Black Male Retention: Best Practices and Student Success Conference 2022
The HFC Black Male and QUEENS Focus Group (BMQFG) will host the third annual Black Male Retention: Best Practices and Student Success Conference. This virtual event runs April 6-8.
Conference Sessions
- Wednesday, April 6, starting at 8:45 a.m.
- Thursday, April 7, starting at 10:30 a.m. (Sankofa Keynote Address, 1:00 p.m.)
- Friday, April 8, 2022, starting at 8:45 a.m.
Register today for this free conference, so we will know you plan to attend.
Attend all conference sessions at this Zoom link
Conference Keynote
Dr. Fredrick Douglass Dixon will give the keynote address, “The Three Assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King” on Thursday, April 7, at 1:00 p.m. (See details for all dates below.)
Conference Purpose and Intent, by Dr. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell
The Black Male and QUEENS Focus Group is a comprehensive academic and social support network founded upon both the philosophical and practical pillars of Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Access, Rigor, and Excellence (KARE).
The 2022 conference theme: “Resiliency During Uncertainty: Succeeding Despite Challenges,” is a continuation of the sacred work of our ancestors.
We hope this conference is more than a feel-good moment for you, but that it inspires critical thought, critical conversation, and a critical desire to work toward the goal of creating personal and institutional pathways to secure student SUCCESS!
SCHEDULE: Knowledge - Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Opening Ceremony/Declaration of Sacred Space, 8:45 am – EST
Dr. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell (Keeper of the Tradition/Coordinator of the BMQFG)
Continuing My Journey After HFC: Virtual College Transfer Tour
Session A: Ujima, 9:00-9:55 a.m.
Session Presenters:
Rachel Dupree
Admissions Counselor
Grand Valley State University
Carjamin Scott, EdD
Director of Digital Recruitment, Enrollment Partnerships,and Virtual Engagement
Tennessee State University
Jamie Thomas-McDowell
Admissions Counselor, Undergraduate Admissions
Lincoln University
Session Description:
We welcome representatives from several universities. Representatives will share important transfer/admissions information. This session generates critical thought, provides insights, and fosters conversations about the importance of preparing (early) to transfer to a university.
Session B: Kujichagulia, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Session Title:
How to teach African American boys business and professional skills using digital learning.
Session Presenters:
Sabastian Sanders
International Executive Director
Sanders Hand, Pepsico
Session C: Ujima, 11:10-11:45 a.m.
Session Title:
Spotlight on Applied Behavioral Analysts Tutors’ Training Curricula: The Pivotal Role of Cultural Responsiveness in Improving Patient Care
Session Presenters:
Michelle Nkechi Chukwu
BA-Biology/Neurobiology
Boston University
Dr. Wanda Chukwu, DNP, MA CNEcl, RN
Mentor
Henry Ford College
Session: Umoja, 12:00-1:50 p.m.
Session Title: Anti-Racism Collective
Session Presenters:
Student leaders from Henry Ford College (BMQFG)
Student leaders from the University of Wyoming
Presentation Theme:
Student leaders will build on experience and relevant literature to explore the complexity of race and racism in the so-called United States. Guided by the social constructivist perspective, the collective operates to critically assess the meaningful ways race informs how we navigate the world. The collective seeks to produce critical discourse to question the validity of popular cultural narratives attempting to position race as insignificant and racism as obsolete.
Session D: Kuumba, 2:00-2:55 p.m.
Session Title:
Mental Health & Curly Hair (Workshop)
Session Presenter:
Charity Butler, B.S.
MSW Candidate, May 2022
Ohio State University
Count it All Curls LLC, Founder
Presentation Theme:
This presentation will use a strength-based approach when exploring the links between Black mental health and hair health. Participants will learn practical curl management techniques to regulate emotions, de-stress, and increase overall wellness.
Session E: Nia, 3:00-3:55 p.m.
Session Title:
Continuing my Journey After HFC: Virtual College Tour
Presenters:
Tiana Brown
Undergraduate Admissions
Metro Detroit
Central Michigan University
Jason Daday
Assistant Director of Admissions-Communications
Ferris State University
Kay Jones
Senior Recruitment Advisor
First Generation Initiatives – Oakland University
Presentation Theme:
We welcome representatives from several universities. Representatives will share important transfer/admissions information. This session generates critical thought, provides insights, and fosters conversations about the importance of preparing (early) to transfer to a university.
Session F: Ujamaa, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Session Title:
How to Fish
Session Presenter:
David J. Castro II (Castro) R.A. PMP LEED AP
CEO Complex Apparel LLC
Design Director, Dungeon Forward
Imani Spotlight Session: Build - Wednesday, April 6, 2022
Critical Race Theory (CRT), 6:00 pm (EST)
Presentation Title:
The Critics of Critical Race Theory: Using pluralist theory to find Geppetto's strings
Presenter
Dr. Obe Lee JonesWestern Governors University
Presentation Theme:
Black history and anti-racist teaching are under attack. The public face of this attack has the twisted nose and cockeyes of those who criticize Critical Race Theory. As of February 2022, 36 states have introduced over one hundred bills to punish educators who would teach about racism, gender equity, and systemic discrimination. These bills would make teachers wear cameras and microphones, set up tip lines to allow parents to snitch on teachers, and sue school districts. These bills have already led to teachers receiving physical death threats at their homes and professional death threats in the form of de-licensure. In the face of this attack, we must remember to think systematically to clearly identify the groups attacking anti-racist education and then plan to protect it.
The paper has four related goals. First, I detail the nature of the attack. Secondly, I will explain the main assumptions of Critical Race Theory. Third, I castrate the talking points against Critical Race Theory. Lastly, I examine the people and groups making this attack while revealing their corporate sponsors. By the end of the presentation, the listener should be armed with talking points to defend the teaching of black history and support an anti-racist pedagogy. Carter G. Woodson would have no less of us.
About Dr. Jones
Dr. Obe Lee Jones was raised in Brooklyn, NY and resides in Atlanta, GA, took his Bachelor of Arts degree from Morehouse College and took both his M.A and PhD from Clark Atlanta University in political science. Dr. Jones is married and has two children. His research areas include African American political thought, comparative politics, and American government. Dr. Jones has taught undergraduate courses continuously since 1998 and is a full- time faculty member at Western Governors University while also teaching at Clark Atlanta University and Kennesaw State University.
Over the years, Dr. Jones has taught political science classes at Morris Brown College, Spelman College, Morehouse College, and Atlanta Metropolitan College. Dr. Jones has presented papers to fellow faculty around American Elections, the U.S. Constitution and elements of African American political thought and has won teaching awards. Most recently Dr. Jones has co-published an article on recent research surrounding the use of poetry to teach about politics and race and the manuscript under construction uses world systems theory to compare the civil wars of Angola and Ethiopia.
SCHEDULE: Wisdom - Thursday, April 7, 2022 (Sankofa Keynote Address)
Akwaaba: Morning Opening & Greetings, 10:30-10:55 am (EST)
Kalvin DaRonne Harvell, Ph.D., Ed.S. (BMQFG)
Session A: Umoja, 11:00-11:55 a.m.
Session Title:
Challenging Toxic Masculinity in the Black Community
Presenter:
Alana Grace-Marie Schwartz
Artist & Liberal Arts Student
Henry Ford College
BMQFG
Session B: Nia, 12:00-12:50 p.m.
Session Title:
Student Research Initiatives
Presenters:
Graham Ike
University of Wyoming
Xavier DuSell
University of Wyoming
Jerimiah Oden
University of Wyoming
Sankofa Keynote Address, Thursday, April 7, 2022 - 1:00 p.m.
Presentation Title:
The Three Assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King
Presenter:
Dr. Fredrick Douglass DixonDirector of the Black Studies Center – University of Wyoming
Assistant Professor, African American and Diaspora Studies
Session C: Kujichagulia, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Session Title:
Culturally Relevant Advisement (CRA) for STEAM Students
Presenter:
Lewis Andrea Brownlee, Ph.D.
Education Faculty and STEAM Summer Camp Director
Mesa Community College, Mesa Arizona
Session Theme:
Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and women workers remain underrepresented in the science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (S.T.E.A.M.) workforce (Pew Research, 2018, 2019, 2020). Typically, Black males, are not introduced to STEAM careers in K-12, they are not shown role models who look like them in the curriculum, they are discouraged from pursuing those careers based on the teachers and school perceptions of the student, and schools typically do not have the relationships with community colleges that could potentially bridge the gap. CRA is a form of advisement that is intrusive in nature because it begins when students are in K-12. This advisement methodology includes career options, connecting students with mentors, explaining to parents and students what classes are required to graduate with a degree in a STEAM field (e.g., AAS, AS, BAS, or BS), and they are introduced to culturally relevant STEAM education. CRA is not just about giving students the right courses but rather helping them choose a career path early, helping them to graduate debt-free, supporting them after graduation, and having them mentor others. It is not enough to be the first one if you are the only one.
Session D: Ujima, 4:00-5:00 p.m.
Session Title:
Atelophobia – We Are More than Enough
Presenter:
Dr. John Williams
Albany State University
Associate Professor of Biology
Director of STEM Strategies Partnerships and Initiatives
Imani Spotlight Session: Build
Black student Belonging in Education, 6:00 p.m.
Presentation Title:
Sense of Belonging: A Source of ResiliencePresenter:
Jeffrey Lee, Ed.D.Immaculata University
Presentation Theme
This talk centers on how a "sense of belonging" can be used as a tactic to foster resilience. The discussion will begin with a brief historical view on the subject and move into data collected from my dissertation that focused on the lived experiences of Black faculty that work in the retention of Black males. The discussion will then look at data from the State of Georgia's African American Male Initiative, which has bolstered that states Institutions of Higher Educations graduation rates for African American Males.
About Dr. Lee:
Dr. Jeffrey Lee was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. He attended Flint Northern High School and graduated in 1992. Dr. Lee earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master’s in Multicultural Education from Eastern Michigan University and a Doctorate in Higher Education from Immaculata University. Dr. Lee has published newspaper opinion/editorial articles in addition to literary works. Dr. Lee Jeffrey has taught at Fitzsimons High School in North Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia’s only all African American boys’ Public high school) as a high school English teacher and served as a mentor and Rites of Passage Program Liaison. Currently, Dr. Lee works at Bala Cynwyd Middle School in the Philadelphia suburbs as a 7th Grade ELA teacher, Model United Nations Sponsor, Minority Student Organization (REACH) Sponsor, and curriculum collaborator. Dr. Lee has a strong passion for his research fields of retention and equity in education and strives to create change through his scholarship and work.
SCHEDULE: Understanding - Friday, April 8, 2022
Akwaaba: Morning Greeting, 8:45 – 8:55 a.m. (EST)
Dr. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell (Keeper of the Tradition/Coordinator of the BMQFG)
Session A: Nia, 9:00-10:05 a.m.
Session Title:
Continuing My Journey After HFC: Virtual College Tour
Session Presenters:
Rebecca A. Dewald-Twarog
Transfer Student Programs and Services
Saginaw Valley State University
Alaura Hanks
Admissions Advisor
Eastern Michigan University
Session B: Kujichagulia, 10:10-10:50 p.m.
Session Title:
The Importance of Sankofa: Reflections & Reclaiming
Session Presenter:
Kalvin DaRonne Harvell, PhD., EdS.
Black Male and QUEENS Focus Group
Henry Ford College
Session Theme:
54 years later: Remembering Dr. King, Reflections on the Necessity of Black Education.
Session C: Kuumba, 11:00-11:55 a.m.
Session Title:
Student Research Initiatives
Session Presenters:
Jacob Truman Hozempa
University of Wyoming
Angela Adams
University of Wyoming
Toby Thompson
University of Wyoming
Session D: Nia, 12:00- 1:45 p.m.
Session Title:
Black-led Social Impact During Uncertain Times Panel Discussion
Session Theme:
optiMize is a student-led community that offers workshops, mentorship, and funding for students to work on projects that make a positive impact. optiMize’s flagship program is the Social Innovation Challenge, which is social justice and entrepreneurial-oriented project incubator for students who want to make the world more just and sustainable. Over the past decade, students have been subjected to tumultuous and uncertain times, yet continue to prioritize making a positive change in the world. In the years surrounding optiMize’s creation, we've witnessed many historical events such as natural disasters, mass shootings, and a global pandemic. From these events, we have also seen the emergence of social justice movements like #BlackLivesMatter, #NoDAPL, and #MeToo movement. Likewise, students have identified countless opportunities to make social change and have risen to the challenge to do so through uncertain times. We would like to highlight and share the stories of Black change-makers and their projects that have been funded over the last 10 years.
Session E: Kujichagulia, 2:00-3:00 p.m.
Session Title:
African-centered Writing Pedagogy
Session Presenter:
Professor Arthur Ade Amaker
Chicago State University
Department of English, Foreign Languages and Literature
Session Theme:
This paper and presentation seek to explore the various ways African descendant people communicate and how these ways can serve as a modality to teach writing to African descendant students. African Centered writing pedagogy aligns with culturally relevant teaching or culturally responsive teaching and seeks to inspire at risk students to engage more with the process of learning how to write, both for academic purposes as well as creative. The presenter will use as a foundation for his research his years of teaching experience to all ages of student from elementary to graduate school as well as sources from African Education scholars Mwalimu Baruti, Dama Moseweyane, Kwame Ageyi Akoto, Marimba Ani and Dr. Wande Abimbola, among others.
Session F: Closing, 3:10 p.m.
Resolution Project Award Winners
HFC President Russell Kavalhuna and Vice President Michael Nealon letters of support
Welcome to Henry Ford College! After hosting two successful conferences, we are extremely proud to host the third statewide Black Male Retention and Success Conference on our campus.
The conference was created by Dr. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell, sociology faculty member and leader of the Black Male and QUEENS Focus Group (BMQFG). In addition to Dr. Harvell, Mr. Chardin Claybourne, Faculty Director of the Learning Lab and Tutoring Services, has been instrumental in his leadership to the success of the BMQFG and this conference. This group has consistently demonstrated the Henry Ford College mission of “transforming lives and building better futures” for African American men and women. And that transformation extends well beyond our campuses. The students influenced by this group will go on to become leaders across every industry and field. They will be innovators in their communities, and in civic and service roles around the world. They will make this College proud.
I know Dr. Harvell personally, and if you have not met him, you are in for a treat. One of the most valuable aspects of his work is that it comes from a place of abundance and access. In serving underrepresented minorities, Dr. Harvell sets the highest standards for hard work and success. He is able to translate rigorous academic study and sociological insight into action-based goals and positive outcomes.
Dr. Harvell and his students do not settle for a modest level of success. They want to excel in and beyond the classroom. They don’t demand excellence, they inspire it. They understand that access, support, and equity are keys to leveling the field for everyone.
During this conference, I hope all of you will find like-minded colleagues who aspire to similar goals and who can share their initiatives and metrics for success, as well as the challenges they face. I am excited about Dr. Harvell's vision of a state-wide network dedicated to the promotion of Black students’ academic and career success. Hopefully, you will join in that effort.
Our Black students deserve our best. They are worthy of every effort to meet them where they are, to challenge, encourage, and support them in reaching the life-transforming excellence that shows their highest capabilities.
The conference theme is “Resilience During Uncertainty: Succeeding Despite Challenges.” All of us at Henry Ford College eagerly join with you in carrying this work forward. Thank you for attending the conference. I hope you find it inspiring, informative, and energizing.
Best wishes,
Russell A. Kavalhuna, J.D.
President
Henry Ford College
Dear Colleagues, Students, and Friends,
It is both a pleasure and a privilege to welcome you to Henry Ford College for its hosting of the Third Annual Black Male Retention and Success Conference. From the very start, I wish to recognize and applaud the efforts of the many speakers, scholars, staff, and students who have made this exciting and essential event possible – most especially, Dr. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell, Prof. of Sociology and Coordinator of the Black Male and QUEENS Focus Group at HFC, Mr. Chardin Claybourne, Faculty Director of HFC’s Learning Lab and Tutoring Services Department, and Dr. Courtney Matthews, Prof. of English. With them, I invite you to join in the courageous conversations that will undoubtedly emerge throughout the conference, to share your own expertise and experience with others, and to participate actively in the collaborative and compelling work of creating successful and promising tomorrows for all our black male learners.
It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since the Center for Community College Student Engagement released its eye-opening study regarding the aspirations and achievements of men of color in America’s two-year colleges (2012 CCCSE Cohort Data, published in 2014 as Aspirations to Achievement: Men of Color and Community Colleges.) I still recall my surprise when learning that of black male students enrolled in community colleges in 2011-12: 59% indicated an interest in completing a certificate (compared to 50% of white male students who shared the same goal); 87% hoped to earn an associate degree (an aspiration shared by 80% of white male students); and, 82% intended to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue even more advanced education and academic credentials (something that only 72% of their white counterparts hoped to achieve). It was plain and obvious – black male students had high aspirations, set healthy goals, and dreamed of academic success. But, according to the IPEDS data for this same time period, only a staggeringly low 5% of black male students actually earned their certificates or associate degrees within three years of enrolling in community college, while at least 32% of their white male peers completed their credentials.
I wish I could joyfully proclaim that such unwarranted and unacceptable achievement and equity gaps have long since been closed over these past 10 years – however, as your own presence at this conference underscores and attests, we have many more miles yet to travel together on this journey to ensure that ALL learners have the support that they both need and deserve to realize their aspirations and achieve their educational and career goals. In this, we must cease in our chagrin that students are not “college-ready” and truly strive instead to become “student-ready” colleges. We must realize that students care less about “how much we know” and want rather to “know more how much we care.” We must make a radical shift from being a “transactional” system based on policies and practices that students must somehow divine and navigate to becoming a “relational” environment centered on belonging, inclusion, diversity, and equity. And, we must “learn by listening” – really hearing what students have to say about the importance of personal connections, meaningful engagement, high expectations, relevant coursework, and the quality of instruction as they impact their own academic success. Failure in these efforts cannot be an option as the stakes are both steep and real for our students, for our learning communities, and for our nation.
Thank you for your unwavering commitment to student success and the progress that I know you will make together on this important and ongoing journey!
Sincerely,
Michael A. Nealon
Vice President of Academic Affairs
Henry Ford College
Why should you attend?
The main purpose of the 2022 conference will be to build on the national conversations and network that began at the inaugural convening three years ago. The spirit of the first two conferences combined a distinguished group of scholar-activists dedicated to the creation of sustainable programs to positively impact the college experience, retention, and graduation rates of Black students.
Based on our understanding of the complexity of college retention rates, specifically among Black male students, we purposely view that best practices for increasing retention and graduation are ideologically connected. Yet, we require uniquely separate praxis contingents regarding the organizational culture of the institution and cultural knowledge assets that each student brings to a campus.
The goals for the 2022 conference are to continue to interrogate the challenges that impede both the retention and success of Black college students. The objective is to strive for articulation, development, and implementation of meaningful strategies and deliberate, sustainable programs to address the challenges. The strategies and program solutions derived from this year’s conference may be applicable to other student retention processes.
The 2022 conference is designed for students and practitioners. Specific plenary sessions will address the needs of members of both groups.
Contact information
This conference is free and open to the public. For questions or more information, contact:
Dr. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell
313-317-1533
kharvell@hfcc.edu
Mr. Chardin Claybourne
313-845-9818
cclaybourne@hfcc.edu
Dr. Courtney Matthews
(313) 845-6457
cahenderson2@hfcc.edu
Contribute to defray the costs of the conference (optional)
We are proud to bring you this conference at no charge to participate. We want everyone to have an opportunity to join in the conversation and learn from the perspectives offered.
However, it is not possible to provide an event like this at no cost. Therefore, if you feel inspired to contribute to our costs for this conference, please follow the steps below.
Donations of any amount are welcomed and greatly appreciated. All contributions are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Contribute here to help cover conference costs
Donating is easy and takes only a few moments:
1. Go to the link above, which takes you to the HFC Foundation donations page.
2. Select the amount you wish to contribute.
3. Under "Apply gift to," select Black Male Retention and Success Conference.
4. Add your name and address, and follow the additional steps to send your gift.
Thank you for your willingness to contribute to our work, and to the success of our HFC students!
Conference organizers
Dr. Courtney Aleise Matthews
Dr. Courtney Aleise Matthews is a Florida native and alum of the HBCU, Florida A&M University. Matthews has been an English professor for the last 13 years. In addition to teaching, she has also worked with students as an academic advisor, writing center tutor and writing center director. After earning her Bachelor’s in Journalism and English from FAMU, Matthews went on to earn a Masters in English Literature from the University of Toledo. There she started her teaching career in 2009. From Toledo, Ohio Matthews moved to Hawaii where she was a professor, a paralegal at a top law firm and earned another degree. While in Hawaii, Matthews earned a Masters in Linguistics, with a focus on endangered languages and language revitalization, from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In line with this work, Matthews won the Linguistic Endowment fund which she used to create and distribute a book in Hawaiian and English (Hawaiian language revitalization materials) to schools under Keiki O Ka ‘Aina. Matthews has also earned a certificate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Including Ourselves in the Change Equation: Personal Learning for Organizational Performance. Given her student centered focus, Matthews has also earned a Doctorate in Applied Learning Sciences from the University of Miami, with a focus on how Writing Centers can help college students transfer knowledge and writing skills across the curriculum and into their careers.
With a passion for student success and introducing students to new opportunities, Matthews has visited over 30 countries, including taking groups of students on study abroad trips from hiking the Great Wall of China, to a historical tour of India from Delhi to Agra and Kochi, to building a school in Ghana with Pencils of Promise. Dr. Matthews has also been a faculty judge and speaker at the Youth Innovative Conference on Global Governance (YICGG) where she helped to prepare and coach groups of students working on projects from sustainable development (2016 in Shanghai, China) to future energy and sustainable infrastructure (2017 in Astana, Kazahstan) and on global water preservation, utilization and development (2019 in Jakarta, Indonesia).
Dr. Matthews is also an artist and encourages students to look at intersections between art and social justice. While her own art focuses on exploring the world through landscape and cityscape travel photography, when teaching in Miami and New York City Matthews took students to engage with art exhibits and to meet artists whose works speak to current issues of social justice, as a way to bring present day into the writing classroom. Throughout her career thus far, Dr. Matthews has always been student focused, from creating a group for international students when teaching at the University of Miami to founding a group for first generation college students when teaching in New York City. These previous experiences and passions led Dr. Matthews to get involved with Henry Ford College’s Black Male and Queens Focus Group since moving to Michigan in 2021.
Mr. Chardin Claybourne
Mr. Chardin Claybourne is Faculty Director of the Learning Lab and Tutoring Services at Henry Ford College. A native Detroiter, Mr. Claybourne holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts degrees from Central Michigan University, and is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Community College Leadership at Ferris State University.
Mr. Claybourne is faculty advisor of the Black Male and QUEENS Focus Group and co-chair of the 2022 Black Male Retention & Success Conference. He serves on a number of college committees and is actively engaged in improving HFC’s outcomes for student retention and completion.
Dr. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell
Dr. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell is the oldest son of Lillian and Calvin Harvell. Kalvin DaRonne Harvell was raised in Flint, Michigan. Dr. Harvell earned a B.S. in sociology from Grand Valley State University, an M.A. in sociology from Ohio University, an Ed.S. in educational leadership (Specialist) from Oakland University, and a Ph.D. in global leadership from the Indiana Institute of Technology.
Dr. Harvell is a professor of sociology at Henry Ford College in Dearborn, Michigan. In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Harvell and his esteemed colleagues coordinate the Black Male and Quintessential, Unique, Essence of Ebony, Necessary, Sisters (QUEENS) Focus Group, an academic and social support network designed to address equity on the campus of Henry Ford College.
Dr. Harvell is a member of the Diversity Scholars Network at the National Center for Institutional Diversity (University of Michigan). The past president of the Michigan Sociological Association, Harvell was awarded the Milton Olsen Award for distinguished service to sociology in Michigan. Harvell is also the founder and chair of the Black Male Retention and Success Conference and Excellence of the Black Woman Conference (Henry Ford College). Additionally, he is the chief intellectual officer (CIO) at Harvell & Associates, an educational consulting firm involved in the production of asset-focused, culturally responsive educational programming. Of all his accomplishments and letters, the letters he is most proud and passionate about are - D A D D Y!