Our Board of Directors

The U.S. Dream Academy is proud to have a dedicated and passionate group of professionals who volunteer their time and energy to serving and advancing our mission.


“The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”

- William Shakespeare

Our Board of Directors


Felismina Andrade
Felismina Andrade

Director, External Communications and Community Relations / Marketing Giant Food

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    Felismina assumed Director of External Communication & Community Relations in January 2018 after six years of Senior Responsibility for Marketing and Public Relations at Giant Food. In her current position, Felismina reports directly to the Vice President of Marketing and leads the Public Affairs, Community Relations, and Media Relations at the Divisional level, responsible for developing public relations strategies and implementing community efforts.


    Felismina has senior responsibility for public affairs, community relations, and media relations throughout Giant Food.


    Felismina has over 21 years of combined service with Stop & Shop and Giant Food, including nine years as a Store Manager. Since joining Giant Food in 2010, Felismina has, in various capacities, worked to develop merchandising strategies and sales plans. Felismina also attended the Ahold Retail Academy Program of Leadership Development. Felismina and her husband, Cipriano, have two children and reside in Edgewater, Maryland.


    Felismina enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking and traveling, and is extremely passionate about her volunteer work with community partners, giving her time to serve on various boards and committees.

Simon T. Bailey
Simon T. Bailey

President, Simon T. Bailey International, Inc.

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    Simon T. Bailey is the CEO of Simon T. Bailey International, a premium education company specializing in creating learning and development content for individuals and organizations. Bailey derives great joy by sharing and inspiring men and women with a simple transformational framework and the tools needed to create a purposeful life and a meaningful and profitable business.


    Bailey delivers tangible takeaways that are easy to implement and produce sustainable results. He connects with any audience – on many levels – with a relevant message that resonates beyond the stage. Bailey serves as a guide and catalyst, challenging people to shift and create their future. With his wisdom and expertise, an Orlando-based healthcare system was able to be acquired and a division of a hospitality company was ranked No. 1 for customer service by Expedia.com.


    Bailey is one of America’s top 10 most-booked corporate and association speakers on Change, Leadership, and Customer Experience. He has worked with over 1,500 organizations and has impacted more than 2 million people through his presentations and seminars in 45 countries worldwide. As a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, executive adviser, and author, he addresses more than 100,000 people each year. Some of his clients include AT&T, IBM, MasterCard, Microsoft, and Toyota.


    His popular Building Business Relationships course for LinkedIn (via Lynda.com) has been viewed by 20,000 professionals in 100 countries. His new course, How to Find a Sponsor, is receiving rave reviews. Bailey is the top-selling author of seven books and creator of the Shift Your Brilliance System, a personal development program that takes individuals and organizations on a transformational journey to create a brilliant life and business. A percentage of the revenue from system sales benefits the U.S. Dream Academy, a nonprofit organization that positively impacts urban youth.


    Prior to founding his company, Bailey worked in the hospitality and tourism industry for 20 years and was sales director and new business development director for the world-renowned Disney Institute, based at Walt Disney World Resort.®


    Bailey holds a Master’s degree from Faith Christian University and was inducted as an honorary member of the University of Central Florida Golden Key Honor Society. He is also a former member of the advisory council for Management and Executive Education at Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business, one of the top 25 best private graduate business schools in the United States. He was named Man of the Year by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Central Florida and serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Dream Academy and the Orlando Health Foundation. Speaker magazine also selected him as one of the top 25 “hot speakers” shaping the profession.


    When Bailey is not working, he spends quality time with his two active teenagers, roots for the Buffalo Bills, and is an avid moviegoer.

Chaplain Barry C. Black, Ph.D.
Chaplain Barry C. Black, Ph.D.

Chaplain, United States Senate

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    The Senate elected its first chaplain in 1789. On June 27, 2003, Rear Admiral Barry C. Black (Ret.) was elected the 62nd Chaplain of the Senate. He started his work on July 7, 2003. Prior to Capitol Hill, Chaplain Black served in the U.S. Navy for over twenty-seven years, ending his distinguished career as the Chief of Navy Chaplains.


    In addition to opening the Senate each day in prayer, Chaplain Black provides counseling and spiritual care for Senators, their families, and staff – a combined constituency of over seven thousand people. He also meets with Senators about spiritual and moral issues, assists with research on theological and biblical questions, and facilitates discussion and reflection small groups among Senators and staff. He also conducts marriage enrichment counseling and officiates at weddings, funerals, and memorial services. Chaplain Black initiates and participates in special and seasonal observances, leads interdenominational prayer gatherings, and cultivates relationships with local clergy and leaders of humanitarian agencies. In order to stay informed of the needs of the Senate community, Chaplain Black maintains a program with a volunteer liaison in each office to assist him. A member of his staff directs this program. The Office of the Chaplain is nonpartisan, nonpolitical, and nonsectarian.


    Commissioned as a Navy Chaplain in 1976, Chaplain Black’s first duty station was the Fleet Religious Support Activity in Norfolk, Virginia. Subsequent assignments include Naval Support Activity, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland; First Marine Aircraft Wing, Okinawa, Japan; Naval Training Center, San Diego, California; USS BELLEAU WOOD (LHA 3) Long Beach, California; Naval Chaplains School Advanced Course, Newport, Rhode Island; Marine Aircraft Group THIRTY-ONE, Beaufort, South Carolina; Assistant Staff Chaplain, Chief of Naval Education and Training, Pensacola, Florida; and Fleet Chaplain, U.S. Atlantic Fleet, Norfolk, Virginia. As Rear Admiral, his personal decorations included the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two medals), Meritorious Service Medals (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals (two awards), and numerous unit awards, campaign, and service medals.


    Chaplain Black is a native of Baltimore, Maryland, and an alumnus of Oakwood College, Andrews University, North Carolina Central University, Eastern Baptist Seminary, Salve Regina University, and United States International University. In addition to earning Master of Arts degrees in Divinity, Counseling, and Management, he has received a Doctorate degree in Ministry and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychology. Chaplain Black has been selected for many outstanding achievements. Of particular note, he was chosen from 127 nominees for the 1995 NAACP Renowned Service Award for his contribution to equal opportunity and civil rights. He received the 2002 Benjamin Elijah Mays Distinguished Leadership Award from The Morehouse School of Religion.


    In 2004, the Old Dominion University chapter of the NAACP conferred on him the Image Award, “Reaffirming the Dream – Realizing the Vision” for military excellence.


    Chaplain Barry C. Black is married to the former Brenda Pearsall of St. Petersburg, Florida. They have three sons: Barry II, Brendan, and Bradford.

Sam Carter

Sam Carter

CEO, Carter & Company International 

Expert Business Advisory Firm

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    Sam Carter is a breath of fresh air in the accounting industry. As CEO of Carter & Company International, he helps clients in many different sectors achieve their financial goals. He focuses on both domestic and international clients, and enjoys helping any industry player -- professional or newcomer -- conquer their financialchallenges. Carter & Co. is currently focused on helping international Companies build a US presence as well as Film Productions in Atlanta manage all things fiscal. He offers a direct skill set to his clients that larger firms cannot offer.


    Sam cultivates a diverse team of people in his office. Office culture means more to him than a series of rules and regulations; he champions a multicultural team that can assess problems from viewpoints unlike his own. He has a special interest in sustainable growth in companies and intangible assets that help retain employees and make the workspace a better place to be.


    Before he started Carter & Company, Sam worked in the industry for over 8 various CPA firms, as well as a Founder & Advisor at Lead Accounting, a virtual accounting software company & firm. He was also a Contract Tax Accountant at Aprio, formerly Habif, Arogeti & Wynne LLP and Thomas & Zollars LP (Arizona based CPA firm). Sam has also worked for Arizona Government Accounting Office for 3 years. These positions introduced him to industry standard practices and served as his foundation to launch his own accounting company later down the line.


    He's Benefactor & Founder at the Greater Me Foundation. He's a member of AICPA, where he stays up-to-date on changing laws and IRS rulings and additionally, he belongs to NATP and NAEA. Sam is on the Official Member of Leadership Trust at the Atlanta Business Chronicle.


    Sam holds his Bachelors of Science from Xavier University. Finally, he's an NTPI Fellow with a Doctorate in Taxation.


Yuesha Chen
Yuesha Chen

Treasurer, U.S. Dream Academy Board of Directors ; Vice President of Finance Operations, Ascension

Brooke M. Gans
Brooke M. Gans

CEO, C3 HealthcareRx



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    Brooke Gans is a purpose driven healthcare executive with over 17 years’ proven experience in building highly productive teams, driving results and exceeding business objectives. She is currently Chief Executive Officer at C3 HealthcareRx LLC, with a robust

    background, including operations, P&L management, marketing, project management, sales and product development.


    Brooke began her career in marketing and public relations for a small agency in Orlando, FL with a focus on healthcare. In 2005 she

    joined Florida Hospital (now Advent Health) as Marketing Manager where she was responsible for overseeing all marketing efforts

    for the Florida Hospital East Orlando location, a 295-bed hospital, including physician relation strategies, service line and new patient tower volume driving efforts, and fundraising responsibilities. Brooke’s career at Florida Hospital quickly expanded to include strategic partnerships with physicians and community-based programs as well oversight of strategic relationships with corporate and individual donors for the eight-hospital system,
    responsible for raising over $2 million annually for capital projects.


    In 2010 Brooke maintained consulting work in the healthcare space as she joined NBA player Dwight Howard to establish the D12

    Foundation. Her role was to establish articles of incorporation, create a board and network with Fortune companies and CEOs to

    garner philanthropic support and brand awareness. Successful campaigns included creating the Dwight Howard Girls’ Dormitories at the Kipok and Lunguya Secondary Schools in the Republic of Tanzania; the Dwight Howard playroom at Florida Hospital for Children and the D12 Block Out Violence campaign in Houston, Tx. Brooke was successful in exceeding a goal of raising $2 million annually in under two years.


    In 2012 Brooke was asked to return to Florida Hospital as Executive Director of Florida Hospital for Women where she was responsible to launch a comprehensive Women’s Health program across the eight-hospital system with the flagship Hospital operations located in the new women’s tower in Orlando, FL. She worked closely with the Vice President of Clinical Programs to develop innovative strategic programs to provide coordinated comprehensive women’s care from preventative to chronic and palliative care with care navigation at the core. She worked closely with senior executives and medical staff to align market strategies to the overall system objectives.


    Brooke joined ModernHEALTH, one of the largest independent specialty pharmacies in the US, in 2014. She was brought on to establish a national Cystic Fibrosis (CF) program with responsibilities that included working with pharmaceutical manufacturers to

    gain limited distribution drug access, contract negotiations, developing a CF Center of Excellence with oversight for the operations, clinical programs and leading a national sales team. From 2014 – 2019 the program grew from infancy to generating over $280 million in annual revenue and is recognized as one of the leading programs in the US.


    Brooke joined C3 HealthcareRx LLC, a turnaround startup company, in 2019. C3 HealthcareRx focuses on chronic disease management for payers, hospitals and ACOs, pharmacy services and providing mental health services by supporting primary care offices in the implementation of the collaborative behavioral health care model. Brooke was named CEO in 2020 and the company has seen 220% increase in YOY revenue in the first half of 2021.


    Brooke is a graduate of the University of Central Florida where she graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2003 with a Marketing and Public Relations degree. She and her partner Bryan have a four-year-old daughter who is on course to change the world. They enjoy being active and the outdoors with their two dogs.

Michael E Griffin
Michael E. Griffin

Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, AdventHealth

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    Michael Griffin is the Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy, providing Advocacy leadership to AdventHealth. The AdventHealth system includes 50 hospital facilities located across nine states and serves more than five million patients every year.


    Mike received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism with a Political Science minor at the University of Central Florida. He joined AdventHealth (formerly Florida Hospital/Adventist Health System) in 2014 from the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts where he served as Vice President of Communications and Vice President of International ommunication Strategies. Prior to his role at Disney, he served for 25 years at the Orlando Sentinel covering state and federal government, social services, organized crime and holding several leadership positions including Political Editor, City Editor and Deputy Editorial Page Editor. Mike brings significant experience in the areas of Community Relations, Communications and

    Government Relations.


    Mike is an Orlando native. He and his wife, Colby, also born in Orlando, have two daughters, Rachael and Abby.

Sheila Hodgkin
Sheila Hodgkin

Philanthropist


Carlyle I. Holder
Carlyle I. Holder

CEO, Correctional Management and Communications Group

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    Carlyle I. Holder is a proven strategic and innovative executive leader with a career spanning 40 years in criminal justice. Over his 27 plus years of distinguished service with the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), he served 23 of those years as supervisor, manager, and executive. He was a Chief Executive Officer (Warden) for 12 years managing the largest Pre-Trial and co-managing the largest Correctional Complex facilities in the BOP. He attained the rank of Senior Executive Service in 2000, the highest level one can achieve through Federal Civil Service. He is a veteran of the United States Marines and attended Allan Hancock College and New York University where he majored in Criminal Justice. He is also a graduate of the Dale Carnegie and Aspen Institute Leadership programs. He has received numerous awards in his career including, United States Attorney General Award for Equal Employment Opportunity, Staff Development and Cost Containment Awards for Wardens, United States Department of Justice Public Service Award. 2 Citations from the Brooklyn, New York Borough President and Proclamation from City Council of New York, and keys to the cities of Corpus Christi, Texas and Glendora, Louisiana just to name a few. In February 2014, Mr. Holder was appointed to the Board of Directors of Prison Rehabilitative Industries and diversified Enterprises, Inc. (PRIDE) and currently serves as its Vice-Chairman. He also serves on the leadership council of the National Small Business Association and is a member of the leadership Cohort of the American Enterprise Institute and the Faith and Justice Advisory Committee of the Federally Appointed 400 Years African American History Commission.


    Mr. Holder is a life member and inductee on the National Association Blacks in Criminal Justice’ (NABCJ) Wall of Fame and served as its 12th National President. He is a member of the

    American Correctional Association where he serves on several committees. Mr. Holder is very active in his community serving on the Board of Trustees and Treasurer of his church and Founder and President of an AAU basketball Club and CIHolderministries to provide services to formerly incarcerated and returning citizens. He just released his first book “Can Anything Good Come of Prison-The Case for Prison Restructuring and  Reintegration”.


    An entrepreneur at heart, he has founded several companies and currently serves as Chairman, President and CEO of the umbrella company, Correctional Management and Communications Group (CMCG) where he provides overall leadership and guidance. Correctional Management & 2 Communications Group, LLC is an SBA 8A Certified, GSA Award Contract # GS10F196BA company, a Certified Florida Minority Company, and a member of the National Small Business Association.


    Mr. Holder is married and he and his wife, Josephine, have six children. He has dedicated his life to working with young and disenfranchised people and finding solutions to empowering them for brighter future. His favorite quote is, “To Whom Much is given -Much is required."

George Johnson
George Johnson

Emeritus (Ret) Board Member ; Founder, Johnson Products 

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    George Ellis Johnson, Sr. is an African American entrepreneur and founder of Johnson Products Company, a hair care firm, and Independence Bank in Chicago, Illinois. Johnson was born on June 16, 1927, in Richton, Mississippi to Priscilla Johnson. He is perhaps best known for being the first African American to have his company listed on the American Stock Exchange.


    In 1929, when Johnson was two years old, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, with his mother after she separated from his father. He grew up in Chicago and attended Wendell Phillips High School. At age eight, Johnson began working as a shoe shine boy and later held jobs as a bus boy, a pin setter at a bowling alley, and paper boy for the Chicago Herald Tribune. In 1944 he dropped out of school and accepted a job as a production chemist for the Samuel B. Fuller cosmetics firm.


    Johnson remained at Fuller Cosmetics until 1954 when he left to found his own firm, Johnson Products Company. He and his wife, Joan (Henderson) Johnson, started the company with only $500. Unlike earlier African American cosmetics firms which targeted women, Johnson developed his first products exclusively for male customers. Johnson Products first success was Ultra Wave Hair Culture, which was a hair relaxer for men.


    In 1957, Johnson Products released a new hair straightener specifically for women called Ultra Sheen which, unique among such products, could be applied at home. Soon Ultra Sheen surpassed Ultra Wave in sales and popularity. In 1964, Johnson founded Independence Bank in Chicago, which by the 1980s became the largest black-owned bank in the United States. Independence Bank was sold in 1994.


    Also in the late 1960s, sensing the growing popularity of the "Afro" style hair with the rise of Black Power as a political philosophy, Johnson developed its most famous product, Afro Sheen. By the late 1960s, Johnson Products became the principal sponsor of the national television dance show, Soul Train. With markets in Africa, the West Indies, and Latin America by the early 1970s, Johnson Products Company had become the largest African-American owned corporation in the United States.


    In 1971, Johnson Products Company became the first African-American owned corporation listed on the American Stock Exchange. George Johnson also became the first African-American to serve on the board of directors of Commonwealth Edison, a large utility corporation in northeastern Ohio. Johnson resigned as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Johnson Products Company in 1989. Johnson Products Company was purchased by the Proctor and Gamble Corporation in 2004, but in March 2009 a consortium of African American investment firms bought the company.


    The Johnsons have four children: Eric, Joan M., John, and George E. Johnson Jr. The family lives in the Chicago area.

Marissa Leslie, M.D.
Marissa Leslie, M.D.

Chair, U.S. Dream Academy

Board of Directors;

Medical Director (Child, Adolescent & Adult Psychiatrist),  Compass Health Center

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    Dr. Leslie is the Chair of Psychiatry for Shady Grove Behavioral Health in Rockville, Maryland. She is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry for Georgetown University School of Medicine. She is also a member of the Adventist HealthCare, Inc. Board of Trustees. She specializes in treating depression and PTSD in children and adolescents with an academic interest in immigrant and refugee trauma. 


    Dr. Leslie holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Oakwood University and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Loma Linda University. She completed her residency in psychiatry at the Loma Linda University Medical Center and completed a fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia/University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Leslie is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She is a former member of the International Relations Committee of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is committed to providing prevention and treatment for youth mental health conditions. She has worked with youth in her personal life as a Big Sister and youth club instructor, as well, and believes in the ability of every child to thrive and succeed with proper support and mentorship. Her goal is to educate people on the importance of attending to their physical and mental health since both aspects of health contribute to wholeness and true healing.

Dr. Wintley Phipps
Dr. Wintley Phipps

Founder/President/CEO, U.S. Dream Academy

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    Wintley Phipps is a world-renowned vocal artist, education activist, motivational speaker, pastor, CEO and Founder of the U.S. Dream Academy. For his work at the U.S. Dream Academy, he has received numerous service awards.  Some of those honors include: The Excellence in Mentoring for Program Leadership Award from MENTOR/National Mentoring Partnership; the Oprah Winfrey Angel Network Use Your Life Award; the Promise Hero Award from America’s Promise; the Philanthropist of the Year Award from The National Center for Black Philanthropy, Inc.; 2019 AARP Purpose Prize; the Distinguished Service Award from Loma Linda University; and the Ambassador Andrew Young Award for Distinguished Service. 


    For more than thirty-five years, he has delivered messages of hope, advocacy, and equality to thousands during his travels around the world.  For the 2005 inaugural swearing-in ceremony of President George W. Bush, Mr. Phipps had the honor of performing “Heal Our Land,” composed by Senator Orrin Hatch. A video of Phipps performing "Amazing Grace" has received over 20 million cumulative views on YouTube.  On November 5, 2021, the family of General Colin Powell requested Wintley sing “How Great Thou Art” for the former Secretary of State’s funeral that was held in the Washington National Cathedral. On Monday, July 27th on Capitol Hill in the Rotunda, America honored civil rights icon Congressman John Robert Lewis: the Conscience of the Congress. The Lewis Family requested Wintley serve as soloist and as he stood in the Rotunda singing, “Amazing Grace” and “It is Well,” his heart filled with gratitude for this remarkable life of one who answered the call to uplift humanity through advocacy for justice for all. In January 2009 and 2013, Mr. Phipps was privileged to serve as the guest soloist for the Presidential Inaugural Prayer Service of President Barack Obama at the Washington National Cathedral. 


    A two-time Grammy Award nominee, Phipps is no stranger to performing in front of distinguished audiences. In addition to President Joseph R. Biden and President Barack Obama, other notable listeners have included former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, former South African President Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and Oprah Winfrey. Phipps is also an internationally recognized speaker on behalf of the U.S. Dream Academy and young people, having completed speaking engagements in Europe, Australia, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. In recognition of his positive global impact through speaking, The National Speakers Association awarded Phipps the prestigious Master of Influence Award.


    Born in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Phipps moved to Montreal at an early age and then studied at Oakwood University in Huntsville, Alabama, where he received his Bachelors of Arts degree in theology.  He went on to earn a Masters of Divinity degree from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan.   In recognition of his work with the U.S. Dream Academy, he also holds an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Waynesburg University and Mid America Nazarene University; an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Andrews University; an honorary degree of Doctor of Education from Wheelock College; and an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Oakwood University.   Phipps has three sons with his wife Linda Diane Galloway Phipps and currently serves as the senior pastor of the Palm Bay Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Palm Bay, Florida.

Sandra Randolph
Sandra Randolph

Past Chair, U.S. Dream Academy

Board of Directors ;

Vice President (Ret) AdventHealth Central Florida Division

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    Sandra Randolph is a retired hospital executive whose healthcare career began as a physical therapist. She served most of her leadership career with AdventHealth including twenty years at its flagship hospital, AdventHealth Orlando. During her AdventHealth tenure, Ms. Randolph served in the capacities of Assistant Administrator, then rising to Administrator of AdventHealth East Orlando, and culminating as a system Vice President. Prior to joining AdventHealth, Ms. Randolph served as Assistant Hospital Director at Vanderbilt University Hospital, Vice President at Riverside Adventist Hospital, Assistant to the President, and a Director at Washington Adventist Hospital, and as a clinical leader at Howard University Hospital.


    Ms. Randolph currently serves on the boards of AdventHealth Central Florida Division and AdventHealth Hospice Care, as well as Board Chair for the U.S. Dream Academy. After completing a term on the American Hospital Association’s Committee on Governance, she continues her American Hospital Association service within their Trustee Advocacy Ambassador Community. Her healthcare governance experience, and health justice penchant, led to her current participation in the inaugural organizing of the Black Directors Health Equity Agenda. 


    Ms. Randolph’s past volunteer community leadership roles include an appointment to the American College of Healthcare Executives’ Regional Advisory Council, as well as election to the American College of Healthcare Executives Central Florida Chapter Board of Directors. She volunteers as a co-founder and mentor of a leadership development forum focused on diversity and inclusion. Throughout her career, she has actively participated with multiple professional, civic, university, and community organizations. 


    Ms. Randolph is a Life Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives. She received a Master of Business Administration degree in Health Administration from Howard University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Therapy from Ithaca College. 

Andrew Schmidt
Andrew Schmidt

Secretary, U.S. Dream Academy Board of Directors ; Managing Director

AMWAY North America

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    Andrew Schmidt is the newly appointed Managing Director for Amway North America. He assumed this role in December 2020, following seven years in global leadership positions for Amway. 


    As leader of one of Amway’s top markets, Andrew supports the success of Independent Business Owners and employees in the United States, Canada and Dominican Republic with a passion and proven record of driving growth

    through innovation. He is focused on helping IBOs build their businesses with customers through better-than-ever product portfolios, customer experiences and rewards and incentives.


    Andrew has been with Amway since 2013. He joined the company as Director of Growth & Business Development and was responsible for strategy, planning, analytics and market research for the Americas Region. In 2016, he was named Vice President – ABO Incentives within the Global Sales division, where he led the design and implementation of distributor compensation, reward and recognition initiatives.


    Prior to coming to North America, Andrew served as Vice President – Strategy & Corporate Development. He worked with Amway’s global leadership team to develop and activate long-term strategy through the annual planning process across markets and functions worldwide.


    Previously, Andrew was a strategy consultant for Mars & Co. in New York and Tokyo. He earned his BSE in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University in 2006.


    Andrew lives in East Grand Rapids, Mich., with his wife and two children.

Jody Victor
Jody Victor

Emeritus Board Member ;

President and CEO,  MarkerNET, Inc.

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    Jody Victor is the President and CEO of MarkerNET, Inc. Upon graduation from The Ohio State University and while serving in the US Army/Ohio National Guard rising to the rank of SSG/BN, Mr. Victor launched his own business in 1970. JEV, Inc./MarkerNET, Inc. went from a small marketing business to a worldwide sales and marketing distributorship. Today his business operates in 80 countries around the world.


    Mr. Victor has been in demand as a motivational speaker to share his attitudes, stories, and self-help programs to audience’s worldwide before millions of people from all walks of life. A book was written about his successful journey to become one of America’s inspiring success stories.


    Mr. Victor has been the recipient of the treasured “Polish Heart Award” which is presented to an individual by the Polish government and in concert with the Roman Catholic Church (President Jimmy Carter was the last American to receive the Award prior to Mr. Victor). Mr. Victor served with Doug Wead (advisor to President George H W Bush) on a two year White House initiative representing small business.


    Mr. Victor currently serves on the Board of the American Heart Association, the Hall of Fame Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the US Dream Academy (Founding Member), the Activa Mutual Fund and the Independent Business Owners Association International (IBOAI). His work serving on the IBOAI for 28 years is most noteworthy. The IBOAI has elected Mr. Victor as President of the Association Board an unprecedented four times as well as holding many offices and awards. Mr. Victor has served on the IBOAI Board Legal and Ethics Committee for over 23 years. Presently Mr. Victor serves on the IBOAI Board as Hearings and Disputes Chairman, as well as Chairman of Governance and Oversight.


    Mr. Victor and his wife Kathy have three grown/married children and six grandchildren all living in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Victor are very active in community and civic affairs. Together they have built baseball fields, soccer fields, and Crown Field in their hometown which resulted in Mr. Victor induction into the Greater Akron and Ohio Baseball Hall of Fame.

Joe Victor
Joe Victor

Vice President ,  MarkerNET, Inc.

C. Diane Wallace Booker, Esq.
C. Diane Wallace Booker, Esq.

Chief Strategy Officer and Executive

Vice President, Founding Executive Director, U.S. Dream Academy

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    Diane serves as the Chief Strategy Officer to drive innovative strategies and develop transformative partnership that support the long-term growth of U.S. Dream Academy. She holds the distinction of being the Founding Executive Director and led the national expansion of U.S. Dream Academy while developing a deep expertise in non-profit management.


    An expert in positive youth development and mentoring with a focus on children of incarcerated parents and an attorney, Diane is passionate about creating equitable opportunities for young people to achieve their dreams. Diane has the audacious belief that every child should have the opportunity to be raised in a community free from discrimination, violence and trauma.


    Raised in and around Loma Linda, CA, (one of five original "Blue Zones” in the world and the only one in the U.S.) Diane was exposed to all of the elements that create a positive, healthy community that results in longevity. This community provided a supportive backdrop for her parents, raising three kids, while fighting to break free from generational cycles of poverty that impacted both her mother and father’s side of the family.


    The stability of a safe and health-focused community, along with strong academic institutions that anchored her community were gifted to her as a child and played a critical role in creating a new pathway for her family. This opened a door of opportunity to allow her to reach for her dream of becoming an attorney, the first in her family. She attended three HBCU’s in four years of college and ultimately graduated from Bowie State University with her Bachelors of Science in Communication, cum laude. She then earned her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Maryland Frances King Carey School of Law.


    As Diane traveled the country and saw first-hand the devastating effects of poverty, crime, trauma and the lack of educational equity on the hopes and dreams of young people living there, she often reflected on her own upbringing and was committed to bringing some of those same supports to children living in high risk neighborhoods. She is passionate about creating opportunities for young people to achieve their dreams.


    Diane is nationally recognized for her work in youth development, social justice, and her extensive experience in non-profit management. Diane speaks around the country on the impact of parental incarceration, poverty and trauma on children’s development, academic achievement and future outcomes along with solutions for how we can remove barriers to economic mobility through education, social justice, well-being and connected communities.


    Diane has received a number of community service awards and served on several boards. Currently she serves as the Vice Chair on the board of directors for Baltimore City Head Start.  In 2013, she was selected as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by The Daily Record for her professional accomplishments, community involvement and mentoring. In October 2018, Diane received the Icons and Innovators for Social Justice Award at the BE SOCIAL for Justice Gala presented by BronxConnect, Africa Rising and the Christian Cultural Center. In 2018 she was asked to be one of five non-profit leaders represented on stage at Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” Tour in Washington, D.C. and was recently awarded a Community Service Award from Stennis Enterprises for her work in San Bernardino, CA.

Carlyle Walton
Carlyle Walton

CEO, Phoebe Sumter Medical Center ; Senior Vice President, Phoebe Putney Health System

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    Mr. Walton is currently the President of the Adventist Health Policy Association (AHPA) a public policy and advocacy organization representing the five Seventh-day Adventist Health Systems in the United States of America. Mr. Walton previously served as President/CEO of Metroplex Health System in Killeen, Texas (now AdventHealth Central Texas) for 9 years and of Takoma Regional Hospital in Greeneville, Tennessee for 11 years. He completed his BS degree in Accounting with a minor in religion from Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland. He holds a Master’s degree in Health Services Management from the University of Mary Hardin Baylor in Belton, Texas. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.


    Mr. Walton was born in British Guyana (now the Republic of Guyana), South America. At the age of 20, he moved to the United States with his parents and two younger sisters. After completing his college education, he worked four years with the public accounting firm Ernst & Whinney in their healthcare practice division. He lived for 10 years in Killeen, Texas where he worked at Metroplex Health System (now AdventHealth Central Texas) serving as Chief Financial Officer, Vice President of Operations and Vice President/Administrator- Rollins Brook Community Hospital (now AdventHealth Rollins Brook).


    During the almost 11 years he lived in Greeneville, Mr. Walton was very active in community and civic affairs including being a member of the Regional Policy Board in Region 4 of the American Hospital Association, Tennessee State Board of Licensure of Healthcare Facilities, Kiwanis Club of Greeneville and the Comcare Human Rights Committee. He served as the Chairman of the 2000 United Way of Greene County campaign, the 2003 Greene County Partnership, and also graduated from the 2000 Greene County Leadership Program. He also served on various boards including Holston United Methodist Home for Children, Heritage Community Bank, Tusculum College, and the Greene County Partnership.


    Carlyle returned to Texas in 2009 as the CEO of Metroplex and was a member of the Killeen-Heights Rotary Club, re-engaged in the community serving as the Chairman of the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce, and the Killeen Industrial Foundation. He also served as a trustee of the Killeen Independent School District, the Vice-Chairman of the Workforce Solutions of Central Texas and on the boards of the Heart of Texas Defense Alliance, Temple Symphony Orchestra, and the Foundation Board of Texas A&M Central Texas.


    He is the 2008 recipient of the Adventist Health System (now AdventHealth) “Crystal Angel Award” for Senior Executive Leadership, 2006 George Clem Multi-Cultural Association, “Raising the Standards” Award, 2004 Milligan College, “Leaders in Christian Service” Award, 2003 “Greater Tri-Cities Business Leader” Award, and the 2002 Adventist Health System (now AdventHealth) “Community Involvement” Award. In 2016, the Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce Public Education Council recognized Carlyle as the Public Education Person the Year.


    Carlyle’s pride and joy is his family: wife of 34 years, Astrid, and their two children - Christopher, an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas and Ashleigh, a registered architect currently employed as a Project Manager by Urban Design Associates in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Since their move to DC in August 2018, Carlyle and Astrid have become active members of the Leesburg SDA Church.

Chad Williams
Chad Williams

CEO/Chairman, QTS 

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    Chad Williams has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer since founding QTS in 2005. Under his leadership, QTS has grown from a single, 35,000-square-foot facility in 2005 to become one of the largest and fastest growing data center providers in the United States, owning, operating, and managing over 3.8 million square feet of secure, state-of-the-art data center infrastructure supporting more than 800 customers.


    Prior to founding QTS, Williams was CEO of Quality Group of Companies (QGC) a diversified holding company with businesses operating in a wide range of industries including Real Estate Development, Architecture Design, Office Furniture and Vehicle Leasing. The Williams family has owned and operated QGC since 1962, when it was founded by Mr. James L. Williams, Williams' father. Williams took over leadership of the company in 1988, and in 1998 started to diversify and refocus QGC towards real estate. Under his leadership, QGC has expanded to include a multi-state property portfolio built around the development of special-use, mission-critical facilities for both the private and government sector.


    As QGC's national real estate portfolio grew, QGC began acquisition and development of mission-critical data centers. Williams' vision was primarily focused on designing and building a national presence for providing world-class, highly-secure, redundant facilities for the nation's growing IT needs. Williams' decision to purchase the Suwanee facility in suburban Atlanta in 2005 served as a catalyst for the foundation of QTS.


    Williams is on the board of the U.S. Dream Academy and is involved in numerous other charities in the Kansas City area. Williams lives in Lenexa, Kansas with his wife and three children.

David Williams
David Williams, PhD

Emeritus Board Member ;

Norman Professor of Public Health and African and African American Studies,   Harvard University

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    David R. Williams is the Florence Sprague Norman and Laura Smart Norman Professor of Public Health and chair of the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is also a Professor of African and African American Studies and Sociology at Harvard University. Previously, he served 6 years on the faculty of Yale University and 14 at the University of Michigan. He holds an MPH from Loma Linda University and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Michigan.


    Dr. Williams is an internationally recognized social scientist focused on social influences on health. He has been invited to keynote scientific conferences in Europe, Africa, Australia, the Middle East, South America and across the United States. His research has enhanced our understanding of the complex ways in which socioeconomic status, race, stress, racism, health behavior and religious involvement can affect health. He is the author of more than 475 scientific papers and he has served on the editorial board of 12 scientific journals and as a reviewer for over 75 others. The Everyday Discrimination Scale that he developed is the most widely used measure of discrimination in health studies.


    He has received numerous honors and awards. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly Institute of Medicine) in 2001, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2007, and to the National Academy of Sciences in 2019. He has also received distinguished contribution awards from the American Sociological Association, the American Psychological Association and the New York Academy of Medicine. He was ranked as one of the top 10 Most Cited Social Scientists in the world in 2005 and as the Most Cited Black Scholar in the Social Sciences in 2008. In 2014, Thomson Reuters ranked him as one of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds.

Our Board Fellows


C. Diane Wallace Booker, Esq.
Jared X.G. Anderson

Chief of Digital Engagement Branch, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs

Carlyle Walton
Brielyn A. Sampson

Advisory Senior Consultant,

Deloitte and Touche LLP

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    Brielyn serves as an Advisory Senior Consultant in the Health Care Regulatory Compliance & Operational Risk team. She provides support to clients on matters involving regulatory compliance, compliance program development, patient privacy, data sharing and exchange, data interoperability, compliance and privacy investigations, auditing and monitoring, and enterprise risk management.


     Prior to joining Deloitte, Brielyn served as a collaborative leader in healthcare compliance for seven years. Brielyn managed programs in multiple regional markets. Brielyn has experience developing and managing annual monitoring and auditing plans, and conducting compliance risk assessments and internal investigations. Brielyn has also spent time advising healthcare compliance departments on operational improvement during periods of significant change and transition.


    Brielyn holds a B.S. in Accounting from Washington Adventist University and a Masters of Jurisprudence in Health Law from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She is certified in healthcare compliance (CHC) and healthcare research compliance (CHRC). Brielyn is a member of the Healthcare Compliance Association (HCCA).

Chad Williams
Derrell Frazier

Manager of Memberships & Organizing, REFORM Alliance

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    Derrell Frazier is an Experienced Community Organizer and Advocate with a demonstrated history of working in the public and private sector. Championing the needs of young people involved in the system, he has focused his career on Children’s Advocacy, Social Justice and Public Service. Growing up in Baltimore City, He has faced a number of challenges and has a unique understanding how important it is to have adults advocate on behalf of children and the benefit of mentoring. He believes that everyone has a unique gift that only they can offer to the world. His passion is working to provide people with the tools and resources needed in order for them to thrive and identify their gift. His purpose is to develop innovative strategies that will create transformational IMPACT, EMPOWER and SHAPE the next generation of leaders.


    Proactive and motivated professional with over five years’ experience working for various nonprofit and state organizations, he currently serves as the manager of memberships and organizing at REFORM Alliance. Prior to this role, he has consulted with many public/private entities such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation Juvenile Justice Strategy Group Youth Advisory Council, Commission to Decriminalize Poverty Youth Group, and Serves on the Governor’s Juvenile Justice State Advisory Council Emerging Leaders Group. Lastly, Derrell works with stakeholders on how to properly engage underrepresented communities and the most vulnerable populations in an authentic way to develop equitable solutions.


    “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” – Frederick Douglass

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