
Dr. Nzinga Metzger was educated in the United States, receiving her B.A.
in history from Florida State University and her M.A. in history from Temple University. Dr. Metzger completed her Ph.D. in Culture at Florida State University. Over her years of study, Dr. Metzger’s holistic approach to acquiring knowledge has led to her development as a scholar, folklorist and artist. Ms. Metzger’s anthropological work focuses on Africa, the African diaspora, ritual, religion and identity. Both her master’s level and doctoral work address themes including West African notions of personhood, the historical context and the socio-cultural politics of identity in relation to colonial power, and issues of diaspora and identity formation, Also of interest to her is the fluidity with which individual and group identities ebb and flow through history as they confront changing socio-political climates. This idea re-emerges in her dissertation which encompasses West Africa and Afro Atlantica, and addresses topics such as identity, Africanity, African and African based religions, aesthetics, and the histories of the African diaspora with special reference to African American practitioners of Yorùbá based religion in Philadelphia. Ms. Metzger’s investigation of these topics has lead to both national and international field research wherein she has observed communities of devotees of orìsà traditions: Internationally, she has traveled to Cuba and Nigeria to investigate òrìsà tradition, while domestically she has obtained a decade of exposure and access to and study of òrìsà communities in New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Tallahassee, and Atlanta. Through this work, she has been able to collect personal oral histories and also observe, study, and contextualize the processes of identity formation, cultural reinterpretation and adaptation amongst community members from both individual and groups perspectives. Her work strives to situate these within the larger socio-historical context within in which these processes take place. Complimentarily to her academic work, Ms. Metzger is also a singer, dancer and folklorist. She has been a student of traditional West African dance since 1991, when she began to study dances from the Old Mali Empire at Florida State University. From 1991 to 1995, Ms. Metzger’s study was focused on the dances of the Old Mali/Senegambian region of West Africa. In 1996 Dr. Metzger began to study Afro Cuban Lucumí dances for the òrìsà. This study has both lead to and fed a special interest in the historical and present day contexts of these dances and their socio-religious functions. Ms. Metzger is also a student of the singing of Afro Cuban Lucumí songs dedicated to the òrìsà of that tradition, studying with such artistic stalwarts as master bàtá player and Pew artist Greg ‘Peachy’ Jarman, now deceased, and Olufemi DeWindt, a renowned akpón from New York with whom she continues to apprentice. She has performed and taught both song and dance in and out of Tallahassee and in the Southeastern United states over the past 24 years. Finally, in addition to her scholarly work, Dr. Metzger is also the founder and director of The DuniaForé Foundation which is a philanthropic, non profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to working in the African Diaspora. The organization launched a successful summer school for traditionalist children in Osogbo, Nigeria last year. The summer school, called “Asalaye Academy,” will also be running this year. Currently, Dr. Metzger is currently interested in on the waking traditions of Sierra Leone as well as Sierra Leonean masquerades and their relevance to Sierra Leonean identity both at home and abroad. She is currently an assistant professor of anthropology at Florida A&M University. |
Jeff Smith
Academic Preparation and Bio |
Academic Preparation:
Doctor of Transformational Leadership, Expected Graduation, 01/2021 Bakke Graduate School (BGS), Dallas, Texas Doctor of Education, ABD, 05/2014 East Tennessee State University (ETSU), Johnson City, TN Master of Arts in Sociology, 05/2007 East Tennessee State University (ETSU), Johnson City, TN Bachelor of Science in Behavioral Science, 05/2004 Athens State University (ASU), Athens, AL Undergraduate Studies, 1999 - 2001 University of Alabama (UA), Tuscaloosa, AL Jeff Smith currently serves as Director of Innovation and Equity at NACCE. NACCE provides leadership and scalable sustainable, scalable resources to foster entrepreneurial thinking and action in one of the largest entrepreneurial ecosystems in North American. As the Director of Innovation and Equity , Jeff is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the development and implementation of a culture of innovation and equity at NACCE and promoting inclusive leadership as a means for innovation and growth within our organization, our member organizations, and community partners. Jeff is also tasked with providing oversight for projects that seeks to transform diverse communities through initiatives that promote entrepreneurial thinking. He also works to support individuals and organizational members as they journey to transform their schools, organizations, and communities through the development of an entrepreneurial mindset. Over the last decade, as an educator, Jeff has worked to create transformative educational spaces in high schools, a community college, a public state university, and a private college. In an administrative capacity, he has lead the development and implementation of a strategic diversity plans; worked to ensure collaboratively across the institution to ensure the campus climate was supportive of diversity; developed initiatives designed to improve student success, and reduce attrition rates; and to build authentic and collaborative working relationships with external communities and stakeholders among other things. Jeff is convinced that the 21st century with its rapidly growing technology, saturation of information, demographic shifts, and increasing cultural diversity requires that individuals and communities come together to build creative, life-giving, and sustainable communities and cities. He believes it's his life's work is to help students, communities, and cities find ways to work together and pursue this common good. |
Dr. Arbutas Washington
Faith Community Programs |
As an ordained Minister and Elder, Rev. Dr. Arbutas Washington is an avid believer in community service and assisting those in need by using every resource available to help others reach a sense of stability. Arbutas understands homelessness, abuse, financial hardship, hopelessness, incarceration, and despair due to either personal or secondary experiences. Her faith in a Mighty God is the creator of her resilience and determination. She has graduated from believing that GOD is real, to KNOWING that GOD is real as an undeniable fact. Every one of her paths, encounters, and situations produced testimonies of faith and miracles. Because Arbutas is a Mother (first and foremost), there were times that a regular job was insufficient or simple not available. However, due to growing up with Grandparents, and Great Uncles and Aunts that believed in creating a job when one did not exist, she adopted that same attitude. She is presently working on developing a program to teach ex-offenders and others the skills of entrepreneurship so that they will cease to beg for the crumbs that fall from the master’s table and become the Master from which the crumbs fall.
Dr. Washington is the President and Director of Help from the Sanctuary, Inc. (a charitable organization) and the author of The Making of Me and Help from the Sanctuary. She has owned other businesses that included Arbutas Auto Sales (e.g., sold used cars), Arbutas A. Dawson Agency (e.g., both as an independent and through Allstate), Notary Public, and as an independent Seamstress. She has 28 years of experience in the financial services industry as an agent, agency owner, and a financial advisor with skills in budgeting, finance, marketing, and Investing. She also holds certifications in Mental Health First Aid, Assisted Living, and Faith-Based Clinical Counseling. Dr. Washington received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Computer Science while minoring in Business Administration. She received a Master’s degree from Gulf Coast College and Seminary where she majored in Christian Counseling and a PhD in Ministry from Florida State Seminary. Dr. Washington also holds a Master’s degree in Psychology with a specialization in Crisis Management and Response and is currently in the PhD program of Health and Human Services specializing in Crisis, Disaster, and Management at Walden University. Dr. Washington’ work experience ranges from working on an assembly line to owning businesses. Some of that experience includes clerical and clerk work, substitute teaching, customer service and support manager, mental health case manager, and motivational speaker. She is a firm believer that working hard at whatever you do is a success within itself. Dr. Washington also holds an active memberships in the Golden Key International Honor Society through graduate studies and Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology. With all of that said, Dr. Washington’s greatest joys are her children, grandchildren, and quilting as she volunteers for Sew for Hope in Tallahassee where quilts are made to benefit homeless children. |
Robert Conners
Researcher - Expositor |
Dr. Conners is Vice President of Infoworks Research, a Tallahassee-based, government and business consulting firm. He received his doctorate from the Florida State University in Counseling Psychology in 1989. Early in his career while employed at FSU, he initiated the university’s National Achievement Program for minority scholars, the first at a predominantly-White institution in the southeastern U.S. During the eighties, he received a $1 million grant from the Florida Board of Regents to develop and implement a pilot program at FSU to increase minority enrollment in higher education. In 1984, he was appointed by FSU’s President to the President’s Ad Hoc Committee on the Student Athlete which made recommendations on behalf of student athletes subsequently adopted by the NCAA. In 1985, he co-authored a book chapter with the late FSU Vice President for Student Affairs, Dr. Bob Leach, for a Jossey-Bass special edition. Titled Pygmalion on the Grid-iron, the chapter examined the plight of Black student athletes at predominantly-White universities and made recommendations for student services to better serve their particular needs.
As a result of these and other efforts on behalf of minority students, in 1991 Dr. Conners was invited to join the Florida State University’s Black Studies Program faculty where he directed program research and taught both graduate and undergraduate courses on race relations, the dynamics of racism and oppression, inequality and race, and multicultural perspectives in education. From 1991 through 1993, as the Program’s director of research, he supervised a U.S. Department of Justice grant project investigating sources of minority overrepresentation in Florida’s juvenile justice system and worked with Black Studies Program staff to deliver a highly successful, three-year, academic skill development project for African American public school students enrolled in Tallahassee schools. In 2002, he left FSU to join MGT of America, a government consulting firm, where he conducted or participated in 19 disparity study projects investigating state and municipal governments’ utilization of minority-owned businesses in government contracting. He also directed a six year, longitudinal evaluation of the State of New York’s special education services, the most thorough analysis of special education ever conducted at the state level. From 2007 through 2012, he served as Director of Research for the Florida Commission on Human Relations, Florida’s civil rights agency, where he directed research related to majority/minority group inequality in Florida. Dr. Conners is a published author and has been an invited lecturer and speaker, presenting before more than 75 professional bodies and forums around the nation on topics dealing with educational inequality, race relations and social justice. His research and presentations are informed by a theory of the dynamics of societal oppression developed during his tenure with Black Studies. In response to a recent request from the University Press of Florida, he is authoring a manuscript for a book explaining the dynamics of modern race relations and inequality in America, due at year’s end. |
Gwendolyn Michelle Evans
Publisher/Author |
+Gwendolyn Melinda Michelle Evans (GMME) is an author, speaker, publisher and spiritual warfare strategist. She is a Florida native – born in Jacksonville, raised in Sanford and currently resides in Tallahassee. Tallahassee became her home when she graduated from the renowned HBCU, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting in 2003. After the completion of her bachelors, Melinda received an MBA with a concentration in Finance and Accounting from American Intercontinental University in 2007. After enjoying a career in banking and accounting for a decade, she stepped out on faith in 2012 to fulfill the purpose inside of her – writing.
In 2013, she founded her publishing company, Global Multi Media Enterprises (GMME). To date GMME has seven authors with a total of 29 published works. She hopes to expand her company’s reach and catalog in the coming year. Melinda Michelle is the author of 15 published works. Her titles include both fiction and nonfiction. Although the genres vary, spiritual warfare is her signature subject. She remains true to a theme in all her books – the love and power of the Almighty God. Her work has won awards and brought her before many audiences as a speaker. She has served as a panelist, keynote speaker and conference orator tackling the subject of spiritual warfare for women’s groups, prisons and churches. Melinda also designs personalized spiritual warfare strategies, a unique resource to help the body of Christ deal with the opposition they experience through life’s challenges using biblical principles of warfare. Strategies can be designed for individuals, families, marriages, institutions and churches. Awards Melinda has received include, the Author of the Year award by Divas on Fire Magazine in 2016. Her Chronicles of Warfare series won the Redemptive Fiction Award of Excellence by Radiax Press and “Saturday Showdown” was a nominee for Indie Book 2016 by Metamorph Publishing. Melinda’s stories are designed to connect with Christians, but it is her desire to connect to anyone who likes to read. Her stories aspire to captivate the reader with powerful testimonies about God. |
Ricky Tucker
Marketing |
Ricky L. Tucker, also known as Coach RIX, is a trusted advisor and business coach.
He has a passion for helping people be their very BEST and strives daily to model his core values:
A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville with a major in sociology and a minor in broadcasting, Coach RIX served as a Dale Carnegie instructor for almost 10 years. He also attended Corporate Coach U, to become a professional coach. After more than twenty-five years of hiring, training, developing people and leading teams, Coach RIX realized the vast amount of untapped human potential within organizations, both large and small and founded RIX International, LLC in 2002. Coach RIX wears many hats and is quite comfortable in varied roles from life and business coaching to public speaking and consulting. He currently serves as President of the Black Business Association of Memphis. It is in this role that he gets the opportunity to help individuals start and grow their businesses. Coach RIX is a member of the Collierville Chamber of Commerce, served as mentor for the Memphis Grizzlies “Team Up” Mentoring Program and serves on several boards: Job Corps of Memphis, Health Tech Institute of Memphis and PRIZM Ensemble. He and his wife Gwendolyn reside in the Memphis area. |
Beau Moultrie
Commercial Real Estate Agent Specializing in Grocery Anchored Shopping Centers |
Beau Moultrie is a Commercial Real Estate Leasing Representative Specializing in both Grocery Anchored and Non Anchored Shopping Centers, with one of the largest retail leasing, management, and investment sales firms in the Southeastern United States. Beau leases and sales commercial real estate assets for institutional and non-institutional investors
Beau Moultrie’s previou experience includes: Experience New Horizon Financial, Inc. – Pensacola, FL 2005-2009 Accountable for soliciting business accounts and building strategic alliances Implemented marketing tactics that increased clientele and profitability Counseled investors on financial feasibility and exit strategy of speculative development projects Sunset Mortgage, Inc. - Pensacola, Fl. 2002-2005 Analyzed financial statements to determine the credit worthiness of clients Counsel with clients to help determine correct financial product for their needs Education Florida State University –Tallahassee, Fl. Bachelor’s Degree in Business Finance Expected Date of Graduation: fall 2012 Cumulative Grade Point Average -3.22 Northwest Florida State College-Niceville, Fl Associates of Arts Business Graduated Fall 2010 Cumulative Grade Point Average 3.88 Activities President of the Real Estate Society Florida State University Tallahassee, Fl Member FSU College of Business Presidents council Tallahassee, Fl United Way Day of Caring Destin, Fl Coral Reef Rebuild Santa Rosa Beach, Fl Parliamentary Chair Northwest Florida State College Niceville, Fl. Youth minister at Sanctuary of Praise Minister at Zion Hope Primitive Baptist Church |
Medhat Elmesky
President, Design Arts Studio, Urban Design |
Elmesky holds a Master of Science in Urban Design from the Pratt Institute, New York City (1975) and a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Alexandria, Egypt (1968). In 1990, he founded the Design Arts Studio, to provide quality service in the field of Urban Design and Planning. The firm’s goal is to represent quality, integrity, professionalism and, above all, excellence in the work we produce. Design Arts Studio is an urban design firm that deals with various aspects of the design of cities.
The firm is committed to a better environment through creative efforts and strives to be an example to others in our industry and community by designing appropriate environments of value that surpass our client’s expectations. President of his own consulting firm, with forty plus years of diverse experience in the US and abroad, Mr. Elmesky has worked on planning and designing various community and city projects. His areas of expertise include master planning, specific plan studies, parks & recreation, downtown revitalization, streetscape design, and landscape planning. His certificate in Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, awarded by the state of Florida, provides his firm with the expertise to plan safe projects for various communities and municipalities. |
Robert Kovacevich
Strategic Planning and Fundraising Consultancy |
Robert Kovacevich formed Avatar Company after more than a decade of service as a nationally awarded Public Broadcast Service senior executive. The new consultancy’s thrust was to apply market researched solutions to the challenges of nonprofit-sector strategic decision making and fundraising. This focus was prompted by the vexing issue that many nonprofit organizations’ missions or strategic plans were simply incompatible with the interests of their audiences; hence, chronic financial instability and underachieving strategic advancement.
A sampling of current/former clients include: strategic planning funded by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation for the Hot Springs, Arkansas’s Documentary Film Institute & Festival; fund development services for PBS’ Jim Lehrer NewsHour; capital campaign services for the Boca Raton Museum of Art and School, Sugden Theatre-Naples and Naples Botanical Garden; campaign readiness/feasibility study funded by the Donald Reynolds Foundation for Oklahoma’s Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art; capital, grant and strategic planning services for the Cornell Fine Arts Museum-Rollins College; multi year fundraising plan funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the nationally awarded MicheLee Puppets. |
Wilma E. Mosley Clopton, Ph.D.
Historical Film Maker |
For a person who has been everywhere, now I have a focus," Wilma Mosley Clopton says. That focus for Clopton involves chronicling the African American story in Mississippi through the medium of film, reaching deeper into the community to find the "people, who are everyday people, that have done magnificent things." And Clopton really has been "everywhere": She studied psychology, education, and marketing; owned her own public relations firm; taught GED courses; served as a wholesale foods distributor; and now serves as the president of the Susan G. Komen Foundation (a survivor of breast cancer herself). Now she adds filmmaker, local historian, and documentarian to her list of professional endeavors.
A Vicksburg native, Clopton was reared in Jackson. After graduating from Jim Hill High School, she spent a long period of time away from Mississippi because of college, marriage (to husband, Lt. Col. William Clopton) and career, but she's been back home for the past decade. Clopton returned to Jackson in 2004 to continue her mother's vision of vitalizing interest in African American History, and has done so through a film company, NMHS Unlimited Film Productions, working with her mother's organization, The Negro in Mississippi Historical Society. "When my mother passed, I had made a promise to return to Mississippi and continue her work," Clopton says. "I had to figure out how best to do that. For me, film was the best interpretation of her company (NMHS) at this point of time." Clopton's mother, Dr. Jessie Bryant Mosley, founded NMHS in the 1940s when she discovered that many Mississippians were not familiar with the contributions that African Americans made to the state. Like her mother, Clopton focuses on Mississippi African American history and has created several documentaries featuring people such as Charles Evers (in "Through My Brother's Eyes" which focuses on his relationship with his younger brother, slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers) and Dr. Ollye Brown Shirley (the subject of "In Spite of it All"). Clopton recently completed a documentary that looks at the roles that Mississippi's people of African descent played during the Civil War, rediscovering the more than 17,000 individuals who have often been overlooked by historians. The filmmaker takes an interactive approach to filmmaking, combining educational supplements that give the audience a wider perspective and a chance to participate in the slices of history that they see on the screen. "With each of my films, I write publications to go with the film," Clopton says. "Rather than being a stand-alone film, we also use the books to teach math, language arts, geography and other subjects." The documentarian has been successful in integrating these learning tools into classrooms to go alongside her films and expresses the need to keep incorporating interactive techniques with film to draw audiences closer to the subject. Although Clopton's filmmaking craft is largely self-taught, she credits the non-profit organization Barefoot Workshops for helping her find the narrative rhythm of her stories to engages an audience. On Sept. 27, Clopton, in collaboration with Barefoot Workshops, the Mississippi Film Commission and the Mississippi Arts Commission, will provide a workshop for interested Mississippi filmmakers. Clopton will be speaking on the importance of honing the filmmaking craft and the need to be close to other creative talents when pursuing filmmaking. When she can find the time and resources, Clopton has an infinite number of stories that she's in the process of pursuing. Those projects include a film on the 1940s Lanier bus boycott, a biopic on Senator Henry J. Kirksey and a historical documentary on the historic Farish Street community in downtown Jackson. Clopton acknowledges that she won't be able to tell all the stories that she comes across, but that doesn't prevent her from trying. She's constantly improving her craft, and the next story is always the one that brings her happiness. "I feel very humble for the people that share their stories with me," Clopton says. "That's a gift for people to Tell their stories ... and if you sit down and talk with individuals, most people would realize that they have more in common than they believe. I guess that's really what I'm trying to do with film.” |
Theola Bright
'Art of Faith' |
THEOLA BRIGHT is an independent, interdisciplinary artist that is a native of Mobile, Alabama, and former Artist-In-Residence for the State of Alabama. She was educated at Blount high school in Mobile, Ann York Business school in New York City, Miami-Dade college, Florida International University, and Lindsey Hopkins Technical School in Miami, and Actors Models and Talent for Christ (AMTC) in Atlanta.
Bright is the CEO and Founder of T.C. Bright Productions Ministry, Inc. (TCBPM), which uses the arts to spread the gospel. TCBPM collaborates with other faith based, and non-profit organizations to produce major outreach productions such as The King of Kings Unity Concert, an annual event held in conjunction with the annual Unity Walk in Mobile, AL, the annual Mobile International Festival that features a show of Bright’s original African hair and fashion designs, and The Theatre of Truth (TTOT). which brings historical characters to life on stage throughout the year as educational entertainment; sponsored by various organizations. Theola is also the host for teaching seminars on God Consciousness, Healthy Eating and Living, Relationships, and Respect, which are presented by Theola Bright based on excerpts from her published books. These seminars are often presented with music,poetry, and songs from Bright’s collection as a vocalist and producer of the radio show, “Think About It With Theola Bright. “ |
Sonja Evans
President – South Carolina Cultural Heritage Society |
Sonja Griffin Evans is an international Cultural Gullah Artist born and raised in Beaufort, South Carolina. Growing up in the ‘Low Country’, which prides itself on its ability to preserve its culture and heritage, has heavily influenced Sonja's artwork, and gives her an uncanny ability to capture the beauty, spirituality and purest representations of the Sea Islands and of African American culture. As a prolific mix media artist, she incorporates items such as tin, wood and other materials in her art. She is also adept at painting the vibrantly textured colored art on canvas that is acknowledged as the traditional Gullah style. In both mediums, Sonja is careful to express her culture in its purest form. Evans believes that everything that God has created is not only beautiful, but has a purpose and states nothing should be wasted. She further believes she merely holds the paint brush and God ultimately creates the art.
Sonja is known for her ability to see the beauty in found items and selects each item and unveils the alluring stories these pieces hold within them; reflecting the spirituality of the people of African descent. With her masterful use of color and perspective in her work, Griffin Evans' artwork is constantly evolving. Each piece has a story or inspirational quote that invokes spiritual and cultural insight. Sonja Griffin Evans is the founder of the National For Artists – By Artists Society and a major contributor in the development for the 'Forgotten Communities Art Program' for the Pan African American Cultural Heritage Initiative, which is a program designed to preserve and promote the culture and heritage of people of Pan Africa -via the arts. Evans is the President of the South Carolina Cultural Heritage Society and serves on the Board of Directors for the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute and the National Cultural Heritage Tourism Society. Sonja Griffin Evans and her Gumbo e-Gallery have won many prestigious awards. In 2013 her gallery received the African Diaspora World Tourism Flame Keepers Award for honoring the culture and heritage of people of African Descent. Sonja has personally been named Honoree, Mamie Till Mobley Woman of Courage Award, and was an Onyx Award Nominee. As a highly sought after speaker and advocate for the arts, Evans has been featured on television and radio broadcasts, and in publications; such as DuPont Registry, Southern Lady Magazine, From Imagining to Understanding the African American Experience and more. Her artwork is in prestigious galleries, private and corporate collections, nationally and abroad. Her artwork was recently selected by the Westin Hilton Head Spa and Resort to display permanently commemorating historic Mitchelville and as the Historic Penn Center 2014 Heritage Days featured artist of the year. Evans is currently the resident artist at the Three Sisters Resale and More, Gallery 3 located in the Village Exchange on Hilton Head Island. |
Guenet Gittens-Roberts
CEO GGR Marketing & Public Relations |
Guenet Gittens-Roberts is CEO of GGR Marketing & Public Relations. She is responsible for developing and directing their communication strategy while also managing the agency’s outreach to the advertising, charitable and business communities. GGR Marketing & Public Relations was formed to develop and execute programs aimed at reaching multicultural communities and niche markets utilizing an effective mixture of relationship marketing, event marketing and branding through social media and traditional media sources.
GGR is a full service, public relations and marketing firm with the intention to serve as a “publicity machine” for our clients, ensuring that they are included in targeted publications and broadcast media while also utilizing social media and networking to build relationships. They offer a broad range of services that include marketing, public relations, branding, special event planning & management, sponsorship/fundraising, business development and media relations. GGR Marketing currently produce the largest Caribbean Festival in Orlando, the Orlando Carnival Downtown. She is the publisher of Caribbean American Passport News Magazine, the largest Caribbean owned Statewide Newspaper in Florida. Caribbean American Passport covers the people of the English, French and Spanish communities. Through their publishing arm, they were responsible for the publication of Mision Boricua a Spanish publication designed to raise awareness for the Puerto Rican community to vote in the 2016 election. Guenet is active in the community serving for the past 7 years as President of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of Central Florida Association of Black Journalists, Vice President of the Guyanese American Cultural Association of Central Florida, Program Director of the Caribbean American Business Expo and Vice-President of Caribbean Affairs at Realty World Orlando. A native of Georgetown, Guyana, she spent five years at NCE Screen Printers, her family's 40 year old company developing ad campaigns for large and small companies and creating innovative corporate gift ideas out of combinations of print and local products. She maintains that this experience where she had to think outside the box remains at her core and allows her to come up with creative ideas that are diverse and interesting. Guenet is married to her partner in their business Sam Roberts and is the proud parents of 2 college kids, Aleia and Kadeem. |
Erik O’Neal
CulturalHeritage Artist |
Erik O’Neal took his first formal lesson at the Art Institute of Chicago. He later went on to study art at Southern University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Erik joined the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS) in 2012. He also is a member of the Louisiana Art and Artists’ Guild and the Art Council of New Orleans. Erik was part of the Art Council of New Orleans’ 2012 class of “ Artist as Entrepreneurs”. Erik primarily works with pastels and oils. “Impressionistic realism is how I describe my work. My goal is to bring a sense of intensity to my work and invoke passion within the viewer. I want to recreate the moment”. Erik has exhibited his work across the country, including the East Baton Rouge Parish Library system multiple times. He has twice been selected to participate in the Great Gulf Coast Arts Festival (2009, 2012). Erik was a featured artist for the Gumbo Gallery in Pensacola, Florida for the month of June 2013. He is a gifted artist and historian and adept at teaching and conducting seminars and art events. Quote: “I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember. I cannot imagine not doing it. Wherever I go, whomever I meet could be an inspiration for my next painting. Art is in all of us, it’s all around us.” |
Kitty Pope
Travel Clubs/ Tour Guides/ Programs |
Kitty J. Pope is the founder/ executive director of the International Association of Black Travel Writers. A graduate of University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, she is also the publications manager for AfricanDiasporaTourism.com, an online magazine, exploring the culture and heritage of people of African descent around the world in order to promote travel.
The author of one book, 'Beside Every Great Man' (Amber Publishers), Pope is the former lifestyle editor of the Atlanta-based Upscale Magazine and the former Coordinator of Counseling at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. She is also the director of membership development in North America for the International Council of Tourism Partners. (ICTP) Pope is also a black heritage travel consultant, and a member and media partner for the African Travel Association (ATA). She is also the founder and executive producer of the African Diaspora World Tourism Awards, a gala-ceremony that recognizes achievements of people in the areas of black culture and heritage tourism. |
Claudette Walker
|
Claudette Walker
Profile & Key Qualifications U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) / Gulf of Mexico Program Community Liaison Specialist providing community based initiatives, activities, information and resources for five Gulf States (MS. AL. LA, FL and TX.) High energy, compassionate, excellent interpersonal skills; ability to interface with diverse cultures and age groups. Results orientated individual with a reputation as a self directed multilayered professional. _______________________Professional Experience ____________________________ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/ Gulf of Mexico Program Gulfport, MS Community Liaison Specialist/ NCOA-SEE 2012-Present Responsibilities
Accomplishments
Biloxi- Gulfport Cultural Heritage Tourism Society Biloxi, MS- Owner 2012-present Responsibilities
Accomplishments
Education
Awards and Recognition
Personal Interest
|
Christopher U. Lane,
MPH |
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
Seasoned Non-Profit Professional Award-Winning Grant Writer Seasoned Entrepreneur Program Evaluator Capacity Building/Technical Assistance Consultant Program Developer and Builder Fundraising Professional Public Speaker and Facilitator Public Health Educator Health Advocate Problem Solver Thoughtful Communicator EDUCATION JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY Jackson, MS PhD, Computational Data-Enabled Science and Engineering, Public Health in pursuit JACKSON STATE UNIVERSITY Jackson, MS Masters of Public Health April 2016 UNIVERSITY OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Washington, DC Bachelor of Science, Health Education May 2013, 4.0 GPA UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Columbia, SC Certificate, organizational and program development September 2006 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE October 2015-present Jackson State University Jackson, MS Research Compliance Officer
October 2007-present 1Vision Solutions, LLC Washington, DC| Jackson, MS Senior Managing Director & Founder
ACCOMPLISHMENTS/SKILLS
|
Frank Gutierrez
Environmental and Development Consultant |
Frank Gutierrez
Nationality: Costa Rican B. REALIZED STUDIES: B.1 Primary education: Joaquin Lizano Gutierrez School, Heredia, 1973 B.2 Secondary education: Liceo Diurno de Esparza High School, Puntarenas, 1978 B.3 Higher education: School of Biology, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, 1987. Environmental Management Projects, CATIE, 1988-1992. Environmental Management System, HISTADRUT ISTITUTE Israel, 1999 - 2000. Environmental Technical in Waste Solid Management, UNA, 2018. Profile & Key Qualifications Experience in Environmental and Development Consultant, 2019 - Palmar Community at Southern of Costa Rica. In agreement with Asada of Palmar Sur to develop the Waste Water Treatment Plan in a Wetland or Natural design. 2018 - Puntarenas Beach Clean Up Program, contracted by INCOP/Junta Promotora de Turismo. In coordination with: Municipality of Puntarenas, Ministry of Health, Community Association of San Luis and Community Association of Chacarita, Puntarenas. Puntarenas. July 2018 to January 2019. 2017- Environmental Impact Study, contracted by Coopeparrita Tropical RL. In coordination with: INDER, Purpose: Establishing the Fruit Packing Plant in Parrita, Puntarenas. 2016- Environmental Impact Study, contracted by Cooperativa La Estrella del Guarco RL. In coordination with: INDER, Purpose: Establishing the Fruit Processing Plant of the Coop. 2016- Solid Waste Management Program of Puntarenas Beach, Contracted by Municipality of Puntarenas in coordination with Ministry of Health, contracted by Municipality of Puntarenas. Nov. 2016 – Feb. 2017. 2015- Organic Management Program, design and strategic planning for Fundación Oro Verde para la Cooperación y El Desarrollo. July 2015 – December 2015. 2015- Program of Rescue Protocol and Integrated Wildlife Management for the Construction Project of the New APM Terminal Containers in Moin, Limón, from January 2015 to June 2015, contracted by Van Oord/Bam. 2014-2013- Environmental Consultant for the UTAF, in coordination with CETAC for technical supervision of the environmental program of the Juan Santamaría International Airport, SJO. Contracted by UTAF/CETAC. 2012–2009 Environmental Management System for Airport. Contracted by Corporación Centroamericana de Servicios de Navegación Aérea (COCESNA). 2008–2011- Environmental Management and Social Management of airport projects and Institutional Coordination for the processes of environmental planning and development of airports projects. Contracted by International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in coordination with Dirección General de Aviación Civil (DGAC). 2005–2007- Environmental projects and community development with some municipalities and rural communities. 1990–2000 Environmental Management and Social Management Commission of the Costa Rica Congress, Advisor. Contracted by Congress of Costa Rica. |
Mark O'Neal
President, Illinois Cultural Heritage Society |
Mark Stephen O'Neal was born November 22, 1966 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended Prairie View A&M University and graduated with a degree in Business Administration/Management. He's currently a paralegal by trade but developed his talent for writing many years ago.
One day after a taxing week of work in the banking industry, O'Neal got on his knees and prayed to the Lord for direction and guidance. The Holy Spirit then quietly and instantly gave him the instruction and inspiration to embark on his writing career, and thus an author was born. He currently has four books published on Amazon, and he has numerous projects in the works that will soon be released in the near future. O'Neal's best-selling book to date is titled Nefarious, a crime fiction drama about a young nightclub owner whose fast lifestyle soon catches up with him. His nightclub is subsequently robbed, and someone close to him is murdered. This intriguing story based in Chicago can be purchased on O'Neal's Amazon page. https://www.amazon.com/Mark-Stephen-ONeal/e/B074Y5K6TC |
Mark Miller
Author |
Mark Miller Books
For over seventeen years, I have been working with at risk kids and struggling readers. I have been a case manager for a children's mental health corporation, a family counselor for child protective services, and a teacher in juvenile justice facilities, alternative education programs, high schools, and middle schools. I currently teach reading and language arts in elementary school grades. More than ever, we must understand the importance of establishing a good foundation in reading from an early age. Kids will read if you give them something they want to read. The more they read, the better readers they become. I am on a mission to inspire more kids to read and adults to read more. Although my students inspire me to write novels with young adults in mind, my books address a variety of high interest topics that appeal to people of all ages. My first three novels are a reflection of my experiences working with kids in child protective services and juvenile justice facilities who have faced grave adversity. Chasing Faith- Cara was a good, Catholic school girl until her mother dies from an unexpected drug overdose and she is forced to live with her estranged father. Join this intelligent, courageous, young woman as she attempts to overcome the death of her mother, establish a relationship with her father, find her place in the world, and regain her faith. Baby Club- Every girl wants love. For Tynise, Ruby, Lauryn and Marisol, find love in one of the roughest projects in Chicago was no easy task. In the belief having a bay will fill the void, they make a bet to see which one can get pregnant first and Baby Club is born. How far will four fifteen year old girls go for the unconditional love they crave? The Inner Light- Follow Trouble, a boy born into a world of gangs and violence, a world of darkness. When his mother is arrested, he discovers a unique gift. He sees an inner light emanating from the heads of people who treat him well. The light guides him through the foster care and juvenile justice systems, the void of an absent mother, and a quest to find his own inner light. The Collective, Judgment- This science fiction novel explores the idea that we were never alone. The guardians of the universe have been watching us, guiding us, and protecting the most precious thing in the universe, life. Now they must make a decision. Is man ready to take their place in the Collective or is it time for judgement? Jomo Zende, The Arrival- Taken from his home in Africa at the age of ten, Jomo is enslaved on a cotton plantation in Georgia for six years. While being tied to a post for a whipping, Jomo finds the courage to run from his masters. He seeks refuge in a cave that is used as a hiding place for the Underground Railroad and discovers a mysterious light shining from deep within the cave. Seeking an escape, he runs into the light and emerges in the year twenty eighteen with great physical strength, enhanced senses, and futuristic weapons. Now, he must learn to adapt to his new powers in a world where all men and women are free but are not treated equally. *All titles available for sale on www.Amozon.com/books or kindle- search mark miller, (title of book) Please feel free to contact me or find more information about my novels at: *email: loveforbooks70@gmail.com *instagram@jomo.zende #jomozende Your comments and reviews are appreciated! Sincerely, Mark Miller |
Lanre Ogedengbe
Human Resource Perfessional |
Lanre is a Technology and HRIS Savvy Human Resource Professional with over 10 years of experience in the Banking Industry. Vast in Compensation and Benefit, Employee Relations, Payroll Administration, Talent Management, Recruitment and Selection, Exit and Severance Management, Learning and Development, Reward Management, Labor Relations and Statutory Compliance. Keen on future niche in Human Resource Consultancy.
Lanre hailed from Okene,Kogi State. Born and raised in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. He has earned a Bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Benin, Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. Lanre is currently a member of The Chartered Institute of banker of Nigeria, Institute of Professional Administrators of Nigeria, and International Project Management of Nigeria. Lanre is an HR business partner who is very passionate and enjoys helping clients to attain their desire goals and ensuring best HR practices. Contact Information: Email: lanre.ogedengbe@outlook.com Phone: +2347035332971 |
Frank R Morton
Music Director |
Frank R. Morton is a native of Nashville, Tennessee and is lauded for his musical knowledge and talent. While attending public school, Frank began taking music lessons in the fourth grade, playing the clarinet. Following his transfer to Cameron High School in the seventh grade, Frank began playing the alto saxophone and joined the marching and symphonic bands. As his talent became more pronounced, Morton changed instruments, and began playing the tenor saxophone studying great jazz saxophonists.
After graduating high school in 1967, with a music scholarship to the University of Maryland, he was directed by his family members (smile) to study music at Tennessee State University. While at Tennessee State, Frank studied music and played in local night clubs in Nashville. The country was at war in Viet Nam and his musical career was halted when Morton received his draft notice. He immediately joined the United States Navy. In the Navy, Frank Morton continued study music, when the opportunity was presented. He also decided to pursue a military career. His thirst for knowledge and improvement allowed him to earn an Associate of Arts Degree and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology for Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri. Frank retired with honors from the United States in 1998, following an illustrious career, with the top enlisted rank of Master Chief Petty Officer, and as a graduate of the prestigious Navy Senior Enlisted Academy. As a Senior Enlisted Academy graduate, Morton assumed the coveted position of Command Master Chief of two sea commands and two shore commands. After retiring, he taught physical science in public schools in Pensacola, Florida and again picked up his saxophone and studied music at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Frank Morton is currently the Minister of Music at Emmaus Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida and plays Gospel and Smooth Jazz for private engagements. His love of music has taken Frank full circle, and he share his gifts with his community! |
David Williams
Photographer |
He was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, to a single parent, his grandparents Zack and O’jetta Williams travel to Connecticut and decided to bring their grandchildren David, his elder brother (Edward), and sister (Tina) to Camden, South Carolina where they lived and raised them. His grandmother, O’jetta was a domestic housekeeper; one of her clients would give her LOOK and LIFE magazines to take home for the kids.
David said he would spin an enornous amount of time viewing the large, full-page b/w images in the magazines. Many were photos from the Civil Rights movement, and the Vietnam war caught his attention, making him wonder who was capturing those incredible images. After high school, he moved back to Norwalk with his mother to rebound and get to know her and to find a job. Williams said, he left Norwalk, Ct and move to Binghamton, New York with his brother. Dissatisfied with the incredibly cold weather and going nowhere on his job. He was playing pool one night with a guy from the Navy; he talked about how he had traveled the world. As a free-lance in Binghamton that struck Williams interests because he was building his stock file of images to market to magazines, newspapers, and for commercial usage. Williams decided to join the Navy in 1979, after three months of bitter cold in boot camp in the Great Lakes, Illinois, after boot camp he was station at NAS Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida. He was attached to VS-32 an Anti-Submarine Squadron. He tells the story about meeting his first CO in the Navy who made it clear to Williams that he was prejudiced. Williams said, he let the Commanding Officer talked until he finally asked him did he have any questions. Williams said, CO you said you were prejudice, what is that all about? You don’t like red apple to green or red grapes to muscadine grapes. The CO said, no; I don’t like other squadrons, I want my squadron to be the absolute best squadron in the fleet. From the point on the two of them had an excellent relationship. After looking around Jacksonville and seeing what other photographers were doing (portraits, wedding, events), Williams said his subconious mind reflected back on those LOOK and LIFE magazine and the history. From 1981 to currently, his has capture many of the most inconic images in the history of Jacksonville’s Black History. Williams worked as a project manager of the coffee table book JACKSONVILLE, REFLECTIONS OF EXCELLENCE, with introduction wording by Wayne and Delores Barr Weaver. Prior sales and marketing director for ONYX Magazine. His work has been seen in Ebony magazine, Black Men magazine, New Your Time, George Benson worldwide tour book. His photography exhibition has been on displayed in the Ritz Theatre and Museum and he has been interviewed on River City Live. Many of the high profile R&B, Rap, Blues, and Jazz has been potographed by David. Williams has a traveling photography exhibition of many of Jacksonville iconic historic situation. He’s also on the Board of Director for Norman Studio Museum. Norman Studios was among the nation’s first to produce “race films” starring African American characters in positive, non-stereotypical roles. Contact Williams at: Davidwms9@comcast.net or 904-254-7230. Veiw Williams interVIEW with Channel 4, RIVER CITY LIVE https://www.news4ja.com/river-city-live/jacksonville-documentarian-exhibit-at-the-ritz-theater-river-city-live?_vfz=medium%3Dsharebar |
Torrey Johnson
Fellow Artist |
Torrey Johnson was born on January 12, 1970 in Century Florida. He developed an interest in art at an early age. The catalyst that ignited his interest was a school project in the kindergarten. His abilities were nurtured by one of his teachers, who realized that he had a unique talent and a distinct style. She noted that his drawings appeared to come alive and were as expressive as a written piece of literature. The teacher recognized that this was a rare talent for such a young artist, and encouraged Torrey to continue to develop his extraordinary gift.
His artistic contributions to his community included the painting of the high school mascot on the gym floor and various other projects. The subjects of many of his works are women and their plight. Most of his paintings depict women living triumphantly, while others depict their strong will, during a time of adversity. Torrey was reared in a single parent home and the experiences from his upbringing, coupled with the teachings of his great grandmother, are a main source of his inspirations. He tries to paint pictures that not only give an accurate depiction of everyday life, but that also give hope to women. Mr. Johnson’s message to women is that your circumstances come to make you. They can make you stronger or they can destroy you;, it’s your choice. After graduating from high school, Torrey enlisted in the United States Army and served four years with an honorary discharge. After leaving the military, he began a new career with the Florida Department of Corrections, where he promoted through the ranks and held the position of Warden until his retirement in 2018, after approximately 25 years of service. He is now vary active within in the Arts Community and looking forward to continued success in his first love, “The Arts”. |
Victor Bouadjio
Author |
He was awarded the prestigious literary prize in Black Africa, le Grand Prix Littéraire d’Afrique noire, in 1990 for his first novel “Demain est encore loin” (“Tomorrow is still a long way away”).
From African grammar schools to the universities of Paris XI (where he got a Doctorate in micro-electronics), and from the USA (Oklahoma and Wyoming) through to Sciences Po (political science), he worked in private companies after completing his education. He later taught in higher education before creating the publishing house “Ecrire Aujourd’hui” of which he is the director. In 1996 he set up the Ebena Institute which works for African values and aims to erase, in all individuals, the consequences of all forms of enslavement of man by man or of the dominations that might have been suffered, directly or by genealogical transmission, such as : - the sequels impressed on a person by centuries of slavery - the difficult family conditions which prevent someone to develop his or her talents. In 2004, Victor Bouadjio created, within the framework of Ebena, the “Salon du Livre Africain d'Angers” (Angers African Book Fair) and a publishing company centred on African themes. Ebena also becomes a centre of writing and publishing consecrated to the way of thinking and the immaterial values of Africa. Publications Novels Tomorrow is still far away, publisher Balland (Paris, 1989). Chronicles of an African village (West Cameroon). The inhabitants of Touni make up a community of ten thousand uncouth and stubborn peasants, “very difficult” according to colonial archives and deeply attached to their tribal self-sufficiencies. The village, publisher : l’Hèbe (Switzerland, 1998): A Jesuit from Quebec, Laberge is carrying out a 30-year mission at the heart of Africa without looking back. In this vast continent with its many and baffling customs and traditions, he has come accross all sorts of men. But chance has put on his way a desperate adolescent in a burning country. With the ardent faith that he has in man, whatever the race or belief, this encounter will set him on a new mission: to make this child become a high-level executive in an extremely poor country. Black fireflies, publisher : Wilquin (Belgium, 2011): In Quebec, a Jesuit performs a very strange exorcism. In Africa, a 20-year old boy dies from loving his country too much. In France, a young girl, barely out of childhood, coming from Africa to study medicine, discovers at the same the secret of her birth, the misfortune of her people and the power of words... The Veneta, historical novel, publisher : Balland (Paris) Novel of a country since the First World War. Cameroon is one of the most former German colony under a dual French and English mandate in 1918. After its independence (1960), intrigues began to appear that will plunge into an endless state of emergency. This is the beginning of a story which, according to the unanimous opinion of historians, will be the foundation of the Françafrique. The issue at stake in The Veneta is not only the fate of this territory, but also the fate of the entire African continent. The story is told through genealogy of a family : an indigenous dynasty composed of characters belonging to the class of nobles, intrepid, indomitable and profound men committed to their values. They fight hard, but they also have to deal with the new powers that are being torn apart in a relentless war. Faced with skilful manoeuvres, nationalists, newly arrived in business and not very experienced in political confrontations, will have to go into battle without weapons and without any real strategy. A prince whose father was an officer of the Deutsches Herr under occupation German, dedicates its existence to the search for the trigger that will awaken the the continent's sleeping consciousness. Many characters evolve in this story which constitutes a true metaphor for a century of uncertainty in an Africa in search of landmarks. Next novel The valley where the deaf hear Alice Magni, a 38-year-old female doctor, runs a health centre in an African village. From a Quebec father (Leopold) and an African mother (Kamini), she discovered the secret of her birth at the age of twenty-one. Between March and October 2018, she witnessed the deliquescence of her country and sought to understand the deep origin of the curse that has plagued the entire continent (the Great Basin) for so many generations. Through two genealogies, his own and that of another character, Sessana, Alice realizes that in fact, considerable unidentified forces weigh on the country and direct its destiny towards an inevitable implosion. It is a real system that makes fun of development plans, humanitarian missions, the work of charities and (the other big secret of "The Valley Where the Deaf Hear") inhibits indigenous energies and amplifies migration movements. Alice, then, makes her examination of conscience: should she continue to heal people while being aware that the "system", at the same time, works tirelessly to annihilate any human progress in the country ? Alice proceeds like Leopold, her father, thirty-nine years earlier: she makes a turnaround in October 2018, when the country, a country that is also bilingual, sinks into a fratricidal war between the French-speaking region and the English-speaking region. In 2045, finally, the narrator decided to write this story. And it is there that we discover that she pursued her passion to care for Quebec, her second homeland, in a peaceful country. Above all, it had killed two birds with one stone: when it left the Great Basin, it had made sure to build a museum on the spot, to show the mechanisms by which, during all these years of ice, the country cracked under the weight of the “system”. Non-fiction Slavery, 150 years after. Publisher, Insitut du Monde noir (Nantes). The black continent has a past whose weight still crushes the present. A past of slavery and colonisation which still has its influence on the problems that affect the daily life of its people. Points of view differ as to the solutions, some preferring aid as a miracle remedy; others fundamentally prefer education and even an evolution of mentalities. This work is an attempt at writing the history of the African problem. It identifies the distant origins of the prejudices and racism which pursue the Africans and above all, it designates one the causes of the black under-development: the absence of communication which isolates its hundreds of millions inhabitants. The roads of knowledge, publisher, Institut Ebena (Angers). This book was written for our contemporaries of exception who have a deep faith in the case humane. These men and women are strongly convinced that among all creatures, Man, whatever are its origin and the color of its skin, is a unique species which constitutes a pool of unsuspected potential, of the possibilities that could be revealed at any time, but in exceptional contexts and, above all, if a number of favourable conditions are met. They think, these rare figures we have the honour to propose this reflection, that the right of access to knowledge guaranteed for all peoples is a sacred right. In these are the pioneers of a new era of walking of a history that is accelerating in the third millennium. Because, isn't it true that any individual, any people with disabilities delay the progress of all humanity? But "The Roads of Knowledge - Africa, 20 years later? announces and prepares another editorial event in particular by course, "The Testament of Africans": it will be the sum of the misfortunes and disasters that have struck Africa since the dawn of time; but also, in a recognition eternal, the list of people of good will who, through their action, were able to contribute to the awakening and progress of this continent and its children whose traditions, thoughts and thoughts and consciousness have been in a coma for generations. This document of more than 1000 pages will be a collective written text by Africans, Africans, Africans and the diaspora across the five continents. (Book written with contribution of Pr Many Camara). The awakening of the pharaoh, publisher, Institut Ebena (Angers). Black Africa is a big thorn in the conscience of humanity. Never having dared to look this pain in the face, the world has only maintained it, century after century. Evil, then, has become more complicated over the generations. So much so that the men of our time are trying, in a vain and tireless attempt, to repress it. Why ? Why ? To free their memory from the sins of which the African, identified by his colour, has been a victim throughout history. Embarrassed by the martyrdom of this people through slavery and colonization, nations are now trying to avoid the black question by proclaiming the fundamental principles of "solidarity" and "mutual respect among peoples" as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. Eastern and Western dominations first and then reduced the African to the rank of sub-human and wild beast by promising him light, well-being and salvation through his civilization (religion, culture, wealth, values and knowledge). And several publications on the world of writing and publishing : Writing and being published, All about publishing houses, Writing a biography. And under pseudonyms : The professional writer, Writing well from A to Z, All about publishing houses, Scriptor. |
Joseph Dhaiti
National Asset Building Coalition, Inc. General Contractor (advisor) |
Joseph Dhaiti is the Founding Partner and Vice President of Cobblestone Construction Enterprise, Inc. Joseph has worked in the construction industry for more than 20 years. He has experience as a commercial and residential contractor. Dhaiti learned his trade from an expert craftsman in the construction industry. Joseph worked extremely hard to acquire all the knowledge his mentor had to offer. Coupled with traditional education, Joseph gained unequalled experience as a protégé’ and soon was a most sought out manager and builder in the Miami area.
After years of working as a Project Manager for several large companies, Joseph decided to form his own company to produce homes and building per his expertise. He was moved to create a building company that emphasized quality, after seeing a renovations that were poorly done by other contractors. Additionally, Joseph had a strong desire to encourage young people to enter the building trades, a give something back, especially to young adults from disadvantaged communities; the same as his mentor had done for him many years before. Joseph has positioned Cobblestone Construction as a quality company that care about the industry and the community. Joseph is recognized as a model for the building industry and a promoter of skilled trades. He advocates for fair standards and regulations on the behalf of the industry and for improved building standards. Joseph is an extraordinary individual the is trying to make a measurable difference in the industry and in his community. GLC3 Inc. 05/2000 – 12/2012; Miami, FL. Project Manager/Qualifier, Collaborate with Architects and Sub-contractors; Order and approve inventory and building supplies; Supervised Union and Non-Union workers; Pulled all appropriate permits; Identify and resolved all issues in a timely manner; Performed all construction sites pre-inspections; Led the planning, budgeting and directive of all construction projects. Cobblestone Construction Enterprise, Inc. and Associated Companiies 08/2001 – Present; Pensacola, FL Project Manager/Qualifier; Pulled permits; Bid on contracts; Estimated job cost; Prepared time schedule; Ensured all OSHA regulation protocols are followed; Analyzed critical path method scheduling. EDUCATION: New Jersey Institute of Technology, Associate Degree Electronic Engineering. 05/1994; Miami-Dade College, Associate Degree Construction Project Management. 03/2005; CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES: § Certified licensed and Insured General Contractor in the State of Florida; § Electrical Technician Certificate |
Associate Fellows
Research and Writers
Jeremie Samuel
Author/Researcher |
Jeremie Samuel was born in Pensacola, Florida on January 5, 1987. He attended Florida State University where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in English in 2010. While studying at Florida State University in Tallahassee, he developed a strong desire to reconnect with his ancestry. Samuel begin to read literature on the ancient history of Africa and America. His inspiration came after reading the autobiography of Malcolm X and learning teachings of the Honorable Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Prophet Noble Drew Ali and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad. Prophet Noble Drew Ali established the Moorish Science Temple in 1913 and through his teaching on the Moors of antiquity and their transoceanic empire, Samuel turned his focus on the Moorish paradigm and their influence on the world as we know it today. Jeremie Samuel specializes in Moorish and Pre-Columbian American history. In 2015, through the observations in his hometown of Pensacola, he applied the research and his writing skills to bring about a new perspective of history in his first published book, “The Moorish Essence of Pensacola”. His book analyzes the congruent climate and ecology which cultivates Pensacola in the likeness of Moorish Spain and Morocco. Explorers embarked in quest of the rich territory of Pensacola and Estevanico the Moor, born in Morocco, reached her shores in 1528. The layout of the city’s main districts of Cordova, Seville, and Granada correspond with the great ancient cities of Cordova, Seville, and Granada in Moorish Spain. With passions in ancestral knowledge, history, and culture, Samuel’s aspirations are to share his findings through lectures, publications, and the industry of tourism.
For more information about the book and author, visit https://littlealandalus.wordpress.com/ or the Facebook page: The Moorish Essence of Pensacola-Book.
Jeremie Samuel is available for interviews at (850.748.7060) Email: jayshemuel@gmail.com |
Aleigha M. Alexander
Writer |
Aleigha M. Alexander is an undergraduate student at Florida International University, where she prides herself in being a part of the International Relations Department. A big believer in showcasing culture through media, her goal as a student is to emphasize the cultural value found within African American art forms.
She advocates the use of ethical marketing to spread ideas from border to border, and sea to sea. “It is important for all cultures to have their own dialogue; where they too can tell their stories. If media were all inclusive-- diplomacy would be a given; wars would cease, and the world would be a much better place.” During her free time, she works as a freelance creative under the moniker Lei Mô. |
Edward J Whitfield Jr.
President - Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute |
Edward Jermaine Whitfield Jr., President – Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute, Florida A&M Chapter, is a fourth-year, computer information systems student with people-oriented skills and extensive project management experience at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. He received his associate degree from Tallahassee Community College. Currently Edward serves as a member of Leadership cohort and as a peer mentor at Florida A&M. Previously, Edward has devoted time in volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America, and several food banks and homeless shelters across the State of Florida. In addition, he spent time as the lead representative of the N.B. Forrest Logistics Academy, where he led the organization to unprecedented financial and social achievements and gains, in his area of responsibility.
In addition to his studies in business, Edward is studying modern software programming languages, C++, SQL, HTML, and CSS, among others. Whitfield’s major interest and concentration is cyber security and system networking. Edward actively seeks internship and career opportunities in the field of Information technology. |