Tracy O. Coker, SPHR, Vice-Chair

Ullico, Inc.

Ms. Coker is Vice President of Human Resources at Ullico, Inc., the nation’s only labor-owned insurance and investment company. Tracy holds a master's degree in Human Resource Management and a Graduate Certificate in Instructional Design from Marymount University and has worked as a professional in human resources and training and development for over 15 years.  In addition, Tracy is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) by the Society for Human Resources Management.

 

 

Darrell Darnell, MBA, Director 

George Washington University

Mr. Darnell is responsible for directing the coordination, development and management of safety and security at the University.  Darrell oversees the University Police Department, the Office of Emergency Management, the Office of Health and Safety, Medical School safety, bio-security and emergency management, including laboratory safety and residential housing safety for the University.  Darnell is also a Senior Fellow at the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute, a graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health and Kennedy School of Government’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative, as well as a graduate of the Naval Post-graduate School Center for Homeland Defense and Security’s Executive Leaders Program.  Darnell has served as an adjunct professor at Prince George’s Community College, and at the University of Maryland, University College-Asian Division.  Darrell served honorably as a member of the United States Air Force, retiring in November 1997.

 

 

Valentine M. Davies, Ed.M, Ex-Officio 

African Diaspora Youth Network, Inc. (ADYN)

Mr. Davies is co-founder and Executive Director of the African Diaspora Youth Network.  ADYN was inspired by an interest in developing a comprehensive cultural learning, leadership, and international service curriculum that serves aspiring secondary school youth and their families. Prior to founding ADYN, Valentine was Director of Secondary and Post-Secondary Success for the Washington Jesuit Academy, a Washington, DC urban private school.  He and his wife also co-founded the Washington, DC based Culture Shop, a retail storefront and online and global marketplace for homegoods and personal accessories.  Mr. Davies has consulted for Georgetown University, the Center for Social Leadership, K-12 community based organizations (CBOs), as well as the District of Columbia Public Schools.

 

 

Diane J. Forte, M.S., Vice-Chair

Consultant

Ms. Forte is an international development consultant who has served as director of programs in Africa for the past 26 years – most recently with Africare where she grew and managed a budget of over 70 million dollars and supervised a professional team of country directors in 20 countries and a DC professional program management team. Ms. Forte provided similar division leadership with the American Friends Service Committee and the National Black Women’s Health Project.   As Managing Director of Heifer International’s Washington, DC office, she led Heifer’s advocacy strategy on behalf of small scale farmers.  Ms. Forte has managed large USAID funded projects and has extensive experience in building resilience programs in post-conflict countries paying particular attention to the empowerment of youth and women.  She has also built constituency coalitions of youth, professional women, farmers and microenterprise producers across Africa and in the US.  

 

 

Jeffrey L. Jones, Director

Georgetown Preparatory School

Mr. Jones is Headmaster and current Acting President of Georgetown Preparatory School, an all-boys independent residential and day school in North Bethesda, MD.  Mr. Jones has been in administrative leadership positions at Georgetown Prep for the last 17 years, including positions as dean of students.  After graduating from Chaminade University of Honolulu in 1980, Mr. Jones took a position teaching history at Maryknoll High School in Honolulu and then moved into administration at the school.

While at Maryknoll he completed graduate coursework in Education Administration at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and then shifted professions to manage a corporate law firm in Honolulu.  He then moved to the East Coast and worked in legal research before taking a position at Georgetown Prep in 1996.

 

 

Roselynn Lewis, Esq., Director

Entrepreneur

Ms. Lewis is a founder and Executive Director of SBTS Group (enterprise solutions development) and TrainingSol (IT and business skills training center in Sierra Leone.)  Ms. Lewis is responsible for business development, strategy, and corporate social responsibility at both companies.  SBTS Group was recently named one of the top Information Technology companies in West Africa.  Ms. Lewis was instrumental in the creation of SBTS Group’s corporate social responsibility program which provides entrepreneurial training in leadership and public speaking to hundreds of secondary and post-secondary school students.  She  also mentors and coaches young entrepreneurs on strrategic incubation and launching of business ideas.  Ms. Lewis holds a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center and is currently exploring/developing multi-family and mixed use real estate ventures in the global emerging markets arena.  Roselynn sits on the board of several companies and is a creator of the Washington, DC based Woman Mean Business Honors Brunch – a mentoring network of professional woment for aspiring women entrepreneurs.

 

 

Violet C. Nottidge, MGA, Treasurer

Towers Watson

Ms. Nottidge is a senior consultant at Towers Watson, a global professional services firm offering consulting, technology and solutions in the areas of benefits, talent management, rewards, and risk and capital management. Ms. Nottidge has worked in the healthcare industry for 22 years and holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business and an MGA from the University of Maryland University College.

 

 

Emeric S. Palmer, MD, Director

Holy Cross Hospital

Dr. Palmer, MBBS, MD is affiliated with Holy Cross Hospital (Silver Spring, MD) and has over 18 years of experience and practice in emergency medicine, hospitalist, preventive medicine and wellness.  Dr. Palmer is board certified in internal medicine (2009) and undersea and hyperbaric medicine (2011.)