Conference speakers represent (partial list):
- William James Foundation
- ASHOKA Foundation
- First Environment
- Chance Academy
- D.C. Mayor’s Office on Community Affairs
- Upgrade America
- IBM
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
- U.S. Copyright Office
- IQ Solutions
- Nonprofit Roundtable
- D.C. Office of Partnerships and Grants Development
- Main Streets Anacostia
- Creative Cause
- DNC Women’s Leadership Forum
- Green DMV
SPEAKER BIOS
FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2008 // SOCIAL ENTERPRISE LEADERSHIP FORUM
Tambra Stevenson chairs the Next Wave Leadership Committee and is the founder of Creative Cause, Inc. Ms. Stevenson brings her creativity to every project as the founder of Creative Cause, which is behind the creation of Postcards from Katrina, Plant Hope, KIM SENSE and Next Wave. As the creative champion for the cause, she blends her artistic talents to bring awareness to health and social causes.
In addition, she has helped to launch the first Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives in the District of Columbia. Prior to the Mayor’s office, she handled public affairs in the U.S. Department of Commerce on key issues: Rebuilding the Gulf, Trade, and the President’s American Competitiveness Initiative. At Commerce, she was instrumental in developing media opportunities, speeches, and materials for the National Director on minority business development. Featured as a ‘rising star’ in ‘Federal Computer Week’ Magazine, she helped to build the brand of Young Government Leaders.
As an Emerging Leader in the HHS Secretary’s office, she managed projects on health IT, mental health, pandemic flu, diabetes and small business. With the Combined Federal Campaign, she was recognized with the Secretary’s Leadership Award for achieving 200% of the goal for charities. Prior to HHS, she worked on media/marketing projects at CBS HealthWatch, WGBH-TV (PBS), Harvard Magazine, Hill Holiday, Kelley Chunn PR, Tufts School of Medicine, and Boston Black Women’s Health Institute.
She received a master’s in health communication from Tufts Medical School and completed MBA coursework at Boston University. She obtained her B.S. in nutrition with a Spanish minor from Oklahoma State University. She studied and practiced community health in Dominican Republic on the David L. Boren National Security Education Scholarship. She received a certificate from New York University in partnership with the World Health Organization.She serves on the Washington Health Empowerment Coalition and federal advisory panel member on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Women. She is an American Public Health Association delegate, Public Relations Society of America member and proud mentor of Antoinette Myers graduating this year from high school.
Amanda Lewis is the 2008 Miss Black DC USA. Amanda Robin Lewis was born in Washington, DC at Howard University hospital May 27, 1981. Her family moved to Baltimore, MD where she grew up and graduated from the Baltimore School for the Arts in 1999 with a focus in vocal music. She was accepted to Florida State University where she studied until transferring to Howard University in 2002, graduating in 2005 with a B.M. in Classical Voice.
She returned to Howard for Graduate school and will walk May 2008 with an M.M. in music performance. During the 2006-2007 Amanda studied abroad in Arezzo, Italy at the Accademia Dell’ Arte where she studied voice and physical theater. It is her dream to be a principal soprano and a concert recitalist. December 7, 2007 Amanda was crowned Miss Black District of Columbia USA 2008 and will compete June 23rd for the title of Miss Black USA 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Anna Bernanke is the president and founder of the CHANCE Academy, a college-preparatory school for inner city youth in Washington, D.C. A career educator, she brings to this enterprise a strong commitment to promoting academic excellence, critical thinking, and creative exploration in a supportive yet demanding environment. Her approach also acknowledges the pivotal roles that community and family play in helping students to succeed in the larger society. Born in Italy, Ms. Bernanke was raised in Denver, Colorado. She was a public school student whose love of the Spanish language began in a mandatory school Spanish course in the fifth grade. It opened a window to understanding and appreciating other cultures that grew wider with further academic and social exposure. Ms. Bernanke went on to Wellesley College where she graduated with a major in Chemistry and a minor in Spanish Literature. She received her Master’s Degree in Contemporary Latin American Literature from Stanford University. Over the last twenty years, Ms. Bernanke has been a Spanish teacher and administrator, teaching all ages and levels and chairing World Languages Departments in both public and private schools. Currently, Ms. Bernanke is dedicating her time and energy to establishing the CHANCE Academy, a pursuit informed by her experience as a parent and a teacher and inspired, she says, by the work of Marva Collins Preparatory School in Chicago. Pursuing a public/private partnership with the D.C. Public School System, Ms. Bernanke seeks to bring joy, ownership, and adult involvement to an arts-integrated curriculum that will support, encourage, and challenge students to reach their highest potential, both personally and academically.
David W. Smith, Sr., a native of Washington, DC, is the Executive Director of The PearlCoalition and a Program Manager with East of the River Clergy Police Community Partnership. He is also an active participant of the Lloyd D. Smith Foundation, The Ward 8 Business Council, and the Far North East Weed and Seed. David continues to advocate for community development, community centered resources and services for Washington DC youth and residents.
Born at Women’s Hospital in Washington DC, David William Smith began his life in the Southeast community. David later moved to Northeast in Ward Seven East of the Anacostia River. Son of Anthony and Perlia Smith and grandson of Lloyd D. Smith, David’s service to the community was an inherited legacy. In his youth, David worked as a volunteer with many community and non-profit organizations such as Marshall Heights Community Development Organization, Deanwood Civic Association, a youth lobbyist with the Children’s Defense Fund, Antioch Baptist Church and many others.
David attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical University, where he majored in Political Science, Public Policy and minored in Music Education. To help pay for his education, he started his own business, D-Note Entertainment; promoting and producing live entertainment. He was certified as a Personal Financial Analyst with Citigroup’s PFS, and also worked with at-risk youth from the housing communities of Greensboro NC as Unit Director with the Boys and Girls Club of America and held several other youth and community focused potions. David has received local and national recognitions from DC Serve, AmeriCorps, Department of Justice, 60 Minutes, PBS Bill Meyers, Chesapeake Life Magazine, among others.
Dr. Carla Brailey is the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs. Prior to her appointment as the Director of Community Affairs, Carla Brailey served as the Director of the Office of Boards and Commissions for Fenty. In her new position, Brailey will provide direction to the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services and the directors of the Executive Office of the Mayor’s constituent offices, including the Offices of African Affairs, Ex-offender Affairs, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs, Women’s Policy and Initiative, and Youth Advisory Council. She will also serve as the mayoral liaison and advisor to the faith community including the Interfaith Council.
A native of Houston, Tex., Brailey has been a part of the DC community for the past seven years. She is a 1994 graduate of Texas State University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. She received a Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology in 1997, and in 2006, she completed a Master of Divinity and Women’s Studies Certificate from Howard University. She received her PhD in sociology from Howard University in May 2007, focusing on religion and social inequality.
Along with her academic accomplishments, Brailey served as the Coordinator of Social Services at Windsor Village United Methodist Church in Houston, Tex. She taught primary, secondary, and postsecondary grade levels and served as an assistant principal at the Harmony Science Academy. Brailey also served as a lecturer in the Afro-American Studies Department at Howard University. She is most proud of her experience as an Evans E. Crawford Graduate Fellow under the leadership of Dean Bernard Richardson at Howard University’s Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel.
One of her greatest personal accomplishments as a graduate assistant at the chapel included the development of Sis2Sis, the first women’s faith-based ministry at Howard University, which was designed to empower collegiate women socially, politically, psychologically and spiritually. As a researcher, scholar-activist, and minister, Brailey has participated regularly in professional meetings, panel discussions, women’s conferences, presented papers, and received several honors. Brailey is a 2002 Minority Institutions of Higher Education Initiative Intern sponsored by the Dwight Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program. In 2003, she served as a panelist and facilitator at the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) All-Star Black Women’s Summit as well as a panelist for the Howard University School of Divinity Convocation. She is a 2004 Graduate Research Fellow at the Women’s Research and Education Institute (WREI) in Washington, DC, and a co-recipient of the second place award for the Social Science Doctoral Division at Howard University’s Graduate Symposium. In 2005, she became the first student respondent for the Feminine in Religious Tradition Lecture Series at the Howard University School of Divinity and served as a panelist to address the urgency for Black women to reclaim their images at the National Congress of Negro Women (NCNW) annual conference. Brailey received the 2005-2006 Ivan Earle Taylor Scholarship. Additionally, Ms. Brailey was selected among her graduating 2006 cohort to present the invocation prayer at the Annual Graduation Prayer Breakfast at Howard University. Brailey prides herself as bridging theory with practice.
Natasha Khan joined Ashoka: Innovators for the Public in early 2007. Ashoka is a citizen sector organization that supports social entrepreneurs, promotes group entrepreneurship, and builds sector infrastructure. Natasha assists Ashoka’s initiative to build sector infrastructure as an” intrapraneur” in Ashoka’s Global Academy for Social Entrepreneurship, a program that brings together the world’s leading social business entrepreneurs, such as Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, to provide strategic guidance for the field of social entrepreneurship. Outside of Ashoka, Natasha founded Sapna Media LLC. SAPNA magazine is a media platform for second generation South Asian American women. Natasha also founded her university’s first multicultural Greek organization, Theta Nu Xi Multicultural Sorority, Inc. She graduated with a B.S in Business from the University of Pittsburgh.
Rosetta Thurman is a creative, dynamic young professional of color who has been working in the nonprofit community for over six years with extensive training and experience in fundraising, human resources, financial management, writing and communications, strategic planning, and education/training for nonprofit managers and staff. She has worked in nonprofits within the fields of historic preservation, youth development, technical assistance and associations including: Landmark Resource Center, Alliance to Conserve Old Richmond Neighborhoods, United Way of America, Fair Chance, and the Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington.
Rosetta’s hands-on experience combined with a solid background in organizational development allows her to see the “big picture” in connecting mission with effective management, outreach, and financial sustainability. Rosetta holds a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from Trinity University and a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Virginia Commonwealth University. She has also completed advanced training programs at The Fundraising School at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and the Institute for Nonprofit Management at Columbia Business School. Rosetta is an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and currently serves on two nonprofit boards – D.C. Central Kitchen and the D.C. Creative Writing Workshop. She is a prolific nonprofit blogger at Perspectives From the Pipeline and the Stanford Social Innovation Review, and has been quoted in articles about nonprofit leadership in the Washington Post, Nonprofit Quarterly, and the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Alfreda McCray is 10-year veteran in Information Technology, Alfreda’s professional
career includes a diversified background in Information Technology supporting clients such as Lockheed Martin, The Library of Congress, and McKinsey & Company.
As the founder of Busyness to Business Consulting, Alfreda leverages her consulting expertise in strategic planning, project management and organizational development to assist those in transition to reach a new mark, upper echelon or path of success. As part management consultant, advisor and coach; Alfreda works with clients to help them move from Busyness to Business. Alfreda has consulted in a variety of capacities and supported corporate, government and non-profit institutions.
Her breadth of experience includes developing a five-year strategic technology plan for the City of Newark New Jersey, formulating and recommending restructuring of Governance, project management, and IT service delivery throughout the city.
Alfreda’s background in infrastructure support has played significant roles in helping organizations establish project management competency and organizational structure. Rounding out technical acumen, Alfreda has played instrumental roles as Computer Instructor, Career and Life Skills Trainer and is the current head of Admissions for Computer CO.R.E in Arlington Virginia.
In addition to consulting, Alfreda manages a variety of philanthropic and entrepreneurial
programs; she is the Founder of Urban Social Enterprise, a non-profit dedicated to providing social entrepreneurship and character development programs for youth and also serves on the Board of Directors for Uplift, a Washington DC based non-profit that provides technology-based resources, services, and education to underrepresented communities.
Alfreda is a lover of music, civic engagement activities, and ministry; her passions are serving God’s people, elevating, uplifting, encouraging, providing a foundation for excellence and helping others work in their purpose.
Yasmin Gabriel, a native of New Orleans, then accomplished 20-something with a thriving party planning firm including a client list of entertainers such as Eva Pigford and athletes such as Denver Broncos featured running back Tatum Bell in August 2005.
Additionally, Gabriel had hosted a film series for MTV, directed New Orleans Mayor’s Marc Morials leadership team, possessed two master’s degrees and was in medical school. Then on August 29th Hurricane Katrina hit and Gabriel’s life changed forever.
Immediately after Hurricane Katrina, Gabriel felt compelled to make a change and drop out of school. She looked for leadership to guide her and then realized she was waiting on herself. While many saw themselves as victims, Gabriel saw herself as a survivor being thrusted into her destiny as a leader and new age activist as she began picking up the pieces. Gabriel shifted her focus from her business and began defining a new reality.
As she relocated to Columbus, GA, local Katrina evacuees looked to her for guidance and the President of the local Urban League offered her a position to help victims. Within a few months Gabriel help secured 1.8 million dollars for local Katrina evacuees. After a few months Gabriel realized her story and the story of so many other college students who went from the excitement of college life to the disappointment of not being able to pay for school needed to be told.
The documentary “Picking UpThe Pieces” captures the experiences of college students affected by Hurricane Katrina. The film showcases the students’ experience during fall 2005 semester and tells the story of college life a year after Katrina. The narrator and executive producer for the film is activist and BET commentator Jeff Johnson. As a film project produced by a survivor, this documentary is empowering young people all over the world and spawning a social/political movement to improve readiness for college students after a major tragedy. Currently, Gabriel is traveling the nation on the “Pick It Up Tour”, a national initiative touring college campuses where Gabriel presents the documentary and holds a forum challenging students to be proactive in thinking of ways to prevent the experiences that college students in New Orleans faced after Katrina. Gabriel calls students to work with university officials and local and state offices to have a holistic evacuation plan ready if tragedy strikes. Currently Gabriel is planning for national distribution of the documentary and releasing a book of the same title.
Fall 2007, Gabriel entered Howard University School of Law as a Juris Doctorate Candidate for the class of 2010. While at Howard University School of Law, Gabriel has join forces with her fellow Howard Law classmates to create a face and agenda for UpGrade America. UpGrade America is a grassroots campaign to inspire young Americans to be “UpGraders” in their community. UpGrade America co-sponsored a trip to South Carolina during the state’s primary for Howard Law Students. In addition March 2008, the city of New Orleans recognized UpGrade America for its efforts of youth empowerment and unconventional involvement.
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2008 // WORKSHOPS & FORUM
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
Trish Muse’s in-demand status as a popular personal trainer in the metropolitan Washington DC area provides the opportunity for her to develop safe, challenging and effective fitness programs for a variety of individuals at various fitness levels in clubs and studios. “Personal training is one of my most rewarding jobs,” she says; ”I feel great when my clients work hard, discover, learn and adopt new health principles to live by. Training with me is really a trip outside your comfort zone to affect change that ultimately provides new levels of physical and mental satisfaction.” Her experience includes training people who are prenatal, diabetic and post rehabilitative to name a few.
Trish teaches a wide range of group exercise classes. Her innovative specialty classes in abdominal training, ABSolutely TORSOSTM, became her first exercise video, AB ATTACK. Her classes also combine flexibility training and are setting a new standard in the field of fitness. Trish explains that “total abdominal fitness involves multidimensional exercise for the entire torso versus single dimension programs using just abdominal and back exercises. Your abdominal fitness is as strong as your weakest torso body part.”
As a veteran pharmaceutical representative for over 10 years Trish developed and launched the first fitness curriculum to integrate pharmaceutical information and the design of exercise programs. Under the auspices of Body Productions, Inc., her Washington DC area based fitness and sports rehabilitation company, she offers her continuing education credit lecture entitled The Effects of Drugs on Exercise; it provides fitness professionals with the necessary information to tailor classes and programs based upon the exercise participants total health status. “Education for the fitness professional is vital for safe exercise programming,” Trish states, “and by addressing the various medications fitness enthusiasts take, professionals can better individualize a person’s exercise program.”
“The fitness industry crosses many different health professionals and is an integral part in total wellness management, ”Trish explains. Thus, she has implemented successful health and wellness projects including Fit To Survive, Inc., a breast cancer survivor fitness program and Post-Rehabilitation fitness programming. She lectures nationally for Exercise Etc, Inc. and Great Seminars and Books, Inc.
As a featured author in IDEA Today, Upscale, Essence, Heart &Soul and Health magazines and Advance for Physical Therapists trade publication, Trish continues to establish her presence in the professional and consumer fitness market. Ab Attack, her first exercise video, voted #1 belly buffer by Self magazine in 2001 and a Collage Video staff favorite, continues to be a top seller. She produced her second video, Body Management, six months later which features a scientific based strength training program. The Workstation Workout is the latest video addressing ergonomic fitness for the prevention and occurrence of neck, back and upper extremity discomforts from extended computer use and desk work.
Trish holds a BA in General Arts and Sciences with a Pre-Medicine specialty from The Pennsylvania State University and a bachelor of science in Health Sciences from Howard University. She earned her Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Howard University and is currently pursuing her Doctor of Science in Physical Therapy at The University of Maryland at Baltimore. Her certifications include Polestar Pilates Practitioner, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, and Health Fitness Instructor from the American College of Sports Medicine.
Arthuretta Martin is the former Deputy Director of Small and Disadvantaged Business at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She is a Life Member of Blacks in Government. She was one of the founding members and the first Vice President of the IRS New Carrolton Chapter of Blacks in Government and served as President of the Chapter for over four years. Ms. Martin is also a former chair of Blacks in Government’s Region XI EEO and Affirmative Action Committee and Legislative Committees. She is a founding member of the No-Fear Coalition, contributed to and was instrumental in the passing of the Act. She is a founding member of the NAACP Federal Sector Task Force, former Vice President of Federal Employees Against Discrimination, she currently serves on the advisory committee of No-Fear II with Dr. Marsha Coleman Adebayo and Matthew Fogg and also serves on the advisor committee for the 2008 Washington Whistleblower’s Week.
After 26 years of service, she is retired now and the owner of Words & Melodies, LLC. The goal of Words & Melodies is to encourage, inspire, and uplift the human spirit through published books, free lance articles, and songs. Her talents range from writing, acting, and singing. Her vocal talents span every genre. She sings classical, opera, jazz, gospel, rhythm and blues and she’s even been known to sing a little country music. She is a published author of many articles on the subject of Federal Employment and Small Business opportunities with the Federal Government. She recently co-authored the book Speaking of Success with Steven Covey and Brian Tracey and is in the process of co-authoring Public Service-Private Pain with Dr. Denise Williams. This book looks at the emotional psychological challenges facing Civil Servants – specifically Federal Employees within the United States.
Arthuretta serves on the editorial board of the Public Administration Times (PA Times), a trade journal with the National Association of Public Administrators (ASPA), and she also serves on the board of the Consortium for International Management and Public Administration (CIMPAD)– an organization of Federal, State and Local Government academicians and practitioners dedicated to assisting governments throughout the world improve the delivery of public service and enhance the quality of life of Africans throughout the Diaspora. Arthuretta has traveled to Uganda, Kenya and Senegal with CIMPAD and will travel to Ghana in 2009. She holds a Bachelors Degree from George Mason University in Public Administration, a Masters Degree from Florida Institute of Technology in Management and Federal Procurement PhD course work in Communication from James Madison University and will receive her certification as a Stress and Wellness Consultant in May of 2008 from the Canadian Institute of Stress and Wellness. The mother of three and grandmother of two, she resides in Burke, Va. with her husband and daughter.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
Craig Powell is the founder of Spectrum Marketing Communications, which is his 2nd entrepreneurial endeavor. In the spirit of his commitment to social issues, he has established Spectrum Marketing as a full service social marketing agency that specializes in communicating to the African-American community. In addition to overseeing all marketing efforts for Lion Heart Project, Craig also oversees the marketing program for all Shoe City locations in the Mid-Atlantic region.
In 2006 Craig left Downtown Locker Room to pursue his entrepreneurial aspirations. His first mission was focused on starting a non-profit organization that would provide mentoring in the form of cognitive development and life-skills to at-risk youth and ex-offenders. Today, Lion Heart Project (www.LionHeartProject.com) is working with middle school youth in several Baltimore City Public Schools through their partnership with the Abell Foundation. With 75 youth and their families being served in the Baltimore Community, Lion Heart Project is gearing up to expand to become a national program.
A native of Maryland Craig currently resides in Silver Spring, MD. He was born in Baltimore, Maryland where he attended both public and catholic schools before moving to Anne Arundel County at the age of 11. Graduating from Old Mill Senior High School in 1990, he went on to graduate from Salisbury University with a Bachelors Degree in Marketing. After graduating from Salisbury University, Craig spent five years working as a junior marketing professional in the shopping center industry before joining Downtown Locker Room in 1996 as the organization’s Director of Marketing. In this position, Craig helped elevate this urban fashion retailer’s growth from 17 stores in Baltimore and Washington, to 50 stores in Baltimore, Washington, Richmond, Norfolk, Atlanta, North Carolina and Chicago.
The vision behind the social entrepreneurial efforts of Craig Powell is founded in his spiritual beliefs and social commitment that is best described in a quote from a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:“
The Christian Gospel is like a two way road, on the one side is seeks to change the souls of men so that they are united with GOD. On the other side it seeks to change the environmental conditions so that the soul has a chance to survive after it is changed.”
Alexandra Rampy is a social marketing believer, blogger, researcher, practitioner and enthusiast. Currently, she works on the Learn the Link campaign, a national, bi-lingual social marketing campaign for the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), combating HIV/AIDS and drug abuse. Rampy’s previous experiences involve work on grassroots, local, statewide and national social marketing initiatives with one of her proudest achievements being her work for multiple sclerosis which she plans to highlight during the summit. Rampy’s research was recently accepted to the 1st World Social Marketing Conference later this year in Brighton, England and she continues to spread the movement of social marketing through her professional blog, SocialButterfly, where she partakes in the Carnival for Non-Profit Consultants and is listed as one of the top nonprofit and social media blogs by Alltop.com.
James S. Walker is a Gen-Y Communications professional interested in Branding, Marketing, Public Relations, and Social Media. Tagged with the nickname “jaywalk,” James is paving his own way through the streets of life, passing up traditional conventions in search of sensible, innovative and effective communication.
He graduated from the George Washington University with a B.A. in Communication and a minor in History. A true believer in the power of Public Relations, James founded Influence PR, the Premier Student Public Relations Group, at GW in 2006. Under his leadership, Influence PR sponsored several professional development events and panel sessions with Marketing and PR industry leaders. In addition, IPR also took on pro-bono projects providing strategic communications counsel to on-campus student organizations and other Washington, DC based groups, including Creative Cause’s Postcard From Katrina Initiative and GW Discourse, the Political Science Quarterly.
James is originally from New York (born in Queens, raised in Brooklyn) but now calls the Washington, DC area home. He currently spends his daylight hours working at a Washington, DC healthcare communications firm, providing public relations solutions to top pharmaceutical companies and leading non-profit organizations.
When he is not working or blogging, James can be found jaywalking through the streets of DC with his ipod blasting on his way to one of the city’s many great restaurants and hot music spots.”
Oliver Metzger is a Policy Planning Advisor in the Office of Policy and International Affairs at the United States Copyright Office. He has worked at the Copyright Office since late 2004, and currently covers Europe, Russia, and the former Soviet republics. His previous portfolios have included North and South America, Africa and the Middle East. He advises Congress and federal agencies, and interacts with foreign government officials, on a variety of foreign and domestic copyright policy issues. Prior to working at the Copyright Office, Mr. Metzger was a civil litigation attorney practicing in New York City (at the firms of Sullivan & Cromwell and Morrison & Foerster) and was a law clerk to the Hon. Fred I. Parker of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He holds a J.D. from the University of Texas (1996), and an A.B. from Dartmouth College (1988).
Karla Perkins is a Senior Staff Attorney in the Office of Trademark Quality Review and Training of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Karla Perkins graduated from Howard University School of Law in 1995. Karla joined the USPTO in 1997 and served as an examining attorney for almost nine years. She currently works as a senior staff attorney with the Office of Quality Review and Training where her responsibilities include reviewing the work of examining attorneys to verify compliance with the USPTO’s quality standards, training new examining attorneys, and developing training modules concerning trademark operations. Before joining the USPTO, Karla worked in a public interest law firm focused on the needs of small and minority owned business entities.
Ian Fisk is the Executive Director of the Williams James Foundation. He is also the CEO of ITF Consulting and Director of Projects for Wall Street Without Walls. Previously, he managed the Washington, DC office of CitySoft, Inc. Before that, he was the lead consultant on the launch of the AmeriCorps*VISTA Entrepreneur Corps. He has spent much of his 15 year professional career at the intersection of technology and community development, including stints as the internet coordinator for a U.S. Presidential Campaign and as manager of one of the first volunteer-oriented internet sites (ServeNet).
Mr. Fisk has designed databases to track program evaluations, economic development information, and fundraising and project information. His designed a database that tracked all federally funded members of AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America, and the Senior Corps. He has managed events for the Washington Free Clinic, the HFStival, Oxfam and many others. Mr. Fisk founded The Community Tool Chest, Washington DC’s largest tool loaning library. He is also a charter member of Hands On DC, an annual 2,500 volunteer serve-a-thon for the D.C. public schools. His board service has included The Youth National Organization for Tomorrow, Community Action International Alliance, College Bound, and The Gateway Community Development Corporation. He serves on the leadership team of Net Impact’s Washington DC Professional Chapter.
He has won recognition for his work in Net Impact’s 13,000 member community, including being selected as a success story on their website, being one of the first individuals recognized in their member spotlight, leading the chapter of the year in 2005, and most recently being recognized as a distinguished member in 2006. Mr. Fisk received his MBA from Yale with a focus in economic development and his BA from the University of Virginia in Political and Social Thought. He has also completed the coursework for the George Washington University’s Event Management Program, and he has completed Training for Change’s Advanced Train-the-Trainers program.
Philip E. O’Neal is the founder of GreenDMV.org, a new organization that seeks to create a socially responsible culture throughout the Washington Metropolitan Area and change the mindset of area businesses to think both sustainably and profitably. DMV stands for District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Mr. O’Neal believes we can start by cultivating environmental awareness and action in area manufacturing sectors and in the small business community. Small and disadvantaged businesses within the manufacturing industry need certified standards for social and environmental responsibility at every stage of their business. The certification process should be both affordable and contain sound environmental standards so that businesses that incorporate these standards to minimize energy usage and waste within their operations can increase market share, reduce overhead expenditures and most importantly reduce CO2 emissions that harm our environment.
O’Neal’s goal and the goal of GreenDMV is to see that a contribution to sustainable environmental practices is made within the small and disadvantaged business community. GreenDMV is currently working to make sure that such businesses not only meet certain environmental qualification standards for doing business with the federal government, but to also establish a certification similar to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). FSC is a membership association that is open to a wide range of organizations and individuals representing social, economic and environmental interests. By becoming a member, you show your commitment to promote responsible management of the world’s forest and you get to participate in FSC decision-making processes. Mr. O’Neal has a B.S. in Geology from Elizabeth City State University in NC and has worked in the Printing Industry for 13 years.
Ramsay Huntley is an environmental specialist with First Environment, Inc. (www.firstenvironment.com), a leading provider of environmental management and engineering services. In this role, Ramsay works with companies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies to quantify, verify and mitigate their climate change impacts. He has experience with greenhouse gas inventories for both mandatory and voluntary programs and has verified numerous emission reduction projects. He is a Lead Certifier for the California Climate Action Registry.
Prior to First Environment, Ramsay worked for Carbonfund.org, a non-profit provider of carbon offsets. In this role, he advised companies on carbon offset procurement and inventory management. He also previously held the position of Climate Entrepreneurship Specialist at the Tufts Climate Initiative at Tufts University. He managed the university’s GHG inventory and helped develop social entrepreneurship outreach on campus.
Ramsay is also a social entrepreneur, having helped launch StartingBloc (www.startingbloc.org) while in graduate school.
He is a graduate of North Carolina State University and Tufts University. He and his wife Kelly live in Washington, DC.
Mary Horan graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the spring of 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and a minor in art. She currently serves as the Bilingual Program Associate for the non-profit organization call Youth Venture. As the Bilingual Program Associate her job is to outreach to the Latino youth and encourage them to apply for the Youth Venture grant. In the past Mary was involved with another non-profit called the Media Education Foundation that produced and made educational documentaries. In the fall Mary will be attending graduate school and getting a Masters of Fine Arts in Film and Video.
Joshua Humbert is the founder of the EnVest Foundation. With more than 10 years of fundraising, board development, and financial experience for a variety of organizations, including Merrill Lynch, Jubilee Housing, Boys and Girls Clubs and consultant to area nonprofit organizations, Mr. Humbert brings an exceptional understanding of all-aspects of development to the social venture capital and social responsibility philanthropy.
In 2005 Mr. Humbert founded the EnVest Foundation, which serves as a social venture capital fund for working wealth social investors. He currently leads the daily operations of the EnVest Foundation’s endowment. As founding principal and managing director, he guides the foundation, and privately invested Partners & Associates through the implementation of its 7 year $10M development plan
Prior to founding the EnVest Foundation, Mr. Humbert served as a Financial Advisor with a Merrill Lynch’s Private Client Group, which managed $228M in private equity. Mr. Humbert worked closely with clients to ensure optimal return on their investment holdings.
At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Washington, Mr. Humbert serves as Regional Director of Development, where he is responsible for a $4M dollar development budget and a regional board of directors.
Mr. Humbert served as Associate Development Director of Jubilee Housing, where he successfully lead a $1.5M renovation campaign within the overall $50M residential real estate re-development campaign in the urban core of Washington, D.C.
In addition to his position at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington and the EnVest Foundation Mr. Humbert also serves on the board of Nomedik Holdings a technology transfer, licensing, and venture capital Company that creates revenue opportunities for its group of tightly held partners and investors.
Mr. Humbert holds a degree in Political Science from Norfolk State University and in his spare time enjoys spending time with his family, golf and dodge ball.
Tamara Haye is the Executive Director of HAYEgirl, Inc. Her qualifications come from her work experiences as a Merrill Lynch stockbroker, an institutional stock trader at a money management firm, a Northwestern Mutual life insurance agent and as a consumer and investor of the global marketplace. Her background on the on the buy & sell sides of Wall Street’s insurance and investment advisory fields totals over 5 years… and what a tumultuous time taxpayers, investors and retirees have experienced during the recent bull and bear markets.
Ms. Haye believes financial prosperity is possible for everyone. She is passionate about using multi-media as a medium to disburse economic knowledge by teaching financial principles. Furthermore, she possesses great oral presentation skills and has the energy to facilitate large and small audiences. The “Authentic” HAYEgirl is committed to sharing her professional work experiences to help others achieve financial goals. Providing fiduciary advice from the heart is what matters most to her. Ms. Haye believes, as does Fannie Mae: “When you are knowledgeable, no one can take advantage of you.”
Ms. Haye has been an active volunteer in various community service organizations since her high school and collegiate years.
However, she has focused her recent volunteer participation within organizations that have economic development programming. She is the Vice President of Economic Development for the San Jose/Silicon Valley NAACP chapter. In this capacity, she has spoke at public hearings regarding economic development within the San Jose community and coordinated events for youth and adults. She has served as a volunteer of the Department of Treasury- Internal Revenue Service’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) programs for the tax filing seasons of 2002 and 2003. Her responsibilities included preparing tax returns for individuals, couples, and families of low to limited income, individuals with disabilities, non-English speaking and elderly taxpayers. Additionally, Ms. Haye served as the Personal Finance Staff Writer for CityFlight Newsmagazine. Among her volunteer contributions are articles titled “Turning Adversity into Prosperity,” “Tax Filing Tips: How to Get a Better Return on Your Taxes,” and “Wiser Financial Choices for Singles.”
Ms. Haye’s professional goal is to provide needed services to underserved groups within our communities. She strives to solve public sector problems with private sector expertise. She uses humor to share a message of simple abundance through self-awareness and practical money management. She gives perspective on both sides of money mgmt issue: creditor vs. debtor, producer vs. consumer, and employer vs. employee. Her professional services are offered based on compassion, competence and ethics. Ms. Haye provides her expert advice at no direct cost to HAYEgirl, Inc.’s workshop participants, readers, viewers or listeners, thereby, keeping financial literacy affordable to all. She aspires to have everyone reach their desired level of prosperity through personal desire and discipline. Upon attending our workshops, using our workbooks or visiting our website, you too will be among the HAYEgirls!
Andrew B. Einhorn, M.S. is the President and Cofounder of OhMyGov!, a web-based news and technology company dedicated to improving government through the spread of information and use of innovative technologies.
Mr. Einhorn is a writer, management consultant, and environmental scientist by training. Prior to starting OhMyGov!, Mr. Einhorn worked as a management consultant and senior environmental scientist at John Snow Inc. of Boston, MA and ICF International of Fairfax, VA. At ICF, Mr. Einhorn provided environmental analysis, policy development, communications, and management support for a wide variety of private and public sector clients, including the the Department of the Navy, Missile Defense Agency, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Office of Commercial Space Transportation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Department of Defense (DoD).
Mr. Einhorn holds a B.A. from Emory University and an M.S. from The George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. He has spoken at a myriad of conferences about his experiences developing management systems for the Defense Department and is also the author of Broke in Boston, a travel guide for young professionals. For this work, he has appeared in various print, radio, and television media around Boston.
Delonte J. Gholston is a native of the District of Columbia and was educated in the DC public school system. He majored in political science at Swarthmore College and pursued graduate studies at the Public Policy Institute at Georgetown University. Encouraged by his parents, Delonte developed an appetite for reading, memorizing and reciting Dr King’s speeches in local churches. He strives to live out the full purpose of Dr. King’s great legacy in all that he does.
Delonte’s interests and involvement are as diverse and broad as Dr. King’s message of hope and opportunity. Until January of this year, he served on the board of the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust, Inc., a non-profit that promotes the legacy of the late Supreme Court Justice in the Shaw community, and is now a board member of Raising Expectations, Inc. a non-profit that promotes youth-led art and music projects throughout the District. A lover of singing, piano, drums and the saxophone, Delonte has served as Minister of Music at the Pavilion of God Baptist Church since 2002. He is an active mentor of a 13 year old and a 19 year old, and is the founder of the alumni association for his alma mater, Benjamin Banneker Academic High School, Inc.
Delonte has been active in real estate in the District since 2004. Working first as a mortgage banker with the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC Centura), Delonte began working full-time in real estate, partnering with Norris Dodson at Dodson, Long and Foster in 2005. He specializes in commercial and residential leasing and sales in the District, with a focus on opportunities in Columbia Heights, Shaw, the U Street Corridor, Brookland, the Georgia Avenue Corridor and Easter of the River (specifically the Anacostia, Congress Heights, Benning Heights, and Hillcrest communities). In his professional dealings, and in his ministerial and community work, Delonte has a passion for seeing people realize the fullness of their potential and making their dreams a reality. He is honored to share the sum of his experiences with the Next Wave Conference. His prayer is that this conference will spark the great solutions that lie within each of us to end poverty and apathy.
BUSINESS & GOVERNMENT CAREER COACHING SESSION
Lavon Washington is a Senior Consultant with the IBM’s Global Business Services, Public Sector — Strategy and Change Practice Area. Mr. Washington provides clients with solutions to improve performance through analysis of existing business problems and development of future plans. He brings IBM’s proven methodologies and frameworks to help clients strategize, transform, and hone their business capabilities to succeed in a competitive market place. Mr. Washington’s style and professionalism has consistently allowed him to display his leadership skills in an array of business environments ranging from Fortune 500 energy companies to a public K12 school district of over 400,000 students.
As a member of the National Black MBA Association, Mr. Washington serves as a mentor for the organization’s high school mentoring program, Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT). Mr. Washington coached the winning LOT National Case Competition team in 2005. Mr. Washington also founded the first Black Business student organization at his alma mater, Rice University.
Mr. Washington received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 2001, and Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) from Rice University in 2006.
A native of Shreveport, LA, raised in Houston, TX, and relocated to Washington, DC, Mr. Washington enjoys traveling, reading, and working out. He is the son of Cheryl Brown and has two younger brothers, Lavelle and Aaron.
In addition to progressing in Corporate America and mentoring youth, Mr. Washington has entrepreneurial endeavors as an independent representative for ACN. To learn more visit www.lavon.acnrep.com providing him with residual income to assist in his financial security.
Kitty Wooley’s career at the Department of Education began in 1994, following a decade as a college financial aid director in Nebraska and California. At the Department of Education, she serves as a Management & Program Analyst. Based in San Francisco, she conducted week-long reviews of college Title IV financial aid operations in California, Arizona, and Nevada. In 1996 she moved to Washington, DC to manage the development and national rollout of a risk analysis system that would help 300 Federal Student Aid specialists to prioritize on-site reviews of over 7,000 colleges and universities.
Since then, Kitty has managed a variety of projects that have allowed her to hone skills in analysis, the communication of complicated subjects to non-experts, the connection of colleagues across agencies and sectors, leadership, and followership. Currently, Kitty provides staff support to the Assistant Secretary for Management. This involves implementing and managing a six-month pilot that will invite managers and supervisors to catalyze continuous improvement via the provision of feedback about mission support services. The Office of Management provides HR, EEO, Hearings and Appeals, FOIA/Records Management/Privacy, Security, and Facilities Management services Department-wide in over a dozen cities nationwide.
Kitty completed the Council for Excellence in Government Fellows Program in 2002 and served two years on the Senior Fellows Board, where she helped design and implement the Senior Fellows Award Program. In 2003, she founded “Senior Fellows and Friends,” an experimental dinner speaker series that continues to attract a multisector group of colleagues who are focused on improving government. For the past five years, she has collaborated with three Department of Education leaders to produce “Conversations About Leading,” a monthly, 90-minute noon session that brings all interested employees into contact with effective local executives. In 2005 and 2006, Kitty felt privileged to witness the growth of Young Government Leaders, an interagency professional network that seeks to “educate, inspire, and transform the future leaders of the Federal Government.” Currently she advises and assists the group’s executive committee as needed. It is her hope that this talented incoming group, in partnership with all others who are oriented to public service, will apply the best of themselves to the transformation of government to meet 21st Century challenges.
POLITICAL LEADERSHIP FORUM
Jessica Solomon chairs the DC Young Women’s Leadership Committee. Advocacy for youth has been the focus of Jessica’s career with direct service efforts, leadership development, corporate volunteerism and lobbying work on the state and federal level. Currently as the chair of the Young Women’s Leadership Committee she leads a team in supporting the DC Commission for Women’s programmatic initiatives for girls in the district. As the Manager of Outreach and Community Engagement at the Washington Scholarship Fund she is building the foundation for the organization’s first grassroots campaign. Jessica has an entrepreneurial spirit and passion to intersect social change and innovation. As a StartingBloc fellow she studied social entrepreneurship and corporate social responsibility at the London Business School under pioneers in the field. She is leading a trip in 2009 to Cameroon, West Africa with Habitat for Humanity’s Global Village program and preparing to launch a project called “Creating Our Legacy” this spring. When asked how she wants to contribute to the Next Wave of change, she said, “I look for opportunities to create effective coalitions to drive change. I am passionate about advocacy, empowerment and cultivation because I know it produces results that resonate in communities.”
Yavocka Young is the Executive Director of the Main Street Anacostia, Inc. Ms. Young is an executive specializing in urban revitalization and communications who brings 15 years of experience with private firms, non-profit organizations, and local government.
She is executive director for Main Street Anacostia-a commercial revitalization organization in Anacostia; and has held other positions such as project coordinator for the Development Ambassador Program of the DC Building and Land Regulation Administration and director of community outreach for the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation.
Ms. Young is a highly enthusiastic, goal-oriented professional who establishes economic development strategies and programs for progressing communities. She has been responsible for organizing and facilitating community meetings of all sizes and developing a variety of promotional materials centered around community development.
In addition, Ms. Young has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations, served 2 terms as an elected advisory neighborhood commissioner, and was part of the launch team and the first editor of the East of the River newspaper. She has resided in Anacostia for the last 15 years and is a candidate for the District of Columbia’s Ward 8 City Council seat.
Ms. Young has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Hampton University and a master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University. Her company, Darsell Marketing and Trading LLC owns Sun Spectacles and Salon Exquisite-Anacostia, both in the District of Columbia.
Sharon Grosfeld is the Executive Director of the Women’s Leadership Forum of the Democratic National Committee. Sharon Grosfeld was first elected to the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 18 in Montgomery County in 1994 and served on the House Judiciary Committee until 2002, when she was elected to the Maryland Senate. As a Delegate on the Judiciary Committee, she was named Chairwoman of the Criminal Law Subcommittee and was also regarded as an expert on family law matters. Sharon has been a family lawyer since 1987, first working as an advocate for battered women at the House of Ruth in Baltimore, then in private practice at Hyatt, Peters & Weber in Annapolis for over 17 years.
As a Maryland State Senator, Sharon served on the Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee and on the Education Subcommittee, the Environment Subcommittee, and the Ethics and Election Law Subcommittee. She was appointed by Senate President Mike Miller to serve on the Joint Committee on Chesapeake Bay Critical Areas and the Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families.
During the twelve years that she served in the General Assembly, Sharon sponsored numerous pieces of legislation, but focused most of her efforts on bills to protect victims of domestic violence, to address women’s health and reproductive rights and to clean up the environment. She has been successful in achieving many positive changes in Maryland law that has improved the lives of thousands of women, children and families.
Sharon has been a strong advocate of a woman’s right to choose and in 1998 successfully sponsored the first law in the nation to require health insurance companies to cover prescriptive contraception. She was invited to testify before a U.S. Senate committee considering similar legislation on the federal level and was a featured speaker in New York to assist in their efforts to pass similar legislation. Most recently, Sharon was the Choice Advocate Honoree at the October 18, 2007 annual fundraising gala of NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland.
In addition to her legislative service, Sharon was appointed by former Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan to serve on the Montgomery County Criminal Justice Coordinating Commission. She has also been a member of former Attorney General Joe Curran’s & former Lt. Governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend’s Family Violence Council. In the following Administration in 2002, Sharon was appointed to serve on the Governor’s Commission to Study Affordable Housing, and also on the Task Force to Study Efficiency in Procurement.
At the end of her Senate term, Sharon chose not to run for reelection and instead has been working at the Democratic National Committee on Capitol Hill as the Executive Director of the Women’s Leadership Forum since September 2006. In that capacity, Sharon continues to advocate on behalf of women and children on the national level. She also works to get more Democratic women engaged in politics at all levels and on GOTV efforts focused upon women, particularly young women.
In addition to her work at the DNC, Sharon is an adjunct professor at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management where she teaches a course on “Leadership in Public Office.”
Sharon is a resident of Kensington where she lives with her husband, Dr. Russell Katz. Sharon & Rusty have two sons.
Dr. Christine Warnke, Esq. is the former chair of the DC Commission for Women and serves as the Senior Governmental Affairs Advisor for Hogan and Harston law firm in Washington, DC. Dr. Christine Warnke represents clients on legislative and regulatory matters before U.S. Congress, the White House, and various departments and independent agencies of the executive branch in the United States. She also represents national and multinational corporations, trade associations, and coalitions. Christine has spearheaded several initiatives that have both domestic and international implications, particularly in the areas of health, human rights, and women’s issues. In 1998 the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation recognized Christine as one of Washington D.C.’s finest professionals.
Christine is a Super Delegate of the Democratic party for 2008. She is one of less than 800 nominated throughout the United States. As a Super Delegate, Christine is able to vote at the party’s national convention but is not required to stay pledged to a specific candidate.
In 2004 while serving on the advisory board for Opportunities Industrialization Centers International, Christine was awarded the Leon Sullivan Outstanding Achievement. A year earlier, she received the Key of the City of Des Moines, Iowa and was honored by Urban Dreams for her work with the black and minority communities in Iowa. In 1999 she received the Ellis Island Medal of Honor Award, along with Senator Hillary Clinton, by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations Foundation. That same year she was appointed by President Clinton to his advisory committee of the arts of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Christine chaired the D.C. Commission for Women from 1996 to 1998 and was reappointed by Mayor Anthony Williams in 2002 to head this entity created to serve the needs of women throughout our nation’s capital. She has been recognized by numerous national women’s organizations and in 2002 received the Woman of the Year Award from the Daughters of Penelope.
In 1994 Christine was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the Senate to the board of the National Institute of Building Sciences. A year earlier, she earned her doctoral degree from the University of Maryland, and was recently named to receive the Alumni of the Year Award for 2005.
In 1981 Christine joined the American Textile Manufacturers Institute where she became Assistant Director for Governmental Affairs. Her primary focus was environmental issues and she chaired several industry-wide coalitions in the areas of clean air and water, and brought recognition to the institute as a leader in the environmental arena.
From 1975 to 1977 Christine was a Staff Assistant to Senator Howard W. Cannon of Nevada and was primarily responsible for legislative matters involving the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Prior to that, Christine served as a Legislative Assistant at the American Hellenic Institute which focused on foreign affairs issues.
In 1977 Christine was asked to join the Office of the Secretary for the Majority in the U.S. Senate where she served as an Executive Assistant to Senate Majority Leader Senator Robert C. Byrd. In addition to her duties surrounding the Senate floor activity, she assisted the Senate majority leader with the Democratic Conference and Steering Committees. During this period, Christine was extremely active in community and civic affairs and was one of the first women to hold an elected office with the Junior Chamber of Commerce (JCC). In addition to her leadership roles within the JCC, she received numerous awards for her chairmanship of several national events and programs, including the Arthur S. Flemming Awards Commission.
A native Washingtonian, Christine has written numerous articles on the District of Columbia’s immigrant population and history. She co-authored a book published by the Smithsonian Institution titled, The Urban Odyssey. She has traveled extensively throughout Africa delivering humanitarian aid and has been an outspoken advocate on HIV/AIDS initiatives and the delivery of safe and cost-effective medication.
Tara Andrews, Esq. is the Deputy Executive Director for Policy & Programs at the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. Prior to joining CJJ, Tara worked as a civil rights attorney and advocate with a number of organizations focused on finding practical yet courageous solutions to poverty and crime. As a staff attorney with the Public Justice Center, Tara successfully prosecuted class action suits that led to fairer wages and improved educational outcomes for homeless children.
As Chair of the Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition, and then as the first Director of Justice Maryland, Tara worked to reform sentencing, confinement and reentry policies for Maryland’s criminal and juvenile justice systems. For her work, Tara was recently touted as one of “25 Under 40 Emerging Black History Leaders” by The Afro’s Trends magazine, and honored with a Racial Justice Award by the YWCA of the Greater Baltimore Area and as a Future Legal Legend by Associated Black Charities of Maryland. Tara earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Bowling Green State University, her law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law and is currently pursuing an LL.M. in Law & Government at American University.
SUNDAY, APRIL 6, 2008 // SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
Reverend Doctor Wallace Charles Smith is senior minister of the historic Shiloh Baptist Church of Washington, DC, one of the oldest African American churches in the city. With a membership of over 4,000 persons, Shiloh’s congregation has a long history of community outreach and family-empowered ministries.
In addition to his ministry as pastor of Shiloh, he also serves as president of Palmer Baptist Seminary (formerly Eastern Baptist Seminary) in Philadelphia, PA, and is a popular guest lecturer and teacher. Smith is a vice president of the Baptist World Alliance, a worldwide fellowship organization representing Baptists in more than 160 countries. He has served as chair of the Budget Committee of the Baptist World Alliance and as chair of the Study commission on Freedom and Justice. In that capacity he was part of the reconciliation team that visited South Africa, helping bring about reconciliation between black and white Baptists. He was also a major participant in an international seminar on racial reconciliation, held at the Carter Center in Atlanta, and authored segments of an international declaration against racism which has been used by churches and conventions throughout the world. He has traveled extensively and has preached in South Africa, Argentina, Russia, Zimbabwe, and Cuba.
A longtime member of the Progressive National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., he has taught leadership courses, led seminars and served as trustee of the Board of Home Missions. He has been a guest speaker at meetings of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and he is in great demand throughout the country as a guest speaker and revival preacher.
He is contributing editor of The Pulpit Digest, has written numerous articles, including guest editorials for the Washington Post, chapters for several books, and is the author of a book, The Church in the Life of the Black Family (Judson Press).
Smith is married to G. Elaine Smith, a practicing attorney in Washington, DC. They have one daughter, Christen Anne.
