SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2019 Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall George Mason University 4400 University Drive Fairfax, Virginia

Black Alumni Chapter Forty Under 40 | 1

Forty Under 40 Honors Program

Welcome and Purpose David C. Atkins, BS ’90 President, Black Alumni Chapter

Greetings Trishana E. Bowden Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Relations and President, George Mason University Foundation Julian R. Williams Vice President, Compliance, Diversity and Ethics

Dinner

Recognition of Honorary Membership Hannibal S. Jackson, BA ’99 2019 Distinguished Black Alumnus

Presentation of the 2019 Christopher Preston, BS ’96 Forty Under 40 Honorees Past President, Alumni Association

Student Voices Egette D. Indelele 2019 Black Scholars Endowed Scholarship Recipient Jason L. Smith Soloist

Presentation of the 2019 Tennille Smith Parker, BA ’97 Forty Under 40 Honorees Past President, Alumni Association

Closing Remarks JaPrince Carter Senior Assistant Director, Alumni Relations, Chapter Liaison Janae D. Johnson ’11, ’15 Vice President of Events, Black Alumni Chapter

A digital program booklet, inclusive of honoree information and patrons list, is available at alumni.gmu.edu/BAChonors2019-program.

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Congratulations, Honorees! Tonight, we celebrate you, the honorees of the 2019 George Mason University Forty Under 40 Alumni Award, because you have exhibited the power within you to be pillars of change. This prestigious award salutes alumni leaders who are making tremendous strides in their chosen professions, and you have inspired, empowered, and embraced the world of business and your respective communi- ties. This honor is indicative of the true beauty and strength that you hold within!

As president of the Black Alumni Chapter of George Mason University, I want you to know that we are proud to celebrate the culmination of your academic, career, and community successes, awarded via the Forty Under 40 Award. We stand proudly with alumni, faculty, and staff in honor of your great accomplishments.

I encourage you to always be generous with your time, talent, and treasure. Be faithful in developing your gifts and seizing the opportunities given to you. Be a good steward of the resources given to you. Be humble and keep your promises. Demonstrate, through what you do and say, that your life is meaningful, and I guarantee that you will be seen.

In closing, I thank all of you who are joining us tonight to celebrate this momen- tous occasion. To all those who have served as patrons to our honorees, we say a collective thank you. Your investment means we can continue to provide student scholarships and support programs for students and alumni. I’d also like to offer a special thanks to the Forty Under 40 selection and planning committees and our event volunteers for your efforts in ensuring a well-deserved recognition of our honorees. Finally, I am grateful for the support of Mason’s Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations, Sodexo, Coca-Cola, Canteen Vending, AJ Realty, and Fortis Mortgage for your investment in the Forty Under 40 Honors. I am humbled by your efforts and generosity.

In Mason Spirit,

David C. Atkins, BS ’90 President and Black Scholars Endowment Chairman George Mason University Black Alumni Chapter Invisible Link Forty Under 40 | 3

Induction of the 2019 Forty Under 40 Class

India Adams-Jacobs, BS ’12 Nana Konadu-Asare, BS ’18

Michael Akindele, BS ’06 Ashley Koranteng, BS ’19

Deleon Barnett, BA ’11 Nicole Lynn Lewis, MPP ’06

Brian Barry-Austin, BS ’08 Ryan Lowry, BS ’06

Phinon Beckham (Phillips), BS ’04 Diondra Musgrave, BA ’14

Gary Bushrod, MEd ’14 Kevin Okyere, BS ’05

David Clark, JD ’15 Urenna Onyewuchi, BS ’06

Xavier Clark, MPA ’18 Leon Terrance “TP” Polite, BSN ’09

Danielle Craddock, MA ’11 Kisha Porcher (Woods), PhD ’16

Tony Craddock Jr., MPH ’13 Darin Simmons, MEd ’07, MBA ’11

Jewelle Daquin, BS ’06, MEd ’10 Dr. Alexandra M. Sims, BA ’09

Michael Davis, BA ’09 Fatima M. Smith, BS ’10

Keandra Diamond, BS ’17 Jessica Smith, BA ’14

Yolanda Fraction, BA ’07 Kareema Smith, BS ’15, MS ’16

Merone Hailemeskel, BA ’15, MPP ’17 Erica Street, MPH ’16

Nicholas Hamilton-Archer, BA ’06, MPA ’10 Whitney Ward, BA ’08

Stephanie Harris, MEd ’12 Andrias White Murdaugh, BS ’12, MBA ’15

Christal Johnson, BS ’04 Philip Wilkerson, MEd ’12

Henry “Hank” Jones, BA ’07, MA ’11 Shamika Williams, BA ’08

Doreen Joseph, BS ’19 Marshall “Britt” Wright, BS ’12 Forty Under 40 | 4

India Adams-Jacobs, BS ’12 India Adams-Jacobs is a proud Mason alumna of the Schar School of Policy and Government. While at Mason, she was a member of the women’s softball team and a recreation manager for the Corner Pocket. After graduating from Mason with her BS in public administration, she pursued graduate studies at Virginia Tech. In 2014, she received her master’s degree in public administration, followed by a graduate certificate in local government management from Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration and Policy in 2015. During her time at Virginia Tech, Adams-Jacobs was selected to serve as the General Assembly Fellow with the President’s Office of Government Relations, where she was the first African American to serve in this prestigious role. She then served as an International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) Local Government Management Fellow in both Albemarle County, Virginia, and the City of Tacoma, Washington.

During her tenure in the City Manager's Office with the City of Tacoma, Adams- Jacobs led a number of community partnership and engagement efforts. She es- tablished Tacoma’s Student Government Day program, served as project manag- er for the city’s first T-Town City Services Expo, and led a project in collaboration with the University of Washington’s Livable City Year initiative. The latter collab- oration resulted in Adams-Jacobs producing the proposal project “Business and Amenities Recruitment: A Millennial Perspective,” which was selected, and later published, by the University of Washington.

In 2018, Adams-Jacobs accepted a position with the City of Delray Beach, Florida, as an assistant to the city manager, becoming the city’s first African American woman to hold the position at just 28 years old. After nearly five years away from Virginia, Adams-Jacobs brought her talents home to make an impact in another community, serving as the assistant to the city manager with the City of Peters- burg, Virginia.

In her spare time, Adams-Jacobs enjoys traveling, sports, writing, and co-hosting her podcast, 4 Tha Win, with her husband, Antwon Jacobs. Her first book, The Blueprint: A Young Professional’s Guide to Local Government Management, is forthcoming in 2020.

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Michael Akindele, BS ’06 Michael Akindele is an entrepreneurial business strategist and multiskilled tele- communications, media, and technology executive with proven achievement in architecting innovative products and services from conceptualization to market entry. He has extensive experience in building high-performing products and startup organizations. Akindele is versatile in all areas of development, from ideation, research, and design, to testing and release management. He steered an innovative venture to obtain licensing approval for The Apprentice: Africa. Focused on elevating critical business platforms and penetrating and expanding into new markets, Akindele has a proven ability to manage financial planning roadmaps, pilot growth strategy, and market tactics. Akindele has also managed teams, de- veloped talent, and negotiated funding, strategic partnerships, corporate sponsor- ships, and music and video licensing. In 2018, George Mason University’s Alumni Association named Akindele an Alumnus Exemplar.

Deleon Barnett, BA ’11 Deleon Barnett is currently the assistant principal of operations at Rocketship RISE Academy. Prior to joining the Rocketship family, Barnett served as a se- nior program manager with the Office of Special Education Programs at the U.S. Department of Education. He was a Teach for America Corps member and taught third and fourth grade (all boys) at KIPP: Harmony in Baltimore, Mary- land. Barnett holds a BA in integrative studies with a concentration in public and community engagement from George Mason University. In addition, he received a double MS from Johns Hopkins University in education and leadership for school, family, and community collaboration. Barnett enjoys traveling, DIY proj- ects, and pizza. He is a member of the oldest and coldest fraternity: Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.

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Brian Barry-Austin, BS ’08 After working for Smith and Nephew for close to a decade, Brian Barry-Austin had the opportunity to directly and indirectly help in getting people back to their everyday lives with the use of his company’s devices and surgical systems. It has become a passion of his to work closely with orthopedic surgeons, hospital ad- ministrators, and other key influencers in the space to not only provide optimal solutions for patients, but to also grow with the company by consistently achiev- ing sales quotas and goals. In turn, every year since Barry-Austin started with Smith and Nephew, he’s maintained an upward trajectory in his career.

Barry-Austin's passion for selling devices and surgical systems specific to sports medicine injuries stems from his athletic background. Having played soccer his whole life, including for Mason, he’s seen many of his teammates go down with injuries—from fractured bones and sprained ankles, to torn ligaments. Barry-Aus- tin is now working for a company that provides surgical treatment options for all of those kinds of injuries and more, and he wakes up every day feeling fulfilled.

Phinon Beckham (Phillips), BS ’04 Phinon Beckham, a former medicolegal death investigator for the Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and a newly hired forensic scientist (firearms and toolmark analyst) for the Washington, D.C., Department of Forensic Sciences, was inspired by a forensic science course she took as a child. Now, she has a bache- lor of science in biology and a master’s degree in forensic science. She is also a board-certified fellow with the American Board of Medicolegal Death Investiga- tors with a passion for all things forensic!

In October 2017, Beckham presented her abstract detailing a multiple gunshot wound suicide case at the National Association of Medical Examiners (NAME) conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. She also presented a second abstract detailing a homicide at the NAME conference in West Palm Beach, Florida, in October 2018.

Beckham created Forensic Fun Sessions, an LLC with a mission to inspire and educate children of all ages about the forensic science field by providing fun and educational presentations and activities to build a lifelong appreciation for the sciences and the criminal justice system.

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Gary Bushrod, MEd ’14 Gary Bushrod is a learning and development leader from Herndon, Virginia, with proficiency in areas ranging from talent development and facilitation and instruc- tional design, to project management and financial analysis. In 2004, Bushrod graduated from Hampton University with a BS in business management.

Upon graduation, Bushrod began his career in finance, later moving into learn- ing and development. He became a senior instructional designer and facilitator at Booz Allen Hamilton, while simultaneously enrolling in the curriculum and instruction graduate program at George Mason University, where he earned his MEd in May 2014.

After relocating to New York City in 2014, Bushrod was tapped for the role of learning and development program manager at JPMorgan Chase (JPMC). During his tenure at JPMC, he managed the development of risk management eLearning, while emphasizing technical training and empowering career management for all employees in the risk and compliance organization. Bushrod was also named the global project lead for the risk analyst program, which oriented more than 500 new hires in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Now working as a learning manager at Capital One, Bushrod leads the hands-on creation of innovative learning and development solutions for the commercial bank across a variety of learning delivery media including classroom, eLearning, virtual instructor-led, mobile, video, and other emerging digital learning modalities.

Beyond his expertise in the corporate world, Bushrod is quite the creative. He was the coach, artistic director, and choreographer for Virginia’s Herndon High School Step Team, leading them to become two-time national champions. He has traveled to dozens of countries, oftentimes on solo trips, and he writes for various travel publications. He also records, edits, and produces his own YouTube chan- nel. Bushrod’s love for travel even led him to become the creator and curator of CatchGifUcan.com. He started his travel and lifestyle blog, CatchGifUcan.com as a means to not only document his own travels, but to also provide best prac- tices and empower corporate professionals to see the world while maintaining their full-time roles. His first article, “Balancing Corporate Life with Wanderlust: #BookTheTicket,” was published on various travel sites and triggered his love for writing and inspiring others.

Learn more by visiting garybushrod.com.

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David Clark, JD ’15 David Clark is an attorney with a passion for litigation who zealously advocates for his clients. He has represented hundreds of clients in misdemeanor and felony matters during investigatory pretrial and trial phases and has litigated numerous motions to dismiss and suppress wrongfully obtained evidence. Clark prides him- self on his ability to empower his clients to make smart legal decisions by knowing their options and providing a roadmap for their cases. From the very first meeting, Clark begins an individualized legal plan for his clients and walks them through the stages of litigation for their case. He handles matters in Philadelphia, Mont- gomery County, Delaware County, and Bucks County.

Xavier Clark, MPA ’18 Xavier Clark is a young professional and academic in the Washington, D.C., Mary- land, and Virginia area. He is an employee of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a fashion educator, and a second-year PhD (strategic and health com- munication) student at George Mason University in the Department of Commu- nication. Clark is an avid member of his community and believes in the capacity of others to shape and impact the world. He has a love for activism, church, the creative arts, cultural enrichment, fashion, and traveling. As Clark always says: Be boldly you, care for others, and never get complacent.

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Danielle Craddock, MA ’11 Danielle Blunt Craddock is the founder and director of Girls Inspired and Ready to Lead Inc. (GIRL), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that mentors and empow- ers girls to be the leaders of today and tomorrow. Formerly, she served as the manager of collegiate programs at the National Society of Black Engineers head- quarters and relationship manager for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program at the United Negro College Fund. The Northern Virginia native earned her BA in communication from Old Dominion University and an MA in higher educa- tion-student services from George Mason University.

Craddock’s passion for inspiring girls began in college when she tutored and mentored a fourth-grade girl at an elementary school in Norfolk, Virginia, near Old Dominion University. Because of her mentee’s progress, Craddock and her mentee were selected to be featured in a video on mentoring produced by Nor- folk Public Schools. After graduating college, Craddock returned home to Fairfax County, Virginia, and began mentoring middle and high school girls through sessions called “Girl Talk” at a local community center. She decided to expand her mentoring efforts and formed GIRL in 2010. Her efforts with GIRL have been spotlighted on ABC 7’s Good Morning Washington (WJLA-TV) and in the Washing- ton Post. On September 20, 2014, Fairfax City Council declared GIRL Inc., Day in the City of Fairfax. Craddock was named a 2014 Northern Virginian of the Year by Northern Virginia Magazine, a 2015 NAACP Community Service Award recipient, and a 2015 Leadership Arlington 40 Under 40 honoree.

Craddock has served as a keynote speaker at the Hampton Roads Conference for Girls and Young Women; Jack and Jill of America Eastern Regional Conference; and many schools, churches, and community organizations in the mid-Atlan- tic region. She served on the founding board of the Virginia Girls’ Summit (now known as She Rocks the World) and is the cofounder of the award-winning FOCUS (Females of Color and those Underrepresented in STEM) camp for girls in partnership with the George Mason University College of Science STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Accelerator Program.

She currently lives in Northern Virginia with her husband and their 2-year-old daughter.

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Tony Craddock Jr., MPH ’13 Tony Craddock Jr., is an inspirational saxophonist, recording artist, and founder of the independent music label Cold Front Music. His mission is to uplift people with weather-themed inspirational music that combines jazz, R&B, and gospel. Craddock earned a BS in meteorology from Cornell University and an MPH from George Mason University.

Craddock’s discovery of jazz began on a rainy autumn day at the age of 8. He turned his television to The Weather Channel to learn more about rain and was pleasant- ly surprised to discover that the “Local on the 8s” segments featured smooth jazz music. This dynamic collision led him to the saxophone and concurrently cultivated his love for weather.

Craddock has released three albums: H2O (2018), Convection (2013), and Christmas in the Air (2011). His music has aired on Sirius XM’s Watercolors, Music Choice Smooth Jazz, The Weather Channel’s “Local on the 8’s,” more than 65 radio stations in the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, and Poland, and is streamed worldwide on Spotify, Pandora Radio, iTunes/Apple Music. He is a voting member of the Record- ing Academy and a member of the Washington, D.C., Grammy Chapter.

His latest album, H2O, was produced by chart-topping jazz guitarist Ken Navarro and features Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kirk Whalum on a soul-stirring rendi- tion of “Amazing Grace.” The release earned Craddock three nominations for the 2019 Washington, D.C.-area Wammie Awards in the categories of Best Jazz Album, Best Jazz Song, and Best Jazz Group (with his band Tony Craddock Jr,. and Cold Front).

Craddock is also committed to education and mentoring the next generation. He volunteers his time providing music workshops to youth in the Washington, D.C., area, serves as committee chair of a Cornell Alumni Admissions Ambassadors Net- work (CAAAN), and serves as an alumni advisor to After Six, a musical ensemble he cofounded at Cornell University.

Craddock was initiated into the Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., at Cornell University and is an active member of the Xi Alpha Lambda graduate chapter.

Craddock believes his music has nothing to do with him, but rather, the gifts that God has blessed him with. He is a native of Woodbridge, Virginia, and currently lives in Northern Virginia with his wife, Danielle, and daughter, Natalie.

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Jewelle Daquin, BS ’06, MEd ’10 Jewelle Daquin is a licensed professional counselor and a board-approved clinical supervisor in the state of Virginia. She has a passion for combining her love of Christ with her dedication to mental health awareness. She has presented at national and local conferences on various mental health topics. Daquin has cowritten published articles on the importance of social justice and multiculturalism in counseling programs and understanding the eating practices, body image, and appearance of black women. Her clinical interests include working with individuals, families, and couples who are looking to learn ways to manage the difficulties of life.

Daquin has served in the mental health field for more than 10 years and received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from George Mason University. She served as assistant director for Mason’s Office of Annual Giving before moving into the counseling field. Her clinical experience includes working in school, nonprofit, county government, and private practice settings. Daquin has worked in schools serving adolescents with behavioral challenges, in residential rehabilitation fa- cilities with adults who struggle with substance abuse and mental health issues, and in communities serving individuals and families. She is currently working full time in private practice, where she provides counseling services to individuals ages 13 and older, families, and couples.

Daquin is happily married to her high school sweetheart and fellow Mason alum- nus, Eddie Daquin, and together, they have a 5-year-old son. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, and traveling.

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Michael Davis, BA ’09 Michael J.A. Davis is an award-winning multidisciplinary designer whose professional work spans across brand, product, digital, visual, and environmental design. He developed a love for the discipline as a student graphic designer, creating marketing materials for Greek-let- ter organizations at Mason. He began his career at AOL as a designer in the Office of Diver- sity and Inclusion. He went on to rebrand George Mason University’s Early Identification Program and Mason’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education.

His proudest work was establishing the employer brand and corporate identity for diversity and inclusion at the National Institutes of Health. There, his campaigns became the model for agencies across the federal government and were recognized by the White House in 2015. As a result of this work, the NIH was recognized as No. 1 in Equal Opportunity Maga- zine’s “Top 20 Government Employers of 2019” (a ranking previously held by NASA).

Since then, Davis has gone on to lead projects for The White House, the West Hollywood Sunset Strip, the University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Southern California. Today, he leads design strategy at Capital One.

He is also a proud father of four (ages 2, 4, 6, 8) and lucky husband of 11 years to his col- lege sweetheart Lany (also a 2009 grad).

Keandra Diamond, BS ’17 Keandra Diamond is a Georgia native who calls Virginia her second home. In May 2017 she earned her BS in psychology with dual concentrations in developmental psychol- ogy and human factors and applied cognition from George Mason University. During her time at Mason she interned as a clinical researcher for Emory University School of Medicine in the field of neurology. In May 2019 she earned her master’s in development practice (MDP) with specializations in global health and monitoring and evaluation from Emory University. Diamond worked in various roles during her time at Emory. She traveled to Ethiopia, where she worked with Link Ethiopia’s education and community development programs. Diamond created and implemented a Mental Health First Aid screening program for more than 300 Ethiopian children and families. She also worked as an independent consultant within the Emergency Preparedness and Response Division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before redirecting her focus in providing educational, operational, and administrative support to the National Youth Leadership Forum Medicine and Pathways to STEM programs. Back to Honoree's List Forty Under 40 | 13

Yolanda Fraction, BA ’07 Yolanda Fraction, MEd, is passionate about creating social and behavioral change in her local, national, and global community. Over the last 12 years, she has worked with nonprofit and for-profit organizations as an elementary teacher, ESL adjunct instructor, and training manager. Fraction enjoys helping nonprofit orga- nizations work alongside the community to create social change and encourages leaders to recognize that people are their organization’s best asset. She recently founded a social enterprise, Lumiere, which seeks to shine a light on oppression and injustice in developing countries, as well as in the United States, with an em- phasis on improving access to high-quality education. She is also a training man- ager at the Maryland Governor’s Office on Service and Volunteerism.

Merone Hailemeskel, BA ’15, MPP ’17 Merone Hailemeskel serves as the director of communications and digital for former First Lady Michelle Obama’s Reach Higher initiative and Better Make Room campaign. In this role, she builds and executes the communication, digital, and outreach strategy used to inspire students to pursue and complete a post- secondary education, whether it be a degree at a professional training program, a community college, a vocational school, or trade school. Hailemeskel develops the communications, digital, and event strategy for Obama’s National College Signing Day, Beating the Odds Summit, School Counselor of the Year Ceremony, and Reach Higher convenings. As part of the Access and Equity team at Common App, Hailemeskel and her team lead the effort to support almost 900 member colleges and universities. Additionally, Hailemeskel coleads Reach Higher’s under- matching research efforts and is responsible for managing and awarding grants to support public school teachers and counselors for College Signing Day. Haile- meskel works hard to incorporate student voices in everything she does and is responsible for the creation and management of the Better Make Room Student Advisory Board. Hailemeskel earned a BA in economics and an MPP from George Mason University.

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Nicholas Hamilton-Archer, BA ’06, MPA ’10 Nicholas Hamilton-Archer is the executive director of executive programs at the Universi- ty of Colorado. Executive programs include the executive MBA program delivered jointly by each of the University of Colorado’s Business Schools (Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs) and the executive MBA in health administration delivered through the University of Colorado, Denver, Business School. His primary responsibilities include recruitment, marketing, operations, and admissions activity for the executive MBA program and ad- ministrative and fiscal oversight of the department.

Hamilton-Archer previously served as the director of recruitment and business develop- ment for the Executive MBA Worldwide and the Center for Executive Education within the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business of the University of Pittsburgh. He was responsible primarily for recruitment, marketing, and admissions activity for the Pitts- burgh-based executive MBA program and providing oversight for the efforts of the Prague, Czech Republic, and Sao Paulo, Brazil, EMBA cohorts. Hamilton-Archer was also responsi- ble for worldwide, nondegree programming within the Center for Executive Education.

Prior to his role at the University of Pittsburgh, Hamilton-Archer was the director of executive programs within the School of Management (now the School of Business) at George Mason University. He managed the development, execution, and marketing strategies of all nontraditional executive programs within the School of Management, including an international EMBA Cohort in partnership with the University of Cairo, Egypt, an online Global EMBA, as well as custom and open enrollment educational pro- gramming. Hamilton-Archer has also lived and worked in the United Arab Emirates and has extensive experience within the Middle East and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, where he managed strategic initiatives and partnerships, including the creation of advisory boards within the region at various academic institutions, and has worked collaboratively with various government agencies, private businesses, as well as with senior-level government officials.

Hamilton-Archer has a master’s of public administration and bachelor of arts (cum laude) degree in government and international politics from George Mason University. While in Pittsburgh, Hamilton-Archer served on the Board of Directors for the Homewood-Brush- ton YMCA and has worked with the World Affairs Council of Greater Pittsburgh as a guest speaker for several of their international programs/panels for regional and national high school students. Hamilton-Archer now serves as the executive director for executive education at the Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University.

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Stephanie Harris, MEd ’12 Stephanie Harris can be described as driven, highly energetic, and passionate about leader- ship. At just 26 years old, Harris opened Discovery Time Learning Center in 2014, meeting her lifelong goal of opening a childcare center in her hometown of Alexandria, Virginia.

Harris holds a BBA in management from Howard University and a master’s degree in education from George Mason University. Harris is also an alumna of Teach for Ameri- ca, where she worked as a special education teacher in Washington, D.C., prior to 2014. Harris’s dedication to the early childhood field has been recognized through various academic, leadership, and service awards, including Charles Hart’s Outstanding Dedi- cation to Special Education Award. In addition, Harris is active in the community and has provided more than $47,000 in scholarships to employees and families of Discovery Time Learning Center.

Harris opened her second center in 2018. She currently leads a 50-member teaching team, and her two centers serve more than 150 families in the Del Ray community of Alexandria, Virginia.

Christal Johnson, BS ’04 Christal Johnson has been a dynamic and proven powerhouse in organizational lead- ership for more than 15 years. She currently serves as the COO of a top producing real estate group, AJ Team Realty of Keller Williams International, alongside her husband and founder/CEO of AJ Team, Allen Johnson. For the past five years, she has worked side by side with her husband, ensuring his vision is communicated and implemented. Throughout her professional career, Johnson has eagerly taken on challenging leadership roles to enhance the growth trajectory of productivity-based businesses by aligning the right people and processes with strategic objectives. Her mastery has helped to usher the company over the 1,000 homes-sold threshold and more than $200 million in sales in five years. Under Johnson’s leadership, the team has been ranked among the top 1 percent of real estate groups nationwide for total sales volume and has been rated as the No. 1 team in Prince William County, Virginia, since 2016. In addition, they were recently voted as the Best Real Estate Team by Inside NoVA for 2019. Johnson received her BS in adminis- tration of justice from George Mason University. She is inspired daily by her family; her driven, passionate husband and business partner Allen; and their two spirited daughters, Sydney and Camila. Johnson is passionate about growing businesses, serving others, and investing in real estate. Back to Honoree's List Forty Under 40 | 16

Henry “Hank” Jones, BA ’07, MA ’11 After completing his MA in English with a concentration in teaching of writing and literature from George Mason University, Henry “Hank” Jones quit his job as an editorial assistant at a Washington, D.C.-based tax publication and drove to Los Angeles to pursue a career in scriptwriting. Jones worked on any indie project he could find until he was recommended for an assistant position on BET’s The Game. Over the next few years, Jones hustled as an assistant on shows like Black-ish, Dear White People, and BET’s The New Edition Story. These shows helped him harness essential writing skills, thanks in part to amazing mentors like Yvette Lee Bowser, Kenya Barris, and Jesse Collins. Jones went on to write eight episodes of the Netflix animated show Motown Magic, executive produced by Smokey Robinson, and two episodes of the Netflix comedy Family Reunion. He is currently staffed as a writer on the CBS comedy The Neighborhood, starring Cedric the Entertainer, and is developing his first feature film with Issa Rae’s Color Creative. Jones is a 2018 Film Independent Project Involve Writing Fellow and Episodic Lab Fellow.

Doreen Joseph, BS ’19 Doreen Joseph is an extremely kind, passionate, and intelligent leader and stu- dent. She is a recent graduate of George Mason University, with a BS in cyberse- curity engineering and a minor in mathematics. She is the first African American woman to receive a BS in cybersecurity engineering in the United States. Apart from her passion for engineering and computer science, she has a passion for helping others and is always looking for ways to serve and give back to her com- munity. She is headed to the University of California, Davis, on a full-ride scholar- ship, to work on her PhD in computer science. She hopes to use her knowledge of the field to help people in the United States and beyond.

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Nana Konadu-Asare, BS '18 Nana Konadu-Asare is the founder and president of Nana’s Project. She was born in Ghana and came to America at a very young age. Konadu-Asare obtained her bachelor’s degree in health promotion from Marymount University and her BS in biology from George Mason University. Konadu-Asare currently works as a proj- ect manager while managing her nonprofit. Since the inception of Nana’s Project two years ago, Konadu-Asare has managed to expand her goal of creating medical accessibility to more than 100,000 people; win two very significant awards—the Quint Studer Difference Maker Award and Community Engagement Medallion— and has now begun to improve infrastructure and sustainability in Ghana.

Ashley Koranteng, BS ’19 Ashley Koranteng is a recent Mason graduate who earned a bachelor’s degree in community health. She is currently pursuing her accelerated master’s degree in public health, focusing on epidemiology. A Loudoun County, Virginia-native born to Ghanaian parents, Koranteng has a crosscultural background that has impact- ed the way she views public health, thereby sparking her interest in topics such as social determinants of health, food deserts, health promotion, and health equity. Apart from different aspects of public health, Koranteng is interested in social entrepreneurship. She loves meeting new people and learning from those in the field she aspires to make a difference in. Long term, Koranteng aspires to work in the fields of epidemiology and diseases prevention, as well as food allergy research, given that she has food allergies herself. She is also committed to continuing her social entrepreneurship ventures, such as AK Tutoring LLC and Rise and Thrive Inc. Her greatest passions are health education, encouraging and inspiring others to reach their full potential, education, and faith. In her spare time, she loves listen- ing to music, learning, and spending time with her friends and family.

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Nicole Lynn Lewis, MPP ’06 Nicole Lynn Lewis serves as the chief executive officer of Generation Hope, a nonprofit orga- nization she founded in March 2010 that is dedicated to surrounding motivated teen parents and their children with the mentors, emotional support, and financial resources they need to thrive in college and kindergarten respectively, thereby driving a two-generation solution to poverty. As CEO, Lewis oversees all aspects of Generation Hope’s operations and uses her role as a thought leader in the space to amplify the experiences of parenting students in higher education—and the role education plays in lifting entire families out of poverty.

Lewis became pregnant during her senior year in high school. She had just been accepted to numerous colleges, yet her friends and family told her that college was no longer a reality—a negative outlook often unfairly presented to teen mothers. Lewis left home, nearly failed to graduate from high school because of excessive absences, and experienced periods of home- lessness, hunger, and poverty. In spite of these obstacles, she graduated high school and pur- sued her goal of going to college. She enrolled as a full-time freshman at the College of Wil- liam and Mary and brought along her 3-month-old daughter. Four years later, she graduated with high honors and received a bachelor of arts degree, and in 2006 she earned a master’s of public policy from George Mason University. There was very little support for Lewis when she attended college, and each day, she is working to change that.

In just nine years, Lewis has created a truly unique and thriving organization that is gaining national attention for its whole-family approach to dismantling poverty. As a testament to her work, Lewis has been named a CNN Hero, a 2017 Minority Business Leader by the Washington Business Journal, a “Top 40 Under 40” by Washingtonian Magazine, a PBS “Stories of Champi- ons” honoree, and an Alumna Exemplar by George Mason University’s Alumni Association. In October 2018, Lewis was also named the national grand prize winner of the Roslyn S. Jaffe Award, which recognizes everyday heroes who are making the world a better place for women and/or children, specifically in the areas of health, education, social reform, self-esteem, and leadership development. In January 2019, Lewis received an honorary doctorate from Trinity Washington University for her impactful and innovative work with young families.

Prior to founding Generation Hope, Lewis worked for five years with other nonprofit organiza- tions dedicated to youth and/or poverty. Before her nonprofit work, Lewis was a communica- tions and public relations professional for two years with companies in the Washington, D.C., area, including GEICO. She is also a nationally known author and speaker on topics such as teen pregnancy and parenting, youth development, goal achievement, and self-empowerment.

Lewis holds a master’s degree in social policy and communication from George Mason Uni- versity and a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of William and Mary. Lewis and her husband, Donté Lewis, live in Maryland with their four children.

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Ryan Lowry, BS ’06 Ryan Lowry’s four years at George Mason University not only resulted in a BS in psychology, but also gave him a foundation to prepare for life after college. Frater- nity leadership positions, lifelong friendships of a brotherhood, balancing working responsibilities, and advising student organizations on how to receive university funding—all while earning a degree—were all part of his college experience.

Lowry has since earned a master’s degree at the University of South Carolina (2007-09) while being involved in the USC student chapter of the Society for Hu- man Resource Management. He returned to Northern Virginia in 2009 to begin his professional career at ExxonMobil. He also reengaged with Mason through the Black Alumni Chapter, where he served in various capacities for a number of years, including as chapter president.

Lowry has worked for ExxonMobil in human resources for the past 10 years in four locations (Fairfax, Virginia; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Houston, Texas; and Singapore) in various human resource capacities including project advisor, U.S. recruiting manager, and regional manager. Even in his professional life, Lowry leverages his Mason learnings and passion for outreach and community. He is an active member in the employee resource group BEST (Black Employee Success Team), where he has led and participated in community outreach and profession- al development activities in Washington, D.C., Baton Rouge, and Houston.

Most importantly, Lowry is the husband of Brandy Lowry (a University of Virgin- ia alumna) and the father of two black boys (Austin—3 years old—and Dylan—4 months old).

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Diondra Musgrave, BA ’14 Diondra Musgrave earned a BA at George Mason University in global affairs, with a con- centration in global governance. Her studies dealt with global inequality, public health, and economic and environmental challenges.

From 2011 to now, Musgrave has worked in increasingly more senior organizing, outreach, and management roles supporting candidates in local, statewide, and national political campaigns, including those of President Barack Obama (2011-12); Senator Cory Booker (2013); Senator Mark Warner (2014); Alexandria, Virginia City Councilman John Chapman (2015); Lt.-Governor Anthony Brown (2015-16); and Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy (2017).

Her passion for political change led her to enroll at the 2015 Women’s Campaign School at Yale University. She completed this nonpartisan, issue-neutral leadership program designed to increase the number and influence of women in elected and appointed office. She is also an ambassador for She Should Run, nonpartisan nonprofit promoting leadership and en- couraging women from all walks of life to run for office. The nonprofit has a vision to have 250,000 women run for office by 2030.

In 2016, Musgrave was competitively selected by the French Ministry of Education (TAPIF grant recipient) to teach English and culture in France. She provided language instruction and promoted creative crosscultural understanding to more than 400 children, ages 3-11, across five French primary schools and an early development center. She also created a lan- guage and cultural curriculum for a newly established English-language school and aided in partnering them with schools in the United States and the United Kingdom.

In 2018, Musgrave worked for Virginia’s Joint Democratic Caucus supervising and coordi- nating with senators, delegates, and staff.

At 28 years old, she served as the director for the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus (VLBC). She wanted to help her community gain equity through legislative action. On February 1, 2019, Virginia was the center of a national debate about race. Musgrave was responsible for transforming a painful history and raw emotions into a unified and impactful agenda that would direct the discussion toward policy initiatives for the public. Because of this, critical legislative goals were fulfilled, including the formation of an African American Advisory Board that will advise the executive branch to build a more just and equitable commonwealth.

Musgrave’s story would not be complete without crediting the influence of her father, Col- onel David Musgrave. A career U.S. Army officer, her father taught her early on, by personal example, the value of selfless public service.

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Kevin Okyere, BS ’05 Throughout Kevin Okyere’s life, his business ventures have been fortunately blessed, therefore he has always thought that giving back to the community and those in need is the least he can do. Okyere notes that he has come to the realization a long time ago that enriching the lives of others and paying it forward for those who will never be able to pay it back are what give lasting joy and a true sense of fulfillment.

The Kevin Okyere Foundation creates and invests in initiatives and programs that make a positive, measurable impact on communities, families, and individuals. The focus areas are education, with a special focus on girls, health care, and job creation through entrepreneurship. It is believed that education is key to ending poverty and gender inequality and is the cornerstone of sustainable development. In this regard, the foundation runs scholarship and mentorship programs along with a community education project. The foundation also provides health care to indigent individuals at hospitals who cannot afford health care, as the foundation believes that good health care improves quality of life and fuels social innovation. Lastly, the foundation believes in supporting projects that create jobs and build self-sustainability, thus it invests in entrepreneurial programs that build the entrepreneurs of tomorrow who will go on to create jobs and further develop Africa’s economy.

Okyere is a celebrated alumnus of George Mason University and a passionate thought leader and public speaker. He has engaged with business leaders, entrepreneurs, and students at Harvard Business School and the University of Governance, and Entrepreneurship in Africa. He is also esteemed alongside the Springfield Foundation, an entity that champions impactful initiatives in health and education across Ghana.

Urenna Onyewuchi, BS ’06 Urenna Onyewuchi has a doctorate in asset management of power systems from Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, where she mentored African and non-African students, and tutored and taught engineering classes in the United States and China. She has several years of experience vis- iting and working with customers, vendors, and companies around the world to develop applica- tions, analyze complex data, and create simplified reports for high-level executives.

Onyewuchi is also a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). She is an advisory member of the IEEE Power Africa Steering Committee, having established the conference as an annual event moving from one African nation to another, and bringing a strong network of engineers together to help solve Africa’s dire power problem. She also established the Women in Power session as a key part of the conference, ensuring that middle and high school-aged girls get empowered to join STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), power, and energy fields. She teaches engineering classes at a college in Florida while running her businesses.

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Leon Terrance “TP” Polite, BSN ’09 Leon Terrance “TP” Polite was an amazing, trailblazing force at George Mason University. At the age of 32, Polite had accomplished more than many do in a life- time. He graduated from George Mason in May 2009 with a bachelor’s of science in nursing. While a student at Mason, he pledged Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc., where he was a proud member of the Rho Tau Chapter and the embodiment of brotherhood. He studied abroad at the Universidad de Sevilla in Spain during his junior year and in 2005, Polite envisioned filling a void in the culture of the George Mason community. He eagerly cofounded George Mason’s first hip-hop dance troupe, Urbanknowlogy101, also known as UK 101. In addition to providing UK 101 dancers an opportunity to hone their craft, the troupe created a commu- nity and opened the door for many students to advance their careers in dance beyond George Mason. UK 101 continues to be a staple organization on Mason’s campus and is a motivating factor for many dancers to enroll and attend the uni- versity. He was affectionately known as “Papa UK” by all members of the organiza- tion. His contributions to UK 101 while a student and postgraduation were sub- stantial. He served as artistic director, ensuring dancers trained on a professional level in and out of the Johnson Center Dance Studio.

As an established dancer in Los Angeles and Atlanta, he later went on to pursue dance professionally worldwide, dancing backup and choreographing for artists such as Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Ginuwine, and Brandy. He was featured in the movie, Stomp the Yard: Homecoming in 2010, as well as various other live shows, music videos, commercials, and movies. Following many years of being on the road and a fateful injury, he transitioned back to his love of nursing. Polite initiat- ed his career as a registered nurse at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia. He also returned to Mason, where he was an adjunct lab professor for the School of Nursing. In 2015, he relocated to Newark, New Jersey, where he became an emer- gency nurse, and completed his career in the Surgical/Trauma Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital.

Polite departed this life on June 25, 2019, but his legacy lives on in the hearts of many and certainly the alumni of George Mason University. In all of his many accomplishments throughout his life, Polite’s greatest gifts were his heart and love for people and his humility. While his talent, intellect, and charisma were all evi- dent in his unique abilities as a dancer, singer, guitarist, pianist, actor, and nurse, it was his magnetic energy, eternal optimism, and love for life that endeared him to our hearts.

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Kisha Porcher (Woods), PhD ’16 Kisha Porcher is an assistant professor of professional practice in the department of learning and teaching at Rutgers University. Her work focuses on the educa- tion, conditions, and assets of urban communities and how she can aim to pro- vide opportunities to fill the gap between what students are learning in teacher education programs and what is actually happening and being taught in urban schools. Porcher’s inspiration comes from her background of living and teaching in urban communities. It was always her passion and moral responsibility to serve her community. Once she realized that there was a gap in urban teacher education, she turned to her research to learn how she could effectively prepare students to teach in these communities. As an undergraduate student, Porcher studied En- glish and secondary education at Spelman College, looking mostly at best practices for teaching in urban schools. She studied work around literacy and hip-hop and the ways in which the two can be fused to increase student achievement by using student cultural backgrounds to relate to them personally. Porcher then went on to earn her master’s degree in curriculum and teaching from the Teachers College at Columbia University, where she focused more on culturally responsive curriculum writing. Additionally, Porcher went on to receive her PhD in teaching and teacher education from George Mason University.

In 2017, Porcher joined the Rutgers Graduate School of Education faculty as an as- sistant professor, where she would teach her students archeology of self, conditions and assets of urban communities, and best practices for teaching in urban schools. Throughout her career, she has given numerous presentations and has also pub- lished peer-reviewed articles, with more to come. In addition, she is involved in professional affiliations with the American Educational Research Association, the National Council for Teachers of English, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Black Doctoral Network, the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education, and the American Evaluation Association. Porcher is also very involved in the GSE as an advisor of the Black Student Union and is also a part of the Community School Partnership Network Advisory Council. Within the courses she teaches at the GSE, she works closely with her students and organiza- tions around New Brunswick to build relationships with the community, so that students have an asset perspective of urban communities, students, and families. Porcher argues that students cannot teach those who they do not know. Porcher’s philosophy as an educator is to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to learn regardless of race, class, gender, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and/or religion.

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Darin Simmons, MEd ’07, MBA ’11 Darin Simmons has split his career between K-12 education leadership and manage- ment consulting. Currently, Simmons is the chief operating officer for Richmond Public Schools (RPS). In this role, he leads all nonacademic operations and manages the Divi- sion’s $400 million operating budget. During his tenure, Simmons has started the con- struction of three new schools scheduled to open in August 2020. He’s also completed more than $10 million in capital improvements, including a large-scale lead abatement project in the school drinking fountains throughout Richmond Public Schools. These facility improvements account for the greatest single-year investment in decades. Finally, Simmons has led a partnership between RPS and a solar energy company to bring solar energy to 10 Richmond public schools. In the coming year, Simmons and his team plan to double capital improvement efforts and are scheduling close to $20 million in facility improvements as the division seeks to modernize neglected buildings. During his career, Simmons has held a variety of K-12 education leadership and management consulting roles, and has held senior leadership roles with Washington, D.C., Public Schools, Accen- ture, and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Alexandra M. Sims, BA ’09 Dr. Alexandra Sims is a primary care pediatrician and health services researcher at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C., and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Sims originally hails from Richmond, Virginia. She attended George Mason University and pursued a bachelor’s degree in anthropology while simul- taneously completing the prerequisites for medical school. She started her medical career at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, where her interests in patient advocacy and underserved populations were supplemented in the community/urban health track. While at GW, Dr. Sims served as chapter president of GW’s Student National Medical Association and worked on the regional executive board thereafter. Upon graduation in May 2013, she was recognized with honors by the Gold Humanism Honor Society, as well as the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Sims completed her pediatrics residency at Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C., in the community health track and served as chief resident for the 2016-17 academic year. She is currently in the role of general academic pediatrics fellow at Children’s National and pursuing a master’s degree in public health with an epidemiology focus. In 2018, Dr. Sims was recognized by George Mason University’s Alumni Association as an Alumna Exem- plar. Her academic interests are in health disparities and equity, workforce diversity, and health services for children and adolescents with sickle cell disease. Back to Honoree's List Forty Under 40 | 25

Fatima M. Smith, BS ’10 Fatima M. Smith is a survivor, relentless advocate, and founder of FMS Speaks LLC. She established FMS Speaks as a way to share her passion for antiviolence work and racial justice, and to engage folks in dialogue that ignites action for progress. She has developed a reputation as a highly sought speaker and facilitator for engaging professionals in dialogue about power, privilege, and oppression in organizational and institutional settings.

Smith has more than 10 years of experience leading professional development experiences for individuals in state and local government, higher education, and nonprofit agencies. She has built a career on providing advocacy and education of interpersonal violence prevention. As a social worker, she has spent her career es- tablishing inter- and intra-agency partnerships instrumental in transforming pro- gramming and service delivery models on the needs of clients in service provision. Her experience has largely centered on the paradigm shift within the community, first responders, Title IX, and law enforcement to “start by believing” and utilizing a solution-focused, trauma-informed response.

Smith is a graduate of George Mason University, where she received a BS in administration of justice and founded the Mr. and Miss Black GMU Scholarship Pageant. Smith received her master’s of social work from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and was an adjunct faculty member of the sociology department and a school of social work internship supervisor. She was recognized as a 2016 Richmond Times Dispatch Person of the Year honoree, VCU’s Top 10 Under 10, and a Mason Alumni Association Alumna Exemplar. She is a board member for Side- by-Side and Virginia Sexual and Domestic Action Alliance. Smith’s greatest honor is being a mother! She attributes her success to the example and support her own mother provides.

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Jessica Smith, BA ’14 Born into an influential family of entrepreneurs in Baltimore, Maryland, Jessica Smith knows all about hard work, loyalty, and the road less traveled. While the majority of her George Mason University alumni peers were landing their first full-time jobs or enrolling into graduate school immediately after college, Smith’s postgraduate career began very differently. She decided to follow her heart, as it directed her into full-time ministry. She spent the greater portion of a year in New York City, completing an entrepreneurial externship at a church—a bold act of faith that would lay the foundation for the women’s empowerment and commu- nity development work she does today.

When it came time for her to enter the traditional workforce, Smith moved back to her college town and landed a role as a business counselor at the Women’s Business Center of Northern Virginia at Community Business Partnership, a divi- sion of the university’s Mason Enterprise Center. This position opened up doors for Smith to speak in front of thousands over the past four years. In fact, she had the unique opportunity to crowdfund her way to Cameroon, Africa, to teach busi- ness development workshops to more than 300 Cameroonians in summer 2017 as a part of a larger leadership development conference.

As she’s building her brand nationally and internationally, Smith has launched JessicaSmithMedia.com to not only share her expertise with a larger audience, but to also feature other women in business as well. Smith is a contributing writer for Walker’s Legacy and has been featured in Black Enterprise Magazine. She recently received the Women’s Business Center of Excellence Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration for work at the Women’s Business Center of Northern Virginia/ Community Business Partnership. She also received the Carol A. Cole- man Award from Women Impact Now Inc., for her commitment to empowering women, as well as the Distinguished Alumni Award from George Mason Universi- ty’s Office of Diversity, Inclusion, and Multicultural Education.

Smith is frequently invited to speak at a number of events related to personal, professional, and business growth. No matter what role she’s in, she will always find a way to get planted into the community and lend a helping hand.

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Kareema Smith, BS ’15, MS ’16 Kareema Smith is the former director of student success for the George Mason University Honors College. She was also the faculty advisor for Mason’s chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) and the Honors College Mul- ticultural Alliance (HCMA). She received both a BS and MS in psychology from Mason. She is passionate about engaging postsecondary students from a variety of backgrounds in both academic and cocurricular activities that will promote and contribute to student success. Her background in educational psychology fuels her approach of encouraging students to become self-motivated (intrinsically) to achieve their goals in both education and beyond. Broadly defined, her research interests include help-seeking behaviors, academic achievement, and accultura- tion with a focus on minority groups, specifically African Americans. Smith is now pursuing her PhD in counseling psychology at Auburn University in Alabama. In the future, she hopes to work as a counseling psychologist.

Erica J. Street, MPH ’16 Erica J. Street earned her master’s in public health in 2016 with a concentration in global and community health from George Mason University. She currently serves as an epidemiologist for the Defense Health Agency’s Armed Forces Health Sur- veillance Branch in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Street was a research assistant for both Mason’s Department of Global and Com- munity Health and the Department of Geography and GeoInformation Science, analyzing global injury prevalence, state-level vaccination coverage, and herd immunity data for publication. She studied health care workers’ knowledge, atti- tudes, and practices of infectious disease transmission in Swaziland, created HIV health impact profiles for more than 60 countries at Population Services Interna- tional in Washington, D.C., and studied gang violence and community rehabil- itation in El Salvador before moving to Atlanta to begin a fellowship at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Street began her CDC tenure as an ASPPH/CDC Public Health Fellow in the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). Shortly thereafter, she joined the Division of Population Health’s Applied Research and Translation Branch as a public health evaluator with the Prevention Research Centers (PRC) program. Back to Honoree's List Forty Under 40 | 28

Whitney Ward, BA ’08 Whitney Ward is a licensed commercial multifamily and new development realtor in the state of Georgia. She brings experience and expertise in multifamily deal analysis and underwriting to help her investors in the acquisition and disposition of multifamily properties. She also works with developers on residential devel- opment projects including condos, townhomes, and single-family homes. As the lead multifamily and new development realtor in her office, Ward brings addition- al value to her clients by providing resources that are essential to all investors, to include: 1031 exchanges, cost segregation, risk management, private placement memorandums/SEC guidance, property tax, lending, private equity, and several other investor resources. In addition to being a licensed commercial realtor, Ward is the founder and CEO of her property management company, Intuitive Manage- ment Partners LLC. This multifamily property management company manages apartments more than 100 units in size, and plays an integral role in investor acquisitions and dispositions of multifamily assets. This management company allows for investor partners to minimize risk and maximize their returns, through strategic and intuitive management practices.

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Andrias White Murdaugh, BS ’12, MBA ’15 Each day, Andrias White Murdaugh lives her childhood dream of creating unforgettable experiences through special events, meetings, and sporting events. Murdaugh began her professional career at George Mason University, where she served as an event manager and later progressed to the director of logistics and events for George Mason University’s Office of Admissions. After five years of service, Murdaugh left her full-time role at Mason to serve as senior event manager for Events DC at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, where she managed high-security and high-profile conventions, meetings, special events, and athletic events. Most recently, she served as the senior facility and sales manager for SMG Richmond at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond, Virginia, and led the efforts for facility marketing, guest relations, and special events during the 2019 Washington Redskins Training Camp.

Murdaugh is the owner and lead event producer for Andrias Events, a full-service convention, special event, and wedding firm centered on education, efficiency, and exquisite execution. In August 2019, Murdaugh transitioned to full-time contracting and consulting through Andrias Events and provides venue management consulting for several high-profile venues and serves as an event producer for several major conventions within the tech field. Additionally, Mur- daugh and her team plan, design, and manage weddings of all shapes and sizes and provide internship opportunities to budding special event professionals.

Murdaugh is an award-winning industry professional. She was selected for the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) 20 in their Twenty Awards, as well as the International Association of Venue Managers’ (IAVM) 30 Under 30 Awards in 2019. Through her intensive study of industry best practices and ever-changing trends, she has earned three industry designations—Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certified Special Event Profes- sional (CSEP), and Certified Venue Professional (CVP). She is passionate about service to the industry she loves and proudly serves as a member of the CMP Exam Item Review Commit- tee, a grader for the CSEP Exam, planning committee member for IAVM’s Venue Manage- ment School (VMS), and a judge for the International Live Event Association’s (ILEA) Profes- sional Achievement in Creative Events (PACE) Awards.

A double alumna of George Mason University, Murdaugh earned a BS in tourism and event management and an MBA with a concentration in marketing from the School of Business, where she met her devoted husband and fellow MBA alumnus, David W. Murdaugh III. Murdaugh remains connected to her alma mater as an adjunct professor of hospitality, tourism, and event management and teaches Conventions and Meetings and Wedding Planning and Management.

Murdaugh experiences at George Mason University were the foundation for her personal and professional success, and she is honored to call herself a Patriot!

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Philip Wilkerson, MEd ’12 Philip Wilkerson has nearly 10 years of experience in higher education, including in career counseling, financial aid, and admissions. Wilkerson attended James Madi- son University and graduated with a bachelor of arts in history in May 2008 and be- gan his journey into higher education in 2009. While in graduate school obtaining his master’s in education with a concentration in counseling from George Mason University, Wilkerson took a career counseling course. It was there that he fell in love with professional development and self-discovery through one’s own profes- sional path. To further strengthen his passion for career counseling, Wilkerson held an internship at George Mason University Career Services.

After graduation, Wilkerson worked at Northern Virginia Community College’s Office of Financial Aid as a financial aid counselor, George Washington University as a career coach, and Virginia Commonwealth University as a transfer admissions counselor for the Northern Virginia region.

Wilkerson was thrilled to return to Mason in 2017 as an industry advisor at Univer- sity Career Services. He oversees the creative industries umbrella, to include media, performing and visual arts, entertainment, journalism, public relations, and graphic design. This role serves both student and employer stakeholders, meaning Wilker- son both collaborates with employers to make them aware of the talented students at Mason through invitations to visit campus for fairs, workshops, and unique events; and meets with students to market their creative skills through personal branding (resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, etc.).

One major project Wilkerson oversees is an annual industry week for the creative arts. During this week, he coordinates and manages a series of workshops and panels, highlighted by the Arts in the Real World fair held in conjunction with Mason’s Col- lege of Visual and Performing Arts. Wilkerson embraces social media engagement by connecting with students and employers via Twitter (@PhilipW_GMU) and through an industry-specific LinkedIn group page he moderates for students at Mason.

Wilkerson is married to Maggie Wilkerson, a school social worker for Fairfax Coun- ty Public Schools, and has two young children (Bennett, 4, and Miles, 1). In his spare time, Wilkerson is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., and is affiliated with the Theta Rho Lambda chapter and host of his own podcast, Positive Philter, which discusses such topics as career development, mental health, family, relationships, and positive reframing of everyday situations.

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Shamika Williams, BA ’08 Born to parents Rickey and Kaye Williams, Shamika Williams is the youngest of three. Her father was an officer in the United States Army and her mother was in banking. Her life as a military dependent was exciting, and her most memorable posts were Oklahoma, Virginia, and Germany. She graduated from Bethel High School in 2005. At George Ma- son University, Williams enrolled in the School for Integrative Studies from 2005 to 2008. She cofounded the George Mason Securities Club and was the chief of operations from 2007 to 2008. She interned at GlaxoSmithKline as a campus consultant in 2006 and was then an intern at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau for Diplomatic Security in 2008. In August of 2008, she earned her BA in integrative studies and a minor in business.

In September of 2009, Williams was offered a position in the Department of Defense’s Test Resource and Management Center supporting the director. She managed the front office and interacted with military and civilian government personnel from different levels and backgrounds. In May 2010, she was offered a position at the Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute in the Orientation Division as the civil service research assistant. She orga- nized orientation programs for more than 1,200 incoming and existing State Department employees a year. She planned and executed the inaugural orientation program in Charles- ton, South Carolina, in October 2013 and was requested to organize a follow-up orientation training in March 2014. She acted as civil service course coordinator over a six-month peri- od, directly responsible for the management and implementation of the course curriculum, monitoring feedback and course evaluations, and student classroom leadership.

From 2014 to 2018, Williams was the deputy director of scheduling and advance for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the Office of the Admin- istrator. In this role, Williams managed the administrator participation in meetings and events to ensure his time was being used strategically and efficiently. She was involved in the successful transition of three administrators in three years. She served as the primary contact for protocol procedures for high-level meetings and events and met amazingly inspirational people who have shaped the world of international development. During this time, Williams earned her master’s degree in public policy and administration from American University. She has met U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg; Pakistani activist for female education and Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai; and President Barack Obama, along with his cabinet-level officials.

Currently, Williams works for the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Bureau as the secretary’s detail operations coordinator. Williams enjoys working with, accord- ing to President Obama, “do-gooders” who want to help those less fortunate to achieve self-reliance and will continue her professional and personal work to follow her passions in international affairs and development.

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Marshall “Britt” Wright, BS ’12 Marshall “Britt” Wright, originally from Richmond, Virginia, made his way to the Washington, D.C, Maryland, and Virginia area as a student at George Ma- son University in 2008. While attending Mason, Wright’s ambition and desire to enhance the campus experience was unparalleled. He served as president for the Black Student Alliance, a radio personality for WGMU Radio, and was president for the Iota Alpha Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. Wright spent three summers during his undergraduate years as a tutor counselor for Upward Bound, a year-round college preparatory program. He also interned at WUSA-9 and, upon graduating from Mason with a bachelor’s degree in communication, was em- ployed as a freelance news reporter for WPGC-TV covering stories in Washington, D.C., before joining Altria Group Inc., later in 2012 as a territory sales manager.

Wright’s entrepreneurial spirit and desire to create experiences for professionals in the Washington, D.C, metropolitan area moved him to create Rhino Group, an event promotions and apparel company that became his “side hustle.” Wright has since been recognized by 93.9 WKYS as a “Top 30 Under 30” for producing social, philanthropic, and educational events impacting young professionals in Washing- ton, D.C. In 2018, Wright started Warrior Collection, an affordable made-to-mea- sure apparel company that specializes in custom suits and shirts.

Wright is currently a full-time digital marketing senior strategist at Altria Group Inc., a Fortune 200 company. He recently received his master’s in business admin- istration from the Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, Col- lege Park in December 2018.

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Special Thank You to Our Forty Under 40 Patrons

Michael Akindele, BS '06 Jewelle Daquin, BS '06, MEd '10 Urenna Onyewuchi, BS '06 David C. Atkins Regine Talleyrand Abrams Urenna Onyewuchi

Deleon Barnett, BA '11 Michael Davis, BA '09 Leon Terrance "TP" Polite, BSN '09 Janae Johnson David C. Atkins Dawn Polite Janae Johnson Brian Barry-Austin, BS '08 Dr. Alexandra M. Sims, BA '09 Clarence Barry-Austin Merone Hailemeskel, David C. Atkins David C. Atkins BA '15, MPP '17 David C. Atkins Fatima M. Smith, BS '10 Phinon Beckham (Phillips), BS '04 Janae Johnson Freda Taylor Damika Barr Nakia Ridgeway Kristin Faison Tida Tep Gary Bushrod, MEd '14 Nicholas Hamilton-Archer, Gary and Van Paige-Lee BA '06, MPA '10 Whitney Ward, BA '08 Joe Murchison David C. Atkins Whitney Ward Vernon Brundage Javont de Graffenreaidt Stephanie Harris, MEd '12 Andrias White Murdaugh, Melanie Jackson Discovery Time Learning Academy BS '12, MBA '15 Pamela Frazier David C. Atkins Krystiana Washington Christal Johnson, BS '04 Janae Johnson Brandon Booth Christal Johnson Kimberley Hawkins David C. Atkins Philip Wilkerson, MEd '12 Tywana Groce Philip Wilkerson Desiree Early Henry "Hank" Jones, BA '07,MA '11 Regine Talleyrand Abrams Teeshawn Jones David C. Atkins Larry Johnson Erika Whitehead Jeffrey Kirsch Matthew Vialva Ryan Lowry, BS '06 Ryan Lowry Marshall “Britt” Wright, BS '12 Danielle Craddock, MAIS '11 David C. Atkins Janae Johnson Amber Sansbury Diondra Musgrave, BA '14 Tony Craddock Jr., MPH '13 David Musgrave Amber Sansbury Forty Under 40 | 34

Black Alumni Chapter Board of Directors David C. Atkins ’90 | President and Black Scholars Endowment Chairman

Janae D. Johnson ’11, ’15 | Vice President of Events

Cameron Harris ’06 | Vice President of Engagement

Isaiah Floyd ’16 | Secretary

Lamar Crosby ’18 | Treasurer

Chantée Christian ’05 | Immediate Past President

Directors-at-Large

Sasha Pierre-Louis ’16

Shawn Williams ’99

Nakia Ridgeway ’17

Carlton Hassell Jr., ’17 Forty Under 40 | 35

Special Thank You to Our Forty Under 40 Corporate Sponsors

The opportunity to give is still available at alumni.gmu.edu/BAChonors2019-give.

The website for this digital program booklet is alumni.gmu.edu/BAChonors2019-program.