Our January Guests
January 31, 2021
It's a Brighter Day...
I Got My Chucks & Pearls
Rhonda Peoples-Waters
Duval County Court Judge, Fourth Judicial Circuit
Judge-Elect Rhonda Peoples Waters was the first Black female elected to the bench in our 4th Judicial Circuit. She will take office in January 2021 and will preside over a Duval County Court. She has tried over 75 non-jury and jury trials in her career. She was the lead trial counsel in more than half of those cases. She has been licensed to practice law by the Supreme Court of Florida since 1999, after graduating from the University of Florida School of Law where she studied under an academic scholarship. Rhonda began her career at the Public Defender’s Office in Jacksonville, Florida. Rhonda has handled thousands of cases covering misdemeanors and felonies. Rhonda finished her career at the Public Defender’s Office after seven years and after serving as the Division Chief of each Repeat Offender Divisions in Duval County. Rhonda, as lead counsel, has handled almost every type of criminal case imaginable ranging from petit theft cases to murder cases. Rhonda was promoted several times during her tenure at the office. Her reviews exemplified her hard-work and professional ethics.
Jasmine S. Waters
Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University
Sophomore, Electrical Engineering
Brittney Zapata
Howard University
Alpha Phi Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Basileus
Brittney Zapata was born and raised in Harlem, New York. She is a figure skater, entrepreneur student, future publicist, and is a Spring 20 initiate & President of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Alpha Phi Chapter at Howard University
In her most recent years, Ms. Zapata has gained work experience in the music industry under executives at Def Jam Recordings and Serene Management. She currently owns a clothing brand called CoZ Clothing Brand with three young women who also attend Howard University with a mission to unite underrepresented communities through fashion. started off as a lifestyle intern her freshman year of college at Def Jam recordings and has evolved into a College Representative for Howard University.
Nira Headen
Howard University
National Panhellenic Council - President
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Passionate about both sports and racial inequality, Nira serves as Research Analyst at TLS Sports, leading research efforts for new clients as well as collaborating on company-wide projects. With experience in both the collegiate athletic and retail athletic industries, Nira has proven steadfast in her pursuit. Nira is a graduating senior, African American Studies and Sports Administration double major, Spanish minor at Howard University. On campus, she serves as the Elections Commissioner, Social Action Chair for Alpha Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., and President of the National Panhellenic Council.
Rachel Howell
Howard University
SGA President
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Rachel Howell is a senior Political Science major and Philosophy minor from Shelby, North Carolina by way of Alpharetta, Georgia. Rachel serves as the 60th President of the Howard University Student Association (HUSA), where she advocates for approximately 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students. A proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha Chapter Rachel holds an extensive resume of service, being the former Deputy Chief of Staff of HUSA and Vice President of the College of Arts & Science Student Council.
Maya Louise Shed
Howard University
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Maya Louise Shed is a graduating senior at Howard University studying Theatre Arts Administration and Music, with a concentration in Classical Voice, and hails from Elyria, Ohio. On campus, Maya serves as the Chief of Staff for the Fine Arts Council, works as the Director of Communications for Howard’s Alternative Spring Break program, and is a proud Spring 2020 initiate of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha Chapter. She currently works as an affiliated teaching artist for the Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, DC. This semester, Maya working to complete her honors thesis, which explores the philosophy of theatre and its importance in the Black community. After graduation, Maya plans to pursue an MFA in Theatre Management or Production and has aspirations to establish a performing arts center for children.
January 17, 2021
Crisis, Community, and the Church...
COVID-19: Myths, Facts & Hope
Kelli Tice Wells
Speaker, Nonprofit and Health Executive
Kelli Tice Wells, MD, is a family physician with a background in public health who serves as Florida Blue’s Senior Medical Director for Medical Affairs. In this role, Dr. Tice Wells oversees the company’s health equity strategy and has responsibilities in the areas of corporate social responsibility and public health surveillance. In addition, Dr. Tice Wells is the clinical lead for Florida Blue’s COVID-19 response. Early in her medical training, Dr. Tice Wells became interested in addressing health disparities and delivering culturally competent care. Dr. Wells taught cultural competency for physicians, and incorporated evidence-based techniques to promote health equity into primary care practice in both private and public clinical settings.
Dr. Kim Barbel Johnson
Family Medicine Senior Physician, Investigator, and Medical Director
Care Partners Clinical Research
Dr. Kim Barbel Johnson is a Mayo Clinic Jacksonville residency trained Family Physician. She has served in various leadership roles in community organization and academic medicine over the past 25 years of her Medical career. She currently serves as the Senior Physician Investigator and Medical Trials Director for Clinical at CARE PARTERS CLINICAL RESEARCH, a division of Family Care Partners. She has been the Principal Investigator for more than 70 Clinical trials, including vaccine trials. She has been a consultant to the Bio Pharma industry on matters of Sickle Cell Disease and Chronic Kidney Disease education, Diversity in Clinical Trials and Community engagement. She currently leads the occupational health and COVID-19 workplace exposure risk mitigation efforts for nearly 300 employees at Family Care Partners.
Lynda M. Dorman
Co-Owner and CEO of Orange Wall Enterprises LLC
Founder and CEO of Dorman Group Holdings LLC
Lynda M. Dorman, CEO, and Co-founder of Orange Wall Enterprises, LLC, a safety solution company that was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our motto, “Bringing Safety Solutions to the Masses” serves as our top priority. Lynda established her PPE business early in the fight against COVID-19 under her company, Dorman Group Holdings LLC.
January 3, 2021
Crisis, Community, and the Church... The Stigma of Mental Health
Joy Calloway
Speaker, Nonprofit and Health Executive
JOY D. Calloway is a charismatic, transformational leader with over 27 years healthcare and non-profit experience. Currently serving as the Interim Executive Director for the National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE), JOY is a three-time graduate of The University of Michigan (BA, MBA, MHSA) where she remains very active with her alma mater, mentoring and precepting young professionals.
Kevin Fischer
NAMI Michigan, Executive Director
Kevin Fischer is the Executive Director of NAMI Michigan. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. A retired businessman, Kevin joined NAMI as a volunteer in 2011 after his oldest son Dominique was diagnosed with a mental illness in late 2007 and was lost to suicide in 2010. After serving on the NAMI Michigan Board of Directors as the NAMIWalks Chairperson for two years, and as Board Vice-President for two years, Kevin accepted the role of Executive Director in 2014.