Lisa DeVeaux served as a teacher, principal and learning community executive director in the 11th largest district in the country for 33 years. As an elementary and high school principal, she designed and implemented Professional Learning Community (PLC) protocols that significantly increased teacher engagement and student achievement.  The PLC cycles and protocols she developed continue to sustain the work of numerous campus leaders.  

During her four years as the executive director responsible for 37 elementary schools, she recognized the role principals played in the equity and access equation. To support their work, she designed and delivered professional development that improved the leadership practices of the principals in her learning community.   

As a certified coach, Lisa utilizes her expertise to support leaders and teams in effectively identifying school improvement leverage points.   Lisa received her doctorate from The University of Texas at Austin’s Cooperative Superintendency Program.

Dr. Marjorie (Marj) A. Williams has a multifaceted career in education,  leadership development, media services, and consulting. In 2000, Williams  became the 1st African American Superintendent in the 100-year-old  history of the Hickman Mills School District, located in Kansas City,  Missouri. She immediately took an active role in education, civic and community issues, and organizations in the Greater Kansas City, Missouri area and throughout the country. Williams’ career expanded through the ranks of K-12 Education, Higher Education, and Corporate America. She holds the longest tenure as a Superintendent in an Urban setting in the  State of Missouri.  

In 2005, Williams founded The Marste Group, LLC, a consulting firm,  serving school districts and businesses throughout the Country. The firm specializes in providing training and development, organizational management services, constructing and implementing educational programming, strategic planning and mentoring, and evaluation services. 

Williams currently contributes her expertise, skills, and time to numerous educational, civic, and community endeavors.

Dr. Hancock is the Professor of Practice in Education and Director of the Accelerated Certification for Teachers (ACT) Program at Carthage College, where she developed, launched, and leads the Urban Teacher Preparation Program. Dr. Hancock has devoted her career to address inequities in the U.S. educational school system. She joined the Carthage administration and faculty in 2014 and, during the same year, launched her private business, MH Educational Consulting, LLC that provides a series of professional development workshops to school districts, charter and parochial schools, and community organizations to help close access and opportunity gaps of underserved populations.  

Dr. Hancock was an elementary and middle school classroom teacher for twenty-five years. During her tenure in K-12 education, Dr. Hancock received many awards highlighting her dedication to students, families, and marginalized communities.

Timothy Erskine Johnson has served the Portsmouth Public School Division for the past thirty-one years. Currently, he serves as the principal of Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth,VA. for the past fifteen years. He has served as an assistant principal – seven years; and marketing education teacher – eight years. 

Dr. Johnson holds an Ed.D. degree in Educational Leadership from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech); He holds a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership – Principalship from Old Dominion University; a marketing education teacher certification from Old Dominion University in addition to a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration – Marketing from Norfolk State University. Prior to entering the field of education, Dr. Johnson served as a senior marketing field representative for A. C. Nielson Business Services in Northbrook, IL. 

Dr. Johnson is a member of the board of directors for the Portsmouth Public Schools education foundation.

Earl A. Jones is the Executive Pastor at Oasis Church at Lakeview in Rowlett, Texas. Mr. Jones spent 38 years in the 11th largest district in the country. During that, he served as principal at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. His accomplishments led to his selection as Executive Director for the Carter Feeder Pattern. In this role, he was responsible for supporting principals in implementing the District Theory of Action.  

Mr. Jones received his Master’s and bachelor’ degrees from Kansas State University. He has completed coursework toward his Ph.D. at the University of North Texas. Mr. Jones currently serves as the Board President for the Turner Twelve and has been on the board since the Turner Twelve was founded. Serving on this board has been one of his most rewarding service opportunities.

Gabriella Williams holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree from Texas A&M University-Commerce as well as a Master of Science degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She served as an elementary teacher, assistant principal, and principal in one of the largest urban Districts in the country. During her tenure as principal, she was successful in transforming a school rated Unacceptable to an Exemplary rating.  She created a culture of excellence that continues to this day. 

After 37 years of service, Gabriella retired and joined the Texas Education Agency where she supported campuses with school improvement efforts. As a member of the Professional Service Provider Cadre with the Texas Education Agency, seven of the nine schools she supported achieved Acceptable ratings with four of them earning Distinctions from the state. 

Currently, Ms. Williams is a Language Arts Facilitator for a Charter school.

Gloria J. Davis’ professional career in education spans over 46 years primarily in the area of administration.  She has served as Superintendent of Schools for the past 16 years in primarily urban and multi-cultural school districts, such as Decatur, Illinois and Dodge City, Kansas where academic achievement and graduation rates increased with an improved, systematic curriculum.  She was responsible for leading the education reform initiative as Superintendent of Schools for the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice.   

Ms. Davis has served as an elementary teacher, elementary and middle school principal and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in University City, Missouri, which is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, Mo. Her background as a Superintendent of Schools who has a thorough knowledge of quality instruction has allowed her to dramatically improve academic success for students while providing guidance for staff to enhance their skills.  

Jasmine Cole, serving as the Creative Director at BH365, is a digital illustrator and graphic designer; an adjunct art professor at Mississippi College; and a freelance UX designer.  Her appreciation for traveling, new perspectives, and innovative thinking has led her to work in public relations, art direction, event planning, news reporting, radio production, photography, magazine editorial direction, and software development. 

She is also a published children’s book illustrator (Dancing with Naima), has traveled around Europe and Central America to study painting, and has exhibited in multiple galleries and museums.  

Jasmine holds a BA in both studio art and journalism from the University of Mississippi; and a MA and MFA in 2D visual arts from Mississippi College.    

Storytelling has always held a prominent place in her life. Building visual narratives and promoting an appreciation for the arts often envelop her endeavors, and she hopes to expand on narrative traditions in every aspect of her career. 

Jocelyn has served as the BH365 IT Facilitator since 2021. Her IT knowledge, communication skills and commitment to collaboration resulted in her recruitment by the BH365 team. In this role, she provides IT support ranging from password reset assistance to Institute Administrators while troubleshooting for districts across the country. Jocelyn is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Music.

Reginald Braxton was born and raised in Detroit,  MI. He graduated from the Detroit Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in marketing and a minor in business management. Reginald’s early professional career included key positions in sales and marketing.  At McGraw-Hill Reginald worked in collaboration with large Urban Markets to create solutions that helped to close the achievement gap for hundreds of thousands of students over the course of his more than two-decade career in educational publishing. 

After a few years of honing his expertise in the education arena, Reginald was promoted to Senior Account Manager and finally to National Strategic Accounts, VP at McGraw-Hill. Reginald has experience dealing in high-level account management, intervention and acceleration, and has addressed the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learner populations. His unique specialization in helping districts increase student outcomes has been integral in successful implementations

Olivia has been actively engaged in the Christian and inspirational publishing field since 1987. She has been a gender pioneer at all of her places of employment— the first African-American female hired in a professional denominational position at the Baptist Sunday School Board (now Lifeway Christian Resources); the first female senior editor at the historic R. H. Boyd Publishing Corporation; and the first woman to serve as director of publishing for the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. 

Olivia is currently associate editor of the curriculum at the R.H. Boyd Publishing Corporation. She also owns Guardian Angel Communications Services (GACS), a company she formed in 1997 to provide writing, editing, publishing and design services to authors, publishers and organizations. 

Tanisha Shorter-Lott brings with her over 20 years of experience and service in leadership, training, program & grant management, community development, fundraising, and higher education.  In higher education, she worked at various campuses of Dallas County Community College, now called Dallas Colleges at which, her last position was an Associate Dean of Student Support Services as well as an Adjunct Professor of Management.  Tanisha also brings with her passion, grit, and dedication to fulfill the mission, vision, goals, and objectives of this dynamic organization.  

Tanisha earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Arts from Grambling State University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Management from the University of Phoenix. She gives back to her global community by participating in numerous professional organizations locally and nationally.