MY CV

As an award-winning communicator, I also achieved great results in higher education, as a genealogy researcher and accomplished businesswoman. 

After retiring from Florida A&M University, I followed my longtime passion of researching our family histories. It led to a great business venture with my cousin, Mark Owen. We opened Good Genes Genealogy Services in December 2020 and have conducted many workshops and webinars. All fees were donated to the organization we represented. 

My next retirement venture was to become a film executive. Serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Stonecrest, GA-based Ours Studios LLC. Founded by Entrepreneur Ron Bivins whose life mission was to share the stories of forgotten Black athletes in Georgia. The documentary was shown on Georgia Public Broadcasting just 8 months after I arrived; it reached 3.4 million subscribers of the PBS station. Ours Studios is located in a beautiful converted warehouse space, and it recently was a finalist for Business of the Year in its home county.

Life is great as I have accomplished all of my goals and continue to find wonderful destinies in my first love, film and journalism. As an International Business major (doctorate), Atlanta Emmy winner (DeKalb County TV), disability advocate (son, John), world traveler, truth student (Hillside International Truth Center), mother (Earl, Joh, Jocelyn), grandmother (Kaidence, Kingston, Kameo, Jazzmyn), HBCU and PWIs, family member and more, here's a little bit more about my prior career years ... 

I became the first female dean of the Florida A&M School of Journalism & Graphic Communication, and facilitated leadership improvements in academics, technology, recruitment, strategic communications, alumni engagement, fundraising, student scholarship and faculty credentialing alignment.  Also, I led the campus development of the nation's first African American owned and operated TV station, and tri-weekly shows on the HBCU Channel 142, SiriusXM.

While serving as Dean/Director of St. Louis, Mo.-based Webster University's largest two campuses for 23 Master's degrees in Little Rock, Arkansas, the state awarded it an unprecedented  5-year certification. Also achieved local and university-wide recognition for enrollment growth and averting crises between students, faculty and the community. The university's first female president benefited from the accolades bestowed upon the Arkansas campuses. Also awarded Professor of the Year (2011-2012) for Business Department, Arkansas Baptist University, as an adjunct professor of  International Business.  The Little Rock community college included students who were former prison inmates.

Served with distinction as the Chief of Staff of then-Georgia's largest local government, DeKalb County. Also served as its Communications Director during its TV Emmy-winning years.  Previously served as the Information and Public Affairs Director for Fulton County Government (county seat of Atlanta). In addition, I served as the first female director of the Rockdale (GA) Stormwater Management Department where 90+ percent of goals were accomplished as pre-established by the citizens and leadership. 

As a senior director with a multi-year assignment for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. I wrote two grants, the largest for a $3.5 million job training grant to benefit residents of economically poor neighborhoods of 1996 Olympic venues in Atlanta, GA. The international Olympic Committee is host to the world's largest peacetime event. I wrote the curricula and helped to implement the Olympic HOST HBCU Broadcast Program that enabled minority students to obtain internships in highly selective media organizations.  The HOST HBCU program was selected as a legacy internal operational program. 

There are several award-winning financial journalism career highlights with local Atlanta, regional, national and international  media.  I served as a financial journalist, columnist, broadcast anchor and consultant.