​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 Chairperson 

Brigitte Mabry
​Board Chairperson 

Brigitte Mabry is a communication and broadcast professional with expertise in operational leadership and client service throughout the media industry.  Proven and knowledgeable process driven leader with an extensive background working in fast-paced, time-sensitive, client-focused environments. Currently, Brigitte is employed by The Scripps Television Division - Katz Networks supporting national and local commercial brands for Bounce TV.   She held several leadership roles in her 20 year career at Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc.  In her last role at Turner, she partnered with IT to support the operational processes for the content supply chain and the direct-to-consumer digital initiatives.  Throughout her career, she has also held positions at The Weather Channel, The Travel Channel and WVEU Channel 69.

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​Board Members

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.

Rosalyn Dear-Todd
Secretary

​Rosalyn Dear-Todd received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. She received her Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from Piedmont College in Demorest, Georgia. Rosalyn currently serves as an elementary educator at West Newton Elementary School in the Newton County School District. Rosalyn’s dedication and passion have yielded high growth in student overall achievement. She helped contribute to increasing the overall College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI) in 2018 at West Newton Elementary, which exceeded both district and state growth expectations.

Rosalyn is a Lifetime member of Girl Scouts of the United States of America Organization, member of The Professional Association of Georgia Educators, member of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports for Newton County Schools, and a Pilot Instructor for Capturing Kids’ Hearts Program for Newton County Schools. Rosalyn strongly agrees with Robert Heinlein in that “A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark”. She is currently enrolled in a Newton County Gifted Endorsement Course.

In her spare time, she enjoys traveling the world. Some of her travels include South Africa, Iceland, Dubai, Honduras, etc. She enjoys spending quality time with her three adult children including traveling, cooking, and playing board games.

​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!