Leadership

Partners

CENTER FOR SOCIAL CHANGE

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE JUSTICE

HAUSAMMANN GALLERY

GILLY HEALTH VENDING

LAK

SHERWIN WILLIAMS

Board Members

State Senator Dwight M. Bullard hails from an esteemed educator, community activist and legislator family. His mother, Larcenia J. Bullard is a former school teacher, administrator, education consultant and member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1992-2000. She was later elected to the Florida Senate in 2002 and has continued to serve since. His father Edward B. Bullard is a former educator, assistant principal, and former member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2000-2008. In 1981, Dwight moved to Miami, where he was raised in the community of Richmond Heights. After graduating from Miami Killian Sr. High, he continued his education at Florida A&M University where he received his B.S. in History Education. From 2000 to 2017, Sen. Bullard was a teacher at Coral Reef Senior High School and in 2008 he was sworn into office as representative of District 118 and was reelected subsequently. He served as a member of the Agriculture & Natural resources policy committee, the Prek-12 appropriations committee, Prek-12 education policy committee and several others. At the time, then Representative Bullard was named Democratic ranking member of the PreK-12 education policy committee after his first term and became Democratic ranking member of the education committee subsequently. In 2012 Senator Bullard was elected to the Florida Senate where he served as Vice Chair of the Transportation and Agriculture committees and maintained membership on Education and several other committees. In his time in the Senate, Bullard worked to stop online bullying, bring tuition equity to aspiring citizens and raise the minimum wage. Bullard served in the Florida Senate until 2016. In 2017 Bullard was hired as the Political Director of the New Florida Majority. In this capacity he works to bring political education and awareness to underserved and often marginalized communities. He also works to push policy to positively impact those same communities. His work now much like his previous roles looks to uplift people in a way that makes them the masters of their own destiny. He continues to simply amplify the voice of those often unheard.

Yvette N. Harris, the guiding force behind the innovative boutique public relations consulting firm Harris Public Relations(HPR), has risen to become the powerhouse of boutique public relations firms. Harris Public Relations is headquartered in Miami, Florida with a collaborative team in New York, Philadelphia and Washington DC. This standout public relations counselor has been orchestrating a quiet revolution within the public relations industry for over 20 years. Recognized as one of ICABA’s Most Accomplished Black Community Leaders and Entrepreneurs of South Florida for 2012, Yvette’s proven media campaigns have afforded her an extraordinarily successful track record in developing innovative strategies. As the recipient of “40 Under 40 Most Influential Black Business Professional of South Florida” in 2008 and the 2014 Distinguished Women in Media, Yvette has made her mark in the world of public relations. The Miami-Dade County Black Affairs Advisory Board and the Commission for Women recently nominated Yvette to become part of the "Women of a New Tribe: Miami Icons" exhibit. As a nominee, she was chosen for meeting the criteria of being a woman who has made an impact not only in the development of Miami-Dade County but as a prominent figure who continues to make a positive influence on the Miami-Dade community. Yvette and Harris Public Relations were most recently nominated PR Firm of the Year by the Black Owned Media Alliance. This native New Yorker began her public relations career with the United States Environmental Protection Agency in 1990, where she managed the public relations activities for over twenty Superfund hazardous wastes sites. A savvy businesswoman, power publicist, and proud New Yorker and single mother, Yvette’s approach is distinctive. Her innate understanding of the traditional and new media landscape harnessed with a passion for positivity and enthusiasm has resulted in her unique network of real, long-term and mutually beneficial partnerships. She has carved out a niche within the lifestyle, arts and culture, Caribbean and lifestyle arena. Indeed the go-to-publicist who has her finger on the pulse of today’s media landscape, her impressive national footprint of past and current clients include the American Black Film Festival, National Black Chamber of Commerce, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce, 100 Black Men of South Florida, Florida Memorial University, House of Mandela Wine, Art Africa, The South Florida Youth Summit, MTV Musical Awards, North Miami 90th Anniversary, The American Black Film Festival, Fela Musical, Miami Broward Carnival and the Historic Ward Rooming House, to name a few. Consequently, her clients have been featured in some of the most prominent media outlets worldwide including Essence, Upscale, Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, forbes.com, Essence Magazine, Black Enterprise Magazine,The Root.com, Grio.com, NBC Weekend Today, CNN, Good Morning America to name a few. As a testament of her dedication to public service and diversity of arts and culture, Yvette serves as a board member of the Overtown Music Project, Caribbean American Heritage, Inc., and Florida, and Miami Broward Carnival. She is also an Advisory Board Member for Lioness Magazine. Yvette has been instrumental in the planning of Carnival since 2003. She has played a vital role in obtaining sponsorship, media impressions and cultivating key strategic relationships to help build the brand. Yvette also participated in 2004-06 in consulting of London Notting Hill Carnival with a team of individuals commissioned to assist with the implementation of London Notting Hill Carnival during its transition from being a government-run event. Yvette is also a member of the South Florida Journalists Associations and Public Relations Society of America. Yvette serves as the PR Chair for the Special Olympics of Miami Dade County, Caribbean American Heritage Florida, Inc., and Miami Broward Carnival. She also serves as a panel member for the Miami-Dade County Youth Arts Enrichment Program and is a member of We Are One Caribbean committee in New York City. A lover of the environment and the ocean, Yvette participates yearly with the Miami-Dade Coastal Clean-up. Above all, as a proud and involved mother of a beautiful daughter, Nya, whom she deems as her most significant accomplishment, Yvette truly believes in company’s tagline “Culturally Driven, Community Minded” to be the foundation of how she does business. With Yvette’s forward-thinking attitude, market expertise and knack for strategic partnership, Harris Public Relations will continue to serve the arts, business and cultural communities in 2018, and for years to come.

Alvin Glymph, with over twenty years of experience, in successfully transforming community efforts targeting the under served. Over the last decade he has been a prominent staple within the Atlanta community in the areas of college access and success. The co-author of the novel, Tourist in Your Own Town, he is an entrepreneur, author, and non-profit leader in Atlanta, Georgia. He has spent most of his life using his skills to improve conditions for underserved people across the nation. In acknowledgement of his record of meritorious service, he has received the Maroon Citation from Colgate and the Atlanta Partners for Education A+ Partnership Award by the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. He is a staunch believer that all students need the opportunity to be educated so they can have realistic options to be productive citizens. He is an advocate that people living with challenges, need help and a community that supports them. He serves as the board chair for the Brighter DeKalb Foundation, a foundation that supports the services provided by the DeKalb Community Service Board (CSB). He also sits on the United Way of Greater Atlanta Community Investment Committee. Additionally, he has also volunteered with Fayette, Clayton, and Fulton County Sports and Recreation, Atlanta Public Schools, Hands on Atlanta, Project GRAD Atlanta, Hosea's Feed the Hungry, and the YWCA.

Sean Pascale has been the School Psychologist serving the Juvenile Detention Center School (JDCS) students for the past three years. His duties include counseling, consultations & collaboration with teachers, as well as organizing partnerships between community organizations and the JDCS. Before working at the JDCS, he interned with Miami Dade County Public Schools through the Florida International University School Psychology Program, graduating with a Specialist Degree in School Psychology. While at the JDCS, he hopes to help reduce the recidivism rates of students by instilling positive coping skills as well providing replacement behaviors to delinquent activity, such as a career path, arts, sports, or family focus.

Kechi Okpala is the President and CEO of KechThis Inc. Hailing from Miami, FL, Kechi Okpala has managed to integrate her diverse background into seamless projects that has showed the diverse melting pot of South Florida. A graduate from Florida A&M University, Ms. Okpala is a communications professional, with over 10 years of diverse administrative, public relations, event production, management and consultancy experience. Major strengths in creativity, writing, editing, strategy, detail, multitasking, advocacy, knowledge management, research and problemsolving. A dependable, proactive practitioner who extracts the best from opportunities and individuals to surpass stated objectives.

Danny Basile, High School Administrator , Educator, Professional / Collegiate Athlete whose career is education started back in 1999 as a 'one on one' academic aide in a New Jersey public High School special education program, 6 years as a physical education and classroom teacher in both private and public elementary school in New Jersey, 6 years as Vice Principal at Eastside High School in Paterson, NJ, 8 years as Athletic Director (5 at University Academy Charter HS , 3 Elmwood Park HS). My athletic career included four year scholarship to Marist College for basketball 1992-1996 and a four year professional basketball career in the Superior League in Puerto Rico from 1996-2000. Athletics was a key component in my personal and professional career for the last 39 years. Athletics taught me communication, responsibility, accountability, community and good sportsmanship. Many times we get caught up on wins and losses and we ignore the major life lesson athletics teach us as individuals as well as Teammates. Sports teaches us that we need to respect each others space, beliefs and opinions on a daily basis. Being part of a team means that cooperation and sacrifice are a necessity and not a choice. I believe that through athletics we all learn to live and learn about life. We are taught lessons through negative and positive experiences competing with one another as well as against other opponents. It teaches you to excel in your dreams, focus on goals and to prepare yourself for any task whether big or small. Athletics is a lifestyle! Just do it!!

Elliott Jones is a community leader and philanthropist who has lived in Miami since 2010.

Through his career and philanthropy Elliott has impacted the residents of the city of Miami by creating more access to community programs, facilitating community projects, and developing entrepreneurship programs for students.

Elliott has previously been involved with different civic organization in South Florida including, the African American Committee of the Dade Heritage Trust and the Lemon City Cemetery Community Corporation. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Hampton House Community Trust from 2016-2018.

Currently his philanthropy is focused on his grandmother’s namesake school, Maya Angelou Elementary in Allapattah and The Dr. Maya Angelou Foundation, that provides scholarships to all students who aspire to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU’s).