The National Black Pre-MBA Conference

Ernest M. Fountain, MBA was born in Tallulah, Louisiana where he attended Wright Elementary, and McCall Jr. and Sr. High School. His family migrated to the west coast in 1966 moving to Las Vegas, Nevada where he experienced his first taste of integration. Although he did not graduate from his hometown school, he credits the African American teachers in that education system for his positive self-esteem and his strong will and motivation to achieve. While attending Las Vegas High School, where he graduated, he met the first African American school counselor for the Clark County School District, Mrs. Charlotte Cook, who guided him to Texas Southern University, where he graduated with an undergraduate degree in business management with a minor in banking and finance in May 1976.

Mr. Fountain began his career in banking in June 1976 with Bank of Nevada eventually joining Valley Bank of Nevada as a management trainee becoming one of the first African American loan officers in the state of Nevada. During his tenure there, he continued his studies through the American Institute of Banking and was awarded an associate's degree in banking and finance in 1980. In 1981, he began work with the Nevada Economic Development Company where he met his mentor, William H. “Bob” Bailey, who operated the Las Vegas Minority Business Development Center funded by the Minority Business Development Agency. It is here where his passion was developed and cultivated to serve his people and fight for economic parity. During his tenure there he was awarded a master's degree in business administration from National University (San Diego) in 1988.

Ernest M. Fountain is the co-founder of New Ventures Capital Development Company (NVCDC) that has been certified by the Small Business Administration since 1984 to make loans under the 504 capital asset program. NVCDC has loaned over $120 million to small businesses since its inception into the program with 75% directed toward minority firms, which is the largest percentage in the nation. NVCDC is in fact the only African American-owned CDC in the country certified to participate in the program. The firm has assisted thousands of businesses and arranged over a billion dollars in financing since its origin. NVCDC currently operates the Nevada Minority Business Enterprise Center funded by the Minority Business Development Agency/U.S. Department of Commerce.

Ernest M. Fountain is the past president and co--founder of Enterprise Community Federal Credit Union, co-founder of the Black Business Council, the majority owner of the first Black Texaco station domicile in Nevada, and a formal real estate and insurance agent.

Last, but certainly not least, he was ordained as a minister of the gospel by his spiritual father Bishop A. J. Thompson in April 2004. To all of his accomplishments he gives all the honor and praise to the Father and to the Savior of the world Jesus Christ.

Adia May, Esq., MBA is the founder and CEO of Zuri Entertainment LLC, which services clients in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York.

She is an entertainment attorney who has negotiated multi-million dollar deals for film, television and music on behalf of major studios, actors and music artists. Her impressive list of clients include Anthony Hamilton, Kelly Rowland, Erica Hubbard, Rodney Perry and YoYo. She is the former in-house counsel for Codeblack Entertainment, where she was head of both Business and Legal Affairs. She is also a former Screen Actors Guild Advisor in Entertainment Contracts. She prides herself on her thoroughness and zealous representation of her clients, whether serving as an advisor or master negotiator.

Ms. May has several feature films and television shows in development. She enjoys the creative process and helping filmmakers give birth to their stories.

Ms. May is a Howard University alumna who graduated with a bachelor's degree in finance. She obtained her JD/MBA from The University of Iowa. At Iowa, she was the only person of color in her joint JD/MBA class.

Adia is a member of the NAACP Image Awards Nominating Committee and the Entertainment Law Committee of the Langston Bar Association. She also serves on the Board of Advisors of the Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, the non-profit foundation founded by actor, Hill Harper. She is also a member of the Advisory Board for the National Black Pre-MBA Conference and Business School Fair. Additionally, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

She is a frequent speaker on the motivational speaker circuit. Adia lives in Los Angeles, California and is originally from Chicago, Illinois.

Reginald Rhodes is the author of the soon-to-be best-seller The Most Important Brand in the World: YOU!, an entertaining, self-help, quick read dealing with the importance of personal brand management to help ensure the success of everyday people. This resource is the first release from the BRAND collection from his publishing company, Little Book, Big Impact, whose slogan is “Impacting lives in 100 pages or less.”

Reginald is well-known within the Houston community as the successful co-owner of iI10 Media, a popular print and media marketing firm. His company has been in business for eight years, and focuses on helping small businesses with gaining exposure for and success with their brands. Under the umbrella of i10 Media is IX Magazine, i10Media.com, and Big Apple Jazz and Soul.

Prior to starting i10 Media, Reginald was highly involved in the world of sports. He worked with Let’s Be Friends, an all-star game, where over 25 children participants went on to play college basketball. He also served as an assistant basketball coach at St. Anthony’s High School, working alongside and under the guidance of the legendary coach Bob Hurley, at the time when his team was ranked as one of the top five basketball teams in America.

Before launching i10Media, he was the president and CEO of Railroad Sports and Entertainment, a company which hosted celebrity parties for well-known NBA and WNBA professional athletes. His impressive list of clients included Houston Rocket basketball players Roderick Rhodes (his brother), Rashawn McCloud, Moochie Norris, Steve Francis, and Glenn Robinson, as well as the WNBA four-time champion Houston Comets’ stars Tina Thompson and Sheryl Swoopes, among numerous others.

Reginald’s personal brand is built around helping others and doing things with unlimited energy, passion, quality, consistency, and exceeding expectations. His signature marketing advice for business owners is "Exhaust all of the possibilities." He was born and raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. He attended William Patterson College, where he majored in sports management. He currently resides in Houston, Texas.

Crystal Washington is the owner of a Houston-based marketing firm, organizer of several business organizations, and is a consultant and speaker that teaches entrepreneurs how to leverage image marketing and business networking to supercharge business growth.

What makes Crystal unique is that she not only shares knowledge that she gained as a result of her education, but she literally built her business empire from the ground up using these techniques. In other words, she already practiced what she is now preaching.

Crystal’s journey started several years ago when she decided to leave corporate America to pursue her dream of owning a marketing business that would encourage and inspire business owners in Houston’s urban communities.

So what did a young entrepreneur whose very part-time business was just breaking even do to not only survive, but also thrive? She started building her network! Crystal began networking with business owners at networking events and online. She began the task of recreating her marketing business’ image to attract her target clientele. She built a business empire and network of thousands of business owners without a single loan, grant or investor. She leveraged her network and business image.

Previn Jones graduated from Forest Brook High School and continued his academic training at Texas Southern University (T. S. U.), the University of Houston and the University of Phoenix. Previn currently holds a bachelor's degree in administration of justice and a master's degree in business administration (MBA). While attending T. S. U., Previn joined the award-winning, internationally renowned Texas Southern University Debate Team, where he met his former debate coach and mentor, Dr. Thomas Franklin Freeman. In his first year on the team, Previn traveled to London, England where he won his first international First Place Award in public speaking. Appointed by Dr. Freeman, Previn became the team’s president in only his second year on the team. Under the tutelage of Dr. Freeman, Previn had the opportunity to compete and win several awards in international debate competitions in Lisbon, Portugal, Rome, Italy, and Paris, France.

After graduating, Previn pursued an illustrious career in politics working his way up from intern to chief of staff. Starting out as an intern in State Senator Rodney Ellis’ Texas Legislative Intern Program, Previn had the opportunity to work for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Council Member Jarvis Johnson, and former Council Members Carroll Robinson and Carol Alvarado.

Previn is now the managing director of CES Public Relations, LLC, which specializes in public involvement, government, media and stakeholder relations. Never too busy to give back, Previn serves on the Jackie Robinson Foundation Southwest Regional Selection Committee, which provides full four-year scholarships to graduating high school seniors, and is an advisory board member for The National Black Pre-MBA Conference and Business School Fair.

Frederick V. Roberts is a life member and parliamentarian of the Prairie View A&M University National Alumni Association. He earned the bachelor’s degree in Accounting and an MBA in Finance and Management from Prairie View A&M. Currently he is the assistant director for Career Services at PVAMU, a position he’s held since 2007. Prior to this position, he served as Director of Student Activities and Assistant to the President of the University for more than 20 years combined, and the Executive Producer/Director for the Miss/Mr. Prairie View A&M University Scholarship Pageants for 16 years.

Roberts holds or has held membership in several organizations including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and served two terms as President of Epsilon Tau Lambda Chapter, the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. Metro Houston, the American Marketing Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Black MBA Association, and the American Accounting Association.

He has more than 25 years experience in concert production and management having worked with artist management companies for such talent as Frankie Beverly and Maze, George Clinton and P-Funk All Stars, Keith Sweat, Sinbad, Natalie Cole, Mystikal, U.G.K. Run DMC, Zhane, Aaron Hall, Tony Terry, Sounds of Blackness, Mint Condition and Kashif, and record producers Terry Lewis and Darrell Simmons, John Ray, Leon Saunders, Bill ‘Dollar’ Waller, Eric Gold and others.

He is a Board member for The Carver Institute, ECAP and Myer Park Elementary Schools, the 4-B Economic Development Corporation for the City of Prairie View and the Community Development Corporation for Waller County. Roberts is also the Sam Walton Fellow for Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) at Prairie View A&M University and serves on several committees.

Additionally, he is the founder of UNITAN Communications (a Public Relations/Entertainment Management), the Jazz Music and the Black Country Music Associations, the Mr. Collegiate African American Scholarship Pageants, and Miss American Plus and cofounder of the Miss Prairie View/Waller County Pageants. Under his Visions of Stardom and University Talent Network he enhanced and shaped the careers of Terri Ellis (EnVogue), Della Miles (Sister Ella), Chris Martin (DJ Premier), Destiny’s Child (formerly Girls Tyme), Andre’ Pitre (In the Nick of Time), Rickey LaFontaine (Julio Iglesis Jr.), Magical Soul Brothers and Ideal.

Roberts is the author of “Brother President: A Parliamentary Guide to Conducting Successful and Effective Meetings” and the “Prairie View Today” columnist for the Waller County News Citizens. He is a Life Enrichment Coach, and hold certificates from the Barbizon School of Modeling and the Dale Carnegie School. He is also a licensed lay minister at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church (Prairie View) and serves as Vestry Clerk.

David Taylor earned a degree in business administration with an emphasis in real estate and insurance from the University of Southern Mississippi, and later earned a master of business administration degree from Mississippi State University. In 1994, Mr. Taylor enrolled at the Thurgood Marshall School of Law where he graduated in the top 15% of the class of 1997. During law school, Mr. Taylor served as an intern for the Houston law firm Williams, Birnberg and Anderson, where he secured his first full-time legal employment upon graduation.

After practicing in Houston, Mr. Taylor moved on to serve in his current capacity as an attorney advisor for the United States Patent and Trademark Office, where he has practiced intellectual property law since 1998. During his lengthy tenure, Mr. Taylor has prosecuted, registered, or defended thousands of trademarks for many of the world’s most well-known companies, entertainers, and sports teams. Attorney Taylor has also successfully argued cases before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.

Kenya C. White, assistant director of Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program (REEP), received a bachelor’s degree in corporate communication from the University of Baltimore and a master’s degree in organization development and strategic human resources from John Hopkins University.

She has over nine years of experience serving in admissions, advising, recruiting, and outreach roles in administration and programming at the schools of Nursing, Medicine, and Pharmacy at the University of Maryland Baltimore and in the schools of Business and Education at Johns Hopkins University.

Throughout her career, she has strived to excel in higher education and improve academic achievement and attainment for undergraduate and graduate students. As a means to further her commitment to higher learning, White founded Excel Coaching and Consulting, an independent practice specializing in college student development and advising, where she serves as coach to several high school students and families in the Houston and surrounding areas.

Recently, she came on board to serve as assistant director of REEP and will support the program’s mission to train K-12 educators in business management to become the new generation of urban school leaders for Houston-area schools.

Victor V. Wright is Senior Legal Counsel at TransCanada Corporation where he oversees all U.S. labor and employment law matters for the Company’s natural gas and power generation assets in thirty-one states.

Prior to joining TransCanada, Mr. Wright was an associate in the labor and employment practice group at Haynes and Boone, LLP. He has also served on active duty as a Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corp and is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve JAG Corp.

Mr. Wright received his Juris Doctorate magna cum laude from the University of Houston Law Center where he was a member of the prestigious Order of the Coif and Houston Law Review. He earned his master of business administration from St. Mary’s University and his bachelor of science from the United States Air Force Academy.

Lehman Benson III is an Associate Professor and the McCoy/Rogers Fellow of Management at The University of Arizona. His on-going research examines the effect of stress, time constraints, and feedback on judgment and decision-making. Professor Benson has published numerous research articles in journals including Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Group Decision and Negotiation, and Psychological Research Bulletin. Professor Benson is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Behavior Decision-Making and The Journal of Management. Professor Benson has taught at the University of Lund (in Sweden), Georgetown University, and Duke University.

Professor Benson teaches courses in Organizational Behavior, Bargaining, and Negotiation, Leadership, and Human Resource Management. During his tenure at the university, Professor Benson has won several teaching/advising awards including: Professor of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and Outstanding Advisor.

Beyond being a leading researcher and educator, Professor Benson works closely with University of Arizona Athletics. He is a member of the University’s Inter-collegiate Athletic Committee (ICAC), and teaches a time management seminar for the university’s men’s basketball team.

Professor Benson is also the CEO of Lehman Benson & Darden Consulting (LehmanBenson.com). Lehman Benson & Darden Consulting specializes in time management and diversity training.

Kristal Amber Broussard joined the Chevron U.S.A., Inc. after receiving a B.S. in Petroleum Engineering from Texas A&M University in 2004. Ms. Broussard currently works as a Reservoir Engineer, focusing on business plan initiatives, well-work planning, and economic evaluations.

During her five year tenure at Chevron, Ms. Broussard has worked on various domestic and international oil & gas projects across different Chevron Business Units. Ms. Broussard graduated from Rice University's Jones Graduate School of Business in 2009, earning the prestigious Jones Scholar award for her outstanding academic performance in the MBA for Professionals program.

She is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers and sits on the board of directors of her condominium association. She also lends her time to volunteering.

Horace Lee Bussey, Jr. earned a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from Prairie View A&M University in Prairie View, Texas. He also earned a master of business administration from the University of Phoenix.

Horace served 12 years in the United States Army Corp of Engineers and completed a tour in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He worked for 10 years within the International Space Station Program for NASA Johnson Space Center. He has completed several tours as a missionary to Kenya and Brazil.

He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., Highland Heights Masonic Lodge #200, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Project Management Institute (PMI), and the Board Chair for Hobie House International.

Horace is married to Lesley Bussey, and they have a beautiful daughter, Heather Leeann.

Louise Ditchey has spent most of her career in higher education administration, and currently serves as the Director of Master’s Programs at Kent State University. She has held that position since 2001. In that role, she manages all procedures for the Graduate School of Management, including student recruitment, admissions, scheduling, record keeping, working with faculty and curricular committees, and providing long range planning for several programs. Although a native of Ohio, she has also spent several years in Houston: first as a marketing consultant in the health and beauty industry, and later in the Career Services office at Rice University.

Louise holds an MBA degree in International Business from the University of Akron in Ohio, and has two bachelor’s degrees: one in Biology and one in Russian. Although these are very diverse subject areas, she has used all of them at some stage of her life and firmly believes that all education is put to use, sooner or later!

She is active in many community service activities, including organizing a holiday gift drive for underprivileged families, providing English translation services for foreign immigrants in her area, participating in fundraising activities for several charitable organizations, and working with MBA students to provide service and skills to community organizations.

Deidria Ellington is the Assistant Director of Recruiting for the University of Texas at Dallas School of Management. Deidria's role is to recruit top diverse talent to the School of Management. Deidria has been employed with the University of Texas at Dallas since 2000 in the roles of Freshman recruiter, Graduate Academic advisor, and Coordinator of Community Activities and Recruitment.

Deidria has a Bachelor of Arts and Applied Sciences from Dallas Baptist University in Education with a minor in Reading, a Master of Arts in Human Behavior and Development from Amberton University in Garland, Texas and is currently a doctoral student in Family Sciences at Texas Woman's University in Denton, Texas.

Deidria is a member of the Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapter of the Black MBAs, National Society of Hispanic MBAs, Chair of the North Texas Collegiate Consortium, Co-Chair of the Lone Star Graduate Diversity Colloquium, Texas Association of Family and Consumer Sciences and American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Volunteer Involvement consists of advisory board member of Newmann Smith's High School-International Business, Spruce High School-Project Lead the Way, which mentors future Engineers, and advisory board member and mentor to the Turner Twelve Group at Lincoln High School. Deidria has been published in the Texas Association of Family and Consumer Sciences magazine for her writings on African American Father/Child Relationships.

Dr. C. Fontenet is the CEO/President of Financial & Motivational Concepts, LLC, which is a company that teaches financial and motivational concepts to aid in achieving success.

Dr. Fontenet attended Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma where she studied organizational/interpersonal communications. After returning to Houston, she began working at KETH-TV, an affiliate of Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN). She was also co-host and co- producer of the Cathedral of Blessings Live Telecast, which aired nationally. She received her doctorate of theology in religious education from GMOR Theological Institute-MD Hill Extension.

In 2004, she became director of international marketing/promotions of SIC Records, Inc., which promoted urban, contemporary and traditional gospel music. She was responsible for marketing and radio play on stations in the United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Italy, and throughout Europe, Canada, South Africa, the Caribbean, and Australia. She was also instrumental in obtaining record distribution in the United Kingdom.

In August 2008, Dr. Fontenet published her first book entitled, The Walk That Cannot Be Denied, which outlines principles for achieving one’s goals and aids in financial freedom, and she is featured in the Third Annual Edition of Who’s Who In Black Houston.

At Shell Oil, Michael Foster provides leadership for a technology, supply chain, and brand management team, charged with the task of managing the global heavy-duty engine oil portfolio. As Global Product Marketing Manager, Michael is also responsible for new product developments, marketing claims, and portfolio strategic planning.

During his twenty-year career at Shell, Michael has held leadership positions in Manufacturing, Technology, Product Management, Supply Chain, and Distribution.

He has also served as the Chairperson of the Louisiana State University Corporate Minority Engineer Advisory Board.

Michael earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alabama and a Masters of Business Administration from Rice University’s MBA for Executives program.

Teresa Washburn-Grant, MBA is the Associate Director of Finance/ Training and Compliance and the Campus Compliance Liaison for the University of Phoenix; Houston Campus. She is in charge of the daily campus operations related to Title IV funding (Financial Aid).

Teresa facilitates a number of Finance workshops on funding one’s education in a variety of ways; i.e. Financial Aid, Scholarships and Grants but is noted and recognized for her “Budget for Life” seminar. Teresa holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and an undergraduate degree in Business Management.

Teresa is affiliated with various non-profit organizations in the Houston Metropolitan Area. She is the Human Relations Chair for the Nat’l Black MBA Association, Houston Chapter; a Life –time member of the MBA Council of Houston, and the Program Chair for Destined for Empowerment, LLC. She is the proud mother of two lovely daughters, LaRae’ and RaJene’.

As Admissions Development Manager, Yosheka Gaston-Green develops corporate and professional organization partnership strategies to showcase the Jones School’s MBA for Executives, as well as MBA for Professionals programs. Prior to joining the Rice University staff, she served as Assistant Director of the Office of Alumni Affairs/International Alumni Association at the University of New Orleans.

While employed as Executive Director of Safe Neighborhood Action Plan/New Orleans, Inc., Gaston-Green was featured as an honoree in the annual “Top 40 Under 40” edition of the Gambit Weekly business magazine. Her career also encompasses professional positions with the U.S. House of Representatives’ Congressional Page Program in Washington, D.C., Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business, Virginia Commonwealth University’s Division of Student Affairs, and Southern University’s Office of Publications & Graphic Design.

Gaston-Green earned an M.A. as a fellowship award recipient from The George Washington University in Community Counseling and a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Louisiana State University.

Blake Green, MBA serves Program Coordinator of the Executive MBA Program and Coordinator of Graduate Recruitment at Texas Southern University's Jesse H. Jones School of Business. In this dual role, Blake has responsibility for the program implementation, retention strategy and garnishing corporate support for the Executive MBA Program, and coordinates the graduate recruitment of the business school's graduate programs portfolio. Prior to joining Texas Southern University, Blake served as a Senior Legislative Aide and Policy Analyst to State Representative Hubert Vo in the Texas House of Representatives. He was responsible for the development and execution of the Representative's legislative agenda and managed day-to-day operations of the Houston district office.

Outside of this current role, Blake understands the importance of civic engagement and community involvement. He co-founded Help America's Youth Vote, a nonpartisan organization which, through education and awareness, seeks to engage young people in the political process. In addition, Blake has served as Program Advisor of the Mayor's Youth Council and Teen Task Force in the City of Houston, under the mayoral leadership of Dr. Lee P. Brown and Bill White. He has volunteered on several advisory boards and committees including the Houston Public Library's Summer Reading Program, Houston Independent School District's Principal Advisory Board, Tavis Smiley Foundation's Leadership Institute, Texas Diversity Council's Diversity First Scholarship Program and National Coalition on Black Civic Participation's Black Youth Vote Program. Currently, he serves on the Board of Directors of the Linda Lorelle Scholarship Fund, Inc. and Advisory Board of the Foster Grandparents Program at the Jewish Community Center.

A native of Houston, Texas, Blake received his Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Texas Southern University. Blake is involved with a number of professional organizations and associations. He is a recent graduate of Class XVIII of United Way's Project Blueprint. He presently serves as the interim President of the Houston Alumni Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma International Business Honor Society, and is an active member of the National Black MBA Association and Association of Financial Professionals.

John Lewis Guess, IV attended Southern University & A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. While at Southern University John was very active on campus with such organizations as, The Law Society, the NAACP college chapter, the Southern University Men’s Basketball team, as well as the Student Government Association.

Most recently, Mr. Guess has served as past chair of the professional development committee for the Young Professionals of the Houston Area Urban League, and plays an intricate role on the YMCA of America Board, and the WAR Foundation Board, as well as a host of other organizations.

Currently, Mr. Guess is a student in the University of Phoenix Master in Business Administration program. He has also taken classes in the Texas Southern University (TSU) Master in Public Administration Program. After his course work is over he plans to later enroll in law school.

After achieving his academic goals, John will succeed his father in managing the family business and enter the political realm. He works for Houston City Council Member Ronald C. Green, At-Large, Position Four.

Mr. Guess is also a very proud and active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.

Dana C. Hart is the assistant director of enrollment and student services for the Flores MBA Program. He manages MBA admissions and enrollment for the full-time program, Professional MBA program, and the Executive MBA Program at LSU. Dana leads the admissions committee and is responsible for the overall candidate selection and decision making process. He also manages all academic advising efforts for the MBA program.

Dana has over 8 years of experience in MBA program management and higher education administration. Prior to his role at LSU, his most recent experience was as an assistant director of MBA recruiting and marketing for the MIT Sloan School of Management, and as a coordinator of admissions and financial aid services for the MBA program at Harvard Business School. He is currently a Ph.D. student in higher education administration at LSU.

Adam Hoff is a graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and Pepperdine University, where he served as the Associate Director of Admission. He is a published author and a former corporate associate at Sidley Austin LLP, and currently serves as the Director of Admissions Consulting at Veritas Prep, one of the leading authorities on Law School and MBA Admissions.

Tim Hossain is the Associate Director of MBA Admissions for the University of Washington Foster School of Business located in Seattle, Washington. Tim attended Western Washington University in Bellingham Washington where he studied Public Relations and Psychology.

After graduation, he moved to Denver, Colorado where he ran an after-school tutoring program for elementary and middle school students. In 2004, he joined Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions overseeing the operations and marketing for the Pacific Northwest area. At Kaplan, Tim advised aspiring medical, law, and business students on admissions for graduate school and standardized exams.

In September 2006, joined the University of Washington Foster School of Business. In his role, Tim serves on the admission committee, conducts admission interviews and counsels prospective students.

Tim is a first-year MBA student at Foster School of Business Part-time Evening MBA Program.

Melanie A. Johnston is Associate Director of Marketing and Recruitment for MBA Programs at the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business. She previously served as Assistant Director of MBA Admissions at the Michigan State University Broad College of Business. Her focus is on graduate admissions, and her experience spans both Law and MBA admissions arenas. At Michigan State, she specialized in international student recruitment and selection. Presently, she directs domestic student outreach and admissions operations for the Pamplin MBA.

Ms. Johnston’s graduate research was focused on the learning modules of law school relative to minority and female student performance in class and on the bar exam.

Her education includes an M.Ed. from the College of William and Mary in Virginia and a Bachelor of Journalism from the Scripts School of Journalism at Ohio University.

Alounda Joseph received her bachelor of science in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Later, she earned her MBA in marketing, strategic leadership and organization development from the University of Dallas.

Currently, Alounda serves as the Director of Enrollment for the Graduate School of Management at the University of Dallas, a position she assumed shortly after completing her MBA. There, she and her staff are responsible for the recruitment and enrollment of MBA and Master of Science (MS) degree candidates. Five years prior to serving as Director, Alounda was employed by the University as Assistant Director of Admissions where she was part of a team responsible for recruiting and increasing the enrollment of undergraduate students.

Her career in higher education goes back 15 years, resulting in experience that ranges from financial aid administration to recruiting, admissions, and advising. Throughout her career, Alounda has focused on the needs of students in their pursuits of a higher education that will assist in their being able to reach both their professional and personal goals.

Alounda is a member of the National Black MBA Association, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Sigma Iota Epsilon. She resides in Dallas, TX, and when she is not working enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with family.

Alison Merzel is the Director of MBA Admissions at The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. Alison, an alumna of Fisher, joined their Graduate Programs Office in January 2005 after completing her Master of Labor and Human Resources. She oversees the recruiting and admissions process for both the Full-Time MBA and the MBA for Working Professionals. She also manages the distribution of merit-based financial aid for prospective full-time candidates.

Alison received her Bachelor of Science in Speech in 1999 from Northwestern University, where she studied Communications and Spanish. Prior to pursuing her graduate studies, Alison worked in a Chicago advertising agency as a Media Planner for Red Lobster.

She has had the opportunity to travel extensively, having visited 20 countries for personal travel and engaged in educational learning in Seville, Spain; Lima, Peru; and Santiago, Chile.

Tim McBride is a 2008 graduate of the W. P. Carey Full-time MBA program at Arizona State University, where he specialized in Strategic Marketing and Services Leadership.

Prior to his MBA studies, he earned a BS from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and worked for a variety of trade and consumer magazines in marketing and executive management.

Now, he uses his marketing skills and first-hand knowledge of the W. P. Carey MBA to promote the program to advise prospective students during the admissions process.

In his spare time, Tim enjoys hiking, playing tennis and finding other ways to enjoy the Arizona scenery and sunshine.

Professor Lamar Odom holds a Juris Doctor degree from the Capital University Law School and a Master’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. Professor Odom is admitted to the State Bar of Ohio and has practiced law in the state. He is also admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

Dr. Odom is a retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, with over 22 years of decorated military service as a member of the Medical Service Corps. He has held various healthcare positions from Director of Materials and Acquisitions, Assistant Administrator to Commander of the Air Force Drug Testing Laboratory.

Professor Odom is a former member of the doctoral faculty at the Center for Leadership Studies at Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU), and is currently a tenured Associate Professor in the School of Business and Leadership, where he teaches courses in the disciplines of law, ethics and healthcare. Dr. Odom has published several peer-reviewed articles in the areas of leadership ethics, law and healthcare. He has lectured at many national and regional conferences, to include the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, Southern Association of Legal Studies, International Leadership Conference, and the National Health Services Executives annual conference.

He is member of the School of Business and Leadership’s corporate training team, where he provides corporate training in leadership ethics and diversity. Professor Odom has served on the board of several non-profit organizations, and is a member of the American Bar Association, Academy of Legal Studies in Business, and the National Association of Health Services Executives.

Keyshala Petitt is the president of Empowered Entrepreneurs, a Houston-based organization for entrepreneurs that she formed in 2008. The organization helps entrepreneurs grow their business through exposure, education, and service to the community. Keyshala attended University of Houston DT where she majored in Finance.

Mrs. Petitt has worked in the public and private sectors for the City of Houston and Harris County, and companies such as AT&T (formerly SBC) and Fluor Corp. She is active in her community and is also a member of the Fort Bend Junior Service League.

A native Houstonian, Keyshala is a devoted wife and mother of four. Her hobbies include inspiring others, spending time with family, politics, and cheering on the Houston Rockets. She attends church at "The Bridge" in southwest Houston.

Demetrius Seaforth, M.S., MBA graduated with a B.S. in legal studies. He went on to earn a master of science in finance because of an interest in securities law. Then, he pursued a master of business administration in order to gain a broad perspective of business including markting and management. Demetrius earned all of his degrees from the University of Houston in Houston, Texas.

In 2004, he joined Capital One bank as an associate and worked and attained Vice President status in 2008. He is currently one of the most tenured managers in the region for his present position.

His professional associations include the Houston Minority Business Council, 100 Black Men, and the National Black MBA Association.

Dr. Kolawole (Kola) Sonaike was born in Nigeria where he had his upbringing and lived the first 20 years of his life. His background was in petroleum engineering which he read at bachelor’s level prior to joining ExxonMobil in 1977. While in ExxonMobil, he acquired another bachelor's degree in business administration, two master's degrees in industrial & labor relations and business administration respectively, and a Ph.D. in management with emphasis on human resource management & industrial relations.

Dr. Sonaike worked for ExxonMobil for 29 years during which he had diversified experience in engineering, production operations, safety, health & environment, and project management. Prior to his voluntary retirement from ExxonMobil in 2006, he had held eight different senior managerial positions that cut across different segments of the company’s functions. He had also been privileged to work in different continents of the world and participated in programs in most major cities around the globe. Dr. Sonaike was the first African to be certified, in 1986, by the American Board of Certified Safety Professionals.

He is currently the chair of business and professor of management, leadership & ethics at American Intercontinental University (AIU) in Houston. He has a passion for imparting knowledge and hence also teaches business management, strategic management, business ethics, international business, and production operations management, on an on-going basis.

Dr. Sonaike is a member of Houston Masterworks Chorus, the Sigma Beta Delta international honor society for outstanding business students and faculty, the society of petroleum engineers, the American Management Association, the Industrial Relations Society, American Society of Safety Engineers, and a number of other academic and professional bodies. He is well published and has been a guest speaker at different academic and professional arenas.

Dr. Sonaike is married and has lived in Houston with his wife and four children for 16 years.

Anjuan Simmons is a business executive who specializes in helping companies synchronize their information technology and business strategies. He is currently a Texas A&M MBA student studying core business subjects such as finance, accounting, management, marketing, and strategy, as well as the special topic of implementing successful information technology projects.

Prior to entering the MBA program, Anjuan worked for ten years at Accenture as a technology consultant where he designed and implemented technical architecture and application integration solutions. He also has an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Anjuan lives in Houston, Texas, with his wife and their three children. When not working, he likes to engage in reading, photography, international travel, and online social networking. Anjuan can be contacted via email (anjuan.simmons@gmail.com) or by visiting his profile on Facebook or Twitter.

As assistant dean of student affairs, James Stevens oversees admissions and recruitment, leadership program development, student services and records, and career services.

Stevens joined UC Davis in 2004, coming from New Haven, Connecticut, where he served as director of admissions at the Yale School of Management. At Yale, Stevens was responsible for recruiting and enrolling students for the two-year full-time MBA program and served as part of the School’s senior staff.

Before Yale, he was senior associate director of admissions and financial aid and chair of the admission committee at New York University's Stern School of Business. Stevens has also held positions in admissions and student services at the University of Michigan Ross Business School and American University and has worked as a consultant for KPMG Peat Marwick where his clients included Howard University.

Stevens is active in the Graduate Management Admissions Council and has presented at MBA Forums, Annual Conferences, and the Professional Development Program as well as serving as a member of the Recruiting Services Advisory Committee and Annual Conference Planning Committee. He has worked with Management Leadership for Tomorrow in developing programming and delivers several MBA Application Workshops each year in California.

He holds a BA in international relations and French from American Universityand an MBA in marketing and management from the University of Michigan Business School.

Allen Thompson received the Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder in Communication. After completing his bachelor’s degree, he obtained his Master of Arts in Professional Writing at Kennesaw State University located in the Atlanta, GA suburbs. While working fulltime, Dr. Thompson successfully earned the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Education and Human Resource Studies with an emphasis in Educational Leadership from Colorado State University located in Ft. Collins, CO.

Dr. Thompson’s professional career began at Kennesaw State University where he was employed as an Admissions Counselor responsible for recruiting undergraduate students to the university and charged to increase the institution’s minority and international student enrollment. After serving several years at KSU, he assumed the role of Associate Dean of Financial Aid and Admissions at the Chicago suburb’s Waubonsee Community College. In his role at WCC, he orchestrated the college’s financial aid and admissions procedures.

Dr. Thompson’s next professional move was to inner-city Chicago. For many years, he worked as an Assistant Center Dean at Keller Graduate School of Management/DeVry University. In this capacity, he oversaw the admission of all graduate programs as well as assisted in numerous areas of academic affairs at the university’s Chicago Loop Center. Dr. Thompson narrowed his professional career on academic affairs at ITT Technical Institute where he was the Dean of Academic Affairs. In this role he was responsible for all of the college’s academic programming and served as the institution’s retention administrator. Longing to work again in traditional academia,

Dr. Thompson assumed his current position as Senior Director of Graduate Recruitment and Admissions at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business where he and his staff are responsible for the enrollment of MBA and MS degree students at the College.

Dr. Thompson is a Life Member of the National Black MBA Association, National Society of Hispanic MBA, and Life Member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. He resides in the City of Denver and enjoys international travel, exercising, and attending church.

Sacha Thompson is currently the Manager for Pipeline Initiatives at the Graduate Management Admission Council and is responsible for marketing to working professionals and individuals with disabilities. Before joining the Council in 2003, Sacha worked in student services at several institutions including The George Washington University, the College of William and Mary, Hampton University and Christopher Newport University.

She received her master's of education degree in educational policy, planning and leadership with an emphasis on higher education administration in 1999 and her bachelor of arts in sociology in 1997, both from The College of William and Mary.

Uche Ugwa is currently enrolled in Rice University’s Full-Time MBA program, with a concentration in Finance and Energy. His involvement in JGSB organizations includes, serving as vice president of the Black Business Students Association (BBSA), treasurer of the Energy Club and a member of the Finance Club.

Prior to entering the MBA program, Uche worked for over four years at Guaranty Trust Bank Plc in Lagos, Nigeria within the Commercial Banking and Risk Management Divisions of the company.

With guidance from faculty and a company liaison, Uche participated in an Action Learning Project at Houston’s Cova Wines in the spring of 2009. As a result, he and student team members were able to demonstrate practical knowledge of business concepts learned in the classroom, examine company processes, and provide recommendations for improvement to senior management.

At Macquarie Group LLC, he completed a summer internship with the Finance/Accounting Department of the Treasury and Commodities Group, managing the company’s Natural Gas Sales & Trading financial portfolio.

Uche also enjoys working as a student admissions counselor and holds an undergraduate degree in Microbiology from the University of Lagos in Nigeria.

Desirée Vorhees received her bachelor of arts degree in Communication from Seattle Pacific University. While completing her education, Desirée was part of a drama team who traveled throughout the Pacific Northwest, creatively informing and recruiting students to Seattle Pacific University. After completing her degree, Desirée’s professional career began at the University of Washington, in Seattle, where she was employed as the Program Assistant for the MBA Career Services. There, she was responsible for organizing and implementing programs and events, enabling the MBA candidates to successfully land careers upon graduation.

After a year at the University of Washington, Desirée moved south to Portland, Oregon (in search of more sun) and assumed her current position as the MBA Admission Counselor for the Early Career MBA and MBA for Career Change at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. Her responsibilities include traveling to universities nationwide to recruit students to the program, as well as helping prepare students for the GMAT and GRE tests. In addition, Desirée advises students throughout the application and admission process, and hosts student visits and events on campus.

When she is not working, Desirée enjoys swing and salsa dancing with her husband, finding a good happy hour in Portland, and participating in fun runs and races. She is competing in her first triathlon in September!

Darcell Walker

Darcell Walker, Esq., M.E.E., M.Div.

Attorney

Darcell Walker, Esq. has over 20 years of experience practicing law. His specialty area is Intellectual Property law (i.e., patents, trademarks, trade secrets, copyrights and product licensing). Mr. Walker’s practice includes the preparation and prosecution of patent applications and trademark applications, and negotiation and preparation of license agreements and other agreements related to the development ideas. He also counsels clients on intellectual property related matters and the steps involved in the product development and commercialization process. Prior to starting his own law practice, Attorney Walker worked as an in-house patent attorney for two Fortune 500 companies (Exxon and Schlumberger).

He holds bachelor and masters degrees in electrical engineering, from Prairie View A & M University and the University of California, Los Angeles respectively, a law degree from the University of Texas, School of Law and a Masters of Divinity degree from Southern Methodist University. Mr. Walker is licensed in Texas and registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Since 2002, Attorney Walker has conducted intellectual property workshops for the University of Houston Small Business Development Center. His clients are from various areas of the United States and include large corporations in addition to small businesses and individuals.

Mr. Walker sees the work of helping people pursue their God-given ideas as his ministry.

LaTricia Sells Williams Photo

LaTricia Sells Williams, MBA

Broker Owner

LaTricia Sells Properties

LaTricia Williams is the Broker Owner of LaTricia Sells Properties, Partner and Chief Operations Officer for New Community Global Construction Company, Principal of Unlimited Exposure, Marketing Company, as well as Founder of Project S.U.C.C.E.S.S., (Students Using Culture Creativity and Education to Strengthen Success), a summer leadership camp.

A 1986 graduate of George Ball High School in Galveston, LaTricia received her bachelor of science degree from Texas Southern University in chemistry with a math minor and master's in business administration – global management from the University of Phoenix.

LaTricia is very active in the community and is leader in the Third Community “Pulse Project." She currently serves as secretary on the board of directors of two nonprofits - the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum and Married Ladies Social Art and Charity Club. LaTricia is a member of the National Association of Realtors, Texas Association of Realtors, Houston Association of Realtors, and community relations officer of the National Black MBA, where she is currently spearheading the “Shoes to Africa” Campaign.

LaTricia is also currently the co-chair of the 2009 Men of Style – Let the Fashions Begin, Inc. fundraiser which benefits Texas Children’s Sickle Cell Center and sickle cell patients.

She is an active member of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church where she dedicates her time to the Children’s Ministry. Previously, LaTricia organized successful campaign fundraisers for local political candidates. She has also organized community events for Houston’s District D.

LaTricia is the proud mother of three beautiful daughters.

Bill Woodson, MBA

Assistant Dean, UST MBA Programs

University of St. Thomas

Opus College of Business

In 2007 Bill Woodson moved to Minneapolis from Cincinnati to join the leadership team of the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business. He now serves as the Assistant Dean of MBA Programs, with responsibility for the strategic direction and day-to-day administration of UST’s Fulltime, Evening, Executive, and Healthcare MBA programs. Woodson joins St. Thomas at an exciting time in OCB history, with a recently completed physical expansion adding over 160,000 square feet of new, high tech classroom space, 42 tenure track faculty hires in just four years, and a new Full-time MBA program positioned to evolve into a nationally ranked offering.

Woodson’s background includes twenty-five years in corporate America and entrepreneurship. He is the founder and Executive Director of Forward Motion Management Consulting, a diversity and business strategy consulting practice. Woodson is also a Director and former CEO of PoPNetworks, a start-up television network targeting urban males ages 14 to 40.

Woodson’s professional associations include National Black MBA Association Lifetime membership, as well as membership in Brown Alumni Schools Committees (BASC), BRUnet, and the University of Michigan Ross Black Alumni Association. He is a high school mentor inNBMBAA Leaders of Tomorrow program, and a founding member of Concerned Sycamore Parents.

Woodson holds a Masters in City and Regional Planning from Harvard University, and an MBA from the University of Michigan. A champion of innovative collaborations, Woodson developed productive partnerships with the National Medical Association, the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, and the University of Michigan while at serving as a Marketing Director at Johnson and Johnson. Woodson also brings strong international business experience as a global product manager for three different Fortune 500 companies, and as an International Development Director for Johnson and Johnson’s Ethicon Endo-Surgery franchise in Latin America.

Charles Wright

Charles Wright, MBA

Assistant Director, Corporate & Saturday MBA Programs

Rollins College

Crummer Graduate School of Business

Charles Wright graduated from Aviano American High School in Aviano, Italy in 1986 and served 4 years as a Medical Services Specialist in the United States Air Force. He completed his undergraduate studies earning a BS in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and recently earned his MBA from Rollins College, Crummer School of Business in Winter Park, Florida.

Prior to his current position Charles was a 14 year professional and business owner in the consumer and residential lending industry. As a Regional Vice President with Aegis Mortgage Corporation, Charles was the top-ranked VP leading and developing a sales force of over 100 employees covering the states of Florida, Georgia, and Louisiana. During his time at Aegis, Charles designed and developed innovative training, leadership, and succession planning programs that were adopted on a National basis. He was recognized in 2006 as the Regional Vice President of the year, along with membership into the Executive Leadership Council.

Charles is a volunteer educator for Junior Achievement of Central Florida and a committee member for Leaders of Tomorrow, a youth leadership group sponsored by the National Black MBA. In his spare time, Charles enjoys reading, fitness, tennis, basketball, and travel.