Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks Professional Narrative
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Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks Professional Narrative Throughout her career, Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks has been known as a master strategist and a forward-thinker on matters concerning the African American community. In January 2014, President Barack Obama named her to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for African Americans. Sharon has been recognized for her vision, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, political savvy, and strategic communications skills on various issues ranging from economic empowerment and education to voting and human rights. She has unequivocally exhibited her ability to form cohesive leadership teams within organizations and build collaborative advocacy coalitions among diverse stakeholders. A nationally recognized leader, Sharon thrives on challenges and seeks to develop leadership in others. In October 2009, Sharon assumed the role of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), a civil rights organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. Since 2003, NBJC has provided leadership at the intersection of civil rights groups and LGBT organizations, advocating for the unique challenges and needs of the African-American LGBT community that are often relegated to the sidelines. Sharon’s rallying cry is "own your power!" Under this mantra, she orchestrated the national "OUT on the Hill" Black LGBT Leadership Summit, which provides a venue for Black LGBT leaders to meet with key African American stakeholders, including members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Other signature programs developed under her tenure at NBJC include: “Emerging Leaders Day at the White House,” a program focused on young adults, ages 18-30; and Many Faces. One Dream., a 13-city economic empowerment tour in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration. Sharon is driven to create community where all people are fully empowered to participate safely, openly and honestly—in family, faith and community—regardless of race, class, gender identity or sexual orientation. As a social justice warrior, Sharon partnered with the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure proper investigations into the deaths of Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University drum major, Robert Champion, and mayoral candidate Marco McMillian of Clarksdale, MS—both gay Black men who were murdered without any significant outcry from the African American civil rights community or the LGBT community. Moreover, she is summoned often to Capitol Hill to testify on matters concerning racial justice and inequality for LGBT communities of color. She has advised Congressional lawmakers to view the Black LGBT community through the lens that Black LGBT people are Black people too, focusing on the intersectionality of people representing multiple marginalized communities. In support of Trayvon Martin’s family, she aided esteemed attorneys Daryl Parks and Benjamin Crump on their messaging strategy and congressional testimonials. Prior to her tenure at NBJC, Sharon served as Executive Vice President of Leadership Programs and External Affairs at People For the American Way Foundation (PFAWF) in Washington, DC. Throughout her tenure at PFAWF, 2001-2009, Sharon contributed significantly to increasing the organization's base of support and the integration of dynamic new programs and diverse networks into their ambitious agenda to protect and promote America’s core values. Beginning in 2002 and continuing through the 2004 election cycle, she was the National Deputy Field Director for Civic Engagement, overseeing all field work for national and state programs, including election reform, voting rights, minority community outreach, and public education. During the 2004 and 2006 election cycles, she was the National Director of the Election Protection Campaign and was responsible for PFAWF's leadership of a broad Election Protection coalition that played a pivotal role in 17 states and mobilized more than 25,000 volunteers. Sharon is recognized, nationally, for her political acumen and ability to bring together unlikely allies as stakeholders in joint endeavors to strengthen the progressive movement and give power to progressive ideas and policies. She was featured in the Gill Foundation's 2007 Annual Report, which identified her as a key ally for the LGBT equality movement. Sharon has been a powerful spokesperson for religious liberty, and the separation of church and state; her leadership in this arena has gained the confidence of individual and foundation investors. Her strategic ability has successfully increased the number of funding partnerships and program funding from start-up to multi-millions in revenue. The Rockwood Leadership Institute selected Sharon as one of 24 progressive executive management leaders for its 2008-09 Leading from the Inside Out Fellowship Program, which is a selectively competitive program designed to strengthen senior leadership in the non-profit sector. GROOMING THE NEXT GENERATION As an Executive Vice President and the chief architect for community and youth engagement projects at People For the American Way Foundation, Sharon cultivated the institution's dynamic leadership programs—including Young People For and the Young Elected Officials Network. In addition, Sharon had to maintain the organizational relationships with supporters and investors, key constituency groups and coalition allies. Through participation in her programs, youth leaders were empowered to develop strategic partnerships ranging from building grassroots activism to catalyzing the engagement and investment of key influencers and funders. Throughout her career, she has donated countless hours to collegiate leadership development in her community, state-by-state and nationally. One of her greatest accomplishments was her successful role as recruiter, campaign manager and chief strategist for a mentee and a Florida A&M University student leader—Andrew D. Gillum, then a 23-year old rising star who won election to the Tallahassee (FL) City Commission. In February 2003, Gillum became the youngest commissioner in the city's history, winning an upset victory with 57 percent of the citywide vote. Subsequently, he was re-elected for a four-year term in August 2004 with 72 percent of the vote. At age 35, Andrew Gillum was elected Mayor of Tallahassee in the 2014 election cycle after serving 11 consecutive years on the Tallahassee City Commission. This effort validated Sharon’s belief in the necessity to build farm teams through leadership pipelines and to prepare the next generation to “own their power.” THE EARLY YEARS This trajectory of leadership started during Sharon’s college tenure. As a well-known student activist and leader at Florida A&M University, Sharon’s professional career began in 1993 as the Executive Director of the Florida Student Association (FSA), the statewide advocacy organization for the 12 state universities, where she served for three years as the chief administrator and senior lobbyist. Simultaneously, Sharon’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish P&P Communications, Inc.—a Florida-based public affairs group founded in 1993, specializing in communications, public and community relations, political strategy, and event management. In 1996, Sharon joined the Florida Association of Counties, Inc. (FAC) as the Publications Manager. She was subsequently promoted to Director of Communications and the editor of Florida Counties magazine, all while continuing to build her public affairs practice. After four years with FAC serving as her employer and as a client, Sharon decided it was time to pursue P&P Communications full-time. PROFESSIONAL NARRATIVE: Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks PAGE 2 of 3 With a major focus on serving progressive advocacy organizations, her clients included state and national affiliates of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the National Education Association (NEA) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). In 2000, Sharon was selected as the Chief Administrator of the March on Tallahassee—the largest, organized, state capital demonstration in Florida's history. The march was in response to then-Florida Governor Jeb Bush’s attempt to end affirmative action by executive order in Florida. During the weeks following this event, U.S. Congressman Kendrick Meek (then a state senator) and Florida State Senator Anthony "Tony" Hill (then a state representative)—who were the principals behind the march—created “Arrive with Five,” a statewide movement to significantly increase voter registration and turnout for the 2000 General Election. Leading up to that historic election, Meek and Hill recruited Sharon to organize and administer “Arrive with Five,” which became the state's largest ever get-out- the-vote operation prior to the election debacle of all times, Bush v. Gore. In 2002, Sharon was asked to serve as the statewide campaign manager for the Florida Coalition to Reduce Class Size. This statewide ballot initiative faced a very difficult, uphill battle, including powerful opposition by then-Governor Jeb Bush. Against the odds, and despite being heavily outspent, the campaign won an amazing 53 percent victory. Stemming from her first-hand experience, it is Sharon’s personal conviction that all politics are local. She keeps her ear to the ground at all times and stays connected to grassroots movements that are vital to