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DESIGN Victorious By Design (VBD) Magazine is an international inspirational lifestyle and leadership publication dedicated to personal, professional, and organizational transformation through a faith-based lens. Our magazine provides game-changing brand visibility, while delivering practical advice, actionable strategies, teachable moments, inspiring narratives, and tools that integrate faith with various aspects of life, business, and literature. We feature inspirational authors, business leaders, ministry leaders, purpose-driven influencers, industry experts, and other phenomenal individuals who are eager to share their insights with you.We created VBD Magazine just for you. Each issue highlights the incredible achievements of individuals who have harnessed their God-given talents and are using their expertise to positively impact lives. Our goal is to inspire you to reach beyond your fears and walk in your purpose so that you can live victoriously. We are your go-to empowerment oasis, and we are excited to be a part of your growth and success. VBD Magazine is a publication of Victorious By Design (VBD), LLC. The content is published in good faith. The views expressed in the articles, editorials, and all other content, reflect the author’s opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor or publisher. VBD does not endorse any organizations, programs, websites listed, advertisers, or the accuracy of claims made by the advertisers in this magazine.

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CONTENTS

VBD Magazine

3 VBD MAGAZINE About Us 6 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dr. Ann Marie Bryan 8 A MESSAGE FROM ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR JERRY L. DEMINGS 9 A MESSAGE FROM APOPKA MAYOR NICK NESTA 10 MEET OUR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS 12 HAPPY ANNIVERSARY VBD MAGAZINE VBD COVER STORY

28 DEREK LEWIS A Legacy of Opportunity 31 BRANDON ARRINGTON A Community Connected Through the Arts 32 SECILY WILSON Helping Others Find Their Way Forward 36 TAMMY DEVORE Making Room for Connection 37 DORINA GREEN A Calling to Help Others Find Home 38 BRITNEY ORTIZ A Family’s Sacrifices and a Founder’s Vision 40 ANA CAROLINA SALAZAR Opening Doors Through Cultural Connection 42 GISLENE “GIGI” MOORMAN The Connections That Build a Legacy 46 DR. RUBY EVANS A Legacy of Teaching, Scholarship, and Leadership

18 MAYOR NICK NESTA The Vision and the Work Ahead VBD STAR POWER LIST 23 2026 VICTORIOUS LEADERSHIP AWARDS 24 MEET OUR 25 HONOREES

49 JAMIE MERRILL Empowering the Next Generation 52 TINA MCCALL-WATERS Breaking Barriers and Building Futures 54 NADINE MENTOR WILLIAMS Investing in Tomorrow’s Women Leaders

VBD Magazine 56 APRIL PAGE A Heart for Children and a Lifetime of Service

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58 LASHEA C. REAVES The Opportunity in Eight Cents 62 KACEY WOOD Prevention Begins with a Person 66 KELLY EICHNER Care That Keeps Showing Up 70 THRESA GILES Leadership That Sustains Care 74 CANDICE W. JONES, MD, FAAP A Victory Shared with Families 76 KAMI STRONG, MD Leading Recovery with Compassion and Purpose

98 PIECES OF US The Anthology & Its Companion Journal 100 MEET THE AUTHORS Dr. Ann Marie Bryan Dana M. Rosser Danyelle Scroggins Donna Mae Jackson Genevieve D. Woods J.L. Campbell Lé Dash Mark C. A. Jennings Opal Sloan-Archie Pamela Nance Johnson Tricia Stewart-Sanon

80 ARLENE BLAKE Helping Women Build Economic Independence

VBD PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAVEN

82 DERRICK CHUBBS Strengthening Central Florida Through Service

114 ERICA PARKER The Human Side of Change

84 SEAN A. ESLER A Responsibility to Give Back 86 TANISHA NUNN GARY Advocacy That Expands Opportunity 90 PRITA CHHABRA Finding Her Voice in Service 94 COREY ROWE Building with Purpose

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VBD HEALTH & WELLNESS 118 JANAY RICHARDS Redefining Workplace Wellness VBD INSPIRATION OASIS 124 DANYELLE SCROGGINS The Gift of Leadership 126 RAMONA POWELL DENNIS A Servant Leader

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dr. Ann Marie Bryan MANAGING EDITOR Paula Hamilton CREATIVE DIRECTOR Beverlyn Johnson FEATURES EDITOR Icylin Morgan CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Dr. Henritta Stewart SNR. FEATURE WRITER Bindu A. Chowritmootoo Dr. Jacquiline Cox Dr. Ruby Evans Mark C. A. Jennings FEATURE WRITERS W. Mason Dunn Sardia J. Jennings Kay Johnson-Clennon Atinuké Oladele CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ramona Powell Dennis Pastor Danyelle Scroggins FRONT COVER DESIGN Brittany Rockwell SUBSCRIPTIONS www.vbdmagazine.com 1 year (4 Quarterly Issues) US $100 1 Year Digital Subscription Free

VBD Magazine

EDITOR’S LETTER

FROM THE DESK of Ann Marie Bryan

Five Years of Faith, Purpose, and Impact

ive years of publishing VBD Magazine have deepened my appreciation for the people whose stories we share and the ways their experiences can broaden perspectives, strengthen faith, and inspire purposeful living. This anniversary honors their trust, the readers who find meaning in our pages, and the relationships that have sustained our work.

I thank God for His guidance and our editorial team, contributors, photographers, creative partners, and advertisers for their dedication. Together, you have helped build a publication where leadership, culture, creativity, and purposeful living meet.

We are honored to include anniversary messages from Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings and Apopka Mayor Nick Nesta. As an Apopka resident, these greetings hold special meaning for me. Our cover conversation with Mayor Nesta explores the responsibilities of leading a growing city, offering insights into public trust, accountability, and opportunity. Through the inaugural 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, we also recognize 25 Central Florida leaders whose service demonstrates how individual commitment can strengthen communities. We look forward to an in-person celebration in 2027. I am especially pleased to introduce the coauthors of Pieces of Us, the first book in The Story of Us anthology series. As visionary author, I celebrate the distinct perspectives these writers bring to Christian fiction about love, vulnerability, healing, and restoration. Meet them in this issue and discover the anthology and its companion journal. As we begin our next year, we remain committed to publishing stories with substance, welcoming meaningful conversations, and connecting readers with ideas and experiences that enrich their lives. Thank you for being part of our journey. Stay safe, stay connected, and as always, stay victorious. Enjoy this issue.

Ann Marie Bryan Dr. Ann Marie Bryan Editor-in-Chief

St. Monica’s Children’s Home A VICTORIOUS BY DESIGN CHARITABLE INITIATIVE JOIN US IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE! At Victorious By Design, we believe in the power of giving back and transforming lives. Through our Charitable Giving Initiative, we are honored to support St. Monica’s Children’s Home, a safe haven providing love, care, and opportunities for children in need.

Your generosity helps provide: Nutritious Meals & Essentials Education & Opportunities Safe Shelter Be a part of the change: Make a Donation Become a Sponsor Spread the Word

Join the Movement! DONATE NOW

VICTORIOUS BY DESIGN Lighting the path to your next level of unprecedented success

A MESSAGE FROM ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR

VBD Magazine

Congratulations VBD Magazine A MESSAGE FROM ORANGE COUNTY MAYOR JERRY L. DEMINGS

t is my distinct honor and pleasure to congratulate Victorious by Design Magazine on its 5th Anniversary!

I would like to take this opportunity to commend the magazine’s executive team for your continued commitment to civic engagement and service to the Orange County community. Through your publishing efforts, you continue to inspire, uplift, and empower others while contributing to the growth and vitality of Central Florida. Your dedication to making a positive impact exemplifies the important role community changemakers play in building a stronger, more vibrant community.

As you celebrate this milestone, I encourage you to reflect on the meaningful contributions you have made over the past five years and the lasting impact of your work. On behalf of the 1.6 million residents who call Orange County home, thank you for your continued dedication to our community. Once again, congratulations on the commemorative edition of your magazine. I wish you continued success and many more years of inspiring stories and positive community impact.

VBD Magazine

A MESSAGE FROM APOPKA MAYOR

Congratulations VBD Magazine A MESSAGE FROM APOPKA MAYOR NICK NESTA

ongratulations to VBD Magazine on 5 incredible years of celebrating the people, businesses, and communities that make Central Florida such a special place to call home!

One thing I’ve learned is that great communities don’t just happen. They’re built by people who care. People who are willing to roll up their sleeves, take chances, support their neighbors and work toward something bigger than themselves. That’s what makes this recognition of Central Florida’s 25 Victorious Leaders so meaningful. Leadership isn’t always about having a title or being the loudest voice in the room. Sometimes it’s about showing up, lending a helping hand, believing in an idea, or simply doing the right thing when nobody is watching. Those are the qualities that truly make a difference. As Mayor of Apopka, I have the privilege of meeting incredible people every day. From small business owners and entrepreneurs chasing their dreams to community volunteers and dedicated public servants, I’m constantly reminded that the greatest strength of any city is its people. And while we may represent different cities, businesses, and backgrounds, we all share something important: a desire to leave our communities a little better than we found them.

dedication, and commitment to making a difference deserve to be celebrated. I hope your stories inspire others to step forward, get involved and recognize that they, too, have the ability to make a positive impact.

To the 25 Victorious Leaders being rec- And to the entire VBD Magazine team, ognized, congratulations! Your hard work, congratulations on your 5th anniversary!

Thank you for using your platform to shine a light on the people and stories that deserve to be told. Here’s to 5 great years, many more ahead, and a future where we continue to grow, support one another and celebrate everything that makes Central Florida extraordinary.

VBD Magazine

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

ISSUE 24/2026

Meet Our CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Click/tap on the card to visit the writer's respective website or social media page.

DANYELLE SCROGGINS Author & Senior Pastor of New Vessels Ministries Danyelle Scroggins is the senior pastor of New Vessels Ministries North in Shreveport, Louisiana, and chaplain at Ochsner LSU Health Center, Louisiana’s trauma one health center. She owns Divinely Sown Publishing LLC, a company that specializes in the publication of books divinely sown into the hearts of writers. Danyelle is the author of both Christian fiction and non-fiction books.

ATINUKÉ OLADELE Feature Writer, Author, & Project Coordinator Atinuke Oladele is an author, customer experience and quality assurance professional, and project coordinator. She is an encourager and a quiet warrior of hope. With a heart for strong friends, silent sufferers, and late-night overthinkers, she crafts honest, healing words that offer grace and space to breathe. Atinuke joins the team as a Feature Writer for VBD Magazine.

DR. JACQUILINE COX Bestselling Author & Literary Coach Dr. Jacquiline Cox is a bestselling author, publisher, and founder of Listen Linda Publishing. As Mrs. Illinois USA Ambassador, she uses her voice to empower others through faith, storytelling, and resilience. As a contributing writer for VBD Magazine, she brings her signature blend of bold encouragement, literary excellence, and faith-forward inspiration to every article.

RAMONA POWELL DENNIS Author, Teacher & Inspirational Speaker

Ramona Powell is an author, teacher, and inspirational speaker. She has used her upbringing in a Christian home to help channel her love for Christ and her desire to be an inspiration to all. "Sometimes we go through things to strengthen our faith and to be a testament to others." She loves sharing her life experiences to show that no matter what life throws at you, you can overcome and prevail.

VBD Magazine

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

BINDU A. CHOWRITMOOTOO Senior Feature Writer & Author

Bindu Chowritmootoo is a leadership and business coach with over 25 years in healthcare and the founder of Manifest with Bindu. She has partnered with 200+ companies to empower growth and excellence, while also raising funds for children’s education through Bloom India. A Certified Professional Coach, she has been featured in Frisco City Lifestyle and honored with Female Entrepreneur of the Month and 50 Under 50.

W. MASON DUNN Feature Writer, Author, & Writing Consultant

Waletta Mason Dunn is an author, publisher, and writing consultant. She is the author of five Christian fiction novels and several journals. The breadth of her personal and professional experiences has contributed enormously to her fascinatingly inspirational writings. Waletta uses wisdom gained in the trenches as the foundation for her writing and consulting ministry. As a Feature Writer for VBD Magazine, she is committed to inspiring readers while strategically aligning her content with the magazine’s growth and impact objectives.

DR. RUBY EVANS Senior Feature Writer & Educator

Dr. Ruby Evans, a visionary educational leader, holds degrees in Mathematics from Grambling State University, Applied Statistics from Louisiana State University, and a doctorate in Higher Education Administration with a minor in Theoretical Statistics from the University of Florida. A dedicated professor, statistical consultant, and philanthropist, Dr. Evans is also an avid reader with a passion for the written word.

SARDIA J. JENNINGS Feature Writer & Healthcare IT Professional

Sardia J. Jennings is a former cardiac nurse turned healthcare IT professional. She holds a degree in nursing from Auburn University. Her love for writing is matched by her passion for purpose. As a Feature Writer for VBD Magazine, she fuses her expertise in health and technology with her love for writing and faith.

MARK C.A. JENNINGS Senior Feature Writer & Attorney

Mark C.A. Jennings, Esq. is a distinguished attorney, communicator, and purpose-driven storyteller. With a deep commitment to faith, justice, and community impact, he brings a unique blend of legal expertise and narrative excellence to VBD Magazine. As a Senior Feature Writer, Mark is dedicated to uncovering stories that inspire, empower, and reflect the heart of transformational leadership and service.

KAY JOHNSON-CLENNON Feature Writer, Author & Actuary

Kay Johnson-Clennon is a multifaceted professional, juggling roles as a devoted wife, mother, author, educator, and associate actuary with over 15 years of experience. Her passion lies in demystifying intricate calculations, which is reflected in her compelling writing style. She finds joy in blogging, volunteering, and sharing her wisdom, embodying a spirit of curiosity and boundless energy. In her role as a Feature Writer for VBD Magazine, Kay aims to inspire readers and contribute to the company’s mission of excellence.

VBD Magazine

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Five Years of Faith, Purpose, and Impact CELEBRATING THE JOURNEY AND EMBRACING THE FUTURE OF VBD MAGAZINE by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

n October 2021, a dream I had carried in my heart for years became a reality with the publication of the inaugural issue of Victorious By Design (VBD) Magazine. I remember the excitement, the anticipation, and the tremendous sense of responsibility that came with bringing that first issue to life. I knew God had entrusted me with a vision, and I wanted to honor that assignment by creating a publication that would encourage people to embrace their purpose and pursue excellence in every area of life.

Today, as we celebrate our fifth anniversary, my heart is filled with gratitude. Five years of publishing have brought invaluable lessons, meaningful relationships, unexpected opportunities, and countless reminders of God’s faithfulness. There have been seasons of tremendous progress and seasons that required patience, perseverance, and difficult decisions. Through them all, the vision has remained firmly rooted in faith and a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others. This anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the people, stories, and experiences that have shaped our journey while sharing our vision for the years ahead. THE FOUNDATION OF A DREAM The story of VBD Magazine began long before our first issue appeared in October 2021. I had dreamed of launching a magazine while serving as Editor-in-Chief of Purpose Driven Women Magazine under the leadership of Kimi Johnson, CEO of

VBD Magazine PurposePals Publishing. Although the desire was there, I continued postponing the dream as I managed other responsibilities and commitments. Years later, Kimi challenged me with a question that I have never forgotten: “What reason are you going to give God for not starting your magazine?” Her words stirred something deep within me. They caused me to examine the vision I had set aside and consider whether I was allowing circumstances to delay an assignment God had already placed on my heart. After spending time in prayer, I made the decision to move forward. Every dream requires guidance, and God placed incredible people on my path. I am deeply grateful to business mogul Dr. Pasha Carter, co-founder of The VIP Network Inc., whose leadership and mentorship strengthened my understanding of magazine publishing. Serving as Managing Editor of VIP Global Magazine for nearly a year provided valuable experience in editorial development, publishing operations, and brand leadership. That experience helped prepare me for the responsibilities of launching and managing my own publication. Another individual who deserves special recognition is Kerry-Ann McPherson, our former Managing Editor. Kerry was instrumental in helping me get the inaugural issue of VBD Magazine up and running. During those important early stages, when we were working to transform a vision into a finished publication, her collaboration, commitment, and support were invaluable. I remain deeply appreciative of the role she played in helping us establish the magazine and bring that first issue to our readers. I thank God for placing these individuals along my path. Their encouragement, guidance, and contributions helped lay the foundation for a publication that continues to serve readers around the world. FIVE YEARS OF STORIES THAT MATTER From the beginning, our mission has been to inspire, equip, and empower individuals and organizations to pursue their God-giv-

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HAPPY FIFTH ANNIVERSARY, VBD MAGAZINE! MAY WE CONTINUE TO LIVE, LEAD, AND SERVE WITH FAITH, PURPOSE, AND EXCELLENCE. AND AS ALWAYS, STAY VICTORIOUS. en purpose. We envisioned a magazine where readers could discover inspirational stories, gain practical knowledge, explore opportunities for personal and professional development, and encounter individuals whose experiences offered valuable lessons for everyday living. Over the past five years, we have had the privilege of sharing the journeys of leaders, entrepreneurs, educators, healthcare professionals, authors, creatives, ministry leaders, and community advocates. Some have achieved international recognition, while others have made extraordinary contributions through their work within local communities. Our cover stories have introduced readers to individuals whose achievements and experiences demonstrate the importance of vision, perseverance, leadership, and service. I have been especially encouraged by the willingness of our featured guests to speak openly about their journeys. Alongside their accomplishments, many have shared the challenges they encountered, the decisions that shaped their paths, and the lessons they learned along the way. Their honesty has given our readers opportunities to connect with the people behind the achievements. Our editorial commitment has always extended beyond celebrating success. We want readers to leave each issue with knowledge they can apply, encouragement for the challenges they face, and a renewed appreciation for the possibilities before them. As the publication has grown, so has the diversity of stories we have been privileged to tell. We have connected with remarkable individuals across geographical boundaries, demonstrating that purpose, service, and excellence have the power to unite people from different backgrounds and experiences.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PAGES Publishing a magazine requires creativity, collaboration, discipline, and an extraordinary amount of dedication. Every issue represents countless hours of planning, interviews, writing, editing, proofreading, design, and preparation. Behind the finished publication are people who believe in the mission and willingly contribute their time, expertise, and talents to bringing it to life. Our phenomenal magazine team includes Paula Hamilton, Icylin Morgan, Beverlyn Johnson, Dr. Henritta Stewart, Dr. Dacia Morgan, Dr. Ruby Evans, Dr. Jacquiline Cox, Marko Nedeljkovic, Brittany Rockwell, Ramona Powell Dennis, Pastor Danyelle Scroggins, Attorney Mark Jennings, Kerry-Ann McPherson, Kay Johnson-Clennon, W. Mason Dunn, Shauna-Kay Harrison, Sardia Jennings, Millicent Battick, Shaun Battick, Atinuké Oladele, Vanessa Paul, and Bindu Chowritmootoo. Each brings valuable strengths to our editorial process, helping us maintain the quality and professionalism our readers have come to expect. Throughout these five years, we have also been blessed by the contributions of former team members, writers, editors, photographers, designers, ambassadors, and other professionals who have served VBD Magazine in various capacities. Their efforts are part of the publication’s history, and I remain thankful for the important roles they have played. To everyone who has entrusted us with a story, participated in an interview, contributed an article, or supported our publishing efforts, thank you. Your willingness to collaborate has helped us build meaningful relationships and provide our readers with enriching content. And to our readers, subscribers, advertisers, partners, and supporters, I extend my sincere appreciation. Your encouragement, feedback, and continued interest in the magazine have strengthened our resolve to keep moving forward. Whether you have been with us since our inaugural issue or recently discovered VBD Magazine, we are grateful to have you as part of our community.

VBD Magazine

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATING VICTORIOUS LEADERSHIP One of the most exciting developments of our fifth-anniversary year is the launch of the Victorious Leadership Awards, an initiative created to recognize individuals who demonstrate excellence in leadership, service, and community impact. We are beginning this initiative in 2026 by celebrating Central Florida’s 25 Victorious Leaders in this commemorative issue of VBD Magazine. Our honorees represent diverse fields, including education, business, healthcare, ministry, public service, nonprofit leadership, technology, the arts, and community advocacy. Although their professional journeys and areas of service differ, they share qualities that reflect the values we believe are essential to effective leadership. At VBD Magazine, we define a victorious leader as someone who leads with purpose, serves with integrity, and creates meaningful impact in their field, organization, or community. This definition reflects our belief that leadership is demonstrated through character, responsibility, service, and the positive influence an individual has on others. Throughout this anniversary issue, we are privileged to share individual profiles of our 25 honorees. These features explore their journeys, accomplishments, contributions, and the personal values that

guide their work. We want our readers to become acquainted with these leaders, understand the significance of their efforts, and appreciate the many ways individuals are helping to strengthen our Central Florida communities. This recognition represents an important milestone in the growth of VBD Magazine. It allows us to expand our editorial mission

while developing stronger connections within the region we call home. We are equally excited about what lies ahead. In 2027, we plan to host our inaugural in-person Victorious Leadership Awards event, bringing together honorees, community leaders, organizations, business professionals, and supporters for a memorable celebration of leadership and service.

VBD Magazine Our vision is to develop this initiative into an annual tradition that recognizes meaningful achievements, encourages collaboration, and inspires others to pursue opportunities to serve their communities. As we introduce the Victorious Leadership Awards, I am reminded that every community benefits from individuals who are willing to lead responsibly, invest in others, and use their abilities to create positive change. We are honored to celebrate 25 such individuals as part of our fifth-anniversary milestone. FAITH FORWARD Our fifth-anniversary theme, Faith Forward: The Future Is Now, reflects the direction in which we are moving as a publication. We are grateful for the foundation established during our first five years, and we recognize the importance of continuing to grow, innovate, and respond to the changing needs of our readers. The publishing industry continues to evolve, creating new opportunities for digital engagement, multimedia storytelling, education, and audience development. As we consider the future of VBD Magazine, we are committed to embracing these opportunities thoughtfully while preserving the editorial values that have guided us from the beginning.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY We envision expanding our digital presence, increasing opportunities for meaningful conversations with our featured guests, and introducing initiatives that support leadership development, education, professional growth, and community engagement. Our dedicated magazine website provides an important foundation for connecting readers with our stories and creating additional opportunities for interaction. The launch of the Victorious Leadership Awards is one example of how we intend to translate our vision into initiatives that extend our impact beyond the printed page. We also remain committed to serving others through charitable efforts, including our support of St. Monica’s Children’s Home. Giving has always been an important expression of our values, and we look forward to strengthening that commitment as new opportunities arise. There is still much work to be done. We have goals to accomplish, relationships to build, and stories waiting to be shared. Our responsibility is to approach each opportunity with wisdom, integrity, and a willingness to keep learning. A HEART OF GRATITUDE Five years ago, I stepped forward in faith, trusting God to guide a dream that

had remained in my heart for so long. I could not have anticipated every opportunity, challenge, or connection that would become part of this journey. What I did know was that I wanted to create something meaningful, something that would honor God and encourage others to live with purpose. As I reflect on these five years, I am thankful for His guidance and faithfulness. I am thankful for the people who believed in the vision, those who worked alongside me, and those who offered encouragement when it was needed most. I am grateful for every story we have been entrusted to tell and every opportunity we have had to share hope, wisdom, and inspiration. The road ahead will undoubtedly bring new challenges and responsibilities, but I approach the future with confidence in God’s continued direction. My desire is that VBD Magazine will keep growing in excellence, extending its reach, and remaining a trusted platform for stories that inform, inspire, and encourage meaningful action. To our VBD family, thank you for being part of this remarkable journey. Your support has helped make these five years possible, and I look forward to everything we will accomplish together in the years ahead.

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V I C T O R I O U S

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COVER Story

THE VISION AND THE WORK AHEAD

Mayor Nick Nesta Leading His Hometown Through Growth with Faith, Accountability, and a Commitment to Expanding Opportunity by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

Photos Courtesy of the Office of the Mayor

VBD Magazine

COVER STORY

VBD Magazine

COVER STORY

ayor Nick Nesta leads Apopka, Orange County’s second-largest city and home to approximately 66,000 residents, at a consequential point in its growth. Decisions about housing, infrastructure, public spending, and economic opportunity will influence how families live, how businesses grow, and what future generations inherit. For Nesta, those responsibilities carry personal weight. Apopka is the city that raised him, the community where he established his business, and the place where he and his wife, Lauren, are raising their twin daughters. An entrepreneur and real estate professional who served four years as a city commissioner before becoming mayor in April 2026, Nesta brings an understanding of both private enterprise and public responsibility to City Hall. His priorities connect the demands of a growing city with the foundations needed to sustain it. He is focused on strengthening infrastructure and improving city operations through financial discipline, clear direction, and support for employees. Alongside that work is a commitment to ensuring that growth creates opportunities for the people who call Apopka home. During VBD Magazine’s conversation with Nesta, the scope of that responsibility emerged alongside the warmth and accessibility of the man carrying it. He spoke candidly about his journey, the decisions before his administration, and the competing demands of leadership and family. His thoughtful responses revealed a man deeply invested in his hometown and conscious of what its residents expect of him. ROOTED IN APOPKA Nesta’s connection to Apopka began when his family moved there in the early 1990s. “I wasn’t born here, but I was definitely raised here,” Nesta says. He attended Trinity Christian School, Piedmont Lakes Middle School, and Apopka High School, then earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in real estate from the University of Central Florida.

Between his undergraduate and graduate studies, he started the brokerage that became Nesta Real Estate Consultants. The business now involves his mother and sister, a family partnership he described with evident appreciation. The real estate industry gave him a professional understanding of the decisions through which a community changes, from the purchase of a home to the development of a business. His stake in those decisions is also personal. The city’s future will shape his daughters’ childhood and the opportunities available to them as they grow. His interest in public service developed partly from dissatisfaction with the direction of local government and a desire to help shape the community his family calls home. An unsuccessful run for office in 2020 preceded four years on the City Commission and his election as mayor in 2026. Those experiences deepened his understanding of local government and the concerns of residents. Becoming

mayor brought broader responsibility for translating policy into the daily work of city government, from directing staff and setting priorities to overseeing the delivery of services. His early efforts focused on strengthening city operations and giving employees the direction and support they need to serve residents effectively. MAKING GOVERNMENT ACCESSIBLE Nesta’s account of accessibility begins with priorities. “I’m as accessible as I possibly can be for our residents, and I usually try to prioritize them over developers, or vendors, or anything else.” Residents should feel welcome to share concerns, voice disagreement, and offer encouragement. Nesta believes they deserve his attention regardless of whether they support his decisions. Nesta puts that commitment into practice through town halls, individual conversations, school visits, and community gatherings. He also described efforts to release meeting agendas earlier, giving

VBD Magazine

COVER STORY

residents more time to review the matters scheduled for discussion. His Mayor Monday updates outline the week ahead, while Steven Montiero, the city’s director of public information, provides an endof-week recap of what was accomplished. These routines matter because public participation depends on more than an invitation to attend a meeting. Residents need information early enough to consider it, ask useful questions, and understand how a decision may affect them. Regular updates help residents track progress, understand delays, and see whether the city is following through on its commitments. Explaining problems while they remain unresolved is a harder responsibility. He emphasized the importance of telling residents what can be repaired promptly, what requires substantial investment, and how long the work may take. Those explanations give residents a basis for assessing the administration’s progress. Discussing his obligation to residents, including those who did not vote for him, he offered a straightforward declaration. “I still work for you. I still represent you.” THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE SERVICES Nesta’s review of City Hall begins with how responsibility is assigned. He is restructuring city operations to clarify

reporting relationships, improve coordination, and address gaps in how the organization functions. He wants employees to understand what is expected of them and residents to know that someone will follow their concerns through to resolution. He also emphasizes that a change in leadership does not necessarily require replacing experienced staff. “In most cases, they didn’t need to be replaced. They needed better communication, clearer direction, and the support to do their jobs.” His approach recognizes the knowledge employees bring while establishing clearer expectations for performance. Improving operations means understanding where employees need support, where responsibilities overlap, and where changes can make service more dependable. The results matter to residents waiting for answers and to employees responsible for meeting their needs. He places the responsibility for change first on those directing it. “Because before IN MOST CASES, THEY DIDN’T NEED TO BE REPLACED. THEY NEEDED BETTER COMMUNICATION, CLEARER DIRECTION, AND THE SUPPORT TO DO THEIR JOBS.

we ask our employees to change, leadership should be willing to change first.” GROWTH AND ITS COST Apopka’s growth brings financial demands that reach across city government and into household budgets. Commissioners adopted a $237.3 million budget for fiscal year 2027 in September, with projected unassigned General Fund reserves at approximately 19 percent, below the city’s 25 percent policy target. Rebuilding those reserves must be balanced with the need to maintain services and address infrastructure pressures. Residents are also paying more for essential services. Rate increases that took effect October 1, 2026, included 6 percent for water, sewer, and reclaimed water and 6.5 percent for garbage collection. Those increases reinforce Nesta’s responsibility to explain how the city uses public funds and why additional investment is needed. Water is among the concerns requiring attention. Nesta acknowledged residents’ concerns about water pressure, particularly in northern Apopka, along with questions about water quality. He discussed plans to examine utility finances, rate studies, and impact fees, which help fund infrastructure needs associated with development. Those reviews would help the administration assess its resources and determine how to support improvements as demand grows.

VBD Magazine

COVER STORY

Delivering those improvements takes time. Engineering, permitting, financing, and construction each affect when a project can move forward and when residents will see results. Nesta emphasized the importance of explaining what the work involves, what can be addressed promptly, and what requires a longer investment of time and resources. OWNERSHIP AND OPPORTUNITY Housing and entrepreneurship are closely connected in Nesta’s plans for Apopka. Drawing on his real estate background, he is exploring ways for people at different income levels to live in the same communities, with opportunities to own property and build financial stability. Early conversations with the Hispanic Federation, Habitat for Humanity, and other organizations have focused on how such opportunities might take shape. His interests include cooperative housing and mixed-use developments that bring residential and commercial spaces together. He described the possibility of businesses occupying a building’s lower floor, with individually owned residences above. Such arrangements could give residents a place to live while supporting businesses and economic activity within their neighborhood. Nesta emphasized that these conversations are still in their earliest stages. His interest rests in the long-term possibilities of ownership, particularly its potential to help families accumulate assets and pass on wealth to the next generation.

sibilities they may not have considered. Nesta sees these opportunities as part of preparing young people to develop their ideas, make informed decisions, and build businesses of their own.

That commitment extends to young people. “And I really want to see kids be able to start to be entrepreneurs and own their futures as well.” For children who have experienced hardship, access to business education and mentorship can open pos-

His concern for young people also includes ensuring that they feel “seen, heard, and valued.” In discussing that commitment, Nesta spoke about having to step up after his father died in February 2013. The experience brought personal loss and new responsibilities into his life, adding a personal dimension to his interest in supporting others as they navigate challenges and find their way forward.

I’M AS ACCESSIBLE AS I POSSIBLY CAN BE FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AND I USUALLY TRY TO PRIORITIZE THEM OVER DEVELOPERS, OR VENDORS, OR ANYTHING ELSE.

A COMMUNITY THAT MEETS Community events hold an important place in Apopka’s social life. During the interview, Nesta reflected on the simple experience of sitting beside someone at a parade, where a conversation can begin without either person knowing

the other’s background. Such encounters give neighbors a chance to find common interests and become more comfortable with one another. Those connections matter in a growing city. New neighborhoods can develop without residents having many opportunities to meet people beyond their immediate surroundings. Public gatherings bring people together across neighborhoods, backgrounds, and generations, helping strengthen their sense of belonging to the same community. Nesta’s interest in Apopka’s outdoor spaces, including Camp Wewa and nearby Wekiwa Springs, reflects a similar commitment to preserving what residents value about their hometown. As investment and development continue, places where families spend time together and neighbors gather remain essential to the city’s quality of life.

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COVER STORY WORKING ACROSS BOUNDARIES Roads, utilities, and public services connect communities whose needs often extend beyond municipal boundaries. Nesta sees opportunities for neighboring cities and Orange County to coordinate investments, share resources, and avoid unnecessary duplication of facilities and services. Road projects offer a practical example. He described conversations with county staff about aligning priorities, along with recurring meetings between the city’s streets team and its county counterparts. Coordinating work where construction crews are already operating could help make better use of equipment, time, and funding. Planning together can also ensure that sidewalks and roadways connect across jurisdictional lines. Conversations with neighboring cities include the possibility of shared facilities and coordinated services. These discussions remain exploratory, with costs, responsibilities, and feasibility still to be determined. His interest is in identifying where cooperation could meet residents’ needs more effectively than separate investments by each government. Residents cross municipal boundaries every day to work, attend school, and access services. Effective regional cooperation recognizes those patterns and translates conversations among leaders into coordinated plans, budgets, and agreements that improve daily life. FAITH AND THE COST OF SERVICE Balancing public office with marriage, fatherhood, and personal relationships requires difficult choices. Nesta spoke candidly about wanting to be fully present in each part of his life while recognizing that time devoted to one responsibility reduces what is available for another. “It is not an easy one; I will tell you that. It’s one of those things where you want to give everything 100%. The reality of it is, there’s no balance. I give 100% here, but that 100% is taking away from somewhere else. You have to decide who or what gets priority each day, each hour, or each minute. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality of it.”

Nesta acknowledged the pressure of meeting those demands and the importance of building a strong team to share the workload. Balancing his responsibilities at City Hall with his commitments at home remains an ongoing effort.

turnkey machine. They can come in with confidence and power, knowing that things are set up right, and look back and say, ‘What he did was tough, but thank God he did it, so I don’t have to do that now.’”

Faith informs his understanding of that commitment. “If God has put me in this position, I have a responsibility to serve.” His sense of calling gives purpose to the sacrifices the role requires, even as he works to honor his commitments to the people closest to him and the residents who depend on City Hall.

He also recognizes that leadership requires knowing when to let someone else carry the work forward. “Pass the baton. Don’t be scared. You were there for a moment, not for life.”

APOPKA’S NEXT CHAPTER The work ahead involves strengthening city operations, addressing infrastructure needs, and developing partnerships that can expand housing and economic opportunity. Some priorities require immediate decisions about staffing, spending, and services. Others, including the housing approaches and regional collaborations Nesta is exploring, will require further planning before they can become commitments residents can count on. Nesta is also considering how improvements made during his administration can endure beyond his tenure. Preparing a capable team and establishing dependable operations are part of that responsibility. “I’m positioning the next person, whoever that may be and whenever that may be, so they can walk into a well-oiled,

His vision reaches beyond government operations to the relationships among residents. During the interview, he acknowledged historical grievances that continue to affect Apopka. Building trust requires listening to those experiences and understanding why they still matter. He hopes that greater participation, continued conversation, and opportunities to work together will help residents feel represented in the city’s future. “I want our city to truly come together,” he says. His decisions now will help shape the future of the community that shaped his own life. As he works to meet that responsibility, his hope is for an Apopka where progress strengthens both the city’s services and its sense of community. “That would be the legacy that I would want.”

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2026 Victorious Leadership Awards HONORING 25 CENTRAL FLORIDA LEADERS

ive years of publishing VBD Magazine have given us the privilege of meeting people whose work deserves to be known. Their stories have taken us into businesses, classrooms, ministries, healthcare organizations, and community programs. We have listened to leaders describe the decisions that tested them, the people who encouraged them, and the responsibilities that keep them committed. Again and again, we have seen how one person’s willingness to serve can create opportunities for many others. As we celebrate our fifth anniversary, we are pleased to introduce the inaugural Victorious Leadership Awards, recognizing 25 Central Florida leaders whose contributions reflect purpose, integrity, and meaningful impact. This recognition grows naturally from the work of VBD Magazine. We believe that telling a person’s story is also an opportunity to help readers understand the commitment behind an accomplishment and the lives affected by it. For us, a victorious leader is someone who leads with purpose, serves with integrity, and creates meaningful impact in their field, organization, or community. That understanding allows us to recog-

nize leadership in different forms and at different stages. Some of this year’s honorees bring decades of professional experience. Others are establishing their careers while already demonstrating a strong sense of responsibility to the people around them. Each has a story worth sharing. Across ten recognition categories, their work speaks to the needs and possibilities of Central Florida. They are helping children learn, supporting families, strengthening businesses, expanding access to healthcare, encouraging creative expression, and preparing others to lead. Their experiences differ, but their profiles reveal a shared willingness to put knowledge, relationships, and resources to work for the benefit of others. These pages also acknowledge the persistence that service requires. Behind a growing organization or a successful initiative are decisions about funding, staffing, partnerships, and the best way to respond when circumstances change. Our honorees speak about those responsibilities with honesty. Many also describe the faith, family, mentors, and community relationships that sustain them. Their achievements remind us to recognize both the person leading and the people who make the work possible.

We hope you will read these profiles with curiosity and appreciation. You may discover an organization you would like to support, a leader whose experience speaks to your own, or an opportunity to become more involved in your community. Recognition has lasting value when it helps people connect and encourages others to contribute. In 2027, the Victorious Leadership Awards will include an in-person celebration, creating an opportunity to gather, honor outstanding leadership, and strengthen the relationships that help our communities thrive. We look forward to sharing more details as plans develop. To our inaugural honorees, thank you for the care, discipline, and conviction you bring to your work. We are honored to share your stories in this commemorative issue. As VBD Magazine enters its next year, we remain committed to sharing stories that inspire our readers to lead with purpose, pursue their goals, and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Stay victorious. Dr. Ann Marie Bryan Founder & CEO, Victorious By Design Editor-in-Chief, VBD Magazine

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2026 Victorious Leadership Awards Meet Our Honorees HONORING 25 CENTRAL FLORIDA LEADERS

Victorious

BD Magazine proudly recognizes 25 Central Florida leaders whose work reflects purpose, integrity, and meaningful impact. Across business, education, healthcare, ministry, the arts, and community service, these honorees are expanding opportunities, driving change, and improving lives.

ADVOCACY AND SOCIAL IMPACT

Derek Lewis Multi-Brand Franchise Owner Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks Philly Pretzel Factory ARTS, CULTURE, AND MEDIA

BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Brandon Arrington Executive Director Osceola Arts

Secily Wilson Founder & CEO WOW Legacy Group, Inc.

Tammy DeVore Owner Canon Coffee

Dorina Green Realtor Home Wise Realty Group

Britney Ortiz Founder & CEO Monarca Marketing LLC

Ana Carolina Salazar CEO & Founder Bold Hispanic Market Consulting

Gislene “Gigi” Moorman Owner & Broker iConnect Real Estate, Orlando

Dr. Ruby Evans Executive Director & Senior Consultant, Academic Consulting Exchange

EDUCATION AND YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Jamie Merrill President & CEO Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida

Tina McCall-Waters Founder Denton Johnson Tennis Corporation EMERGING AND YOUNG LEADERS

Lashea C. Reaves Executive Director 8 Cents in a Jar

Kacey Wood Counselor: Youth and Family Advocates, Inc. George W. Harris Youth Shelter

Nadine Mentor Williams Founder & Board Chair The Greatest Investment Foundation, Inc.

April Page Immediate Past Chapter President, Jack and Jill of America, Inc., Orlando Chapter

FAITH AND MINISTRY

HEALTHCARE AND WELLNESS

Kelly Eichner Founder H.O.P.E. of Apopka

Thresa Giles CEO, Hope and Help Center of Central Florida, Inc.

NONPROFIT AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

Candice W. Jones, MD, FAAP Board Certified Pediatrician Orange Blossom Family Health

Kami Strong, MD Physiatrist & Medical Director AdventHealth Waterman

Arlene Blake Founder & Executive Director Women on the Rise International, Inc. PUBLIC SERVICE AND CIVIC LEADERSHIP

Derrick Chubbs President & CEO Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Sean A. Esler Owner Edge Consulting and Edge Systems, Inc.

Tanisha Nunn Gary, Esq. President & CEO African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida

Prita Chhabra Site Director Public Allies Central Florida RISE Community Solutions

Corey Rowe Founder & CEO DAB Vending LLC & Steep Cut Solutions

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From our stage to the pages that celebrate our stories, Ycats Dance Studio and the cast of Sound of AD - VBD Victory 2026 proudly congratulate CONGRATULATIONS TO VBD Magazine on its 5th Anniversary. ALL HONOREES - YCATS SOUL OF DANCE A champion of creativity, culture, community, and excellence - You have given our artists a platform, our achievements a voice, and our journey a place to shine. Together, we have turned passion into performance, dreams into standing ovations, and partnership into something truly unforgettable. Here’s to five years of bold storytelling, beautiful moments, and boundless impact.

May the next chapter be even brighter, bigger, and more victorious.

CHEERS TO VBD - 5 YEARS STRONG! SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2O26 @ 7:OO P.M. @ THE LITTLE THEATRE

WWW.YCATSJA.COM

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2O26 @ 6:OO P.M. ADMISSION: JMD$3,500

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erek Lewis has spent more than three decades building businesses, developing leaders, and expanding opportunities for others. A former PepsiCo president with a distinguished 35-year corporate career, Lewis held multiple senior executive leadership positions, overseeing multibillion-dollar businesses, leading large organizations, and driving revenue growth and profitability. His career culminated in his appointment as the inaugural President of Multicultural Business and Equity Development for PepsiCo Beverages North America, where he focused on expanding economic opportunities and strengthening engagement with underserved communities.

A LEGACY OF OPPORTUNITY

Derek Lewis Building Businesses, Developing Leaders, and Creating Pathways for Others to Advance by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

Today, Lewis applies that same leadership experience to entrepreneurship, education, board service, and community engagement. Recognized in the Advocacy and Social Impact category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, he believes that true success extends beyond individual accomplishments to the opportunities created for others.

He went on to Hampton University, where he earned a business management degree and met his future wife, Sherene. He also earned an Executive MBA from Xavier University. Throughout his PepsiCo career, Lewis combined a relentless focus on busiIT’S ABOUT INSPIRING OTHERS TO PURSUE THEIR DREAMS AND OVERCOME OBSTACLES. IF OUR STORY CAN ENCOURAGE EVEN ONE PERSON TO KEEP GOING, THEN IT’S ALL BEEN WORTH IT.

Photo Credit: Carey Sheffield Photography

A WIDER RESPONSIBILITY Growing up in Washington, D.C., Lewis learned early that leadership could begin with the needs of a household. “There were three boys, and I was the oldest. Early on, I took on a leadership role in my family for us to survive and advance.”

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ness performance with a commitment to developing people and expanding opportunities. His leadership philosophy centered on establishing initiatives grounded in a compelling business case, executing them at scale, and delivering substantial business results while fulfilling the organization’s purpose promise.

nership has supported careers, parenthood, and the demands of new ventures.

story can encourage even one person to keep going, then it’s all been worth it.”

Faith remains central to how he understands that journey. “I’ve had a spiritual connection with God since early in my life. I give him all the credit for where we are today.”

His willingness to share those lessons makes his experience available to people finding their own way through uncertainty.

For Lewis, business success and purpose were never competing priorities. He believed that sustainable impact required a clear business rationale, disciplined execution, and measurable outcomes that created value for the organization and the communities it served.

Diagnosed with colon cancer in 2023, shortly after retiring, Lewis came to see his experience as another way to encourage others facing adversity.

His professional advancement accompanied a wider ambition. “I also wanted to improve surrounding circumstances and fighting chances for others to succeed, especially those who typically have been underrepresented in the workforce and the community.” OWNERSHIP IN PRACTICE Following his retirement from PepsiCo, Lewis transitioned into entrepreneurship, investing in restaurant franchises and bringing nationally recognized brands to Central Florida. Through his business ventures, including Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks and Philly Pretzel Factory, he has focused on building businesses, creating jobs, developing talent, and establishing partnerships throughout the region. His entrepreneurial journey has also provided a firsthand perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing small business owners. Drawing on decades of corporate leadership experience, Lewis remains committed to building sustainable businesses while supporting the employees, customers, and communities they serve. “I get to create jobs and have a community impact.” FAITH AND FAMILY Lewis shares his achievements with Sherene, whose corporate background includes restaurant operations, marketing, and real estate. “We’ve built something special because we’ve supported each other every step of the way.” Their part-

INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION Beyond his business ventures, Lewis has maintained a longstanding commitment to education, leadership development, and community service. A proud Hampton University graduate and trustee since 2015, he remains deeply engaged in supporting historically Black colleges and universities and expanding educational opportunities for future generations. He also serves in leadership roles at Lake Highland Preparatory School and on the board of Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida. His previous board experience includes serving as a director of publicly traded Primo Water Corporation. Lewis describes his commitment to community advancement through three interconnected priorities: Education, Economic Empowerment, and Engagement. Whether through board service, mentorship, philanthropy, or business ownership, he believes in leveraging his experience and relationships to help individuals and institutions reach their full potential. HELPING OTHERS ADVANCE His memoir, Survive + Advance: Lessons on Living a Life Without Compromise, extends that encouragement beyond the organizations he has led. In sharing the challenges behind his achievements, Lewis offers readers an account of pursuing success while remaining true to their identity and beliefs.

A LEGACY OF OPPORTUNITY Throughout his professional and personal journey, Lewis has embraced a leadership philosophy built on three principles: Results, Relationships, and Reputation. He believes successful leadership requires delivering meaningful results, developing authentic relationships, and establishing a reputation grounded in integrity, trust, and consistent action. These principles continue to guide his work across business, education, and community service. As he looks to the future, Lewis remains focused on developing the next generation of leaders, expanding economic opportunities, and strengthening the institutions and communities he serves. For Lewis, the ultimate measure of success is not simply what one accomplishes, but the lasting difference those accomplishments make in the lives of others. It is a philosophy that reflects the central message of his personal journey: Survive and Advance—and help others do the same.

Click & Get Online

“It’s about inspiring others to pursue their dreams and overcome obstacles. If our

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ublic murals in Kissimmee, young performers learning their craft, and exhibitions in community spaces reveal the reach of Osceola Arts. As executive director, Brandon Arrington leads an institution that gives residents opportunities to experience the arts and develop their own creative abilities. Its programs bring artists, educators, volunteers, and audiences together through instruction, performance, and community participation.

A Kissimmee native and graduate of Osceola High School and Auburn University, Arrington has longstanding ties to the region he serves. First elected to represent District 3 on the Osceola County Commission in 2008, he serves as commission chairman in 2026. His regional leadership has included transportation, economic development, and workforce development, while his work at Osceola Arts reflects his commitment to the community’s cultural life.

Photo courtesy of Osceola County

His recognition in the Arts, Culture, and Media category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards honors that commitment. By supporting arts education, performance, and exhibition, Arrington helps sustain opportunities for residents of different ages and backgrounds to learn, create, and share their talents. OPPORTUNITIES TO CREATE Osceola Arts has served Central Florida since 1960. Its work encompasses theater, exhibitions, public art, and arts education, giving residents several ways to experience and contribute to creative activity. The organization’s educational offerings include youth programs and adult classes for beginners as well as more experienced artists. The Young Actors Company serves performers ages 6 to 17, introducing theater techniques through instruction from arts professionals. Participants develop skills in acting, movement, dance, and vocal performance while learning to collaborate on a production. The program combines artistic instruction with opportunities to build confidence and teamwork.

A COMMUNITY CONNECTED THROUGH THE ARTS

Brandon Arrington The Osceola Arts Executive Director Supporting Creative Opportunity Across Central Florida by Icylin Morgan

The ARTisNOW public murals project extends the organization’s reach into everyday surroundings. Local artists and community members collaborate on murals that add color and character to public spaces and celebrate local culture. These projects make artistic expression visible beyond a theater or gallery, inviting residents and visitors to engage with it as part of the city’s landscape. A NEW CHAPTER Arrington is guiding Osceola Arts through a significant transition as its main facility undergoes renovation, with reopening planned for January 2027. During the closure, arts education and Young Actors Company productions continue at locations across Orange and Osceola counties. Exhibitions remain available through satellite galleries at Kissimmee

City Hall, county libraries, and other community locations, while the mural program continues in Kissimmee and St. Cloud. The planned reopening includes a new theatrical season, expanded youth programming, and enhanced exhibitions. Arrington’s leadership during this transition requires attention to both the institution’s future and the people it serves today. As Osceola Arts prepares to welcome audiences back, the task is to build on the relationships sustained throughout construction and ensure that its renovated facilities support the community’s creative life for years to come.

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S Secily Wilson HELPING OTHERS FIND THEIR WAY FORWARD

A Media and Nonprofit Leader Reflecting on Resilience, Service, and Lasting Impact by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

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ecily Wilson brings more than thirty years of experience as an award-winning broadcast journalist to her leadership of WOW Legacy Group, Inc. As its founder and CEO, she combines her communication skills with a personal understanding of adversity and rebuilding. Her commitment to helping women share their struggles, recognize their strengths, and find support remains central to her work. Recognized in the Arts, Culture, and Media category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, Wilson has used her voice as a broadcaster, speaker, author, and nonprofit leader to encourage others through difficult circumstances. Her leadership reflects an understanding that a personal story, shared honestly, can help someone else find the courage to take a next step. A STORY SHARED WOW, which stands for Women Overcoming with Willpower, grew from circumstances that required Wilson to rebuild her own life. She experienced a stroke, divorce, and foreclosure, followed by the difficult task of deciding what came next. The organization emerged from her understanding of what it meant to need encouragement and support.

“We created a space where women could be honest about where they were without being defined by where they had been.” AFTER THREE DECADES IN TELEVISION AND LEADING A SUCCESSFUL NONPROFIT, BECOMING A FLIGHT ATTENDANT DEFINITELY WAS NOT ON MY BINGO CARD!

Photos Courtesy of Secily Wilson

“I didn’t create WOW because I thought I had all the answers,” she explains. That honesty helped shape the organization’s approach to serving women and children facing adversity in Central Florida. Through its work, women have found support to rediscover purpose, pursue education, strengthen their finances, explore entrepreneurship, and give attention to health and wellness.

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I’VE LEARNED THAT PURPOSE ISN’T ALWAYS ABOUT DOING MORE. SOMETIMES PURPOSE IS KNOWING WHEN TO PAUSE, WHEN TO LISTEN, AND WHEN TO LET GOD REDIRECT YOU. Wilson credits her team, partners, supporters, volunteers, and the women who entrusted WOW with their stories. Together, they built a community where women could seek support and learn from one another. Her personal mantra, “When life falls apart, Fall into Fabulous®,” expresses the determination behind her commitment to helping others rebuild. Her book, She Said the P Word, and her work as a TEDx speaker extend that encouragement to wider audiences. In 2024, Orange Appeal recognized her as one of its Women of the Year for her work with WOW Legacy Group. LISTENING FOR DIRECTION Wilson is proud of what WOW has accomplished and is prayerfully considering the organization’s next direction. “I’m not walking away from the work or the impact we made,” she says.

becoming a flight attendant definitely was not on my Bingo card!” she says. The role draws on the communication skills and life experience she has gathered over the years. Meeting people from different backgrounds gives her opportunities to continue learning while offering the attention and care she values.

Her faith guides that process. “I’ve learned that purpose isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes purpose is “I also believe leadership should leave knowing when to pause, when to listen, people better than you found them,” she and when to let God redirect you.” She says. That principle guides how she describes learning that leadership can treats people, whether she is addressing require stillness and discernment as an audience, serving a passenger, or well as the energy to build and produce. showing up for family. That understanding has brought renewed attention to the people closest to her. Her children, Chrissy and Cole, and granddaughter, Amari, hold a cherished place in her life. To Amari, she is Gina, the grandmother’s name she chose for herself. These family relationships bring her some of her greatest joy and deepest purpose. Wilson has also begun an unexpected chapter as a flight attendant for a major airline. “After three decades in television and leading a successful nonprofit,

I WANT MY CHILDREN, THE WOMEN I’VE SERVED, THE PEOPLE I MEET THROUGH AVIATION, AND ANYONE WHO ENCOUNTERS MY STORY TO UNDERSTAND THAT LIFE MAY CHANGE YOUR PLANS, BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO CANCEL YOUR PURPOSE.

STILL BECOMING Wilson’s definition of victory acknowledges the adversity behind her accomplishments. “Victory is not the absence of adversity. It’s what you do with it.” She hopes her life will show others that reinvention is possible and that purpose can evolve through unexpected changes. “I want my children, the women I’ve served, the people I meet through aviation, and anyone who encounters my story to understand that life may change your plans, but it doesn’t have to cancel your purpose.” Her contributions to media and community service remain part of that continuing story. The women she has encouraged, the relationships she has helped build, and the experiences she shares give lasting meaning to her leadership. As she considers what comes next, Wilson continues to place her faith and her concern for others at the center of how she lives and serves.

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MAKING ROOM FOR CONNECTION

Tammy DeVore The Canon Coffee Owner Building a Local Business Around Quality and Community by Paula Hamilton

Recognized in the Business and Entrepreneurship category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, DeVore leads a family-owned business established in 2019. Canon’s identity reflects her longstanding connection to Apopka and her interest in providing a place where students, families, and businesspeople feel welcome. Those intentions have taken practical form through locally inspired offerings, reservable gathering spaces, and collaborations that bring the city’s creative community into the shop. ROOTED IN APOPKA DeVore’s connection to Apopka preceded the coffee shop. She attended church in the city with her husband and taught at Dream Lake. Apopka also reminds her of the Pennsylvania town where she grew up, a connection that helped inspire her vision for Canon. The family-owned business reflected those local ties from its early days, with a map of Apopka inside the shop and artwork

celebrating the city. Her family developed recipes with the community in mind, including an orange mocha called the Apopkan, drawing on the area’s citrus identity. Those details gave Canon a distinct local identity, making Apopka part of the experience the family wanted to offer. CARE IN THE DETAILS Canon uses ethically sourced coffee beans obtained weekly from a local roastery. Its baristas prepare classic espresso drinks and seasonal specialties, while the menu also includes pastries and sandwiches. The little library offers customers a book to enjoy during their visit. Attention to both refreshments and surroundings helps shape the experience DeVore offers. DeVore’s approach connects the quality of the product with the experience surrounding it. The shop accommodates customers who need a place to work as well as those meeting friends or spending time with family. Its reservable rooms welcome book clubs, meetings, celebrations, workshops, and community groups. For larger events, the back room accommodates approximately twenty-five to thirty-five people, depending on the arrangement. A conference table, piano, and children’s area give the space flexibility for different occasions. Canon also hosts a Monday morning Moms Meet Up in the back room, where mothers can connect while their children play. The gathering makes use of the shop’s space to

meet a particular need, giving parents an opportunity for conversation in a setting that welcomes their children. ART AND CONNECTION Canon’s role as a gathering place also extends to Apopka’s creative community. In March 2026, the shop partnered with the Creative Hub of Apopka for an Artist Meet & Mingle celebrating an exhibition. Artists Alfredo Barranco, Bradley Craven, and Mark Pettengill met guests, while Craven’s band, Brothers Keeper, performed live music. The event reflected DeVore’s aim to give people a welcoming place to pause and spend time together. Guests could meet the artists whose work appeared on the walls, bringing personal conversation into the experience of viewing an exhibition. A neighborhood business can give local creativity a place in everyday life. At Canon, coffee and art share the same space, inviting residents to encounter work by artists in their own community. DeVore’s contribution to business and entrepreneurship lies in connecting the work of running a coffee shop with the needs and interests of the community around it. Canon provides space for local artists to share their work, groups to meet, and families to spend time together. These relationships give the business a place in Apopka’s daily life and demonstrate how an independent enterprise can contribute to the community it serves.

Photos Courtesy of Tammy DeVore

ammy DeVore has built Canon Coffee around a clear purpose, creating a business where quality coffee and a welcoming gathering place contribute to Apopka’s community life. That purpose influences the products her family develops, the spaces available to customers, and the relationships the shop builds with local artists and community groups. Her approach to entrepreneurship gives residents reasons to return, whether for a familiar drink, a meeting, or time spent with others.

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istening closely is central to Dorina Green’s approach to real estate. A client’s hopes for a home, concerns about a sale, and expectations for the next chapter of life all deserve careful attention. The Home Wise Realty Group Realtor brings that understanding to her work in Central Florida, combining professional experience with respect for the people behind each transaction. Recognized in the Business & Entrepreneurship category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, Green has a story shaped by the pursuit of opportunity. Born in Romania under communism, she experienced restrictions on freedom before leaving the country, briefly settling in Germany, and making her home in the United States. Her appreciation for the opportunities she found here informs the way she helps others pursue their own goals. A PURPOSEFUL CAREER Green initially worked as a programmer analyst before entering real estate after marriage and motherhood. The opportunity to guide people through an important life decision drew her to the profession. “I was drawn to the real estate industry by a deep-seated desire to help people find their ideal homes and navigate the complexities of property transactions.”

Photos Courtesy of Dorina Green

By that time, she had accumulated more than two decades of real estate experience, including work with residential estates, recreational properties, and agriculture. Her affiliation with Home Wise Realty Group connects her with a brokerage based in Altamonte Springs and serving the broader Central Florida region. “My specialty lies in leveraging my extensive experience to provide tailored solutions that meet the unique needs of my clients,” she explained in the same feature. Her approach encompasses helping buyers identify suitable properties, assisting sellers with marketing, negotiating, and sharing information that supports informed decisions. CARE AND UNDERSTANDING Bilingual in English and Romanian, Green

A CALLING TO HELP OTHERS FIND HOME

Dorina Green A Central Florida Real Estate Professional Helping Clients Begin Their Next Chapter by Icylin Morgan

values attentive listening and sensitivity to the different expectations clients bring to a property search. She approaches each relationship with a clear commitment to personal care. “I set out to treat each client the way I want to be treated: with utmost care, respect, and empathy.” Her approach also emphasizes continued learning, professional relationships, and a proactive response to changing market conditions. She draws on her experience to help clients navigate uncertainty while keeping their individual needs in view.

I attribute my success to the unwavering presence and guidance of God in my life.” The satisfaction she finds in serving clients connects that gratitude with her daily work. “Playing a pivotal role in helping individuals achieve their property goals and embark on new chapters of their lives is incredibly fulfilling and fuels my passion for this profession.” Her recognition honors an approach to business grounded in experience, personal attention, and a desire to help others move forward with confidence.

FAITH AND GRATITUDE Faith is an essential part of Green’s understanding of her journey. “Above all,

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he monarch butterfly gave Monarca Marketing its name and a meaning rooted in founder Britney Ortiz’s own experience. To the Mexico-born entrepreneur raised in Florida, it represents migration, transformation, and resilience. Those ideas connect her family’s journey with the small business owners she now serves: people whose skills and determination deserve to be seen, understood, and supported.

Ortiz founded the Orlando-based bilingual agency in August 2025, shortly after graduating from the University of Central Florida. Its work helps immigrant-owned, Latino-owned, and community-centered businesses establish an online presence in English and Spanish. Her recognition in the Business & Entrepreneurship category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards celebrates a young enterprise shaped by a personal understanding of the people behind it. A FAMILY’S INVESTMENT Growing up, Ortiz watched her father work 12-hour shifts. She recognized the ability and dedication of people working in tile and construction, including those who eventually started businesses of their own. Marketing presented another responsibility for owners already occupied with delivering their services. She wanted to put her education to work on that challenge. “As a first-generation college graduate with a marketing degree from UCF, I realized I could be that bridge.” Ortiz earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in marketing in May 2025 as a TheDream.US Scholar. Internships and freelance work during college helped prepare her to launch Monarca. The oldest of three sisters, she regards her parents’ sacrifices as part of the foundation for both her degree and her business. “My parents worked hard so my sisters and I could have opportunities they didn’t have, and as the oldest of three and the first in my family to graduate from college, I carry that with me

A FAMILY’S SACRIFICES AND A FOUNDER’S VISION

Britney Ortiz

The Monarca Marketing Founder Helping Small Businesses Connect in Two Languages by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

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every day.” That awareness influences how she serves families pursuing greater opportunities through entrepreneurship. HELPING BUSINESSES BE SEEN Monarca offers website design, local search engine optimization, social media management, branding, and bilingual content creation. Ortiz describes the needs she addresses in terms of language, time, and visibility. Business owners need communication that reaches their audiences, support that allows them to concentrate on their work, and an online presence through which potential customers can find them. In just over a year, she reports serving approximately 20 paying clients across Florida, Georgia, and Colorado. Her broader experience includes more than 30 paid, internship, and volunteer projects. Some clients are skilled tradespeople establishing their first online presence. Others have more extensive operations, including a healthcare group with eight clinics across Florida and Kentucky that found her through Google to reach Spanish-speaking patients.

Photos Courtesy of Britney Ortiz

The range of clients reflects her effort to make bilingual marketing useful to businesses with different needs. Her connection to owners like her father keeps that work personal, while each project offers an opportunity to apply the knowledge she gained through college and professional experience. SHARING THE PATH Ortiz’s public voice developed through advocacy, including lobbying for in-state tuition legislation. She has since shared her entrepreneurial experience through TheDream.US, UndocuProfessionals, and UndocuStartup. She placed fourth in the UndocuStartup Week pitch competition and has continued her development through the Home Is Here Opportunity MY GOAL IS THAT LANGUAGE, TIME, OR BUDGET IS NEVER THE REASON A GREAT BUSINESS GOES UNSEEN.

Program and selection for The One Creator Lab, a program by The One Club and TikTok. “I lead by making sure others don’t have to figure it out alone.” She puts that belief into practice through mentoring, speaking, and bringing on interns to gain experience. Her guidance encourages aspiring founders to start lean, recognize the strength in their stories, and become willing to introduce themselves and their businesses to others. “I hope my journey shows my community, and the many students like me coming after, that higher education is possible, that building something of your own is possible, and that we can get through anything.” FAITH AND POSSIBILITY Ortiz credits God with the strength to continue through difficult seasons and

with opportunities she could not have created alone. “Everything I’ve accomplished is only possible because of God.” Her faith informs the honesty and care she brings to client relationships and her desire to help others develop their capabilities. She wants to grow Monarca into a trusted bilingual agency for Central Florida and beyond, with a team that creates jobs and training opportunities for young people from communities like hers. “My goal is that language, time, or budget is never the reason a great business goes unseen.” The future she describes grows directly from her family’s experience. “To me, being a victorious leader means turning the obstacles your family faced into open doors for the next generation.”

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B Ana Carolina OPENING DOORS THROUGH CULTURAL CONNECTION

Salazar

The BOLD Founder on Business, Faith, and Creating Opportunity in Central Florida by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

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OLD Hispanic Market Consulting began in 2019 with $295 and a three-person team. Its founder, Ana Carolina Salazar, brought a conviction shaped by her career and her own experience living between cultures: organizations could build stronger connections with Hispanic communities by truly understanding the people they hoped to reach. Since then, the company has supported more than 140 businesses and organizations, while giving Salazar a platform to advance her broader commitment to service and opportunity. Salazar arrived in the United States from Venezuela as a teenager. Central Florida became the place where she came of age, attended college, built her career, and established her business. “Central Florida is much more than where I do business; it is home,” she said. Her experience living across cultures helped her recognize the cultural nuances that can be overlooked when communication focuses on language alone. Now based in St. Cloud, she brings that perspective to business consulting, community leadership, and mentorship. Those contributions are being recognized through the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, honoring 25 Central Florida leaders. Her work connects the growth of her company with a desire to help others gain visibility, find support, and become better prepared to lead. CULTURE AND CONNECTION Salazar work leading the American Cancer Society’s Color de Vida campaign helped clarify the need BOLD would address. Salazar saw how culturally relevant communication could connect Hispanic women with potentially life-saving information and resources. That experience reinforced lessons from Hispanic media about the importance of culture, identity, and lived experience. BOLD has brought that understanding to work with clients including the Orlando Magic, AdventHealth, Orlando Utilities Commission, the University of Central Florida, and Heart of Florida United Way.

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STAR POWER LIST United Luncheon Committee. A graduate of Leadership Orlando Class 100 and Leadership Osceola Class 37, she has also pursued opportunities to deepen her involvement in regional collaboration. “I have always believed that leadership means showing up beyond your own business.” Mentoring students, young professionals, and entrepreneurs gives that belief a practical expression. She believes emerging leaders need honest conversations about uncertainty, difficult decisions, and lessons learned, alongside accounts of achievement. She wants them to recognize their potential and become better prepared to act on it. GUIDED BY FAITH Salazar describes faith as the foundation of how she lives, leads, and serves. Trusting God has meant learning to listen and take the next step without knowing the entire path. “I see leadership as stewardship.” That perspective prompts her to consider how the gifts, relationships, and opportunities entrusted to her can serve others.

“A big part of my role is helping leaders Salazar to launch Hablamos Spanglish in look at the Hispanic market beyond 2021. The podcast created opportunities language or a single campaign. Hispanic for leaders, entrepreneurs, professionals, “I can pray, listen, do the work in front consumers are diverse, multigenerational, creatives, and residents to tell their stories. of me with excellence, and trust that and deeply connected to the growth of the “The podcast became both a microphone God will continue to reveal what comes American marketplace.” Salazar encour- for our community and a window into next.” She seeks to lead with integrity, ages clients to recognize the diversity of it—a way to showcase the diversity, extend grace, and remain willing to Hispanic consumers and consider culture talent, experiences, and perspectives reconsider her plans when she senses a in brand positioning, customer experience, that make up Central Florida’s Hispanic different direction. and long-term growth. In 2026, BOLD community.” moved toward a consulting-first model, The next stage of her work includes makhelping organizations incorporate His- She also launched Digital Studio Powered ing cultural intelligence a more natural panic market strategy into their broader by BOLD to make branding, strategy, part of organizational decisions. She business strategy. and digital marketing services more also intends to keep creating pathways accessible to small and Hispanic-owned through which Hispanic entrepreneurs, Salazar’s educational journey includes businesses. Her commitment extends professionals, and future leaders can a bachelor’s degree in advertising and to service with organizations including gain visibility, support, and preparation. public relations from the University of Heart of Florida United Way and the Her measure of victory rests in what her Central Florida and a master’s degree in Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of success makes possible for someone else. digital marketing from the Universitat Metro Orlando. She has served on Heart Autònoma de Barcelona. Yet her under- of Florida United Way’s Women United “For me, victory is not simply being standing of connection also comes from Advisory Board and chaired the Women invited into the room. It is helping make the experience of building a life between sure more people are prepared, supported, cultures and seeing what changes when and confident enough to walk through I CAN PRAY, LISTEN, DO THE an institution takes the time to understand that door after you—and eventually hold WORK IN FRONT OF ME WITH the people it serves. it open for someone else.” EXCELLENCE, AND TRUST THAT GOD WILL CONTINUE TO MAKING ROOM FOR OTHERS That attention to representation led REVEAL WHAT COMES NEXT.

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A Gislene “Gigi”

THE CONNECTIONS THAT BUILD A LEGACY

Moorman

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three-and-a-half-hour brunch helped Gislene “Gigi” Moorman see a clearer path into real estate. Early in her career, she needed guidance with a contract and turned to Orlando broker Dee Parker. The meeting provided practical instruction and an example of a successful Black woman leading a brokerage. Moorman later worked for Parker before opening her own firm, carrying forward an appreciation for what becomes possible when someone shares knowledge and makes room for another person to grow.

Today, Moorman is the owner and broker of Orlando-based iConnect Real Estate and the founder of Raise Your Glass Promotions. Recognized in the Business and Entrepreneurship category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, she connects client advocacy with a broader commitment to minority homeownership, small business growth, and community service. Across her enterprises and charitable work, relationships become a means of helping people gain knowledge, find support, and pursue opportunities. The mother of two young adults, Jayson, 28, and Taylor, 26, Moorman believes each generation has a responsibility to create better opportunities for the next. “My children were the true spark for my entrepreneurial journey,” Moorman says. “Following several unexpected job layoffs, I knew I wanted my children to see me build something from the ground up, proving that you can persevere and thrive through any obstacle. I entered the real estate industry to address the wealth gap and to empower more minorities to recognize the power of investing.”

An Entrepreneur Advancing Minority Homeownership, Small Business Growth, and Opportunities for Young Women by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan 42

FOLLOWING SEVERAL UNEXPECTED JOB LAYOFFS, I KNEW I WANTED MY CHILDREN TO SEE ME BUILD SOMETHING FROM THE GROUND UP, PROVING THAT YOU CAN PERSEVERE AND THRIVE THROUGH ANY OBSTACLE.

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Moorman sees real estate as a way to help families understand how property ownership can contribute to long-term financial stability.

Photo Credit: OBJ 2020

A FOUNDATION IN OWNERSHIP Moorman became a licensed Florida broker and opened iConnect Real Estate in 2020, during the pandemic. Establishing her own firm gave her a platform to serve residential and commercial clients while advancing the purpose that brought her into the industry. The mentorship she received from Parker remains an important part of that professional journey.

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trends, and finding the right buyers who can complete the purchase.

FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, I’VE BUILT MY CAREER ON CALM LEADERSHIP, HONEST COMMUNICATION, AND A SOLUTIONS-BASED APPROACH THAT PUTS MY CLIENTS FIRST—ALWAYS.

Moorman and her team have helped more than 100 clients and closed more than $40 million in real estate transactions. She helps relocating clients become familiar with their new communities and remains a resource after closing. A New Yorker at heart, she obtained her New York real estate license in 2025 “I protect the client, lead with calm and and is now a Luxury Property Specialist integrity, and find a way through – every with Christie’s International Real Estate time.” That personal standard applies New York. Her work across both states across her endeavors. Moorman reports reflects the importance she places on that 90 percent of the brokerage’s busilasting relationships. In one particularly ness comes from its sphere of influence, personal example, she performed a mar- a figure she connects to the trust people riage ceremony for clients in the home place in her team and its willingness to she had helped them purchase. bring humanity into business.

At iConnect Real Estate, Moorman and her team represent buyers and sellers of single-family homes, rental properties, vacant land, office buildings, churches, and other commercial investments. Their clients CALM AND INTEGRITY include first-time homebuyers, business “For more than a decade, I’ve built my owners, people relocating for work or career on calm leadership, honest commuretirement, and sellers “right-sizing” their nication, and a solutions-based approach homes as they enter a new stage of life. Each that puts my clients first—always.” Moorsituation calls for attention to the client’s man emphasizes preparation and clarity goals and the circumstances behind the when markets change, emotions rise, or decision. Moorman emphasizes building unexpected complications emerge. She a relationship before a transaction begins. sees steadiness as a professional responsibility to people relying on her judgment. “Real estate isn’t just about property—it’s about helping people to make one of the “I don’t believe in pressure tactics or inflated most important decisions of their lives.” promises. I believe in preparation, clarity, Buyers need guidance navigating the and advocacy.” Her approach requires purchase process, including location telling clients the truth and helping them selection, financing, property visits, and understand their options, including when a negotiations. Sellers need help pricing decision is difficult. Problem-solving and their home right, tracking current market patience support that work.

CONNECTIONS WITH PURPOSE Through Raise Your Glass Promotions, Moorman creates settings where business relationships and community priorities meet. Her UNITY Networking Mixer has combined professional development with opportunities for African American executives, entrepreneurs, and civic leaders to share their experiences. Their accounts of success and perseverance give participants access to perspectives that may inform their own decisions. Over more than twelve years, the series has showcased more than ninety leaders. It has also provided exposure for more than fifty local nonprofits and more than fifty entrepreneurs, helping participants

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develop collaborative partnerships. The events have raised tens of thousands of dollars for local nonprofits, youth scholarship funds, and community organizations. Those results connect Moorman’s work as an event producer with her commitment to economic opportunity and representation. A gathering can introduce a small business to a potential partner, bring attention to a nonprofit’s mission, or create a relationship that continues long after the event. Raise Your Glass Promotions received the Orlando Business Journal’s Diversity in Business Award in 2020 for its community impact. Her experience creating platforms for others also includes producing and hosting nearly one hundred episodes of Journey with Gigi, a nationally syndicated television program focused on personal and professional enrichment for communities of color and women. Across media, events, and business, she has made connecting people a consistent part of her work. SERVICE THAT CONTINUES Moorman’s charitable commitments extend across more than two decades. She co-founded Space to Grow in 2005 to support people living in transitional housing. Through its Baskets of Love initiative, the grassroots organization gives community members opportunities to support families, individuals, and teens as they work toward greater stability. Moorman views giving back as a tribute

to the people who helped her raise her children and grow her business. She contributes her time, skills, and resources to people who need practical assistance and encouragement.

These distinctions acknowledge work spanning business, charitable outreach, and civic participation.

FAITH IN ACTION “If it were not for my faith in God, I Her investment in young women is equally don’t know where I would be,” Moorlongstanding. As vice chair and a founding man reflects. She credits that faith with board member of The Greatest Investment carrying her through obstacles that may not be evident in the public view of her Girls Empowerment Program, known as TGI, Moorman helps prepare young accomplishments. Sharing her testimony women for leadership through education, allows her to acknowledge the endurance behind her success and encourage others mentorship, and practical support. More than five hundred young women have facing difficulties of their own. completed the organization’s summer camps and participated in its year-round “I focus on gratitude, and I put action to programming. TGI continues supporting prayer.” Her words connect faith with the alumnae as they navigate college, careers, daily responsibilities of serving clients, developing relationships, and contributing and personal challenges. to community organizations. She remains Her civic service has included appoint- candid about being a work in progress ments to the City of Orlando Nominating while choosing to appreciate the journey. Board and the MetroPlan Orlando Community Advisory Committee (on behalf Moorman credits a supportive circle of of Orange County Government), along family, friends, and mentors with helping with previous board service at the Dr. her navigate personal and professional Phillips YMCA. Her community contri- challenges. She encourages others to pass butions have earned recognition including along the guidance and support they have Orange County’s Distinguished Citizen received, giving the next generation the of the Year award and a City of Orlando benefit of their experience. proclamation of “Gislene Moorman Day.” “If we all did that, we would share compassion, hope, and lessons learned to I DON’T BELIEVE IN PRESSURE add new tools to the toolbox of the next TACTICS OR INFLATED generation for the world’s upliftment.” PROMISES. I BELIEVE IN PREPARATION, CLARITY, AND ADVOCACY.

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DESIGN

Education & Youth DEVELOPMENT

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A LEGACY OF TEACHING, SCHOLARSHIP, AND LEADERSHIP

Dr. Ruby Evans Four Decades of Expanding Access and Encouraging Achievement by Dr. Henritta Stewart

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or Dr. Ruby Evans, a student’s growing confidence is one of education’s most meaningful rewards. Over more than four decades, she has helped learners understand challenging subjects, pursue degrees, and recognize possibilities for their futures. Her work connects young people’s needs with the opportunities available through higher education, bringing a broad perspective to her recognition among Central Florida’s 25 Victorious Leaders in the Education and Youth Development category of Victorious by Design’s fifth anniversary issue.

“I have always viewed teaching as more than delivering content; it is an opportunity to help learners develop confidence, think critically, make informed decisions, and recognize their own potential.” That conviction has guided Evans through classrooms, university leadership, research, and consulting. Whether teaching an adolescent struggling with mathematics or supporting an adult completing a college degree, she approaches education as a responsibility to help people move forward. PREPARATION FOR A LIFETIME OF SERVICE Evans earned her bachelor’s degree in mathematics education from Grambling State University, graduating summa cum laude and receiving the College of Education’s Most Outstanding Graduate recognition. She continued at Louisiana State University, earning a master’s degree in applied statistics, and completed her doctorate in higher education administration at the University of Florida, specializing in the community college with a minor in statistics. She also I HAVE ALWAYS VIEWED TEACHING AS MORE THAN DELIVERING CONTENT; IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP LEARNERS DEVELOP CONFIDENCE, THINK CRITICALLY, MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS, AND RECOGNIZE THEIR OWN POTENTIAL.

holds a master’s degree in sociology from Arizona State University. She began her higher education career in 1984 as a faculty member in the Florida Community College System. Subsequent roles included educational researcher, academic and curriculum dean, and vice chancellor of academic affairs. Together with her teaching experience, these positions gave her insight into how institutional decisions affect the people learning within them. Her educational service has included Orange County Public Schools, Santa Fe College, Seminole State College, Valencia College, the University of Central Florida, private institutions, and online universities. Across these settings, she has supported learners from middle school through advanced graduate and doctoral study.

In K–12 online and blended education, she emphasizes student engagement. For young learners, building confidence with difficult material can shape their willingness to keep going, ask questions, and consider future educational opportunities. Evans brings that same attention to learners returning to school after years away. At Colorado Technical University, she has taught mathematics and statistics online since 2005, progressing from instructor to assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. She also serves as a statistics subject matter expert and develops and updates courses. These assignments allow her to shape both what students study and how they experience learning. Students nominated Evans for the university’s Distinguished Faculty of the Year award in several successive years, and she received the honor in 2023. The recognition reflects her commitment to responsiveness, organization, teaching presence, and community in the virtual classroom.

HELPING LEARNERS BUILD CONFIDENCE Mathematics, statistics, and research methods can intimidate students long before they attempt an assignment. Evans Adult learners bring experiences and remakes these subjects accessible while sponsibilities that deserve consideration. preserving their intellectual demands. “Many students bring significant professionHer experience across educational levels al, personal, and educational experiences helps her understand both the prepara- to the classroom, and I believe effective tion students need for college and the educators must meet learners where they challenges they encounter after arriving. are while challenging them to reach higher.”

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STAR POWER LIST Encouragement accompanies clear expectations. “I hold myself and my students to high standards while also recognizing that excellence is most powerful when it is paired with encouragement, opportunity, and a genuine commitment to student success.” Her teaching of statistical methods and applied statistics emphasizes understanding what information can reveal and how to use it responsibly. For students and working professionals, that knowledge supports better decisions and a more thoughtful approach to questions encountered beyond the classroom. EXPANDING ACCESS THROUGH TEACHING AND SCHOLARSHIP Technology has been part of Evans’s educational work since the early 1990s. She has used it in traditional classrooms, web-enhanced courses, and fully online environments to expand opportunities for learners with differing backgrounds, abilities, and life circumstances. Her concern for adult and non-traditional students is especially relevant to flexible pathways in higher education. She seeks learning environments that welcome diverse experiences while asking students to think critically and engage deeply with course material. “For me, the greatest measure of impact is helping expand access to meaningful educational opportunities and empowering diverse learners to achieve their goals.” Her scholarship supports that purpose. Previously approved as a College Board workshop consultant in Advanced Placement Statistics, Evans has read AP Statistics examinations on multiple occasions beginning in 1999. She contributed a chapter to Innovations in Teaching Statistics, published by the Mathematical Association of America, and has written articles and commentaries, reviewed scholarly work, and served as a keynote speaker and research consultant in the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. Her interests include developmental mathematics, active and collaborative

learning, educational technology, faculty development, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Each offers another way to examine how educators can improve students’ experiences. Supporting faculty extends her influence to the students those educators teach. Reviewing instructional materials and academic programs also gives her opportunities to contribute to overall educational quality beyond her own classroom, drawing on years of teaching and leadership experience.

a nonprofit may need help developing a proposal. Evans’s work helps clients clarify ideas, evaluate information, and communicate their projects effectively. Academic Consulting Exchange brings together her classroom and administrative experience. Having helped create institutional policy and worked where students experience its consequences, she understands how academic decisions shape learning. She envisions the firm as a resource for clients needing specialized expertise without hiring a full-time employee for every project.

EXTENDING EXPERTISE THROUGH CONSULTING LEADERSHIP GROUNDED As executive director and senior consul- IN FAITH AND SERVICE tant of Academic Consulting Exchange “My faith and sense of purpose serve as LLC, Evans brings her experience to a guiding star in how I lead and serve institutions, organizations, and indi- others.” Evans describes her approach viduals seeking specialized academic as servant leadership, grounded in comsupport. The Florida firm assists with passion, dignity, respect, and kindness. curriculum development, course review, Guided by the Golden Rule, she seeks to online teaching and learning, research understand the challenges and aspirations design, statistical analysis, academic of those she serves. writing, and grant and proposal development. “For me, leadership is both a responsibility and an opportunity to make a meaningful Her consulting experience includes difference in the lives of others.” That course-review activities with the Amer- responsibility has remained constant ican Council on Education. Serving in across her work with thousands of students a consulting capacity, she contributes pursuing associate, bachelor’s, master’s, expertise to academic review beyond the and doctoral degrees. institutions where she has been employed. “I sincerely believe that my purpose That consulting work extends her edu- in life is to help others succeed.” Her cational purpose to people shaping their understanding of victory centers on that own research, writing, and instructional progress: “When a student reaches an projects. Helping clients clarify ideas important milestone, completes a degree, and strengthen their work complements advances professionally, or gains the her commitment to helping students and confidence to pursue a new opportunity, fellow educators develop their capabil- I see that as a victory we share.” ities. Needs vary: an institution may seek a course evaluation, a researcher For Dr. Ruby Evans, becoming one of may need help strengthening a study, or Central Florida’s 25 Victorious Leaders is therefore not simply recognition of what FOR ME, THE GREATEST has already been accomplished. MEASURE OF IMPACT IS It recognizes a career still in motion. HELPING EXPAND ACCESS TO MEANINGFUL EDUCATIONAL After more than four decades of helping OPPORTUNITIES AND learners move from uncertainty toward EMPOWERING DIVERSE understanding, she remains convinced LEARNERS TO ACHIEVE THEIR that knowledge has its greatest value when it is shared. GOALS.

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Photos Courtesy of Jamie Merrill

EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION

Jamie Merrill

Expanding Access to Mentorship, Learning, and Opportunity at Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

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trusted relationship with an adult is one of the most meaningful outcomes Jamie Merrill, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida, looks for in the organization’s work. According to Merrill, its most recent youth outcomes survey found that 97 percent of members reported having that relationship with an adult at their Club. This figure reflects the personal connections she considers essential to helping young people thrive. “That relationship is the foundation of everything we do.”

Merrill leads an organization serving more than 16,000 young people annually through 39 Clubs across Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Lake, and Brevard counties. Recognized in the Education and Youth Development category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, she brings a commitment to closing the opportunity gap through safe environments, academic support, workforce readiness, character development, and mentorship during critical out-of-school hours. “What inspires me every day is the transformative impact that caring adults and strong community partnerships can have on a young person’s future.” That conviction places relationships at the center of her leadership. She wants young people to encounter encouragement, resources, and positive examples that help them see possibilities beyond their present circumstances. EXPERIENCE IN SERVICE Merrill’s path to youth development includes more than 19 years of leadership experience across nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Before taking her current role, she spent 16 years in the senior living and healthcare industries, serving in state and national leadership positions that included chief operating officer. Throughout her career, she has built teams, guided organizational growth, and developed other leaders. Across those settings, she has been drawn to work serving vulnerable populations and creating meaningful change at scale. Leading Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida brings that experience into a mis-

sion focused on young people and the support available to them outside school. Her interest in organizational performance is connected to the people whose lives the organization touches.

homework support from trained staff, while Career Launch helps teens explore careers and professional expectations. College Access offers individualized preparation for further education, and Keystone Clubs give teens opportunities to develop leadership through academic goals, career preparation, and community service.

Merrill is certified in emotional intelligence and Dale Carnegie methodologies, reflecting an interest in effective communication and collaboration. She regards leadership “Growth matters, but the real measure of development as part of the responsibility success is whether every young person who of leading an organization: helping people walks through our doors knows there is an work together with purpose while equipping adult who believes in them.” That standard others to make their own contributions. gives the organization’s reach a human measure. She sees consistent adult relationships as Her commitment to preparing the next central to young people remaining engaged generation also has a personal dimen- and developing the confidence, resilience, sion. Merrill and her husband, Blake, are and skills to move forward. parents to Cayman, a graduate student at the University of Florida College of The responsibility of supporting that reach Pharmacy, and Cole, a third grader. Her also includes the systems behind the work. family includes children at very different In August 2026, Boys & Girls Clubs of stages of education and development, Central Florida announced a $465,000 alongside a professional mission serving investment from the Edyth Bush Charitayoung people across the region. ble Foundation to modernize technology and operations. Planned improvements GROWTH WITH PURPOSE include cybersecurity, financial processes, In her written interview, Merrill identifies document management, and integrated the organization’s expansion over the past reporting. The initiative is intended to three years as an accomplishment of which strengthen accountability and give staff she is especially proud. She reports a 45 more time to focus on young people as percent increase in the number of young the organization grows. people served, reaching an additional 5,000 annually. Her team opened four DEVELOPING OTHER LEADERS new Club locations, introduced programs Merrill’s leadership has earned recognition responding to evolving family needs, and beyond her organization, including selecstrengthened partnerships across public, tion as an Orlando Magazine Woman of private, and nonprofit sectors. the Year in 2026 and an Orlando Business Journal Women Who Mean Business honThose figures describe growth, but Mer- oree in 2025. Her honors also include Boys rill’s attention rests on the opportunities & Girls Clubs of America’s 2025 Rookie that growth makes available. More young CEO of the Year honor and McKnight’s people can enter a supportive environment, 2022 Woman of Distinction recognition. receive academic help, and form relationships with adults who take an interest in Her service includes boards and advisory their future. For her, expanding access and councils associated with the Greater Ormaintaining the quality of those relation- lando Sports Commission, Downtown ships belong together. Orlando Partnership, Nemours Children’s Health Ginsburg Institute, and Boys & Girls At Club level, those opportunities take Clubs of America. These commitments practical form. Power Hour provides accompany her interest in community partnerships and in developing leadership that can extend beyond a single institution. THAT RELATIONSHIP IS THE FOUNDATION OF “To me, being a victorious leader isn’t meaEVERYTHING WE DO. sured by titles, growth, or recognition. It’s

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measured by the number of lives you help elevate and the leaders you develop along the way.” Merrill sees creating opportunities for others as a central responsibility, particularly when those individuals have not yet recognized their own potential. FAITH AND STEWARDSHIP “My faith is the foundation of how I approach both leadership and service.” Merrill speaks openly about the conviction that guides her work. “I believe this work is my ministry, and I am very public about my faith.” She describes leadership as stewardship and responsibility, grounded in serving others and helping them develop their God-given potential. That perspective influences how she approaches decisions and relationships. She strives to lead with humility, integrity, and compassion, acknowledging that she does not have every answer. Listening, putting people first, and considering the impact of a decision on those being served are practices she connects directly to her faith. “My faith has taught me that success isn’t measured by what we achieve for ourselves, but by how many lives we positively impact along the way, and how we are building His kingdom while we’re here.” For Merrill, faith and service are closely connected to the opportunities she hopes to create for children and families. Looking ahead, she wants mentorship to be consistent and intentional, giving every child in Central Florida access to someone who shows up, offers encouragement, and helps them discover their strengths. Her ambition is for young people to carry that investment forward into their own families, communities, and leadership. “A victorious leader is someone who leaves behind more leaders than followers.” The relationship measured in a youth survey becomes, in Merrill’s vision, a commitment that can continue across generations. Her work is directed toward making that trusted presence available to more children and helping them grow into people who will offer it to others.

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BREAKING BARRIERS AND BUILDING FUTURES

Tina McCallWaters The Tennis Pioneer Helping Young People Learn, Grow, and Pursue Opportunity by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

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ennis took Tina McCall-Waters from the courts of Eatonville to national competition, a university scholarship, and professional play. The opportunities she received came with a lesson from her first coach, Denton “Pop” Johnson, that would shape her life long after those early victories. He expected his students to give back. As founder of the Denton Johnson Tennis Corporation (DJTC), McCall-Waters has spent more than two decades honoring that responsibility. Her recognition in the Education and Youth Development category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards celebrates a commitment to helping children discover their abilities and pursue opportunities through sport and education. Her accomplishments established her place in tennis history, but teaching has given her another measure of success. Through DJTC, she connects young people with instruction, mentorship, and encouragement rooted in her understanding of how much a caring adult can influence a child’s future.

Competitive tennis gradually made those possibilities real. McCall-Waters traveled to tournaments across the country, earned state and national rankings, and represented Florida in team competition. Her achievements eventually brought her to Indiana University, where coach Lin Loring recruited her in 1978. She became the university’s first Black woman to receive an athletic scholarship. I HAVE LEARNED TO GIVE FROM MY HEART, TO BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER, AND TO NEVER GIVE UP.

Photos Courtesy of Tina McCall-Waters

THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY “No one in life really makes it on their own.” McCall-Waters’ journey illustrates that conviction. In 1968, Johnson introduced her to tennis when she was eight years old. Growing up in Eatonville, she could not yet understand the possibilities he described to her family. He saw a path toward travel, education, and experiences beyond her hometown.

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STAR POWER LIST to compete in cornhole. Working with athletes with disabilities gives her another opportunity to encourage teamwork, build confidence, and help students experience the satisfaction of developing their skills. She also shares her experiences in Give Back and Laugh Out Loud, coauthored with Cynthia Hughes. The memoir brings together her pioneering athletic journey and the philosophy of service that continues to guide her. “I have learned to give from my heart, to believe in myself and what I have to offer, and to never give up.”

A two-time first-team All-American and three-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, she helped Indiana win three Big Ten championships before going on to compete professionally. Her family remained central to her motivation. “Playing competitive tennis took me away from my family so each time I traveled to play in a tournament, I dedicated it to a family member, and I did my best to bring home the trophy.” A PROMISE IN PRACTICE McCall-Waters founded DJTC in 2001, naming the nonprofit in honor of the coach whose guidance had changed her life. Its mission brings tennis into the lives of young people from minority and underserved communities while supporting their academic progress and personal development. Johnson’s expectations remained clear in her memory. “He taught me that one person can and should have influence. As a mentor, Mr. Johnson asked that each of his protégés give back to the community in any way possible. I have tried to do that through DJTC.” AS A MENTOR, MR. JOHNSON ASKED THAT EACH OF HIS PROTÉGÉS GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE. I HAVE TRIED TO DO THAT THROUGH DJTC.

The organization’s history includes academic assistance, competitive play, and opportunities that helped participants advance to high school teams and college tennis scholarships. Early tutoring support from University of Central Florida volunteers helped nine struggling Hungerford Elementary students earn promotion to the next grade.

KEEPING THE OPPORTUNITY OPEN McCall-Waters’ next priority is to make the Eatonville tennis program self-sustaining. She wants to continue teaching while strengthening the program’s ability to serve children for years to come. Her goal is for tennis to become a familiar part of community life, giving young people access to a sport they can enjoy throughout their lives.

Those outcomes reflect the breadth of McCall-Waters’ commitment. Learning the game matters, but so does having support with schoolwork, encouragement through setbacks, and someone willing to take a young person’s ambitions seriously.

That ambition carries forward the promise Johnson first saw in an eight-year-old girl. The instruction and encouragement he offered helped McCall-Waters build a remarkable career. Through her own years of teaching, she has made those same gifts available to others. Sustaining the program will allow another generation of children to discover where their abilities might take them.

SERVICE BEYOND THE COURT Community partnerships have helped sustain that work. DJTC has collaborated with schools, youth organizations, churches, universities, and recreation programs. During summer 2024, McCall-Waters coached approximately 200 children through programming involving the Boys & Girls Club of Eatonville, LaShunda Tots, and EsteemLearning. USTA Florida named her its September 2024 Volunteer of the Month, recognizing her longstanding service to Eatonville’s children. Her honors also include membership in the Black Tennis Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020 and induction into Indiana University’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023. Her service extends to coaching Special Olympics at Magnolia School in Orange County, where she is training students

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er value is not defined by her circumstances.” That conviction guides Nadine Mentor Williams’ work with young women whose ambitions can be constrained by limited resources and access to opportunities. As founder and board chairwoman of The Greatest Investment (TGI) Girls Empowerment Program, she brings together mentors, educational experiences, and practical support to help participants pursue their goals. Her commitment follows them from their school years into college, careers, and leadership roles of their own. Recognized in the Education and Youth Development category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, Mentor Williams helps young women gain the knowledge, confidence, and support to pursue their ambitions. Through TGI’s year-round programming, she connects academic preparation and career exploration with sustained mentorship, giving participants opportunities to discover their abilities and guidance as they decide what comes next.

CREATING WHAT WAS MISSING TGI began in 2010 after a conversation with a fifteen-year-old mentee left Mentor Williams concerned about the girl’s summer plans. She searched for a leadership camp that could provide structure, encouragement, and meaningful experiences. Unable to find what she needed, she created one. She wanted young women to know that they were The Greatest Investment. Today, she works with her team to develop curriculum, organize programming, and secure funding. She reports that TGI MY FAITH IS THE FOUNDATION OF WHO I AM AS A PERSON, A WOMAN, A FAMILY PERSON, A COMMUNITY LEADER, AND AS A MENTOR. I KNOW THAT GOD CALLS US TO CARE FOR HIS CHILDREN. HE WANTS US TO USE OUR TIME TO HELP OTHERS.

INVESTING IN TOMORROW’S WOMEN LEADERS

Nadine Mentor Williams An Investment Professional and Nonprofit Founder Helping Young Women Recognize Their Worth and Pursue Their Ambitions by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

VBD Magazine supports over 300 young ladies annually, including fifty to seventy-five summer campers. Its reach has extended to more than 950 young leaders in the United States, Haiti, and South Africa.

Photo Credit: Photography by Najah

The four-week Summer Leadership Camp serves girls ages twelve to eighteen through mentorship, college visits, job shadowing, financial education, and community projects. Monthly activities and school-based programs continue throughout the academic year, supporting academic progress, mental well-being, and preparation for employment.

STAR POWER LIST WHAT TRULY SETS TGI APART IS OUR CONTINUUM OF SUPPORT. PARTICIPANTS BEGIN THEIR JOURNEY IN MIDDLE OR HIGH SCHOOL AND CONTINUE AS EMPOWERED ALUMNAE THROUGH COLLEGE, VOCATIONAL SCHOOL OR DIRECTLY INTO THE WORKFORCE. Mentor Williams calls the network surrounding participants the TGI Village, a source of support that complements their families and remains present through difficult circumstances.

A VILLAGE THAT STAYS “What truly sets TGI apart is our continuum of support. Participants begin their journey in middle or high school and continue as empowered alumnae “We remain committed to our young through college, vocational school or leaders in all situations. Her value is not directly into the workforce.” defined by her circumstances. We show nonprofit leadership reflects an interest up for her because Her Life Matters, and in helping others gain the knowledge, That commitment becomes especially she is worth saving.” relationships, and resources to advance. clear in the story of Jody, a participant who wanted to become a doctor but had EXPERIENCE WITH PURPOSE FAITH IN SERVICE never met a Black woman practicing Mentor Williams brings more than twenty “My faith is the foundation of who I am medicine. Through TGI, she toured years of experience as an investment as a person, a woman, a family person, colleges, met physicians, and explored banker and investor to her leadership. She a community leader, and as a mentor. I her interest through job shadowing and is the founder and president of Mentor know that God calls us to care for His medical mission trips to Haiti. Holdings & Investments, Inc. Her career children. He wants us to use our time includes investment work at Citibank and to help others.” According to Mentor Williams, TGI UBS and development finance work in helped Jody obtain financial and edu- Africa. Throughout her career, she reports For Mentor Williams, that responsibility cational resources to graduate debt-free having transacted more than $17 billion includes the everyday tasks that keep from Florida State University. A Black in financing for public and private sector an organization functioning and make female neurosurgeon she met through the projects worldwide. participants feel heard. program continued mentoring her and later welcomed her as an intern. Now in Often the only woman of color involved “I lead by serving. I don’t let titles block her third year of medical school, Jody in financing transactions, she sought ways the purpose. I sit and listen, I clean up after returns to TGI as a speaker and mentor. to bring more women into conversations sessions, and I facilitate large and small She also founded initiatives serving about generational wealth. She founded gatherings. I want our young leaders to students in need during college. Black Women Building Wealth to share be servant leaders – to serve as they lead.” information about resources and opportunities. As a partner and senior managing Jody’s return as a mentor offers an example I LEAD BY SERVING. I DON’T director with MiDA Advisors, she also of that hope taking shape. A young woman LET TITLES BLOCK THE helped launch programs supporting who once needed access to physicians women fund managers in Africa. now shares her own experience with girls PURPOSE. I SIT AND LISTEN, I considering their futures. Through such CLEAN UP AFTER SESSIONS, A summa cum laude graduate of Pace relationships, Mentor Williams’ investAND I FACILITATE LARGE University, she earned a bachelor’s degree ment continues as those she has supported AND SMALL GATHERINGS. I in political science with a business ad- become people others can turn to. WANT OUR YOUNG LEADERS ministration minor and a master’s degree TO BE SERVANT LEADERS – in public administration from Columbia University. Her work across finance and TO SERVE AS THEY LEAD.

A HEART FOR CHILDREN AND A LIFETIME OF SERVICE

April Page

Connecting Education, Family, and Community Leadership in Central Florida by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

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he Orlando Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, celebrated its 70th anniversary by extending a longstanding commitment to community service. Through the generosity of members and community partners, its April 2026 “Harlem Nights” soiree raised more than $15,000 for organizations serving Orange County. For immediate past chapter president April Page, the celebration reflected the purpose that guided her tenure: investing in children and strengthening the community around them. Page led the chapter from 2023 to 2026 under the vision “Elevate, Educate, Empower: Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders Today,” drawing on years of service and a professional foundation in early childhood education. Her recognition in the Education & Youth Development category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards honors a commitment expressed through educational support, nonprofit leadership, and consistent involvement in the lives of young people. ROOTED IN EDUCATION Born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas, Page knew early that she wanted to serve children. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in early childhood education from Clark Atlanta University, began teaching elementary school, and later founded Page Tutoring. She eventually stepped back from her business to concentrate on raising her children, while continuing to find ways to contribute through community service.

“That passion began early, as I knew from a young age that I had a heart to serve ABOVE ALL, MY GREATEST JOY HAS ALWAYS BEEN RAISING MY OWN FOUR CHILDREN. THEY ARE THE REASON THIS WORK MATTERS SO DEEPLY TO ME, AND EVERYTHING I DO IN SERVICE TO OTHER FAMILIES COMES FROM THE SAME LOVE I HAVE FOR MY OWN.

Photo Credit: First Klass Memories Photography

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IF MY LEGACY IS SIMPLY THAT I LIVED A LIFE OF SERVICE, AND THAT THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES I TOUCHED ARE BETTER FOR IT, THAT WILL BE MORE THAN ENOUGH. children.” Her educational background remained central to her understanding of what young people need, and motherhood deepened the personal importance of that work. “Above all, my greatest joy has always been raising my own four children. They are the reason this work matters so deeply to me, and everything I do in service to other families comes from the same love I have for my own.” Her Orlando Chapter membership began in 2004. Over the years, she served as an age group sponsor, mentor to new members, financial secretary, and chapter vice president before becoming president. Each role added to a sustained commitment rather than a single period of leadership. INVESTING IN YOUNG PEOPLE During Page’s presidency, the chapter earned national Five-Star recognition for excellence. It also received two consecutive $5,000 grants from the Jack and Jill of America Foundation to expand its Reading Corner initiative and increase children’s access to literacy. These achievements combined recognition of the chapter’s work with resources to extend its educational reach. In the 2025–2026 year, the chapter awarded more than $5,000 each to the Orlando Minority Youth Golf Association and LANES Mentoring. The golf association serves young people ages 6 to 18, using the discipline of the sport to develop character, self-esteem, and leadership. LANES provides mentoring for teenage girls in grades 6 through 12. The anniversary celebration offered another opportunity to support organizations serving Orange County. “Together, that work reflects the kind of direct, lasting impact I hope to continue

making.” Page’s account places these accomplishments within a shared effort by chapter members and community partners, whose contributions helped turn a leadership vision into support for children and families. A WIDER COMMITMENT Page’s service continues through Lake Highland Preparatory School, where she sits on the Board of Trustees and previously served as president and vice president of the parent association. She has also contributed through the school’s Founder Circle Committee, Board of Visitors, and Highlander Ambassador role.

a common purpose: using her time and abilities in service to others. “My Christian faith has kept me grounded from childhood into adulthood and has shaped my sense of purpose in every area of my life.” She understands service as a gift and a responsibility to honor through the way she leads. A FAMILY FOUNDATION Page and her college sweetheart, Ernest, have been married for more than 30 years and have four children. Their encouragement sustains her community commitments. “They are my greatest blessings, and everything I pour into my community comes from the same love I have for my family.”

Beyond education, Page serves with the Orlando Chapter of The Links, Incorpo- She hopes to continue expanding access rated, on its Health and Human Services to education and mentorship throughFacet. Her community involvement out Central Florida and strengthening includes the Girl Friends, Inc., Orlando connections among the organizations Chapter and life membership in Alpha she serves. Her definition of victory Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. rests in consistent service, humility, Two decades with AdventHealth Circle and opportunities created for the next of Friends included work as board sec- generation. retary and support for its silent auction fundraiser. She also served the Orange “If my legacy is simply that I lived a County Medical Society Alliance as life of service, and that the children executive board secretary and nursing and families I touched are better for it, scholarship chairperson. that will be more than enough.” These responsibilities reflect the breadth of her involvement while retaining

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ight cents in a bank account became the starting point for a mission to change what young people could expect from their financial futures. Lashea Reaves had faced family loss, financial instability, and the responsibility of caring for her child and younger sister. Learning how money worked helped her begin rebuilding. Today, as founder and executive director of 8 Cents in a Jar, she brings that experience to students who deserve an early opportunity to build security of their own.

Recognized in the Education & Youth Development category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, Reaves connects financial education with the circumstances that shape a young person’s choices. Her work helps students gain financial knowledge, put it into practice, and connect with people who can support their progress.

THE OPPORTUNITY IN EIGHT CENTS

Lashea C. Reaves

The 8 Cents in a Jar Founder Preparing Young People for Financial Independence by Paula Hamilton

A PERSONAL FOUNDATION That commitment is rooted in her own life. Raised in Riviera Beach, Florida, Reaves experienced poverty and, during college, homelessness while working toward a degree and supporting her family. “I was a college student deep in sorrow and a domestic violence survivor struggling to provide a decent life for my young family,” she said.

“After working three jobs in college and becoming a financial junkie, I purchased my first home as a graduation gift. For the first time in my life, I was no longer a recipient of public assistance.” That experience gave financial education an urgency that would shape her leadership. “I created 8 Cents in a Jar because of the financial lessons I learned, which saved my life.” KNOWLEDGE IN PRACTICE Founded in 2016, 8 Cents in a Jar now describes its mission through an approach

Photo Credit: 8 Cents in a Jar

She studied personal finance while working three jobs. In 2007, she graduated from Florida A&M University with a degree in business management and a minor in economics. A milestone beyond the diploma marked how far she had come.

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it calls Economic Succession. Beginning at age eight and extending into young adulthood and parenting, the organization combines financial education, financial social work, and support across generations. Its aim is to help students develop the capacity to acquire assets and pass economic opportunity forward.

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students opportunities to practice before carrying those lessons into adult financial responsibilities.

OPPORTUNITY THAT ENDURES Reaves’s leadership also reflects gratitude for the people who helped her move forward. “I’m really in a season of being able to help others because many people have helped me.” Through 8 Cents in a Jar, she extends that support through education, mentorship, and community relationships.

Reaves emphasizes the sustained effort behind financial progress. “If any student is looking to get rich quickly, then we are not the organization for them,” she said. “We emphasize slow and steady progress, The practical nature of that work is vis- saving money, acquiring assets, and making informed investment decisions.” Her recognition in the 2026 Victorious ible in Home Cents, an eight-session program for homeschool and virtual Leadership Awards honors an educator students in grades four through twelve. That emphasis makes patience part of the whose work makes financial preparation Field experiences at banks, businesses, education. Learning to save consistently part of youth development. The organiand community organizations connect or evaluate a financial choice may seem zation’s name preserves the memory of financial concepts with everyday decisions. modest beside the promise of wealth, but scarcity, while its programs help students Students explore budgeting, banking, those habits give students a foundation prepare for ownership, stability, and credit, investing, and entrepreneurship, they can continue building. opportunity. while family involvement helps carry the learning into their homes. “I want to leave behind a world where every I WANT TO LEAVE BEHIND A child has the opportunity to achieve their The Investment Club introduces high dreams, regardless of their background or WORLD WHERE EVERY CHILD school students to stock analysis, portfolio circumstances.” Giving young people the HAS THE OPPORTUNITY development, and ethical investing. Its means to pursue that future is the legacy TO ACHIEVE THEIR September 2026–April 2027 program Reaves continues to build. DREAMS, REGARDLESS OF combines virtual workshops, business THEIR BACKGROUND OR labs, and investment challenges. Simulated portfolios and mentorship give CIRCUMSTANCES.

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PREVENTION BEGINS WITH A PERSON

Kacey Wood

A Polk County Counselor Connecting Community Advocacy with Support for Young People tudying criminology at the University of South Florida (USF) led Kacey Wood to think more deeply about prevention. She became interested in what leads people to harmful decisions and how support offered earlier might change their circumstances. Those questions helped guide her toward a career working with young people. “One less tough decision for someone can make all the difference.”

PREPARATION AND PREVENTION Wood earned her bachelor’s degree in criminology, with a psychology minor, from USF in 2022, graduating summa cum laude. She completed a master’s degree in child and adolescent behavioral health in 2025, focusing on research and evaluation. Her education also includes specialized study in adolescent substance use and training in trauma-informed care and youth mental health first aid.

Today, Wood is a counselor at the George W. Harris Youth Shelter in Bartow, operated by Youth and Family Advocates, Inc. Recognized in the Emerging & Young Leaders category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, she combines academic preparation with community outreach, counseling, and a commitment to young people navigating difficult circumstances. “I am passionate about helping people, whether it’s an individual or an entire community.”

VICTORIOUS LEADERS ARE FOLKS WHO DON’T NEED AN AUDIENCE TO DO THE RIGHT THING; WHO ARE HONEST WHEN THEY NEED HELP OR DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER, EITHER; AND WHO CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU THEIR WHY AND REFLECT THAT IN THEIR WORK.

Her first job after college involved community outreach serving unhoused adults. That experience drew her further into advocacy and prevention work. At the youth shelter, she initially served as outreach coordinator before moving into her current counseling role. The shelter provides emergency respite for young people facing circumstances that may include homelessness, running away, family conflict, or a need for temporary care between foster placements. Wood conducts assessments, provides weekly counseling sessions, and offers ongoing support and resources. Her work connects the broader purpose of prevention with the immediate needs of the young people in her care. BUILDING COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS As outreach coordinator, Wood helped communicate the shelter’s services to

Photos Courtesy of Kacey Wood

by Sardia J. Jennings

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youth and families, schools, law enforcement, the judiciary, and other child welfare and human service organizations. She also planned and participated in fundraising initiatives and events that brought the community into closer contact with the shelter’s mission. In her written interview, she cites the shelter’s 2025–2026 outreach report, which recorded 217 events across Polk County and a cumulative reach of more than 9,900 individuals, in addition to digital engagement. She is proud of spearheading those initiatives and building partnerships that could strengthen services for families. Her work also earned the 2026 Emerging Leader Award from Polk Young Professionals. Her wider involvement includes mentoring through the Polk Education Foundation’s Take Stock in Children program and service on the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Circuit 10 Advisory Board. These commitments extend her interest in prevention, student well-being, and community collaboration.

Photo Credit: Bella Cendan

A PLACE TO BELONG Wood’s commitment to children also developed through Camp Kesem, which supports young people facing a parent’s cancer diagnosis. During college, she served as a camp counselor and unit leader. She spent three consecutive years as development coordinator, helping her chapter raise more than $70,000, according to her interview. Now an alumna, she returns to camp as a mental health professional for chapters across the East Coast. She values Kesem as a place where children can find support and develop resilience while navigating the effects of a parent’s illness. “Kesem creates leaders and change-makers, and I am so grateful to be one of them.” LEADING BY EXAMPLE Wood’s understanding of service is rooted in her own upbringing as well as her education. She remembers the positive influences of her mother, softball coaches, and teachers, and wants to offer that kind of presence to young people who may

not have it. “If I can be that one positive adult for our youth, that would mean the world to me.”

help or don’t know the answer, either; and who can honestly tell you their WHY and reflect that in their work.”

“I think being a victorious leader means leading by example, and being unapologetically yourself.” Her definition allows room for honesty, uncertainty, and asking for help. “Victorious leaders are folks who don’t need an audience to do the right thing; who are honest when they need

The outreach figures demonstrate reach, but Wood’s greatest interest is in the individual lives behind them. Her ambition is expressed in a purpose that can be practiced each day: “I want to change lives in a small way by being that one positive adult, a safe space for youth who need it.” For this emerging leader, meaningful service begins with the young person who needs someone dependable in their corner

I WANT TO CHANGE LIVES IN A SMALL WAY BY BEING THAT ONE POSITIVE ADULT, A SAFE SPACE FOR YOUTH WHO NEED IT.

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Faith & MINISTRY

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K Kelly Eichner CARE THAT KEEPS SHOWING UP

The H.O.P.E. of Apopka Founder Bringing Neighbors Together to Meet Practical Needs by Beverlyn Johnson

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elly Eichner’s generosity is matched by a strong sense of responsibility. When someone needs a meal, concern must become food on a plate, and an offer of help must be followed by action. During VBD Magazine’s interview with the H.O.P.E. of Apopka founder, her warmth and deep concern for people were unmistakable. She understands that the people depending on her organization need support they can count on. Recognized in the Faith and Ministry category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, Eichner brings neighbors, churches, volunteers, and businesses together to serve people experiencing homelessness and families facing hardship. Through meals, clothing, hygiene supplies, and other necessities, she gives her community practical ways to care for its own. Her leadership involves sustaining those relationships and continuing to serve when circumstances make the work difficult.

She recognizes that people arrive at homelessness through different circumstances, including job loss, mental health challenges, and substance use. Those differences matter because a single explanation cannot account for every person seeking help. A meal offers an immediate response while clothing, hygiene supplies, and connections to other services can help address additional needs. Eichner sustains that commitment alongside her own employment. “I work a full-time job, sometimes two, but I make sure they get fed.” Her words capture the personal effort behind the organization’s work and her concern that people receive the help they have been promised.

Photos courtesy of Kelly Eichner

A COMMITMENT TO PEOPLE H.O.P.E. of Apopka began in 2018 at First United Methodist Church. Its work grew into a grassroots network drawing on the contributions of people willing to share their time and resources. Eichner has remained at the center of that effort, helping connect available assistance with neighbors who need it.

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CARE THAT CONTINUES Finding and maintaining places to serve has been an ongoing challenge. H.O.P.E. has provided meals in parks and other community settings, adapting when access to a location changed. For Eichner, each change has meant finding another way to reach people whose needs remain. The loss of a usable building has not ended that commitment. After a fire damaged Good Neighbor Place Thrift Store in 2025, H.O.P.E. continued serving outside. The setting changed, but volunteers still gathered to offer food and supplies. Keeping that work going required the cooperation of people prepared to contribute under less comfortable conditions. H.O.P.E. of Apopka currently serves in the lot behind 199 S. Park Avenue in Apopka. Service begins at 5:30 p.m. on the first, second, third, and fifth Sundays of the month, offering neighbors a regular place to receive meals and practical support. Holiday gatherings have extended the same care. At a Thanksgiving meal at Just Like Momma’s in 2024, decorations and tablecloths created a welcoming setting, and additional meals were delivered to people elsewhere. Clothing,

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shoes, blankets, and personal necessities accompanied the food. Such details reflect attention to how people experience assistance as well as what they receive.

Center, Mayor Nick Nesta outlined a proposed organization-led resource center intended to bring local assistance together. H.O.P.E. of Apopka and other support groups welcomed greater coordination while emphasizing that transportation remains a critical barrier for people seeking help. Centralizing services will require attention to how people can reach them.

NEIGHBORS WORKING TOGETHER Eichner’s service depends on a community of contributors. Churches provide connections and support, volunteers help carry out meal services, and donors supply food and everyday necessities. Business Her response emphasizes accountability. participation has included volunteers from “You can’t promise somebody and do Florida Paints and Leeland Management at absolutely nothing,” she said. “Please a Thanksgiving gathering at First United don’t promise them the world and then Methodist Church. Alongside a hot meal, not do anything for them.” The concern the event offered groceries, haircuts, pet is grounded in the daily urgency of her food, clothing, and shoes. work. Planning for a stronger system Bringing these contributions together is must accompany attention to people who part of the leadership behind H.O.P.E. A need help now. donated item must reach someone who can use it. Volunteers need a place and That insistence on follow-through gives a purpose for their efforts. Community substance to the generosity VBD Magarelationships help make that possible, zine encountered in Eichner. Her giving allowing individual acts of generosity heart is evident in the responsibilities she to become a shared response. accepts and the community she helps bring together. Through H.O.P.E. of Apopka, PROMISES AND she continues making care tangible, one FOLLOW-THROUGH meal, one contribution, and one kept Eichner also brings her experience in commitment at a time. direct service to wider conversations about assistance in Apopka. At a recent community town hall at The Well Activity

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Healthcare & WELLNESS

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he return of the Headdress Gala brought theatrical performances, expressive fashion, and community leadership together at the Hilton Orlando on September 19, 2026. For Thresa Giles, CEO of Hope and Help Center of Central Florida, Inc. (Hope & Help), the evening marked the renewal of a local tradition with a practical purpose. Its success would help sustain services for people who depend on the organization for healthcare, education, and support. “My role in bringing back the Headdress Gala best illustrates my impact on Central Florida,” she says. Last held in 2017, the event had gone on hiatus amid operational changes and organizational restructuring. Giles made its revival a priority when she became CEO. “When I took over as CEO in 2025, one of the first things I wanted to do was see it return. This year’s event was a huge success. We had over 600 attendees, and every dollar raised will support Hope & Help in providing comprehensive health education, prevention, testing, and mental health treatment.”

LEADERSHIP THAT SUSTAINS CARE

Thresa Giles Strengthening Community Partnerships and Resources to Serve Central Florida by Dr. Henritta Stewart

EXPERIENCE IN SERVICE Giles brings more than thirty years of experience in finance, operations, and organizational strategy to that responsibility. Her career spans corporate and nonprofit settings, including service as STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS, DIVERSIFYING FUNDING, INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY, AND DEVELOPING OUR TEAM WILL ENABLE STATEWIDE GROWTH.

Photos Courtesy of Thresa Giles

Recognized in the Healthcare & Wellness category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, Giles brings executive experience and personal commitment to the organization’s mission. Her vision builds on Hope & Help’s work in HIV and sexually transmitted infection prevention and care while pursuing broader access to health and wellness services for underserved communities.

VBD Magazine senior vice president of finance at Edison Learning and chief financial officer for large educational systems. Across those roles, she managed budgets of up to $2 billion, gaining experience in the financial and operational decisions that determine an organization’s stability and capacity to serve. An alumna of the Wharton Strategic CFO Program, she has earned recognition that includes Jacksonville’s Ultimate CFO Award and Women of Influence Award. She is also pursuing a Ph.D. in organizational leadership with a specialization in nonprofits, further developing her preparation for leading organizations with a public mission.

STAR POWER LIST I WAS INSPIRED TO REPRESENT HOPE & HELP BECAUSE I WANTED TO HELP ADVANCE ITS MISSION TO END THE HIV/STI EPIDEMIC IN FLORIDA THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION, PREVENTION, TESTING, AND TREATMENT. That commitment gives her financial and operational work a direct human purpose. Decisions about funding and organizational capacity ultimately affect the people seeking services and the employees responsible for providing them.

At Hope & Help, Giles applies that experience to the resources, systems, and personnel needed to deliver care. Her responsibilities include planning for growth, diversifying funding, investing in technology, and supporting staff development. Together, these priorities help connect the organization’s ambitions with its ability to carry them out.

A PERSONAL COMMITMENT The mission carries deeply personal meaning for Giles. She shares that a close friend died by suicide after receiving an AIDS diagnosis. Her relationships with LGBTQ+ family members also inform her commitment to the communities Hope & Help serves. These experiences reinforce her desire to give back on a larger scale and bring urgency to her work.

“I was inspired to represent Hope & Help because I wanted to help advance its mission to end the HIV/STI epidemic in Florida through comprehensive health education, prevention, testing, and treatment.”

“Being a victorious leader means serving others first with purpose, resilience, and compassion to overcome barriers and achieve collective success.”

Giles’ understanding of service encompasses the employees delivering care, the clients receiving it, and the wider community. “It centers on people as our greatest asset: employees, clients, and community, while embracing continuous learning to turn challenges into opportunities.” She places a compassionate team culture and attention to clients’ needs alongside sound organizational management. Her emphasis on collaboration recognizes that expanding access requires people with different skills and responsibilities to work together. Reducing stigma is also central to her vision, helping create conditions in which people can seek support and receive care with dignity. CARE THAT CONNECTS Hope & Help grew from grassroots support for people affected by AIDS into an organization offering clinical care, prevention, education, and community services. Its offerings include confidential HIV, STI, and hepatitis C testing, an on-site clinic and pharmacy, patient assistance, case management, and support groups. These services address several aspects of a person’s experience with healthcare. Treatment is essential, but so is assistance navigating services and maintaining access to them. Hope & Help’s Ryan White case management program helps eligible people living with HIV obtain care and support, including those without adequate insurance or income to cover services. The program’s listed services include mental health care, peer mentoring, housing assistance, and help with transportation and food, subject to eligibility. This practical support acknowledges the circumstances that can affect whether someone reaches an appointment or continues receiving care. Giles wants stronger community partnerships and expanded access to guide the organization’s next stage. Her plans include mobile clinics and satellite offices to reach underserved clients, alongside coordinated services that make care easier to navigate. She sees expansion as a way to bring support closer to the people who need it.

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That vision also calls for an organization prepared to sustain its commitments. New locations and services require funding, capable staff, and reliable operations. Giles’ experience helps her consider those responsibilities together as she plans for broader reach.

sponding to cuts in CDC prevention funding through resource realignment and the pursuit of foundation and corporate grants. Her finance and operations background informs how she approaches these pressures while continuing to plan for the future.

BUILDING WHAT COMES NEXT In her interview, Giles describes re-

Diversifying support is part of that response. Corporate and foundation relationships can contribute to an organization’s financial resilience, while community partnerships help connect its work with local needs. Giles considers those relationships essential to the growth she hopes to achieve.

WHEN I TOOK OVER AS CEO IN 2025, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I WANTED TO DO WAS SEE IT RETURN. THIS YEAR’S EVENT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS. WE HAD OVER 600 ATTENDEES, AND EVERY DOLLAR RAISED WILL SUPPORT HOPE & HELP IN PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH EDUCATION, PREVENTION, TESTING, AND MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT.

“Strengthening partnerships, diversifying funding, investing in technology, and developing our team will enable statewide growth,” she says. Her priorities place staff development alongside investment in organizational systems. The people delivering services need support as the organization’s

responsibilities grow, and effective systems can help them coordinate their work. Giles regards both as necessary to an organization seeking to expand its reach while maintaining compassionate care. “Looking ahead, I will make Hope & Help a household name across Central Florida by expanding mobile clinics, satellite offices, and one-stop-shop care.” The gala’s return demonstrated her ability to renew community engagement around that mission. Its significance continues beyond the celebration through the services the proceeds will support. As Giles works to expand access to care and strengthen Hope & Help’s capacity to serve, she describes the purpose guiding her leadership as “Transforming Hope into Action and Help into Healing.”

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Candice W. Jones, MD Caring for Children Through Clinical Practice, Community Education, and Compassion by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

Photo Credit: Daniel Morris

A VICTORY SHARED WITH FAMILIES

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love being a pediatrician and caring for my patients, but I have been just as passionate about stepping outside the exam room and engaging the community through health education,” says Candice W. Jones, MD, FAAP. Jones brings that commitment to her practice at Orange Blossom Family Health in Orlando and to the public conversations she leads about children’s well-being. Whether working with caregivers, speaking to community audiences, or addressing childhood trauma, she helps families understand their children’s needs and make informed decisions about their care. Jones dreamed of becoming a doctor from the age of five. Today, the board-certified pediatrician cares for underserved children and adolescents while extending her educational work through writing, media appearances, and public speaking. Her recognition in the Healthcare & Wellness category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards honors a commitment to children’s health that brings clinical knowledge, compassion, and reliable information into the lives of Central Florida families. CARE CLOSE TO SCHOOL “I have dreamed of being a doctor since I was 5 years old,” Jones shares. She earned her medical degree at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta and completed her pediatric residency at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. A former National Health Service Corps Scholar, she has made the well-being of young people affected by health inequities a central part of her professional purpose. At Orange Blossom Family Health, Jones works within a community school partnership on the campus of the Orange BECOMING MORE CHRIST-LIKE ALSO GREATLY INFLUENCES HOW I INTERACT WITH OTHERS BY LEADING WITH EMPATHY, KINDNESS, AND COMPASSION AND PROMOTING TEAMWORK IN SERVICE TO EVERYONE.

STAR POWER LIST County Public Schools Academic Center for Excellence in Orlando’s Parramore community. The location serves students at the school and children from across Central Florida, connecting families with medical, behavioral health, dental, and vision services. The partnership helps children remain in school, parents remain at work, and families advocate for academic success. Jones regards caregivers as essential partners in understanding and addressing children’s needs. “I am dedicated to working with caregivers in doing what is best for their kids.” KNOWLEDGE THAT REACHES Jones’ community education work includes news interviews, panel discussions, keynote presentations, and training on adverse childhood experiences with the Peace and Justice Institute. These settings give her opportunities to answer questions, build understanding, and share credible, evidence-based information with people beyond her practice. An author and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, she also participates in its Council on Communications and Media, Council on Health Equity, and Florida Chapter. She considers access to trustworthy health information especially important as families encounter misinformation that can negatively affect children’s well-being. Her educational work also addresses the lasting effects of childhood trauma. “In regards to childhood trauma, I am one of many committed to spreading hope, healing, and resilience throughout Central Florida.” Her book, High Five Discipline: Positive Parenting for Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Kids, published by the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2021, offers another way to support parents and caregivers. Her TEDxLSSC talk, “Breaking the Cycle of Generational Trauma,” extends that conversation to a broader audience. Both accomplishments hold particular meaning for Jones because they address concerns that influence children’s health and family life.

standing of professional responsibility. “My beliefs in striving to be like Christ inform my sense of purpose in providing the best care for my patients and the most healthful information for our community.” That purpose shapes her relationships with patients, caregivers, colleagues, and community partners. “Becoming more Christ-like also greatly influences how I interact with others by leading with empathy, kindness, and compassion and promoting teamwork in service to everyone.” Her approach brings medical knowledge and personal care together, recognizing that families need both sound guidance and understanding. A SHARED VICTORY “I take my role as a pediatrician very seriously in partnership with caregivers to guide their children towards health, wellness, and success.” Jones sees the results of that partnership in the progress families share with her. Good grades, scholarships, achievements in sports and the arts, improvements through therapy, and recovery from illness all carry meaning. “This is what victory in leadership looks like to me.” Her satisfaction comes from seeing children move forward and knowing that her work has contributed to their well-being. Through clinical care and community education, Jones continues to support the families whose hopes for their children give her service its daily purpose.

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COMPASSION IN PRACTICE Jones’ Christian faith guides her under-

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LEADING RECOVERY WITH COMPASSION AND PURPOSE

Kami Strong, MD A Physician Connecting Patient Independence with Collaborative Healthcare Leadership by Paula Hamilton

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ecovery often means reclaiming the ordinary activities that illness or injury has made difficult. Kami Strong, MD, helps patients work toward those goals through rehabilitation medicine, where getting dressed, preparing a meal, or moving safely at home can represent meaningful progress. “Our goal is to help them regain as much independence as possible,” she says. Her approach connects medical care with the responsibilities, relationships, and routines patients hope to resume. Strong practices at AdventHealth Inpatient Rehabilitation in Tavares, bringing her expertise to Lake County. Recognized in the Healthcare & Wellness category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, she combines a commitment to patient dignity with experience in medical leadership. Her contribution extends from the care of individuals recovering from injury or illness to the teamwork and governance that support healthcare delivery.

Strong cares for people recovering from strokes, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and major surgeries. Their needs often extend into activities that were once routine. Working toward greater independence requires attention to those practical concerns and to what each person values most. “Patients are more than diagnoses or medical charts,” Strong says. “Each individual carries a life story, family responsibilities, and personal dreams that existed long before illness or injury changed their circumstances.” That perspective places

Photos Courtesy of Dr. Kami Strong

DIGNITY IN RECOVERY Strong is board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and sports medicine. Her training includes medical education at the University of Chicago, a physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital, and a sports medicine fellowship at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Together, those disciplines inform her approach to restoring function and helping patients navigate physical challenges.

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STAR POWER LIST REHABILITATION MEDICINE DEPENDS ON TEAMWORK AMONG PHYSICIANS, NURSES, THERAPISTS, AND SUPPORT STAFF, EACH CONTRIBUTING SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE TO THE RECOVERY PROCESS. dimension of hospital governance to her clinical and leadership experience. She emphasizes the importance of an environment where colleagues can contribute openly. “Every member of the team must feel safe speaking up. Good ideas can come from anyone, and when people feel respected and supported, the entire team performs better.”

the patient’s experience at the center of rehabilitation, giving personal goals a place alongside clinical needs. Strong’s approach also recognizes the importance of adaptive equipment and practical solutions that support daily activities. The purpose of rehabilitation remains closely tied to dignity and participation in everyday life. “Our job is to keep patients as independent as possible.” LEADERSHIP THROUGH TEAMWORK Rehabilitation brings together professionals with different areas of expertise. Strong’s work involves collaboration with nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and other members of the care team. Each contributes to the support a patient receives throughout recovery.

“Rehabilitation medicine depends on teamwork among physicians, nurses, therapists, and support staff, each contributing specialized knowledge to the recovery process.” Her leadership philosophy emphasizes respect, accountability, and shared responsibility for patient care. That philosophy is informed by experience across multiple healthcare settings. Before joining AdventHealth, Strong served as medical director of acute inpatient rehabilitation at Franciscan Health in Crown Point and Hammond, Indiana, and of its COVID long-hauler rehabilitation program in those communities. She also previously served as medical director at First Choice Occupational Health Clinic in Chicago. At AdventHealth Waterman, she is listed as Bylaws Chair on the Medical Executive Committee. The role adds a specific

A PURPOSE SHAPED BY FAITH Strong’s commitment to medicine developed through the influence of family and mentors. Her mother, a longtime pediatric nurse at the University of Chicago, encouraged her to study, work hard, and pursue a medical career. Her own experience as a collegiate volleyball player helped shape an interest in sports and musculoskeletal medicine, while encounters with rehabilitation physicians revealed a meaningful path for serving people facing life-altering injuries. Faith remains part of how she understands that journey. “I really feel like the Lord had a hand on my path. I don’t think I realized it then, but I look back on things now, and I see divine intervention throughout my life.” Her recognition honors a physician whose responsibilities include listening to patients, collaborating with colleagues, and contributing to hospital leadership. In each setting, Strong’s purpose returns to the person working toward recovery and the daily activities that make independence meaningful. Her service in Central Florida carries that understanding into both patient care and the shared work of healthcare teams.

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Nonprofit & Community LEADERSHIP 79

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C Arlene Blake HELPING WOMEN BUILD ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE

Connecting Career Advancement, Financial Confidence, and Stronger Families by Dr. Henritta Stewart

areer advancement through Women on the Rise International’s Career Development Cohort is measured in earnings and the possibilities those earnings create. Since the program launched in 2024, the organization reports 94 graduates and more than $541,000 in collective salary increases. Founder and executive director Arlene Blake sees those gains in the context of better employment, stronger families, and greater financial stability. “These numbers represent more than financial gains. They represent women securing better employment, advancing their careers, strengthening their families, and building a foundation for long-term economic mobility.”

That connection between career progress and family well-being is central to Blake’s work in Orlando and Orange County. Through Women on the Rise International, Inc., she brings financial literacy, career development, entrepreneurship, and personal wellness into a shared effort to help women achieve economic independence. Her recognition in the Nonprofit & Community Leadership category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards honors that commitment to making opportunity more accessible.

“My journey was shaped by personal loss and a desire to turn pain into purpose.” As a mother, Blake also understood the I DO NOT BELIEVE SUCCESS IS MEASURED SOLELY BY WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH INDIVIDUALLY, BUT BY THE LIVES WE IMPACT AND THE OPPORTUNITIES WE CREATE FOR OTHERS.

Photos Courtesy of Arlene Blake

A COMMUNITY BORN OF LOSS The organization’s beginnings reach back to a difficult period in Blake’s life. Her mother died in 2010, followed by her father in 2014. Those losses deepened her awareness of the importance of encouragement and community, and she began considering how to create a place where women could find resources and support to move forward.

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STAR POWER LIST FAITH IN THE WORK Faith sustained Blake through the loss of her parents and continues to shape her decisions. “I believe that God has entrusted me with a purpose greater than myself.” She regards that purpose as a responsibility to serve with integrity, compassion, and humility, including during periods when the way forward is uncertain.

importance of financial stability and the opportunities it could create for another generation. In 2016, she founded Women on the Rise with a vision for women to develop personally, professionally, and financially. Ten years later, that vision continues to guide an organization focused on career and leadership development. The work includes helping women increase their earnings, pursue higher-paying opportunities, launch businesses, and strengthen their financial confidence. Blake wants the support they receive to lead toward lasting stability for themselves and their families. REMOVING BARRIERS The Career Development Cohort illustrates her approach to workforce development. Blake recognizes that practical tools and professional encouragement are most useful when women can access the opportunities being offered. Women on the Rise therefore provides complimentary childcare and children’s enrichment activities during programming, addressing a barrier that can otherwise prevent participation. “Our approach goes beyond traditional workforce development.” Alongside career preparation, the organization builds

a network of women who encourage one another’s growth. Its mantra, “We Compliment, We Don’t Compete,” expresses the spirit Blake wants participants to experience. Supportive relationships are part of the work, together with attention to barriers involving mentorship, technology, professional development, and childcare. Her entrepreneurial experience complements that mission. Through Just Start It, LLC, which she founded, Blake provides event management, project management, marketing, and leadership development services. The company helps organizations and professionals put ideas into action and strengthen their performance. Her Project Management Professional credential and experience organizing initiatives support a leadership approach concerned with carrying plans through to execution. ULTIMATELY, I WANT MY LEGACY TO BE MEASURED NOT BY THE NUMBER OF AWARDS I RECEIVE, BUT BY THE NUMBER OF WOMEN AND FAMILIES WHOSE LIVES ARE TRANSFORMED BECAUSE WE CHOSE TO DO THIS WORK.

“I do not believe success is measured solely by what we accomplish individually, but by the lives we impact and the opportunities we create for others.” That conviction informs how she recognizes potential in women and helps them consider possibilities they may not yet see for themselves. Her understanding of victory includes perseverance through adversity and the willingness to use an opportunity to improve someone else’s life. BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE A University of Central Florida alumna, Blake has received honors including the university’s College of Community Innovation and Education Noble Knight Award and Orlando Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business recognition. In February 2026, Congressman Darren Soto honored her contributions through an entry in the Congressional Record during Black History Month. Those honors accompany a continuing ambition for Women on the Rise. Blake wants to strengthen partnerships with employers, educational institutions, and community organizations so more women can access meaningful careers, financial education, and opportunities to build generational wealth. She also hopes to encourage women to pursue leadership and entrepreneurship without allowing their circumstances to define what comes next. “Ultimately, I want my legacy to be measured not by the number of awards I receive, but by the number of women and families whose lives are transformed because we chose to do this work.”

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Derrick Chubbs A Personal Understanding of Hunger Shapes a Regional Responsibility by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

ood insecurity was part of Derrick Chubbs’s college experience long before hunger relief became his professional responsibility. Receiving assistance taught him that the manner in which help is offered matters. A person seeking food deserves dignity, along with resources that make it possible to move forward. “My own experience as a food insecure college student shaped my understanding of how meaningful it is to receive help with dignity.” Chubbs carries that under-

standing into his work as president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, where he has served since 2022. His leadership brings together the urgency of feeding people today and the responsibility to develop opportunities that can strengthen their future. Recognized in the Nonprofit & Community Leadership category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, Chubbs leads an organization serving Brevard, Lake, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties. Across that

region, Second Harvest’s mission reaches individuals and families whose immediate need for nutritious food may exist alongside challenges involving health, employment, and financial stability. A REGIONAL RESPONSIBILITY The scale of Second Harvest’s work requires extensive collaboration. Chubbs leads more than 180 employees, supported by thousands of volunteers and a network of more than 800 feeding partners. That collective effort provides enough food for approximately 300,000 meals each day.

Photos Courtesy of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida

STRENGTHENING CENTRAL FLORIDA THROUGH SERVICE

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ONE OF THE AREAS I AM MOST PROUD OF IS HOW WE ARE EXPANDING THE ROLE OF FOOD ASSISTANCE BEYOND IMMEDIATE HUNGER RELIEF. The reach of that network is an important part of his contribution to Central Florida. It also gives context to his insistence that leadership is bigger than any individual. The work depends on people sharing a responsibility to serve their neighbors, while the organization continues to consider how its resources can address the circumstances contributing to hunger. Chubbs brought substantial nonprofit leadership experience to this role. He previously served as president and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank in Austin and spent nearly a decade in senior leadership positions with the American Red Cross at regional, divisional, and national levels. His education includes a Master of Public Administration from The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business. PATHWAYS TO STABILITY “One of the areas I am most proud of is how we are expanding the role of food assistance beyond immediate hunger relief.” That expansion includes Food is Medicine partnerships, which connect nutrition with health, and Career Pathways, Second Harvest’s workforce development program. Together, these efforts reflect his interest in making assistance more integrated and more attentive to long-term stability. Career Pathways builds on Second Harvest’s culinary training experience and adds a customer service track to broaden employment opportunities. Participants receive workplace preparation, connections to employers, and coaching for a year after completing the program. The training includes communication, teamwork, financial literacy, and other skills that can help participants prepare for employment. It is a practical expression

of the organization’s effort to address a root cause of hunger by helping people develop greater financial stability. Second Harvest’s health-focused work similarly extends the role of food assistance. Through its Medically Tailored Meals Program, qualifying patients receive meals designed around specific health needs, delivered to their homes. The program illustrates how the food bank connects its expertise in providing food with partnerships intended to support people managing serious health conditions. Chubbs describes that broader direction as essential to lasting progress. “That evolution is important to me because lasting change requires us to look not only at the immediate need, but at what can help people move forward.”

THAT EVOLUTION IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE LASTING CHANGE REQUIRES US TO LOOK NOT ONLY AT THE IMMEDIATE NEED, BUT AT WHAT CAN HELP PEOPLE MOVE FORWARD.

SERVICE THAT ENDURES “My faith reminds me that leadership is ultimately about service.” Chubbs says his faith keeps him grounded, encourages humility, and reinforces his responsibility to treat every person with dignity. That commitment links the personal experience that first shaped his understanding of assistance with the way he now approaches executive leadership. “Being a victorious leader means leaving an organization and a community stronger than you found them.” His definition includes mentoring others, developing future leaders, and building work that continues beyond one person’s tenure. The measure is what people receive and what an organization becomes capable of sustaining. “For me, success is not measured by personal recognition, but by the people who receive help along the way.” In Central Florida, that standard directs his attention toward both the meal that meets an immediate need and the resources that can help a neighbor establish greater stability. His leadership seeks to strengthen the connection between those responsibilities, preserving dignity throughout the process.

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S Sean A. Esler A RESPONSIBILITY TO GIVE BACK

Connecting Business Expertise with Mentorship and Nonprofit Service in Central Florida by Dr. Henritta Stewart

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peaking with business leaders can be an intimidating experience for a high school student still learning to trust their own voice. Sean A. Esler has watched that hesitation give way to confidence over a few months of mentoring. The students who once struggled to speak in public begin sharing ideas, making professional connections, and seeing a place for themselves in the working world. Years later, some return with news of a milestone and a reminder that those early experiences mattered.

“My proudest moments come later, when a former student reaches a milestone and tells me that our time together helped them get there,” Esler says. “Those relationships are the clearest evidence of the impact I hope to make.”

THE REASON TO SERVE Esler’s commitment grew through both fatherhood and the needs he witnessed around him. Raising four children drew him into schools and Scouting, where he wanted opportunities for his children and their peers. Living in Philadelphia also made poverty a visible, personal concern. “Seeing poverty in my own backyard made the need impossible to ignore,” he explains. That awareness continues to influence how he responds to struggling families and connects people with community support. MY PROUDEST MOMENTS COME LATER, WHEN A FORMER STUDENT REACHES A MILESTONE AND TELLS ME THAT OUR TIME TOGETHER HELPED THEM GET THERE.

Photo Credits: Karen Kurta Photography; GS Katz Photography

The owner of Edge Consulting and Edge Systems, Inc., Esler brings more than thirty years of technology, cybersecurity, and business consulting experience to his work. His recognition in the Nonprofit & Community Leadership category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards recognizes his contributions to schools, charitable organizations, and young people throughout Seminole County and Central Florida.

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STAR POWER LIST MY GOAL IS TO HELP MORE PEOPLE GAIN THE CONFIDENCE, SKILLS, AND SUPPORT TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE AND EVENTUALLY HELP SOMEONE ELSE DO THE SAME. ROOM TO GROW Esler welcomed his first high school intern at the Casselberry Chamber of Commerce in 2014. Since then, he reports mentoring or coaching more than seventy students. His internship program, connected with Seminole County Public Schools, combines assignments in technology, cybersecurity, automation, media, and community outreach with networking, business visits, Toastmasters meetings, and nonprofit service.

At the center of his service is a conviction about the responsibility that accompanies success. “None of us becomes successful entirely on our own,” Esler says. “We benefit from people who came before us, lifted us up, or gave us an opportunity when we needed one. That creates a responsibility to do the same for others.” EXPERIENCE PUT TO WORK Esler founded Edge Systems in July 2012 and established Edge Consulting in July 2018. Through those businesses, he helps small organizations address technology needs, strengthen operations, and plan for growth. He carries the same practical approach into nonprofit service, where sound internal systems can help organizations coordinate their resources and carry out their missions. His board roles include Be The Change Today, Be The Change for Seniors, and 251 Scouting Inc. At Be The Change Today, his contributions encompass workflow improvements, strategic planning,

The experience gives students opportunities to practice communication while contributing to work beyond the classroom. Esler also serves as founding mentor of Crooms Academy of Information Technology’s Gavel Club, participates on committees for four Scouting units, and serves as a counselor for one hundred merit badges. Across these settings, he helps young people recognize capabilities they may not yet see in themselves.

community partnerships, and systems for donor engagement, communications, and event management. He takes particular pride in Be The Change’s work helping young people attend camp for the first time, supporting a Rotary elementary reading “I have found no greater fulfillment than serving others,” he says. program, and assisting homeless families at Rescue Outreach Mission. Esler’s future plans include extending his work through youth leadership, business His school service includes advisory and education, and a workforce development strategic planning work with Seminole and entrepreneurship initiative he is deCounty Public Schools and leadership veloping. His measure of victory remains of the School Advisory Council and PTA the progress of the people he supports. at Altamonte Elementary School. These commitments connect his organizational experience with the everyday needs of students and families. WE BENEFIT FROM PEOPLE WHO CAME BEFORE US, LIFTED US UP, OR GAVE US AN OPPORTUNITY WHEN WE NEEDED ONE. THAT CREATES A RESPONSIBILITY TO DO THE SAME FOR OTHERS.

“To me, being a victorious leader means seeing the people I have helped succeed.” That perspective gives continuity to his work as a father, mentor, business coach, and nonprofit director. “My goal is to help more people gain the confidence, skills, and support to build a better future and eventually help someone else do the same.”

ADVOCACY THAT EXPANDS OPPORTUNITY

Tanisha Nunn Gary An Attorney and Chamber Leader Connecting Central Florida Businesses with the Resources to Grow by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

Photos Courtesy of Tanisha Nunn Gary

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dvocacy has carried Tanisha Nunn Gary, Esq., from representing clients in complex litigation to advancing economic opportunity across Central Florida. Her eighteen-year legal career encompassed leading her own firm and handling wrongful death and medical negligence cases. That experience, combined with the demands of business ownership, informs her leadership of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, where she brings entrepreneurs, corporate partners, and community leaders together to support business growth.

STAR POWER LIST seeking support may be weighing expansion, pursuing financing, or assessing a partnership that could change the direction of their enterprise. Gary brings an understanding of those decisions and the responsibilities they carry for employees, customers, and families. Her nonprofit experience also includes serving as executive director of The Gary Foundation, where she identified prospective major donors to support scholarships for Florida youth. The role connected fundraising and relationship development with educational opportunity, an interest that continues through her commitment to preparing young people for leadership.

owners to pursue public and private sector opportunities, while training and professional development strengthen their ability to manage growth. Accelerate Central Florida offers one example of that approach. Using Interise’s StreetWise MBA curriculum, the program helps business owners develop and manage a customized three-year strategic growth plan. Participants connect with fellow entrepreneurs and prepare for capital and contracting opportunities, applying what they learn to decisions about their own businesses.

As the Chamber’s president and CEO, The Chamber offered additional learning Gary understands the responsibilities opportunities during Empowerment Busibehind an entrepreneur’s ambition. Raised ness Month in August 2026. Its scheduled in an entrepreneurial family and a former “My legal career, entrepreneurship and offerings included information about the business owner herself, she recognizes the nonprofit leadership are connected by a City of Orlando’s Small Business Enterimportance of access to financing, sound commitment to advocacy and opportunity.” prise Program and a Growth Lab focused business guidance, and relationships that Across those settings, Gary has applied on artificial intelligence, funding, and can lead to new opportunities. her experience to helping others gain the grants. Such programming addresses the resources and support to advance. Her changing demands on business owners “My upbringing in an entrepreneurial progression into Chamber leadership as they evaluate new technologies and family inspired my commitment to ad- brings those professional experiences pursue resources for expansion. vocacy and business ownership,” she together in service to a regional business says. “Today, I apply my legal experience, community. Gary’s responsibility is to connect this business judgment and ability to bring range of services with the people and inpeople together to expand opportunities ACCESS THAT MATTERS stitutions that can help sustain it. Her overfor entrepreneurs across Central Florida.” The Chamber serves businesses and orga- sight of outreach and strategic planning nizations across Brevard, Lake, Orange, gives her a role in both communicating Recognized in the Nonprofit & Com- Osceola, Seminole, and Volusia counties. the Chamber’s priorities and developing munity Leadership category of the 2026 Its work centers on advocacy, access to the relationships needed to advance them. Victorious Leadership Awards, Gary capital, contracts, and entrepreneur trainconnects the advancement of individual ing and development. These four pillars PARTNERSHIPS WITH RESULTS businesses with the economic well-being address the conditions that influence a Gary cultivates relationships with comof the region. Her work places entrepre- business’s ability to compete, sustain munity leaders and corporate partners neurs’ needs within broader conversations operations, and grow. to enhance opportunities for Chamber about investment, employment, education, members. Her work also helps ensure and community development. Through advocacy, the Chamber brings that the organization’s perspective is members’ concerns into discussions represented in regional conversations EXPERIENCE WITH PURPOSE about policies affecting small businesses. about economic development, education, A graduate of Spelman College and Quin- Relationships with financial institutions and community needs. nipiac University School of Law, Gary help create avenues to credit and capital. developed her legal career through private Contract procurement education prepares “One contribution I am especially proud practice and as a senior associate with of is building corporate partnerships that Gary, Williams, Parenti, Watson & Gary. expand the Chamber’s reach and create MY LEGAL CAREER, Leading her own firm required her to opportunities for local businesses,” she ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND balance the interests of clients with the says. NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP operational and strategic responsibilities ARE CONNECTED of running a business. She points to a collaboration with Disney BY A COMMITMENT that she reports helped a signature ChamTO ADVOCACY AND That perspective accompanies her into ber event grow to nearly 850 attendees and Chamber leadership. Business owners generate record revenue. Alongside that OPPORTUNITY.

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Beyond the Chamber, her civic and professional involvement includes the Orlando Economic Partnership Board, FAMU College of Law Advisory Board, and CareerSource Central Florida Board. These roles extend her contributions to economic development, education, and workforce opportunity. Her community affiliations also include Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, and the Orlando chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She is a life member of both the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Away from professional responsibilities, she enjoys traveling, reading, baking, and spending time with her son, Christian. LEADERS WHO FOLLOW Gary’s vision includes expanding access to capital and contracting, strengthening partnerships that support economic growth, and preparing more people for executive and civic leadership. Mentoring young people is also part of that commitment, helping them develop the confidence and skills to contribute. “Being a victorious leader means having the courage to pursue your purpose, the resilience to navigate challenges and the discipline to deliver results.” Her transition from legal practice and business ownership to regional Chamber leadership reflects her willingness to embrace new responsibilities while remaining “It demonstrates how a nonprofit can “My purpose is to advocate for people, committed to service. open doors and use my influence with convene influential partners around a integrity.” That conviction shapes both her Gary’s vision extends beyond the next shared economic development goal and professional standards and her relation- program or partnership to the businesses produce results that benefit entrepreneurs ships. “I strive to listen carefully, honor and leaders whose growth will shape and the broader community.” my commitments and lead in a way that Central Florida’s future. She wants entrepreneurs to build lasting enterHer emphasis is on what those relation- reflects both excellence in my work and prises and emerging leaders to gain the ships deliver. Bringing influential organi- care for the people affected by it.” confidence and experience to serve their zations together creates value when their Her approach makes accountability per- communities. involvement translates into opportunities sonal. The commitments she makes to for the businesses and communities the colleagues, members, and partners carry “I hope my legacy is reflected in thriving Chamber serves. The event illustrates the businesses and leaders who create opporconnection she seeks between institutional weight because decisions made at the tunities for others.” partnerships and the practical interests of executive level affect people working to build livelihoods and create opportunities. entrepreneurs. Her stated emphasis on listening and FAITH AND RESPONSIBILITY integrity provides a standard for how she Gary’s faith provides the foundation for approaches those responsibilities. growth came opportunities for business contracts and collaboration. Gary credits the preparation, negotiation, and advocacy developed through her legal career and business ownership with helping her advance such partnerships.

how she exercises her influence. “Prayer helps me seek wisdom, remain grounded and approach difficult decisions with courage and compassion,” she says. She regards her abilities as gifts that carry a responsibility to serve others.

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Prita Chhabra How Music, Faith, and Mentorship Shaped a Community Leader’s Calling by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

Photos Courtesy of Prita Chhabra

FINDING HER VOICE IN SERVICE

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n her way to an Orlando Magic game, Prita Chhabra encountered an unexpected reminder of why her work mattered. Earlier that year, she had learned she was one of Orlando Magazine’s 2026 Women of the Year, an honor that left her wondering what extraordinary thing she had done. Then a parking attendant approached her car window, delighted to recognize the woman who had visited her group home years before. The former student remembered the songs Chhabra had shared, the STEM activities she had organized, and the college preparation support she had provided to the student’s sister. The unexpected reunion gave Chhabra a personal affirmation of her work’s lasting value. “That moment truly made me feel successful. I helped someone, and they remembered it,” she recalls. Today, Chhabra serves as Site Director of Public Allies Central Florida at RISE Community Solutions. Recognized in the Public Service & Civic Leadership category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards, she helps emerging leaders discover how their own experiences and abilities can strengthen the communities they serve. FINDING HER PLACE Prita’s path to nonprofit leadership began with a desire to help people and a search for the right way to do it. After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology, she pursued music, building a career as an independent recording artist. Her achievements included performing I’M PROUD OF ALL THE ACTIONS I’VE TAKEN TO SHOW UP EVERY DAY, GIVE MY BEST, LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES AND CONTINUE TO LEAD WITH MY VALUES. EVERYTHING I DO IS IN SERVICE OF OTHERS AND I PRAY FOR GOD TO JUST USE ME FOR WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, EACH DAY.

STAR POWER LIST national anthems for professional sports leagues and receiving the Toronto Independent Music Awards’ Best World Artist recognition in 2012. Yet the demands of making a living through music brought pressures that unsettled her relationship with singing. “There was a lot of pressure to be someone I just wasn’t,” she explains. A search for work introduced her to Public Allies Central Florida, where service offered a new direction.

WHAT DREW ME TO THE PROGRAM WAS THAT IT WAS GOING TO TRAIN ME TO BE A LEADER IN MY COMMUNITY AND SHOW ME HOW I COULD GIVE BACK AND HELP PEOPLE. THAT MOMENT TRULY MADE ME FEEL SUCCESSFUL. I HELPED SOMEONE, AND THEY REMEMBERED IT.

“What drew me to the program was that it was going to train me to be a leader in my community and show me how I could give back and help people.”

trains nonprofit executives, managers, and supervisors. The work extends her conviction that people need opportunities to discover what they can contribute.

In 2013, she became an AmeriCorps Public Ally, serving as the High School High Tech Program Coordinator for Embrace Families. Working with young people in foster care gave her a way to combine creativity with practical support. Music became part of how she connected with students, alongside educational activities and preparation for their futures. She later earned an MBA at Herzing University through a full scholarship awarded in 2017.

“We are all blessed with talents, gifts, lessons learned and leadership,” she says. For Prita, faith gives that conviction a daily expression. “Everything I do is in service of others and I pray for God to just use me for what needs to be done, each day.”

Her song Unstoppable, dedicated to the young adults she worked with, won Best Music Video at the 2018 Melbourne Independent Film Festival. Performing it at Disney with young people in the system of care remains, she says, a career highlight. LEADERSHIP THROUGH SERVICE Prita now guides others through the program that helped her find her calling. Public Allies Central Florida recruits people underrepresented in leadership and places them in full-time, ten-month roles that build the capacity of local nonprofit organizations. Participants also undertake intensive leadership development, learning to recognize their strengths and bring their lived experiences to community service. In her honoree submission, Prita reports leading her tenth cohort of Allies. She also develops leadership curriculum and

Her service also includes a board role with Central Florida Vocal Arts and participation in the Orlando Choral Society. She lives in Winter Garden with her husband and their dog, Benson, continuing to make room for the music that has accompanied her journey. VALUES IN ACTION Prita’s understanding of victory grows from the actions she takes each day. “I’m proud of all the actions I’ve taken to show up every day, give my best, learn from my mistakes and continue to lead with my values.” That commitment connects her work as a program alumna, mentor, and director. She knows what it means to search for a place to serve, and she now helps others find theirs. “I feel victorious and so grateful every day,” she says. The student who remembered her in a parking garage offered a lasting measure of that work: care given years earlier had stayed with someone.

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Corey Rowe

A Lake County Entrepreneur Bringing Corporate Experience to Local Business Needs by Mark C. A. Jennings 94

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BUILDING WITH PURPOSE

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n unexpected job loss in early 2025 left Corey Rowe facing a decision about his family’s future. Having recently relocated, he needed to provide for his family while considering how to put his corporate experience to work. His response set him on a new path in business. “I chose to build,” he says.

Today, the Lake County entrepreneur is the founder and operator of DAB Vending LLC and Steep Cut Solutions. Based in Eustis, he brings experience in logistics, supply chains, and operations to businesses serving Central Florida. Automated retail, artificial intelligence, and commercial property maintenance are part of that work, but the reason he began remains close to home: creating a resilient future for his wife, Ashley, and their children, Daisy and Brady. “My journey into entrepreneurship wasn’t born out of a comfortable transition; it was forged in the fire of adversity,” Rowe explains. That difficult beginning gave him a pressing reason to put his professional knowledge to work on his own terms. His recognition in the Technology & Innovation category of the 2026 Victorious Leadership Awards reflects a business approach that connects new tools with practical local needs. EXPERIENCE AT WORK Rowe’s professional foundation includes more than 15 years at UPS and three years managing large-scale operations at WESCO International. Those roles provided experience with the systems and processes required to keep complex operations functioning. He now applies I HAVE BUILT AN OPERATION ROOTED IN HONEST REPORTING, ADVANCED TELEMETRY, AND ENTERPRISELEVEL ACCOUNTABILITY, ENSURING THAT OUR LOCAL BUSINESS PARTNERS RECEIVE THE ETHICAL, HIGHLY STRUCTURED SERVICE THEY DESERVE.

STAR POWER LIST MY SENSE OF PURPOSE IS FUNDAMENTALLY ANCHORED IN THE BELIEF THAT MY LIFE AND MY WORK ARE NOT MY OWN, BUT BELONG TO MY MAKER. FAITH IS THE TRUE NORTH THAT DICTATES HOW I OPERATE BOTH PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY. that knowledge through enterprises that combine the discipline of corporate logistics with the demands of serving regional clients.

highly structured service they deserve.” His commitment to Lake County also includes volunteering with a local youth group, assisting with civic events, and connecting with other founders through 1 Million Cups. These activities give him opportunities to encourage people who are developing their own businesses and considering what they might contribute to the community. “Beyond transforming the business landscape, my true impact is measured by the time I pour back into the people of Lake County,” he says. His understanding of leadership joins professional responsibility with a willingness to invest personal time in others.

FAITH AND ACCOUNTABILITY DAB Vending operates automated retail micro-markets and AI-powered smart Faith gives that understanding its dicoolers. Its technology supports con- rection. “My sense of purpose is fundamentally anchored in the belief that venient workplace access to food and my life and my work are not my own, beverages, while telemetry provides information that helps guide inventory but belong to my Maker.” Rowe sees his responsibilities at home, in business, and service. Rowe’s emphasis is on bringing structure, accurate reporting, and in the community as connected to and accountability to these operations. that conviction. Steep Cut Solutions adds specialized commercial property maintenance to “Faith is the true north that dictates how I operate both personally and professionalthe family’s business portfolio. ly.” Every Wednesday morning, he meets early with a local men’s group to focus What began with a few machines has on God, hold one another accountable, grown, he reports, into an operation and consider where they are needed in serving major industrial accounts. As the community. That regular practice he develops his businesses, he is also pursuing an Executive MBA in Artifi- supports his desire to lead with integrity and serve with honesty. cial Intelligence through Ducere Global Business School and the University of East London. His continuing education Looking ahead, Rowe hopes to help people recognize possibilities beyond complements his practical experience the career or circumstances they have in supply chain dynamics and process come to accept as their only option. automation. He wants others to experience success and is willing to contribute to their TRUST AND SERVICE progress. “Ultimately, I continue to The systems Rowe builds are intended hope and pray vigilantly that as I am to strengthen the relationships behind each account. He regards transparency trusted with little I can be trusted with much.” His next chapter carries both as a responsibility to the businesses that depend on his service, making honest ambitions forward: building dependable enterprises for his family and using what reporting and consistent operations central to his approach. “I have built he has learned to encourage others as an operation rooted in honest reporting, they build their own. advanced telemetry, and enterprise-level accountability, ensuring that our local business partners receive the ethical,

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Pieces Of Us BRINGING THE PIECES TOGETHER by Atinuké Oladele

ome projects begin with a clear dinator, projects naturally pass through meeting with all of the co-authors was plan while others begin with my hands, but this one quickly became the moment the project truly became a conversation. Pieces of Us, something I was personally invested real for me. Until then, Pieces of Us was the first book in The Story of in. What started as an idea during a something we had been discussing and Us Anthology Series, began conversation eventually became a book planning. Suddenly, there were eleven with a brainstorming session between featuring eleven authors, eleven stories, people on a screen, each of whom had Dr. Ann Marie Bryan, Visionary Author, and a whole lot of work happening be- agreed to contribute a piece of their creativity to the vision. and me. Dr. Bryan wanted to create a hind the scenes. collection of Christian fiction short stories that would explore the complexities Once the idea became a project, the real From there, the timeline started filling up. of love, the process of healing, and the work began. We brought the authors There were author communications, meettransformative power of faith. together, held our first group meeting, ings, deadlines, manuscript submissions, and started the process of turning the bios to collect, revisions to coordinate, As Victorious By Design’s Project Coor- vision into a manuscript. That first questions to answer, promotional activ-

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ities to plan, and plenty of follow-ups along the way. Coordinating eleven adults is an experience in itself, especially when everyone has their own schedules, writing processes, personalities, and other responsibilities. There were certainly moments that tested my patience, but there were far more moments that reminded me why collaborative projects are worth the effort.

One of the things I found most fascinating throughout the process was seeing how eleven people could take the same overarching theme and create eleven completely different stories. No two stories are the same. Each author brought a unique perspective on love, relationships, faith, heartbreak, healing, hope, and second chances. That variety is part of what makes Pieces of Us special.

I also had the opportunity to edit the stories alongside Dr. Bryan and our developmental editor, Kerry-Ann McPherson. Being involved in that part of the process allowed me to see the stories even more closely. I watched them develop, considered how each one fit within the larger collection, and gained an even greater appreciation for the distinct voices represented in this book.

The project also taught me a lot about collaboration. I learned more about patience, communication, flexibility, accountability, and the importance of understanding that everyone brings something different to the table. When people with different experiences, personalities, and creative styles come together, the process will not always be seamless. But when everyone remains committed to the vision, those differences can become part of what makes the final book stronger.

Another highlight for me was our virtual workshop with New York Times bestselling author Kimberla Lawson Roby on June 2, 2026. She shared practical insight on storytelling, character development, and remaining authentic within Christian fiction. It was wonderful to see our co-authors leave the session encouraged, better equipped, and more confident as they continued developing their stories. The co-authors also had the opportunity to meet one-on-one with Dr. Bryan for individual coaching sessions. Those conversations gave each writer space to work through character development, story structure, emotional depth, and the direction of the story. I saw how those sessions helped the writers strengthen their work while still holding on to the individual voices that make this collection so diverse. And then came more editing, more revisions, more communication, more promotion, and eventually the milestones that made everything feel increasingly tangible. What started as a brainstorming conversation was becoming an actual book. Seeing the paperback file accepted by Amazon was one of those moments where you could really pause and say, “We did it.”

individual voices to Pieces of Us. You are amazing and extremely talented. Never forget that your voice is unique and deserves to be heard. May Pieces of Us be the beginning of a beautiful writing journey for some and the natural continuation of an already meaningful one for others. And to Dr. Bryan, after everything it took to bring this first book together, I have only one thing to say: Let’s run this back! I will approach Book Two with something I did not have at the beginning of this project: anticipation. I know what it feels like to watch an idea become a book, to help shape the pieces, and to see those pieces come together. Now I get to look forward to discovering what the next collection of stories will look like, whose voices will fill its pages, and perhaps even which pieces of us will find their way into the next book.

That feels especially fitting for a book called Pieces of Us. There are aspects of our past we wish we could change, whether for good or bad. There are moments we treasure, moments we regret, and moments we are still learning to understand. Yet Romans 8:28 reminds us that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose. All the pieces matter. Even the ones we did not expect. Even the ones we would have chosen differently. Together, they become part of the grand story of us.

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As the Project Coordinator, my hope is that readers will find something of themselves in these pages. I hope at least one story resonates with where they are in life right now, whether they are experiencing love, navigating heartbreak, rebuilding after disappointment, starting over, or simply trying to understand their own journey. I also hope readers will use the corresponding sections of the Pieces of Us: A Guided Reader’s Journal to pause and reflect on their own stories and the season they are currently in. To Dr. Bryan and our ten co-authors, thank you for bringing your creativity, faith, and

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Dr. Ann Marie Bryan VISIONARY AUTHOR The Story Behind The Story of Us Anthology Series

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r. Ann Marie Bryan has spent years writing about love, not simply the excitement of finding it, but the choices, sacrifices, healing, and faith that often become part of loving another person well.

Her Christian fiction has taken readers into marriages, families, friendships, and relationships where people are forced to confront what they believe, what they fear, and what they are willing to fight for. Through the Encounters of the Heart series, the McIntosh Brothers novels, and other works, she has returned again and again to stories of faith, redemption, healing, and second chances. Considering that, when the idea for The Story of Us Anthology Series began to take shape, the direction felt natural. Dr. Bryan wanted to create a collection of Christian fiction short stories that would explore the complexities of love, the process of healing, and the transformative power of faith. She also wanted room for different voices, different experiences, and different ways of telling a story. That idea became Pieces of Us, the first book in the series. The title itself speaks to something Dr. Bryan believes about life. We are shaped by many pieces—the relationships that have nurtured us, the experiences that have wounded us, the choices we celebrate, the ones we wish we could revisit, the people we have loved, and the lessons we are still learning. Some pieces make sense immediately, while others take years before we understand where they belong. Together, they become part of our story. THE STORY OF US The Story of Us Anthology Series brings together faith-centered fiction exploring love, relationships, family, healing, and the unexpected seasons of life. The stories are intended to meet readers in recognizable emotional places while allowing each author the freedom to approach those experiences differently.

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VBD Magazine For Pieces of Us, Dr. Bryan brought together ten co-authors to join her in creating eleven original stories. There was never an expectation that all eleven stories should sound alike. In fact, the opposite was important to her. Each writer came to the project with a different voice, background, writing style, and perspective. That variety is part of what makes Pieces of Us special. Within the collection are stories about marriage and commitment, fractured trust, grief, fear, forgiveness, unexpected love, difficult choices, second chances, and beginning again. Some characters are trying to save what they have built. Others must find the courage to move forward when life no longer resembles what they once imagined. Yet faith remains present throughout the collection. Not every prayer produces an immediate answer. Not every relationship ends the way a character hoped it would. Not every wound disappears simply because someone believes in God. Instead, the stories allow characters to wrestle with uncertainty while discovering that God can still be present in the middle of it. That was important to Dr. Bryan. The circumstances may be fictional, but the emotions are often familiar. That connection between fiction and reflection also led Dr. Bryan to create Pieces of Us: A Guided Reader’s Journal. The companion journal gives readers an opportunity to pause after the stories and consider what they may have stirred personally through Scripture, prayer, questions, and guided reflection. The anthology tells the stories. The journal invites readers to consider what those stories may reveal about their own lives. STILL CHOOSING YOU Dr. Bryan’s contribution to the anthology, Still Choosing You, brings the larger themes of Pieces of Us into the life of one married couple. Adrianna and Alex Calloway have been married for three years. They love each other, and from the outside, there is little reason to believe anything is wrong.

LITERARY DEN THAT IDEA CONNECTS STILL CHOOSING YOU TO THE LARGER COLLECTION. THROUGHOUT PIECES OF US, CHARACTERS ARE REQUIRED TO FACE SOMETHING THEY CAN NO LONGER AVOID. SOMETIMES THAT MEANS HAVING A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION. SOMETIMES IT MEANS FORGIVING. SOMETIMES IT MEANS ACCEPTING THAT SOMETHING HAS ENDED. But relationships can change quietly. Things that should have been said remain unspoken. Old wounds influence new fears. Assumptions begin filling spaces that honest conversation should have occupied. Before Adrianna and Alex can move forward, they must be willing to confront what has been left unsaid. At the center of their story is a question that reaches beyond one fictional couple: What does it mean to keep choosing the person you love when fear, misunderstanding, and vulnerability enter the room? The answer is not found in pretending that nothing hurts. It begins with truth. That idea connects Still Choosing You to the larger collection. Throughout Pieces of Us, characters are required to face something they can no longer avoid. Sometimes that means having a difficult conversation. Sometimes it means forgiving. Sometimes it means accepting that something has ended. And sometimes it means finding the courage to believe that love can still have another chapter. MAKING ROOM FOR OTHER VOICES For Dr. Bryan, serving as Visionary Author also meant creating space for other writers to tell their stories. That role fits naturally with the work she has built through Victorious By Design.

As Founder and CEO of Victorious By Design, Editor-in-Chief of VBD Magazine, bestselling author, speaker, and publishing consultant, she has spent much of her professional life creating opportunities for people to develop their gifts and share their work. With Pieces of Us, that commitment extended into fiction. Some contributors entered the project as experienced authors, while others were stretching into fiction or exploring a different side of their creativity. Dr. Bryan wanted each writer to strengthen the story while keeping the writing voice that made it uniquely their own. That distinction mattered. An anthology becomes richer when readers can move from one story to the next and feel that they have entered another writer’s world. The shared themes connect the collection, but the individual voices give it character. Together, their work establishes the foundation for a series that Dr. Bryan hopes will continue opening the door to new stories, new writers, and new ways of examining the experiences that connect us. THE STORY CONTINUES Pieces of Us may be Book One, but Dr. Bryan never intended The Story of Us to end there. There are still stories to tell about love and family, about faith when life changes unexpectedly, about relationships that survive, relationships that end, and people who discover that beginning again is possible. That is the beauty of the series. No single book can tell the whole story of us. Our lives are filled with pieces. We carry the people who have shaped us, the lessons we have learned, the prayers that were answered differently than expected, and the experiences that changed the way we see ourselves and others. Every piece does not have to be perfect to have meaning. And sometimes, the pieces we thought would break us become part of the story that makes us whole.

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The Courage To Be Seen by Dana M. Rosser

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here is often more happening beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect life than anyone realizes. Dana M. Rosser understands that space well. Much of her work has centered on people who quietly carry responsibilities, support the ones they love, and sometimes overlook their own needs in the process.

LITERARY DEN even as the deeper questions unfold. That balance allows The Courage to Be Seen to move between lighthearted moments and the emotional weight of a woman discovering that she does not have to disappear behind the roles she carries.

revealing what she truly wants might lead to rejection. Then one Sunday, a sermon meant for the congregation reaches the one person her husband never realized needed it most—his wife.

What follows forces Sasha to confront For Rosser, stepping into fiction also the question she’s spent years avoiding: represented a creative stretch. Already What if being fully seen doesn’t lead to an accomplished author, speaker, and rejection—but to freedom? advocate, she brought years of expeIn The Courage to Be Seen, Rosser takes rience writing and speaking about the The Courage to Be Seen is a heartfelt story that understanding into fiction through often-overlooked emotional lives of about faith, vulnerability, buried dreams, Sasha Reynolds, a woman accustomed spouses and family members into a new and finding your way back to yourself. to being the dependable one. She is the form of storytelling. person others can count on, the one who ABOUT DANA M. ROSSER keeps going and handles what needs to The result is a story about more than Dana M. Rosser is a homemaker, mothbe handled. Yet behind the life everyone finding courage. er, author, wife, and certified bariatric else sees, Sasha is carrying dreams, fears, coach who has dedicated much of her and questions she has not fully allowed It is about recognizing that our dreams work to educating and supporting the herself to confront. matter, our voices matter, and the parts spouses and family members of people of ourselves we have kept hidden are facing obesity. Married to Dr. James At the heart of the story is a struggle many still worthy of being seen. “Butch” Rosser Jr., a world-renowned readers may recognize: what happens laparoscopic surgeon, Dana brings a when being strong for everyone else Through Sasha’s journey, Rosser leaves unique perspective to the emotional leaves little room to acknowledge what readers with a reminder that sometimes challenges often experienced by those is happening within you? stepping into what God has placed on our supporting a loved one who is “nutrihearts begins with allowing ourselves to tionally challenged.” For Sasha, that question becomes increas- be fully seen. ingly difficult to ignore. She must decide A native of Akron, Ohio, and graduate whether she will continue hiding behind THE BLURB of The University of Akron, Dana is the the expectations and responsibilities that To everyone around her, Sasha Reynolds author of Thru Thick and Thin: Facing have defined her or find the courage to has it all—a loving husband, two beautiful Obesity Thru the Eyes of a Loved One acknowledge what God has placed on children, and a respected place beside and co-author of Unbreakable Spirit: her heart. her husband as First Lady of a thriving Rising Above the Impossible with Lisa Atlanta church. She’s the dependable one, Nichols. Her articles have appeared in Rosser does not treat vulnerability as the woman who always shows up with Today.com, Daily Mail, Southern Writers weakness. Instead, Sasha’s journey shows the right words, the right prayer, and the Magazine, and Bariatric Today. the strength required to be honest about perfect smile. what we need, what we fear, and what Dana has delivered a TEDx talk and we have allowed to remain hidden. The But beneath that smile is a woman quietly appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, The Today story also explores the difference between disappearing. Show, Fox affiliates, and Daily Mail TV. being needed and being truly known. She has also presented for organizations For years, Sasha has buried her own and conferences including the National Faith is woven naturally through that dreams beneath the needs and expecta- Medical Association, Harvard’s patient journey. Sasha’s circumstances do not tions of everyone around her, afraid that safety and obesity surgery conference, change simply because she believes in and the American Academy of Family FOR YEARS, SASHA HAS God. Instead, faith becomes part of how Physicians conference. she confronts uncertainty, listens more BURIED HER OWN DREAMS closely to what God is asking of her, and Dana and Dr. Butch reside in Orlando, BENEATH THE NEEDS begins to consider whether the life she Florida. They have five children—KevAND EXPECTATIONS OF has accepted is the life she is meant to in, Duane, Nicole, and twins Taylor EVERYONE AROUND HER, continue living. and Tianna—and two grandchildren, AFRAID THAT REVEALING Easton and August. Dana enjoys working WHAT SHE TRULY WANTS There is also warmth and humor in Saout, traveling, reading, and, most of all, sha’s story, giving readers room to smile spending time with her family. MIGHT LEAD TO REJECTION.

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rusting God can feel simple when we are surrendering something we have already decided we can live without. It becomes much harder when we have a clear picture of what we want and believe we know how the answer should look.

Almost Us by Danyelle Scroggins

That tension sits at the heart of Danyelle Scroggins’ Almost Us, a story that explores what happens when faith and control collide in the deeply personal territory of love. Scroggins has spent much of her life encouraging others to trust God, overcome adversity, and walk confidently in their God-given purpose. Her writing carries that same foundation, combining biblical truth with real-life experiences to offer hope, healing, encouragement, and practical wisdom. With more than 150 Christian fiction and nonfiction books to her name, Scroggins is no stranger to examining life’s complicated questions through the lens of faith. In Almost Us, she turns that perspective toward romantic relationships and the struggle to surrender the outcome when we have already formed our own expectations. The story invites readers to consider how easily standards, desires, and expectations can become more than guidance. Sometimes, without realizing it, we create a picture of how our prayers should be answered and expect God to work within it. That makes the story’s exploration of heartbreak especially meaningful. Disappointment has a way of revealing the places where our trust may have been conditional, where our plans became more important than God’s direction, or where we were so focused on what we thought we needed that we failed to recognize what was already before us. In Almost Us, surrender is not presented as giving up. Instead, it becomes an act of faith—the willingness to loosen our grip on an expected outcome and trust

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that God may be leading us toward something we did not anticipate. At its heart, the story asks a question many readers may recognize: Will God’s best for us always resemble the future we imagined? Sometimes faith means trusting Him enough to let the picture change. ABOUT DANYELLE SCROGGINS Danyelle Scroggins is the Senior Pastor of New Vessels Ministries North in Shreveport, Louisiana, and the author of more than 150 Christian fiction and nonfiction books. Through her writing and ministry,

she combines biblical truth with real-life experiences to offer hope, healing, encouragement, and practical wisdom. She studied Theology at Louisiana Baptist University and holds degrees in Psychology and Interdisciplinary Studies, along with a Master of Religious Education from Liberty University. Scroggins is also the founder and owner of Divinely Sown Publishing LLC. Through her ministry, writing, publishing company, and bookstore, she remains committed to helping others trust God, overcome adversity, and walk confidently in their God-given purpose.

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or Donna Mae Jackson, storytelling began long before she put words on a page. Raised in the cool hills of Clarendon, Jamaica, surrounded by family, church, and community, she grew up immersed in the oral storytelling traditions of her culture. Those early experiences helped shape a lifelong relationship with language, memory, and the power of a well-told story.

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To Love Again by Donna Mae Jackson

That relationship is evident in To Love Again, a story that reaches into the complicated territory of love, heartbreak, time, and second chances. At the center of the story is Jaime, a woman forced to rebuild her life after the man she expected to marry walks away from their future. Ten years pass, and she has learned to create a life without him. When James unexpectedly returns, however, his presence raises questions that time alone has not answered. Some wounds may heal, but that does not mean the person who carries them remains unchanged. That truth gives To Love Again much of its emotional weight. The story does not simply ask whether love can survive separation. It considers what happens when two people meet again after years of living, changing, and carrying the consequences of choices made long ago. Can what was lost be recovered? And if love is given another chance, can it become something different from what it was before? These are fitting questions for a writer whose work often explores the emotional realities of women, family, relationships, and the communities that shape them. Jackson does not shy away from disappointment or loss, but tenderness remains present in her writing. Her work carries an appreciation for family, memory, faith, and the quiet ways people learn to keep going. Her own literary journey has taken several forms. She has written short stories and poetry, earning multiple silver and bronze

medals in Jamaica Cultural Development Commission writing competitions. Her poem “Mother Dearest” was selected as the Daily Gleaner’s poem of the week, and in 2024 she published her debut poetry collection, Sketches on My Heart. She later published The Thunder Is Silent, an ode to her late brother, Neville George Jackson.

ABOUT DONNA MAE JACKSON Born in Clarendon, Jamaica, Donna Mae Jackson is a writer, trained teacher, and advocate for education and community development. She studied Language Arts and English Literature at Excelsior Community College and Communication and Journalism at the University of the West Indies.

Through To Love Again, Jackson brings that sensitivity to a story about what it means to encounter a love once thought lost.

Beyond writing, Jackson has devoted herself to creating opportunities for young people through the Gilda Jackson Foundation and several education, mentorship, and youth-development initiatives. Her work has included scholarships, grants, educational support, and programs designed to help young people develop their skills and pursue greater opportunities.

Sometimes love gets a second chance. But when people return after years apart, they cannot simply step back into who they once were. They have to discover who they have become and decide whether there is still room for love between them.

Now retired, Donna Mae lives in Ohio with her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters.

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aith does not always look like having the answers. Sometimes it looks like showing up while carrying questions, regret, disappointment, and wounds that have not yet healed.

That understanding of faith sits at the heart of Genevieve D. Woods’ Hurting Between Hymns. Woods writes about the everyday places where faith is tested, strengthened, and sometimes rebuilt. Her work is warm and reflective, encouraging readers to recognize that spiritual growth can happen even in seasons that feel messy or unfinished.

Hurting Between Hymns A HEART WORK NOVELLA, THE VIRGIN SURROGATE by Genevieve D. Woods

In Hurting Between Hymns, Woods introduces Serena Lane Brooks, a woman whose relationship with faith has become complicated by loss, shame, and regret. Serena once knew what it felt like to stand before a congregation and sing with confidence. After the collapse of her marriage and the loss of the life she once knew, however, she finds herself hiding from the very people who remember who she used to be. At the center of the story is a question many people of faith may quietly wrestle with: What happens when we begin to believe our mistakes have changed the way God sees us? For Serena, returning to a place connected to her past becomes an unexpected opportunity to confront what she has spent so much time avoiding. Yet Hurting Between Hymns is not simply a story about returning to church or recovering a former version of faith. It is about discovering that God can meet us in the places where we feel most ashamed and that healing does not have to be complete before restoration can begin. That message reflects Woods’ own approach to faith as something lived out day by day. Her writing invites readers to make room for honesty, growth, and the understanding that faith is not reserved for the moments when everything is going well. There is tenderness in Serena’s journey, but there is also courage. She must decide

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whether she will continue allowing shame to keep her hidden or trust that God can still work through the parts of her story she would rather forget. Through Hurting Between Hymns, Woods reminds readers that pain and faith can exist in the same space. We can still worship while we are hurting. We can still seek God while we are uncertain. And we can still move toward healing even when we do not yet know what the finished picture will look like. Sometimes the first step toward restoration is simply having the courage to stop hiding. ABOUT GENEVIEVE D. WOODS Genevieve D. Woods is a faith-based author

whose writing is grounded in real life, lived faith, and the everyday moments where God shapes the heart. Through her Heart Work journey, she encourages readers to grow in faith, trust God, and embrace the process one day at a time. Outside of writing, Woods works as an Operations Manager in the hydraulic and pneumatic industry. She enjoys pickleball, going to the gym, reading, and coloring, embracing both activity and creativity as ways to unwind. In 2026, Genevieve and her husband celebrate 30 years of marriage, a milestone that reflects the importance she places on faith, family, commitment, and the journey of growing together.

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ometimes being lost has less to do with where we are than with how little control we feel we have over where life is taking us.

J.L. Campbell brings that tension to Adrift, a story where financial pressure, dangerous circumstances, attraction, and faith collide. At the center is Tynesia, a woman trying to do what many people do when life becomes overwhelming: handle one problem at a time and depend on her own resourcefulness to keep moving forward.

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Adrift by J.L. Campbell

But when her efforts place her in a situation far more dangerous than she anticipated, Tynesia must decide who she can trust and whether everything around her is really what it appears to be. Then there is Caleb. His associations give Tynesia every reason to be cautious. He moves within a world populated by questionable characters, and trusting him does not come easily. Yet there is more to Caleb than first impressions reveal. As the two are drawn toward each other, Adrift becomes about more than attraction. It becomes a story about discernment, trust, and what happens when two people who have become lost in different ways begin to recognize something worthwhile in each other. Campbell’s experience writing romantic suspense is evident throughout the story. Romance develops alongside genuine stakes, giving Tynesia and Caleb more to navigate than their growing feelings. Appearances can be misleading, decisions carry consequences, and neither character has the luxury of knowing exactly where the road ahead will lead. Beneath the romance and suspense is another struggle: the limits of self-reliance. Tynesia is accustomed to finding her own solutions, but some circumstances cannot be solved by determination alone. Her journey creates space for a deeper question about what happens

when our own plans and instincts are no longer enough. Faith becomes part of finding the answer. Through Adrift, Campbell reminds readers that feeling directionless does not mean we have been abandoned. Sometimes finding our way requires learning who to trust, recognizing when our own strength has reached its limits, and listening for the One who has been present even when we could not see the way forward. ABOUT J.L. CAMPBELL J.L. Campbell is a National Bestselling Author from Jamaica whose work spans

contemporary, paranormal, and sweet romance, romantic suspense, inspirational and women’s fiction, thrillers, and new adult and young adult novels. With fifty books to her name, Campbell has built a diverse literary career exploring relationships, danger, personal growth, and the choices that shape people’s lives. She is also a certified editor and book coach who uses her experience to help other writers strengthen their craft and bring their stories to life. When she is not writing or working with authors, Campbell enjoys photography and has built an extensive collection of images celebrating the beauty of Jamaica.

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tories have a way of connecting generations. They preserve memories, give language to emotions, and sometimes allow us to revisit the moments that shaped who we became. For Lé Dash, storytelling has always been closely tied to finding and using one’s voice.

That belief carries into St. Elmo’s Fire Storm, a Jamaican story that moves between generations and explores what remains when memory begins to fade and faith has been shaken. At the center of the story is a daughter sitting at a dinner table, watching her aging mother move through the fog of memory while searching for pieces of the vibrant woman she once knew. Alongside that present-day experience unfolds another story from decades earlier, when a young man faces a devastating tragedy that threatens not only his faith but also his sense of calling. Together, those experiences create space to consider how grief changes us, how memory holds what time cannot always preserve, and how faith can endure even when life leaves us with unanswered questions. For Lé Dash, whose writing often explores identity, emotion, and the complexities of being human, St. Elmo’s Fire Storm also represents a creative stretch. Writing about faith, love, family, and loss gave her an opportunity to move beyond familiar territory and explore the quieter ways people carry pain, memory, and hope. That willingness to examine vulnerability is also present in her 2025 publication, The Girl Who Cried Seeds, which uses tears as a metaphor for seeds that can eventually produce resilience and regeneration. There is something fitting about an educator so deeply invested in literacy and storytelling contributing a story that asks what happens when parts of our own stories become difficult to remember. St. Elmo’s Fire Storm reminds readers that memory may change, circumstances may shift, and storms may test what we believe,

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St. Elmo’s Fire Storm

THE STORY OF DAVI AND JER by Lé Dash

but the connections formed through love, family, heritage, and faith can remain. At its heart, the story is about what we carry forward. Some memories fade and some experiences leave marks that never fully disappear. Yet even the most painful chapters can become part of something larger—a story of love, grace, heritage, and redemption. ABOUT LÉ DASH Lé Dash is an educator, literacy mentor, writer, and advocate for lifelong learning who encourages others to embrace their best “one dash life.” After years in leadership and administration, she returned to

her passion for writing while continuing to help young people discover and develop their own voices. Her work with middle school students has included literacy, global arts, debate, and dance clubs, along with youth and adult book clubs designed to encourage reading, creativity, and meaningful conversation. Her 2025 publication, The Girl Who Cried Seeds, explores tears, resilience, and regeneration. Through her writing and digital platform, onedashlife, Lé Dash continues to encourage growth in mind, body, and spirit while reminding others that every voice has a story worth sharing.

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n My Secret Castle, Mark C. A. Jennings explores what happens when the past is not quite finished with us, even after we have convinced ourselves that we have moved on.

At the center of the story is Faye Johnson, a woman who has built a life beyond the betrayal that once shattered her marriage. Years later, her return to Jamaica and to Secret Castle, the villa connected to that painful chapter, brings her face to face with people, memories, and emotions she thought she had left behind.

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My Secret Castle by Mark C. A. Jennings

But My Secret Castle is not simply a story about reopening old wounds. Faye is no longer the woman who once walked away broken. Time, distance, faith, and experience have changed her, and returning forces her to look at the past from a different place. As old relationships and long-held truths come into view, she must decide what still has power over her and what she is finally ready to release. Jennings brings to the story a perspective shaped by faith, his Jamaican heritage, and a lifelong love of storytelling. Raised as a preacher’s child, he developed a personal relationship with God early in life, a foundation that continues to influence his creative work. His experience in the dramatic arts is also evident in the way the story unfolds, allowing characters and relationships to reveal themselves gradually rather than fitting neatly into simple categories of right and wrong. because there is something we still need to understand and sometimes healing allows us to see familiar people and places differently. And sometimes the person who comes back is no longer the person who left.

Set against the beauty of Jamaica and the growing tension of a coastal storm, My Secret Castle explores forgiveness, family, love, faith, and the complicated relationship between memory and healing. The setting becomes more than a backdrop. Secret Castle itself carries history, holding both the pain Faye remembers and the possibility that the place she once associated with heartbreak may come to mean something entirely different.

Through Faye’s journey, Jennings reminds readers that the past may always be part of our story, but it does not have to determine how that story ends.

At its heart, the story asks whether returning to the past must always mean going backward. Sometimes we return

ABOUT MARK C. A. JENNINGS Mark C. A. Jennings is a proud Jamaican, lawyer, writer, and dramatic arts enthusiast

whose love for storytelling began early in life. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of the West Indies and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law. Jennings has written and produced several stage plays and published short stories, bringing his interest in character, dialogue, relationships, and faith to different forms of storytelling. He is currently working on his first novel. He is married to Sardia, and they have two adult sons, Chase and Stephan.

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In The Midst Of The Storm by Opal Sloan-Archie

that also requires discernment, patience, and trust in God. That becomes especially important when expectations begin to meet reality. The person we prayed for may not arrive with a perfectly packaged story. A promising connection may still come with questions. And faith does not always mean knowing immediately what the next step should be. Sometimes it means trusting God while the picture is still becoming clear. Stepping into fiction has required Opal to have the willingness to trust the process. She never imagined she would have the opportunity to pursue writing, yet she has embraced this new chapter with gratitude and a desire to grow. As a first-time author, she entered the anthology ready to learn, collaborate, and discover what she could create. There is something especially meaningful about beginning a writing journey surrounded by other storytellers. Pieces of Us gave Opal the opportunity to develop her voice while contributing to a collection centered on love, faith, healing, and the many ways relationships shape our lives. With In the Midst of the Storm, Opal introduces readers to a new Christian romance voice while reminding them that happily ever after may not always begin the way we imagined.

or Opal Sloan-Archie, In the Midst of the Storm marks the beginning of her own journey as a writer. A teacher and avid reader, Opal has long understood the power of books to transport readers into different worlds and make characters feel real. Her love of storytelling eventually inspired her to move from enjoying stories to creating one of her own. Her debut Christian fiction romance explores a question that can make relationships both exciting and complicated.

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What happens when someone appears to be an answer to prayer, but getting to know that person reveals more than you expected? Attraction and shared faith may provide the beginning of a relationship, but they do not remove the realities that come with two imperfect people. Hopes, dreams, insecurities, past experiences, and unexpected challenges can all become part of discovering whether a connection is truly meant to grow. Through In the Midst of the Storm, Opal creates space to consider love not simply as a feeling, but as something

ABOUT OPAL SLOAN-ARCHIE Opal Sloan-Archie is a teacher and avid reader whose love of books and bringing characters to life inspired her to begin writing. In the Midst of the Storm marks her debut as a Christian fiction romance author. Grateful for the opportunity to pursue writing, Opal is excited to continue developing her craft and creating stories that inspire, encourage, and connect with readers. She values collaboration and the power of teamwork, believing that stories can entertain, encourage, and ultimately glorify God.

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arriage is often celebrated for the beautiful moments it holds, but the strength of a covenant is also revealed in the seasons when things become difficult. In One Heart, One Calling, Pamela Nance Johnson explores what can happen when a couple realizes that somewhere along the way, the demands of life have pulled them away from the One who brought them together. At the center of the story are Maya and Jordan, a couple who are not facing a lack of love as much as a gradual drift. Sometimes the things that separate us from God and from one another are not dramatic choices, but the accumulation of everyday distractions, responsibilities, and misplaced priorities. When their young daughter begins asking questions, Maya and Jordan are forced to acknowledge what they have neglected and confront the condition of their marriage. That struggle reflects a message that runs through much of Pamela’s work: spiritual renewal requires intentionality. As a Christian author, teacher, and creative, Pamela has built a ministry around helping people slow down, reconnect with God, and make room for His presence. Her work includes devotionals, journals, custom coloring books, and contributions to multiple Amazon best-selling anthologies. Her 2025 release, You’re Not Too Busy, It’s God’s Time Anyway!, invites readers into a 30-day journey of rest, reflection, and reconnecting with God’s timing. That same emphasis on making space for God gives One Heart, One Calling its heart.

Restoration is not presented as an effortless return to the way things used to be. Maya and Jordan must face what has been lost, become honest about the distance between them, and choose to rebuild with prayer, forgiveness, and renewed commitment. Their journey reminds readers that a marriage can be strengthened when both people are willing to return to the foundation they may have neglected.

One Heart, One Calling A CHRISTIAN ROMANCE OF DRIFT, SURRENDER AND RESTORATION by Pamela Nance Johnson

Pamela’s approach to faith is grounded in the belief that God meets us in quiet places, whether through prayer, worship, journaling, or creative expression. Through her teaching on Spiritual Time Management, Creative Worship, and The Power of Collaboration, she encourages people to make room for God rather than simply trying to fit Him into whatever time remains. One Heart, One Calling carries that same invitation. When life causes us to drift, returning to God can also help us find our way back to one another. ABOUT PAMELA NANCE JOHNSON Pamela Nance Johnson is a Christian author

dedicated to helping believers find peace in the presence of God. Her growing body of work includes devotionals, journals, custom coloring books, and contributions to multiple Amazon best-selling anthologies. Her 2025 release, You’re Not Too Busy, It’s God’s Time Anyway!, became a Top New Release in Christian Devotional and SelfHelp/Affirmation. Pamela teaches Spiritual Time Management, Creative Worship, and The Power of Collaboration, and she also serves in music ministry. Through writing, teaching, art, and worship, Pamela remains passionate about helping others experience God’s peace, presence, and purpose.

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n Unexpected Blessings, Tricia Stewart-Sanon explores the kind of love that has history behind it, along with the kind of history that can make returning to one another complicated.

Unexpected Blessings by Tricia Stewart-Sanon

At the center of the story are Tomas and Di, whose relationship begins in friendship and grows into young love before life takes them in different directions. Years later, they find their way back to each other and are given another opportunity to build the future they once imagined. But starting again does not mean the past disappears. As Tomas and Di move forward, they are forced to confront pain, mistakes, and consequences that threaten the relationship they have worked to rebuild. Their story raises difficult questions about trust, forgiveness, and whether love can survive when something unexpected changes everything. For Tricia, whose Christian faith shapes both her perspective and her writing, those questions create space for something deeper. Unexpected Blessings is not simply about whether two people can find their way back to one another. It is also about what happens when the future we thought we understood takes a turn we never saw coming. Sometimes disappointment becomes an opportunity for growth and healing requires more grace than we thought we would have to give. And sometimes what first appears to be a disruption becomes part of a blessing we could not yet recognize. That sense of possibility is important to Tricia. A longtime reader and book club organizer, she has always been drawn to stories that do more than entertain. She appreciates books that create conversation, encourage reflection, and leave readers thinking about faith, relationships, choices, and personal growth long after the final page.

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With Unexpected Blessings, she steps from reader into writer. The story marks Tricia’s debut as a published fiction author, giving her the opportunity to bring years of reading, reflection, and love for storytelling into a work of her own. Her background in financial services may seem far removed from fiction, but her writing journey reflects something at the heart of the anthology itself: new chapters can begin in unexpected places. Through Tomas and Di’s journey, Tricia invites readers to consider whether some endings are really interruptions, whether forgiveness can make room for healing, and whether God can take what appears to be a disappointment and turn it into something we never expected.

ABOUT TRICIA STEWART-SANON Tricia Stewart-Sanon is an emerging Christian fiction writer whose love of reading began at an early age. A passionate reader and book club organizer, she enjoys stories that spark meaningful conversations and inspire faith, hope, and personal growth. Unexpected Blessings is her first published work of fiction. Her Christian faith influences her writing, particularly themes of God’s grace, perseverance, forgiveness, and trusting Him through life’s challenges. Tricia works in the financial services industry and enjoys connecting with others through books, family, and community. Through her writing, she hopes to encourage readers to recognize faith, hope, and possibility in unexpected places.

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PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAVEN

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Erica Parker

Bringing People, Purpose, and Leadership into the AI Conversation by Icylin Morgan

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THE HUMAN SIDE OF CHANGE

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uring her years in recruiting, human resources, and talent acquisition, Erica Parker began noticing something that would change the direction of her career. Talented people could struggle in organizations whose processes, leadership, or culture made it difficult for them to succeed. A problem attributed to an employee might reveal something larger about the environment in which that person worked. Understanding the difference became an increasingly important part of how she viewed business. Parker enjoyed working with people, but she wanted the freedom to address the conditions affecting their performance. Entrepreneurship gave her a way to bring her corporate experience and academic background into the same practice. Through Corporate Parker, she now works with leaders and businesses on the relationship between people, organizational systems, and lasting change. “I understand the human side of business, but I also understand the business side of people. That combination is what ultimately led me to build Corporate Parker and the work I do today.” That perspective informs her work as a human transformation strategist, business consultant, corporate trainer, and author. It also shapes her approach to an increasingly urgent leadership responsibility: preparing people for a workplace being changed by artificial intelligence. UNDERSTANDING PEOPLE Parker’s interest in human behavior preceded her consulting work. She earned bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice and psychology and a master’s degree in human service counseling, pursuing an enduring curiosity about why people think and act as they do. Her corporate career gave her opportunities to consider those questions within organizations, where leadership decisions and workplace structures could either support employees or complicate their efforts. Over time, she saw recurring needs that extended beyond recruitment. Some leaders needed support they were not

PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAVEN receiving. Businesses struggled to address underlying causes of employee difficulties. Parker wanted to help solve those problems, drawing on the connections between her education and professional experience rather than keeping each discipline separate. Her path included pivots and uncomfortable seasons, but she regards those experiences as preparation. The lessons of corporate life, along with what she had to learn through entrepreneurship, became part of the perspective she brings to clients. BENEATH THE SURFACE For Parker, human transformation begins with how people understand themselves and how that understanding affects their decisions, communication, and leadership. A new strategy may offer direction, but its success still depends on the people responsible for carrying it out. Leaders need to recognize their patterns, strengths, and responses to pressure, just as organizations need processes that support the work they expect. “Human transformation, to me, is about developing the person while also improving the system.” That conviction influences what she observes when working with a leader or team. Alongside business performance, she considers how people communicate, navigate conflict, build trust, and respond when plans unravel. What appears to be resistance may reflect uncertainty or a lack of trust. An apparent performance issue may begin with unclear communication. Recognizing those possibilities allows for a more considered response than assuming that greater effort will resolve the difficulty. Parker is careful about the purpose of that inquiry. “I’m not there to diagnose people or turn business into therapy.” Her aim is to understand the human factors HUMAN TRANSFORMATION, TO ME, IS ABOUT DEVELOPING THE PERSON WHILE ALSO IMPROVING THE SYSTEM.

influencing the business and help leaders respond appropriately. Across her work, she sees the limitations of trying to repair a culture through policy alone or asking an overextended leader to compensate for inadequate systems by working harder. RESTORING CONFIDENCE Some workplace experiences continue to influence people after they have moved on. Parker uses the term corporate trauma to describe the impact of repeated or deeply difficult professional experiences, rather than necessarily referring to a clinical diagnosis. She points to circumstances such as bullying, discrimination, chronic stress, sudden job loss, and environments in which employees feel unheard or unsupported. “Sometimes people leave the job, but they don’t necessarily leave the experience behind.” In her account, those experiences can affect a person’s willingness to trust, manage conflict, or pursue another opportunity. A once-confident professional may become guarded or feel compelled to overwork to prove their value. Her Trauma-Informed Corporate Restoration Coaching was created to give professionals space to consider what they have experienced, recognize its influence, and rebuild confidence as they move forward. Her practical career guidance also addresses the knowledge professionals are often expected to acquire on their own. She encourages them to communicate their value, understand how decisions are made, and build relationships before they need assistance. A résumé, in her view, should show accomplishments and the problems a person can solve. Doing good work matters, but so does understanding the business in which that work takes place. THE HUMAN SIDE OF AI As organizations adopt artificial intelligence, Parker brings the same attention to the people affected by change. Efficiency and automation deserve consideration, but she believes leaders must also explain why a tool is being introduced, prepare employees to use it, and create opportunities for questions and learning.

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“I believe the organizations that will navigate AI well are the ones that treat adoption as a change-management and leadership conversation, not just a technology implementation.” Her approach asks leaders to consider the effects on customer experience, organizational culture, decision-making, and trust. The value of a tool depends in part on whether employees understand it and know how to work alongside it. For Parker, preparing an organization for AI therefore includes developing its people and maintaining the judgment and relationships on which effective leadership depends. This emphasis connects her interest in technology to the questions that first drew her toward consulting. When a business changes how it operates, the people expected to deliver that change need support, clarity, and room to develop. FAITH AND HEALING Parker’s understanding of transformation is also rooted in faith. She believes a change in title or circumstances can leave internal patterns untouched, and she approaches leadership with an awareness that a person’s worth extends beyond professional achievement. Her faith influences how she treats people, makes decisions, and defines success. “I believe business can be profitable and still be purposeful. Leadership can be strong and still be compassionate. And healing can be both spiritual and practical.” For Parker, those convictions belong together in the way she serves people and develops her businesses. In her book, And the Truth Shall Set You Free, she brings together her background in psychology and counseling, her study of neuroscience, and her faith to explore trauma, fear, anxiety, and recurring patterns. She wrote from an awareness that people can become skilled at functioning around pain without recognizing its continuing influence. Her hope is that readers will better understand themselves and give themselves permission to address what they are carrying. “Healing isn’t a lack of faith; it can be part of the process of becoming whole.” Through The Deborah Academy, Parker also works with women on leadership, identity, healing, and developing what

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they believe they have been called to build. The work reflects her conviction that purposeful leadership requires attention to the person carrying the responsibility, as well as the vision itself. BUILDING WITH PURPOSE Parker applies those lessons to her own ambitions. Setbacks have taught her to reconsider the method without automatically abandoning the vision. Persistence may require a pause, reassessment, or change of direction. She has also learned to make room for family, quiet, and rest before every task is complete, recognizing that her work requires her to be emotionally available and attentive. “I don’t have to run myself into the ground to prove that I’m serious about my vision.” Looking ahead, she is continuing to expand Corporate Parker’s advisory work, develop her focus on human-centered AI, grow The Deborah Academy, and extend her speaking and training. Across those efforts, her goal is to help people become better equipped to lead and build work that endures. The curiosity that first drew Parker toward human behavior continues to shape the

future she is building. Her ambitions now encompass organizations, women preparing to lead, and professionals finding their footing after difficult experiences. The connection is her desire to help people develop the capacity to carry their responsibilities with greater understanding. “I want to build work that lasts, create opportunities for people to become better leaders, and continue building builders.”

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W Janay Richards REDEFINING WORKPLACE WELLNESS

The Founder of JAR Wellness Consulting on Supporting People and Strengthening Organizations by Dr. Ann Marie Bryan

VBD Magazine

hen Janay Richards entered her master’s program in social work, she hoped to pursue an internship focused on community development and relationship building. Instead, she found herself assigned to hospice, a field she had already experienced as an undergraduate. It was not the direction she had requested, but she accepted the opportunity. Looking back, she recognizes how those experiences shaped her understanding of grief, relationships, and the support people need during difficult seasons.

Today, Richards brings that perspective to a different setting: the workplace. As a licensed clinical social worker, mental and behavioral health consultant, and organizational engagement strategist, she sees employee well-being as inseparable from the relationships and decisions that shape an organization. “People don’t leave their emotional state at the door when they walk into the workplace; that’s easier said than done.”

A FOUNDATION IN SERVICE A first-generation Caribbean American raised in Metro Atlanta in a Jamaican household, Richards grew up with service close at hand. Her mother’s career in education introduced her to working with children, and she initially chose early childhood education as her college major. Her late aunt, a licensed clinical social worker, later opened her eyes to the breadth of opportunities within social work. “Helping others has always felt like an innate part of who I am.” Richards earned her bachelor’s degree in STRESS IS UNIVERSAL, BUT THE DRIVING FACTORS ARE UNIQUE TO EACH INDIVIDUAL AND ORGANIZATION.

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Photo Credit: Shamel McLean

For Richards, that understanding is central to her work as founder of JAR Wellness Consulting, where she helps organizations examine the relationship between employee well-being, workplace culture, and organizational performance.

VBD Magazine social work at Georgia State University and her master’s degree at Fordham University. Her professional experiences have included hospice care, child welfare investigations, therapy with aging adults, neonatal intensive care settings, and employee assistance programs. Each environment provided a different perspective on how individuals and families respond to difficult circumstances. Her time in hospice care was particularly formative. Working with patients and families experiencing grief and bereavement, she witnessed how endof-life experiences could bring greater clarity to relationships and the value of life. She also observed circumstances in which previously damaged relationships began to heal. As a child protective services special investigator, she subsequently handled allegations of child abuse and neglect, including serious injury, near-death, and fatality cases. Those responsibilities strengthened her crisis intervention skills and deepened her understanding of how communities and support systems influence people’s emotional and behavioral responses. Throughout these experiences, one conviction continued to develop: addressing someone’s immediate circumstances is important, but understanding the relationships, environments, and support systems surrounding that person is equally significant. SUPPORT THAT GOES UNUSED Richards’ experience as an employee assistance program (EAP) counselor brought another concern into focus. Across different organizations, she encountered employees carrying significant stress related to workplace conflict, leadership challenges, and personal responsibilities. Some employees were unaware that assistance was available until a crisis prompted them to seek help. Others hesitated because they questioned the confidentiality of employer-funded programs or did not trust the programs.

HEALTH & WELLNESS PEOPLE DON’T LEAVE THEIR EMOTIONAL STATE AT THE DOOR WHEN THEY WALK INTO THE WORKPLACE; THAT’S EASIER SAID THAN DONE.

personal and professional challenges do not exist independently.

Richards also recalls being encouraged to use EAP resources during her child welfare career after learning that a program had previously been discontinued because of low participation. The experience reinforced her interest in understanding why valuable employee benefits sometimes remain underused.

Those relationships exist between colleagues, managers and employees, and organizational leaders and the teams they serve. When communication deteriorates or employees feel unable to raise concerns, Richards believes the resulting strain can influence morale, productivity, and retention.

An employee experiencing difficulties at home may struggle with concentration, communication, or workplace relationships. Similarly, unresolved These experiences revealed a troubling conflict, heavy workloads, and stressful disconnect between the resources or- working conditions may influence how ganizations provided and employees’ an individual functions outside the office. willingness or ability to use them. “Organizations are built on relationships.”

She began recognizing opportunities for organizations to improve communication, address misconceptions, strengthen trust, and intervene before difficulties developed into more serious problems. These observations ultimately contributed to the establishment of JAR Wellness Consulting. Through wellness workshops, seminars, strategic evaluations, management consultations, and coaching, Richards works to help organizations improve employee engagement, strengthen workplace relationships, and make better use of existing wellness resources. Her approach recognizes that organizational challenges are rarely identical. A strategy that benefits one workplace may not adequately address the needs of another. “Stress is universal, but the driving factors are unique to each individual and organization.” For Richards, meaningful workplace wellness begins with understanding those differences and developing responses that address the needs of the people involved. WELLNESS AND LEADERSHIP Richards believes employee well-being deserves attention at the highest levels of organizational leadership because

She challenges employers to evaluate whether their stated commitment to wellness is reflected in everyday practices. A company may provide wellness initiatives and employee benefits, but those offerings become less meaningful when employees cannot readily access them or fear being judged for seeking assistance. Richards identifies another common problem: organizations sometimes introduce wellness programs without first consulting frontline employees about what they actually need. She also emphasizes the importance of establishing clear standard operating procedures for responding to workplace conflict, safety concerns, and employee difficulties. Without appropriate guidance, managers may struggle to respond consistently when sensitive situations arise. For Richards, effective leadership requires both compassion and accountability. Employees need to understand what support is available, how to access it, and whether their concerns will be handled respectfully. WARNING SIGNS Richards encourages leaders to recognize the difference between everyday stress and burnout, which can develop when demands repeatedly exceed an individual’s capacity to cope.

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VBD Magazine She uses the image of a balloon gradually filling with air to illustrate how sustained pressure can eventually overwhelm a person. Among the warning signs she encourages managers to recognize are: l Changes in behavior and performance: Withdrawal from colleagues, difficulty concentrating, irritability, persistent tiredness, and changes in productivity. l Repeated workplace concerns: Frequent complaints about heavy workloads, excessive hours, insufficient support, or unresolved conflict. l Reduced engagement: Employees becoming less involved or increasingly disconnected from their responsibilities and colleagues. These signs should encourage thoughtful conversations rather than automatic assumptions about an employee’s motivation or commitment. Richards also believes leaders should evaluate their own practices. Are they modeling healthy boundaries? Are employees comfortable expressing concerns? Do workplace expectations allow people to seek assistance before their difficulties intensify? “Leadership sets the tone in the workplace and can create a sense of safety there.” Her recommendations reflect a broader principle: meaningful workplace wellness requires consistent attention rather than occasional activities or initiatives.

I AM NOTHING WITHOUT THE LORD, JESUS CHRIST. HE IS THE SOURCE OF MY STRENGTH, AND WITHOUT HIM, I COULD NOT DO THIS WORK. HE CREATED ME AND GAVE ME THE ABILITY TO STAND IN THE GAP FOR THOSE SEARCHING FOR THEIR VOICE OR WEAKENED BY THE SUFFERING THEY HAVE ENDURED THROUGHOUT LIFE.

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BOUNDARIES AND FAITH The responsibilities of leadership and professional service can create pressures of their own, particularly for individuals who are accustomed to meeting the needs of others. Richards encourages high-performing professionals to recognize their limitations and resist the belief that constant availability is necessary to demonstrate commitment. “We cannot give what we do not have.” Maintaining healthy boundaries, she explains, may involve setting aside time for rest, delegating responsibilities, seeking support, and learning to decline additional commitments when personal capacity has been reached. She applies these principles in her own life through regular self-assessment, attention to emotional changes, meaningful relationships, exercise, church involvement, volunteering, and continued learning. Her Caribbean upbringing instilled a strong sense of perseverance, but she has learned that determination must be accompanied by an awareness of one’s personal needs. Faith remains central to her understanding challenges while recognizing the imof service and personal responsibility. LOOKING AHEAD “I am nothing without the Lord, Jesus As Richards considers the future of JAR portance of relationships, compassion, Christ. He is the source of my strength, Wellness Consulting, she is exploring and meaningful support. and without Him, I could not do this work. opportunities to address mental health He created me and gave me the ability to within the Caribbean diaspora, particu- Her message to organizational leaders is stand in the gap for those searching for larly in Jamaica. The initiative remains equally relevant to professionals across their voice or weakened by the suffering in its early planning stages, but it reflects different fields. Supporting employee the connection between her professional wellness requires more than introducing they have endured throughout life.” expertise and her cultural heritage. She programs or providing benefits. It calls Richards views her professional work as hopes to collaborate with leaders and for listening carefully, building trust, an opportunity to help individuals who explore wellness initiatives that respond addressing concerns early, and creating may be struggling to find their voices to the needs of Caribbean communities. environments in which people feel respected and supported. or navigate difficult experiences. Her Christian beliefs influence her commit- For Richards, the work ahead continues ment to offering compassion and support the commitment that first drew her toward It is an approach that places people at social work: helping people navigate the center of organizational well-being, without judgment. recognizing that the strength of any workplace depends in considerable part Her faith also reinforces her underLEADERSHIP SETS THE TONE on how its people are treated. standing of the importance of human IN THE WORKPLACE AND connection, particularly during seasons CAN CREATE A SENSE OF when emotional challenges may encourSAFETY THERE. age isolation.

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INSPIRATION OASIS

The Gift of Leadership by Pastor Danyelle Scroggins

eing chosen by God for leadership is powerful. It is extra special when you understand that being chosen does not mean you have been given an easy assignment on a smoothly paved road or the perfect point in the right direction. Embrace it as a gift, given by the giver of good and perfect gifts.

Abraham is one of our greatest examples. When God called him to leave his country and family, Abraham received no details. He received a command and a promise, not a roadmap or an itinerary. Hebrews 11:8 reminds us that Abraham obeyed God enough to follow His instructions and went out “without knowing where he was going.”

Although some people never fully recognize what it means to be a leader, we find our true understanding in the Word of God.

That is something we must understand about the gift of leadership. Sometimes, God calls you to move before He allows you to see where you are going. Oftentimes, the greatest evidence that you have been called to lead is not how much you know, but how willing you are to trust the One who called you and knows all things.

The Word shows us that leadership is more than a position, a title, or the ability to persuade people to follow you. Godly leadership is a calling that comes with responsibility, sacrifice, preparation, and purpose. So, there you have it… Calling isn’t just associated with preaching. A calling is associated with positioning. God chooses His vessels. He sees something in them that others may overlook. He knows their hearts, strengths, weaknesses, and even the struggles they have yet to face. What amazes me is that He doesn't always give those He chooses complete instructions. Sometimes, He gives them a vision without revealing the entire roadmap. He gives them enough to take the first step, but not always enough to understand where the road will lead.

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But leadership has another side we don't talk about nearly enough. Before God publicly positions a leader, there is often a season of preparation that nobody sees, and sometimes that season is marked by pain and suffering. Yet God is still in the season, and He knows what He is going to birth in and through you.

Listen: God does not randomly appoint men and women to carry His assignments. He knows what the assignment will require and what it must take to develop the person He has chosen. My sisters and brothers, can I tell you something? Preparation comes through disappointment, rejection, and sometimes through the people you love most. Even your kinfolk and friend folks misunderstand the very thing God has placed inside you. Just ask Joseph. Joseph had a dream, but before he ever stepped into the position God had prepared for him, he experienced betrayal by his own brothers, slavery, false accusations, and imprisonment. The very people who should have protected him sold him. Yet, none of those experiences could cancel what God had already purposed for his life. This is where I want us to sit a moment; not everything that comes against a leader can stop that leader. Some things become a part of the preparation God uses to develop them. The enemy may believe he is winning because he has created confusion, opposition, and hardship. People may believe that because a person is struggling, God must not be with them. Even family

VBD Magazine members may question their calling because they cannot see what God sees. But God sees the finished work while we are still trying to understand the process. He knows when a leader needs to learn patience. He knows when pride must be confronted, when compassion must be developed, and when wisdom must outweigh emotion. When the necessary lessons have been learned, and the heart has matured enough to carry what the hands will be required to carry, God moves that leader into position. Now, when the gift is on you, there is one requirement: you must learn to trust God with all your heart. Proverbs 3:5–6 tells us to trust in the Lord with all our hearts, not to lean on our own understanding, and to acknowledge Him in all our ways. I believe this is one of the greatest lessons a leader must learn. You cannot lead God's people effectively while insisting on having your own way. The gift of leadership is not simply the ability to stand before people or boss them around. It is the willingness to remain submitted to God when nobody is watching. It is the joy that comes from private preparation that leads to public kingdom participation. This is where we need to change how we understand what makes someone a great leader.

INSPIRATION OASIS Great leaders understand that they have been called to serve, not to be served. They recognize that the people entrusted to their care do not belong to them. They belong to God. When God places His people under someone's leadership, He entrusts that person with something precious to Him. Think about that for a moment. God trusts you with the very people His Son died to redeem. The very people He has called into a relationship with Himself. That responsibility should cause every leader to examine their heart and ask, “Lord, can You trust me with Your people?” Because the gift of leadership is not found in how many people follow you, how many recognize your authority, or how many applaud your accomplishments. The true gift of leadership is knowing that God can trust your heart to handle His people with love, wisdom, patience, and integrity. God has to trust that you will not use His people to build your own name. He hopes that you will correct them without crushing them. He believes that you will learn how to guide them without controlling them. He expects you to nurture them without making them dependent on you rather than on Him. We are caretakers of God's people, not owners. There is a difference.

Whether you are in the pulpit or an office, the assignment was never to make people follow us forever. The assignment was to lead them closer to their purpose in Christ and to help them find their way. Jesus shows us exactly how one acts when they know they’ve been gifted with leadership. He possessed all authority, but He humbled Himself by washing His disciples' feet. He showed us that the greatest leaders aren't those who demand the front seat, but those willing to kneel and serve. And I believe that is where the heart of leadership is truly revealed. Not in the pulpit. Not behind a desk. Not in a boardroom. Not even when everyone is watching. A leader’s heart is revealed in how they treat the people God has entrusted to them, especially when those people are struggling, growing, questioning, or making mistakes. Leadership is a gift, but the people we are called to serve are never ours to possess. They are God's to love, God’s to develop, and ultimately, God's to direct. We are blessed to be part of what He is doing in their lives, and that, my friends, is the gift of leadership.

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VBD Magazine

A Servant Leader by Ramona Powell Dennis

servant leader does not stand in front To claim the praise that others want They see the promise within their team And build their confidence and self-esteem

A servant leader gives credit when it is due And takes responsibility for all they do Humility and authenticity guide the way; They face their fears and take risks each day They show compassion and lead by example Seeing people as individuals, not merely workers They inspire, empower, and plant seeds of purpose Standing strong when the moment matters most A servant leader has learned how to serve And lift others up without seeking acclaim It is not about you, but the people you serve Helping them become all they are meant to be

Photo Credit: Jonatan Pie

A servant leader’s legacy is clear They raise new leaders year by year For leadership is not the praise you receive It is the strength you awaken in those you lead

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VBD Magazine – October 2026