Educator, Entrepreneur, Author, & Speaker “Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once.” -Lillian Dickson Margaret Meade once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”. Dr. Melissa Chester is a part of that small group of thoughtful people, committed to serving and impacting the lives of those in our community. Dr. Melissa Noland Chester is a former professor who taught on the collegiate level for approximately fifteen years. She is committed to serving and impacting the lives of others by improving the situations of others through consulting, facilitation, and motivational speaking. Her dedication and passion to assist individuals and organizations is evident in the many seminars, workshops, andprograms she has participated in and implemented with local, regional, and national nonprofit organizations, and businesses. Dr. Melissa Chester is the Co-Founder and CEO of Black Educators Rock, Inc., a national nonprofit which boasts over 155,000 minority educators its Facebook group. BER, Inc.’s goal is to further the academic success of our nation’s minority students by closing the “attitude gap” that exists among educators and students. It accomplishes this goal through its local chapters, partnerships, and collaborations with other local, regional, and national nonprofits and their flagship event, the ROCK Conference. The ROCK Conference is a summer professional development conference and hosts the top educational consultants and educators in the country. BER, Inc. Dr. Chester also runs the Black Educators Rock Network and its three Internet and talk radio stations, Enlighten Media, Elevate Media, and EmpoWEr Media. She hosts a weekly show on EmpoWEr Media entitled Doc’s Success Formula: Solutions to Personal, Professional, & Relationship Puzzles. BER, Inc. is also in the process of creating BER Publishing, a platform to create educational materials that correctly reflects today’s society. Dr. Chester attained her B.S. & Master’s degrees from Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Secondary Physical Education and Sport Management. She attained her Ph.D. in Sport Management from Florida State University (FSU). She has taught at several universities, including Florida A&M University, Florida State University, Grambling State University, University of North Florida, and online at Southern New Hampshire University. While residing and obtaining her degrees in Tallahassee, she was very active in the community. Some of her community outreach includes co-creating the grassroots program Positive Proof Mentoring at Raa Middle School, serving as event coordinator for the 1000 Men Rally, and working with the City of Tallahassee Parks & Recreation to create and present numerous programs, seminars, and workshops. Her volunteerism also includes The Black History Program at Dade Street Community Center (planning committee), The March on Wellness and Obesity Health Seminar (planning committee), Youth Teen Summit (presenter), YouthTalent Show (planning committee), and mentoring and tutoring preteen and teenage and college young ladies. She also owned and operated a convenience store & takeout restaurant near FAMU called the One Stop Shop. Dr. Chester currently resides in Jacksonville and is actively involved with many organizations and her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She also serves as the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) local board president for Jacksonville. Dr. Chester is also a board member of the nonprofit, The Center One Foundation, board member of Georgia Association of Alternative education (GAAE), board member of the Florida Recovery School of Jacksonville, Urban Education Symposium (UES) steering committee, and is a certified instructor for the national initiative known as Adult Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA). She has also served as the Assistant Program Manager for the Mayor’s Summer Jobs Program (a program that employed hundreds of youth), was a member of the Jacksonville Public Education Fund’s (JPEF) Community Advisory Team (CAT), served on theplanning committee for Operation Save Our Sons (a nonprofit for at-risk males), and assisted former Jacksonville Jaguar Donovin Darrius create and run his non-profit organization from 2011 to 2017. Dr. Melissa Chester is an Amazon 3x best selling co-author and has presented many seminars and workshops at numerous universities, businesses, nonprofit organizations, K-12 schools, including but not limited to the Urban League National Conference, the National Association of Black School Educators (NABSE) National Conference, the Working to extend anti-racist education (WE ARE) Conference, South Carolina State University, Communities in Schools, Duval Public Schools, and Bay County Public Schools. The topics she has spoken on include Poverty Mindset, Character Development, Increasing Self-Esteem, Mental Health Awareness, Personality Assessment, Communication & Conflict Resolution, Health and Physical Fitness, Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship, and High school graduation/college preparation. Dr. Chester is currently a real estate broker and the Director of Training and Education at Premier Coast Realty, LLC and the Lead Instructor at Premier Coast Real Estate School, LLC. She is married to Dr. Albert Chester II and they have two sons, Aiden & Alex. Conference Website: www.rockconference.org 2019 ROCK Conference Recap:https://youtu.be/i8gfh7snqjc 2019 ROCK Conference Sessions Recap: https://youtu.be/SCRgrn9ICAg 2018 ROCK Conference Recap: https://youtu.be/4UsF83XSTqg Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackEdRocks Instagram https://www.instagram.com/blackeducatorsrock/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/blackeducatorsrockinc/ Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/blackeducatorsrockinc.com
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Yashika Cherry is a lifestyle & wellness coach, fitness trainer, speaker and CEO of “Own Your FITT”. It is her mission and passion to inspire women, especially those who are Mothers, to BE well within, LIVE well without and PASS the goodness of wellness on to their families. As a Wife and Mother of 3 she knows first hand that when women are at their best, they can give their best to those who rely on them effortlessly. For her, wellness of life! She published her book Awaken Alive in 2017 that shares her philosophy on wellness and how adopting wellness as a daily lifestyle practice can elevate ones living experience. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram at @yashikathelifestylist and start taking ownership of your health by following her fitness and wellness brand at @ownyourfitt Wendy Barber, MS Educational Leadership, FSU; Certified Health & Wellness Coach, Institute for
Integrative Nutrition; Certified Fitness Professional, AFAA and AAFP Wendy Barber’s passion for most of her adult life has been education. She was a teacher and administrator for the Leon County School Board for 24 years. Following this, she opened the first and only Kumon Math and Reading Center in Tallahassee whichshe owned and operated for 8 years. Currently, Wendy works part-time at the Tallahassee Senior Center as the Southside Outreach Coordinator. This position affords her the opportunity of planning and implementing health and wellness events for the underserved senior population in Tallahassee. She is a certified health coach and holds certifications in both group fitness and individual training teaching adult fitness classes in Leon County and Tallahassee. Wendy has always volunteered in her community and is currently a mentor for Leon County Schools at Pineview Elementary. Arnya T. M. Davis, a native of New Orleans was transplanted in Dallas, Texas in 1999. Arnya started her serial entrepreneur journey at the age of 23, with Arnya’s Abstract Services. She has owned businesses in 6 industries to date. At present she is the CEO of LadiCEO, LLC. LadiCEO was birthed in 2012, to help up-n-coming small business owners and entrepreneurs find their voice and determine how they want the world to view them. LadiCEO has 3 components Media, Fashion and Brand consulting and management. Arnya is Co-Host of the weekly podcast, Theories & Thoughts, which can be viewed on her YouTube channel, LadiCEO Media, SwagHer YouTube and page and Spotify. Arnya is the former Managing Editor of SwagHer Magazine and Media and former Creative Director of Garbed in Modesty Magazine. She has served as Marketing and Mentorship Leader of L.Y.L.A.S. and Secretary of Stars United Outreach, both non-profits. She as dedicated her life to working to promote women and youth by being afflicted with L.E.A.P. and volunteering for other organizations around the metroplex. She created a mentoring group named Gyrl Group for 20 and 30 something women to have a safe place to talk, in 2019. Arnya has served as a Brand Ambassador for several brands such as Alikay Naturals, she participated in The Texas Plus America pageant as Ms. The Colony Plus America, and mentors and serves at her church for countless hours. Her faith is really important to her. Arnya has obtained an Associates in General Science from NorthLake Community College in Irving, Texas and a Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies from Warner University in Lake Wales, Florida. Arnya’s goal is to uplift those connected to her and her community, no matter what they look like, education level or goal in life may be. She lives by the thought, “You don’t have to subscribe to what people think of you, be you genuinely.” Arnya can be found Tuesdays, 7 pm cst, live on SwagHer’s Facebook Page cohosting Theories and Thoughts Podcast. Her YouTube Channel is, LadiCEO Media. IG: ladi.ceo FB: Ladi CEO and Twitter: Im_a_LadiCEO. Email: ladiceo@gmail.com and Phone: 214-302-9282. Felisha Williams is a Tallahassee native. She is currently an Elementary Math Curriculum Specialist for Leon County Schools and owns her own photography business. She is a product of Leon County Schools and enjoys giving back through her position in the district. In addition to owning her own business and working for LCS, Felisha also works as a workshop facilitator for WFSU. She is also the fiancée of our very own, Enigma September, host of the Enigma Sept Hour Podcast.
Ms. Yvette Nicholson is a graduate of Florida State University with her Bachelor's in Social Work. She also has a Bachelor in Business Administration and a Master's in Human Services specializing in marriage and family counseling. She has been employed with the Department of Children and Families for 10 years. She is currently a Supervisor for Child Protective Services in Orlando, Florida. She is also the founder of YvettEvents and Company, an event planning company specializing in festivals, fairs, trade shows, corporate events, conferences, seminars, retreats, beauty and fashion productions, birthday parties and more. The company started in 2018 however she has been an event planner/coordinator since 2012. She is also part of Women on the Rise-Orlando, a women’s empowerment organization which main objective is to provide women with seminars/workshops/meetings/expo on how to be a better entrepreneur, have financial freedom, strengthen the family unit, and recognizing women for their commitment and dedication within the community. She is currently is on the Orlando Chapter Board as the Associate Event Director. She currently presides over a dating group, DateOrlando, which provides a platform for singles to learn and discuss dating, love and relationship. In her free time, she loves to write poetry and create art. She loves to volunteer in the community such as feeding the homeless. Quia Z Atkinson is self taught artist specializing in 3 dimensional mixed media art & decor. She graduated from Florida A&M University in 2003 with a B.S. in Health Care Management and discovered her love for painting years later. She believes that the right piece of art can lift your spirits, create nostalgia and speak to you in a way that no person can. Quia Z creates vibrant art because she believes that the ability to create is one of the greatest gifts that God as our creator has given us. It’s impactful, it’s psychological, it affects each person differently. She specifically wants her art to provide energy, warmth, excitement and stimulation when you lay your eyes on it. Dr. Lataisia Jones began her journey in science as an intern at the College of William and Mary where she studied “Cell Cycle Exit Mutations in Caenorhabditis elegans”. She later received her B.S. (2010) and M.S. (2012) at the Virginia State University where she studied Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus. During this time she taught undergrad biology and participated in several outreach opportunities to include teaching young students in Ghana. In 2017, Dr. Jones became the first African American to earn her Ph.D. from the Department of Biomedical Sciences in the College of Medicine at Florida State University. Her continued mission to further the understanding of neurological disorders that affect children led her to a position at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. where she researched Autism Spectrum Disorders for over two years. Throughout the year, Dr. Jones visits local schools and after school programs to teach science, expose the youth to different science careers, and spread advice about attending college. She also volunteers at the Ronald McDonald House where she initiated the Young Scientist Wednesdays program to teach kids residing at Children’s National Hospital science through fun hands-on activities. To assist with science education during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Jones started a YouTube show called Kitchen Science which teaches science through experiments that you can do from home with common household items. Dr. Jones serves as an American Association for the Advancement of Science IF/THEN Ambassador, and recently starred on a CBS show called Mission Unstoppable, WUSA9 Great Day Washington, and WTOP Radio Station. A statue honoring Dr. Jones and the other AAAS IF/THEN Ambassadors will soon be unveiled at a park in Dallas, TX as a tribute to female STEM leaders. Dr. Jones believes that if young girls (especially girls of color) see her working in a lab or read about her achievements, they will believe in their own ability to be anything they dream of becoming and more. With this belief in mind, Dr. Jones recently decided to leave the lab life to pursue more of her passion-filled initiatives through her new Ethics Fellow position at the American Society for Microbiology and her ongoing work within the community. Contact Information: Phone: 202.350.0489 Email: heydrtay@gmail.com Social Media: Facebook: www.facebook./comheydrtay Instagram: Heydrtay Twitter: HeyDrTay TikTok: Hey Dr Tay LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/drljones Talethia O. Edwards is Wife to Elder Harold W. Edwards, II and mother to their now eight children since Romel the “community baby” is new to the crew. She spends her days as community and family Advocate. Strategizing ways to as a coalition builder and voice to empower and educate the
community in order to change the patterns of poverty and low achievement. She currently serves as the Founder and President of the Greater Bond Neighborhood Association where under her leadership they developed the Neighborhood First plan and were awarded $6.4M to add impact and value to the neighborhood through community revitalization projects. Talethia was named Leon County 2016 Neighbor of the year. She was Tallahassee’s 2019 25 Women You Need To Know, recipient of the Reubin Askew Community Engagement Award, Leadership Tallahassee 2019 Pacesetter Honoree and recipient of ECHO Making A Difference Community Award and current member of Leadership Tallahassee Class 37. She spends time locally and around the nation speaking about advocacy, leadership and community development. Edwards recently gave a TedTalk on the topic of “Activation of a Grassroots leadership and Community revitalization”. However, she is most proud of her community and board service. She is founder of the Leaping for Literacy a program that incentives youth for meeting their reading goals; which now hosts a city wide book drive that supports literacy at all Leon CountyTitle I schools. She serves as Chair of Economic impact and resident empowerment ,Chair of the Leon County Community Development Block Grant Committee, Chair of the Title I Advisory Council, Vice Chair of the Pregnancy Help and information center, Co-Chair of the Early Childhood Education & Empowerment Taskforce, Tallahassee Lenders Consortium, Tallahassee/ Leon Housing Leadership Council, Kids Incorporated of the Big Bend, Forward Leon Early Education taskforce, ASPIRE Leon Guiding Team, Office of Early Learning Preschool Development Grant, Citizen member of the Guiding team that created City of Tallahassee’s New Mission, Vision and Values. Among all of that she is also a Leon county school mentor and serves on several Schools Advisory Councils. Talethia is also the Family Consultant for Federal grantee Early Childhood comprehensive Systems State of Florida Team. As If Edwards plate was not already full. She and her brother in law are in the process of creating and producing her podcast called “The Wondering Wonder Woman” where she muses about life as wife, mother, and advocate; this spring she plans to debut a blog by the same title. With all these things going on Edwards still manages to volunteer at her children’s school and take them to all of their extracurricular activities. Wholistic Fitness & Health Expert |Transformation Life Coach |Faith Based Clinical Counselor |Speaker| USATF Athlete | NASM Certified Personal Trainer AfroLatina. Born in Miami, Florida parents from the Caribbean: Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and Indian. Johaiza graduated from high school as a BioMedical Magnet Student Athlete. Currently, a Florida A&M University Alumni with a Bachelor of Science in Health Science concentration in Pre-Physical Therapy with plans of pursuing and earning her Doctorate. A mom of three, entrepreneur, educator, mentor, coach, counselor, speaker and athlete who love to inspire and empower individuals and business teams to become Wholistically Fit through biblical and practical principles so that they can function at their optimum level of Health and truly Live in Purpose! Johaiza has the grace for transforming lives of different cohort dynamics in her unique way involving wholistic fitness & health coaching, business consulting and speaking. As an experienced Fitness & Health Educator, Johaiza goal is to help individuals reach and attain their fitness optimum level of health in all areas of their lives; catapulting them into alignment with their God given purpose and achieving success in all they do. You can also follow and connect with Johaiza on: ●Facebook: Johaiza De Jesus ●Instagram: iamJohaizaDeJesus ●Instagram Biz page: @FitnHealthCo ●YouTube: Johaiza De Jesus TV ●Periscope: @JohaizaDeJesus ●Twitter: @JohaizaDeJesus For more information on services and working with Johaiza click the button below |
2020 Black Women's CelebrationShow love to those giving love to our community. Ladies
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