Our Board of Directors

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.

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.

Ingrid Cox is the Founder, President & CEO of MCG Services, Inc., a Federal IT Contracting company providing technical resources to the Intelligence Community. She is a strategist, an award-winning Program Manager, Real Estate guru and a passionate advocate for children and families who have experienced both incarceration and the lasting effects of Alzheimer’s disease. She is a proud wife to her best friend, Winston, and doting Mommy to London and Winston III. Her interests include traveling the world, mentoring fellow business owners and giving back to her community. She measures her success as a person, by helping others.

FOUNDATION 

Ingrid was born into a family whose entrepreneurial roots span generations. Being of Jamaican descent, she watched her parents’ successful journey navigating the numerous opportunities presented in this country and quickly adapted to do the same. Her very first jobs were in her parents’ small businesses, working in their grocery store and Jamaican restaurant, after school. Accompanying her father in managing their real estate holdings was also an adventure. The stereotype about Jamaicans having multiple jobs, proved to be true in her family.

LEADERSHIP

After attending Hampton University and earning a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Southern Connecticut State University, Ingrid moved to Washington, DC in 2000. Being naturally drawn to real estate, she earned licensure in Maryland and Virginia in 2003, while also working full-time as a federal contractor. Ingrid’s career flourished as she held leadership roles with Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, working in Program Management Offices, managing technical teams and eventually finding her niche in large-scale IT program management. Her expertise and stellar reputation led to the creation of her IT consulting firm, MCG, in 2005.

Since then, she has mentored and employed a wealth of technical professionals and earned long-term contracts with Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Raytheon, CACI and Leidos. As a testament to her desire to support and inspire fellow entrepreneurs, she teamed with WeWork and created “Tech Talk”, an insightful workshop providing key elements in doing business with the federal government. She is often sought after for interviews and podcasts to share her journey.

Reaching the peak of her consulting career, she combined her real estate background with her extensive IT knowledge, resulting in an award-winning project: She served as the IT Program Manager for the demolition, construction and build-out of a modern 750,000 square foot, LEED Silver certified campus for the Director of National Intelligence (DNI).

Continuing on her entrepreneurial journey, this time with her husband Winston, the Cox

Development Group was born in 2017. Undertaking land acquisition, building residences from the ground-up, condominium conversions and commercial builds, they have also initiated a working relationship with D.C. Government in building affordable housing units.

RECOGNITION

Throughout her career, Ingrid has fulfilled her desire to exceed expectations and grow an

exceptional reputation. As a result, she has been recognized with prestigious accolades, most notably: The Meritorious Unit Citation, presented by The Director of National Intelligence, Mr. James Clapper (Ret.) in 2017, for leading the stand-up of the Intelligence Community Campus Bethesda, MD. Ingrid was the proud recipient of the Director’s Team Award in 2015, presented by the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, for the successful relocation and IT fit-out of the organization’s new building in Reston, VA. Ingrid and her husband Winston, received recognition in 2023 from the Quintessential Purpose organization as a result of their affordable housing projects for low income residents of D.C.

COMMITTMENT

Ingrid nurtures ventures that are close to her heart and align with her personal and Christian values. Ingrid knows first-hand how it feels to experience the disruption that occurs as a result of the incarceration of a loved one. Committing to support the U.S. Dream Academy was an easy decision. Whether adopting families over the holidays, donating to their locations across the country or serving on their 25 th Anniversary Committee, she is doing her part to change the trajectory of our youth. Ingrid is a Committee Member for ‘Girls Night Out by Shawn Yancey – Giving Foundation’, empowering the lives of women and children in need. She leads the Fontanelle Academy Parents Organization, creating parent and childhood experiences, fund raising and providing children’s advocacy with the school’s administrative leadership team.

She is a proud member of the BOW Collective, an organization that aims to change the narrative for black women in business. The BOWs work together to bring awareness, business opportunities, and capital resources to entrepreneurs. They actively create the pipeline of successful entrepreneurship by training, counseling and partnering with emerging businesses.

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.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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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).

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