26 days ago
The Making of A CAO: Byron Brooks, the Man Behind the City of Orlando

By Desnee E. Young Choosing the right Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) can be a tedious task.  Most cities will perform a state and sometimes a nationwide search for the right person.  The size of the city, the core values of those leading it and the constituents they serve make it all the more important that [...]

26 days ago
Dick Batchelor: Position,Power & Philanthropy

By Elena Kennedy-Kunneke I spent an early evening with Dick Batchelor at his office. He showed me photos in his office of him with former Presidents Nelson Mandela, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.  The office was in a nicely appointed suite, low key, quiet, very personal but efficient.  That’s Dick Batchelor, low key, quiet, personable [...]

26 days ago
Mayor Derrick Henry: Daytona’s First African American Male Mayor

By Deborah Barrs Paul Mayor Derrick Henry’s insight regarding the City of Daytona Beach run deep.  He we was born and raised in Daytona Beach and is a product of its public school system.  He graduated from Rollins College in 1991 with degrees in Philosophy and Psychology, and later continued his education at Stetson University, [...]

26 days ago
The New Democrat: Congressman Patrick Erin Murphy

Patrick Erin Murphy was elected to the House of Representatives on November 6, 2012.  Representing Florida’s 18th District, Congressman Murphy is a registered Democrat, his main areas of focus being jobs, the economy and the environment.  Having owned his own business for a number of years, he is passionate about assisting the Small Business Community.  [...]

26 days ago
ARTO WOODLEY AND FRONTLINE OUTREACH

By Desnee E. Young Arto Woodley was nineteen years old and working with the President of Bowling Green State University, Dr. Paul J. Olscamp recruiting young African-Americans and Latino students in the inner cities of Detroit, Cleveland, Toledo, and Dayton when he was asked why the University was not getting more young people enrolled.  His [...]

26 days ago
From the Managing Editor

Desnee E. Young Speaking of Men I knew a man who had the traits that most people would categorize “Real Men” as having.  He grew up in the south during tumultuous times.  The oldest boy of five other brothers and two sisters, his siblings called him “brother”.  He was a graduate of Bethune-Cookman College, and [...]

92 days ago
What’s really UP under the Hat: An Interview with Congresswoman Frederica Wilson

By Sharon F. Jones The Honorable Frederica Wilson is widely respected and recognized as a stalwart public servant throughout the state of Florida and on Capitol Hill in the halls of the United States Congress.  A woman of great faith, passion and tenacity, her resolve to represent our most vulnerable populations is unshakeable. A child [...]

92 days ago
Carolyn Fennell: Goaa’s Mover & Shaker, Orlando’s Icon

By Sharon Jones Carolyn M. Fennell is a community leader, a history–maker, a world traveler, a mover and shaker, and a “give it all you got” kind of woman.  She was the first female director for the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority (G.O.A.A.) and the first to hold the  position of Director of Community Relations, Marketing [...]