​Board of Directors

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Board Advisors

​Dr. Ray Owens
Advisor
Pastor, Metropolitan Baptist Church, Tulsa Oklahoma

Adrian Haugabrook
Advisor
PhD, Higher Education Executive

Robert J. Watkins
Board Advisor
President, Conquer Worldwide & Kings & Priests Unlimited, Inc.

Alan Tanenbaum
Board Advisor
Attorney - Taylor English Law Firm

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​Board Members

​Ashley Young
Board Chair

Ashley Young, originally from Maysville, North Carolina is a College Counselor at Charles R. Drew Charter School. Young graduated from North Carolina State University in 2008 with a B.A. in Interpersonal Communication. In 2011, she obtained a Master’s degree in Student Affairs Counseling from Clemson University. Young has several years of experience in college access and the field of college admissions combined, with a particular interest in supporting under-resourced and first-generation college students, currently serving as a College Counselor at Charles R. Drew Charter School. 

Recipient of the "Counselor that Changes Lives" Award and the Myron Burney Award for Inclusion & Access, she had dedicated her her life to serving others and creating equitable spaces for all. Young is a member of the Board of Directors for the Southern Association for College Admission Counseling (SACAC) and serves as an undocumented student activist and professor at Freedom University. 

TJ Snowden
Vice Chair 

​Dr. T.J. Snowden is a seasoned higher education administrator with more than 13 years of experience in enrollment management leadership. He currently serves as the Director of Recruitment and Admissions at Morehouse College, where he leads all major student recruitment efforts to attract/enroll the best and brightest young men to the college.  Previously, he served as the Director of Financial Aid/Compliance Officer at the Institute of World Politics in Washington, DC for more than five years after having served a number of institutions including Trinity Washington University (DC) and the University of Georgia. He also served as the Special Assistant to President David Thomas at Morehouse College while completing his doctoral studies, gaining a strong appreciation for Morehouse College and its history of educating leaders of color to impact the local and global communities. Dr. Snowden is a past president of the UGA Black Alumni Leadership Council and has held membership in a number of higher education professional associations. He holds a Doctorate in Student Affairs Leadership from the University of Georgia; a master's in nonprofit management from Trinity Washington University; and a bachelor's of science in education from the University of Georgia. He is married to Lesley Netter-Snowden, an Auburn University alum and the Assistant Vice President of Campus Services at Kennesaw State University.

​LaToya S. Lester
Marketing Chair 

LaToya was born and raised in North Carolina where she received a B.S., in Journalism and Mass Communications from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T). Shortly after graduation, she participated in the Media Sales Institute (MSI) held on the campus of Florida A&M University. This week long seminar was where LaToya impressed several media companies including Cox, Clear Channel and Katz Media Group. She decided to accept a position with Katz Media in Atlanta, GA to start her media career.
 
Over the course of the past 13 years, LaToya has worked at several different advertising agencies in the Atlanta area including Carat, three Atlanta, Tinuiti and currently Tombras. Through these career opportunities, she has helped numerous clients such as General Motors, Home Depot, Disney, and Darden Restaurants build awareness of their brands and products while increasing their revenue through TV, radio, print, and digital media marketing campaigns. 
 
Recognizing the community could use her media expertise, LaToya enrolled and graduated in the United Way Fall 2019 VIP class. She looks forward to using her media experience and board training to give back to the community and help further the education of African American youth. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, friends & her dog.

Alicia Hernandez
Secretary

​Alicia Hernandez holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from DeVry University and a Master of Education in Higher Education Leadership from Mercer University. 
Being the first in her family to graduate college, Alicia is determined to help younger students, that have been consistently marginalized in school and those from underrepresented communities, achieve success in higher education by mentoring and advocating for inclusion and equity. Through this work, she hopes to inspire the next generation of leaders. 

Alicia comes from an experienced background in accounting and human resources within private, public, and non-profit organizations. Currently, she works as a staff accountant for the Georgia School Boards Association.

Ms. Hernandez is heavily involved in her community and in her spare time you can find her volunteering with various organizations.

​Tawene Cooper
Social Media Chair

Tawene Cooper is s a proud graduate of Howard University where she received her B.A in Communication and Culture. She is an experienced marketer with over 7 years of brand experience and has worked with major brands in various industries including retail, telecommunications, and food and beverage. She has successfully spearheaded branding initiatives, developed demographic-specific digital, email, and media campaigns, conceptualized and executed creative campaigns targeted at conversions, lead generation, and increased brand loyalty. 

Tawene truly believes that children are the future and strives to serve as a mentor whenever she can. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering with the children's ministry at her church as a Sunday school and nursery teacher. She is also is a former volunteer with Big brothers and big sisters of America as well as a member of the Howard University Alumni Association.

​Charles Jones
Treasurer

Charles is currently a Solution Delivery Manager at Zuora and brings more than 8 years of IT experience and software implementations operating as solution architect & a technical project manager at the strategic & enterprise level delivering moderate to complex solutions.  He also created and currently leads Zuora's Black Employee Resource Group, the Zuora Black Network, which is an employee led, self-directed voluntary group that offers opportunities to network internally, to attract a diverse employee base, to provide the inclusion of ideas and solutions, and to create opportunities for mentoring and career development.
 
Born in Greensboro, North Carolina Charles stayed local and attended NC State University, where he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and received a B.S in Industrial and Systems Engineering. He furthered his studies at North Carolina A&T State University graduating with his M.S in Industrial and Systems Engineering in 2012.

Nicole Gindraw
Grant Chair

Nicole is a decorated graduate of Georgia State University where she majored in Business Administration with a concentration in Organizational Management.  She has successfully leveraged her talents and acumen for Business Administration by serving on the Board of Directors for a number of Non-Profit organizations in the community, including her current post as Treasurer for Tara South Homeowners Association.  Professionally, Nicole has honed her passion for youth development by serving as the Senior Business Analyst for the preeminent leadership development organization for girls in the US for the past 7 years.  Nicole cites that this particular work experience has given her a deep appreciation for how nonprofit organizations seek to improve the quality of life for youth; one program at a time!  Although Nicole did not personally attend an HBCU, she is a strong HBCU advocate as she is the proud mom of two current HBCU students!

Briana Duncan
Fundraising Chair

​Briana Duncan currently serves as the College Advisor at Maynard Holbrook Jackson High School in Atlanta, GA. Raised in Kernersville, North Carolina, Duncan found a passion for higher education and college readiness while completing her undergraduate degree in Business and Spanish at High Point University in 2012. With over a decade of experience, Duncan has traveled the country recruiting for private colleges and universities, while educating students about the college search process. Duncan received her Masters of Higher Education Administration, with a focus on Diversity and Access, from Georgia Southern University in 2019.
 
Duncan is a member of the Southern Association for College Admissions Counseling (SACAC) and the National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC). She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, INC. She has long been committed to supporting her community through education, service, and advocacy and has an avidity for student success.