MEET THE MENTORS
Leaders of Tomorrow is led by a team of talented
mentors who coach students through LOT’s
challenging curriculum and serve as advisors
and motivators on issues regarding school, life,
college, and careers. They perform these
services in addition to advancing in already
accomplished careers. Profiles from a sampling
of the mentors follow.
Leaders of Tomorrow is led by a team of talented
mentors who coach students through LOT’s
challenging curriculum and serve as advisors
and motivators on issues regarding school, life,
college, and careers. They perform these
services in addition to advancing in already
accomplished careers. Profiles from a sampling
of the mentors follow.
Cedric Mobley is the Associate Vice President for Institutional
Communications at the Maryland Institute College of Art, responsible for
the university's media outreach, marketing, positioning, and Web activity.
Previously, he was Associate Dean for Strategic Marketing and
Communications at the Georgetown University School of Continuing
Studies, directing outreach efforts to recruit students, including advertising
and direct marketing, as well as branding, public relations, event planning,
website optimization and marketing analysis, helping to generate more
than $50 million in revenue for the school. He has led production on
publications that have won six awards for production, design, creativity, and
printing.
Prior to Georgetown, Cedric was an account supervisor and marketing
director for the public affairs department of Porter Novelli, one of the world’s
largest and most prestigious public relations agencies. Before joining
Porter Novelli, Cedric served as the marketing manager for the United
Negro College Fund, responsible for raising over $21 million through direct
marketing, as well as management of the website, branding, and public
relations associated with the “An Evening of Stars/ Lou Rawls Parade of
Stars” telethon. Cedric is also a past chief staffer for United States
Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, managing Congressional staff
and communications outreach, including speechwriting, press relations,
television show production, website design and newsletter editing.
A graduate of Florida A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting
and an MBA in marketing, Cedric also worked as event and customer
marketing manager for AMR Corporation. He is a past host of the
Politickin’ talk show on XM Satellite Radio. Cedric is immediate past Vice-
President of Development for the National Black MBA Association-
Washington, DC Chapter, and has been awarded the organization’s
Community Service Award, President’s Award, and MBA of the Year Award.
Shani Blount oversees LOT activities related to public speaking, including
the annual Oratorical Competition. Shani is currently an immunology sales
specialist for the UCB Inc. biotechnology company and owns the public
relations firm WIN PR, where her clients have included Sam and Harry’s
and SABA Inc. She has also been a pharmaceutical sales representative
for GlaxoSmithKline. Earlier, Shani was a general assignment news
reporter for Fox News Philadelphia, providing on-air broadcast reports for
CBS and Fox television affiliates in Missouri, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Shani is the 2010 co-recipient of the National Black MBA Association-
Washington, DC chapter's Community Service Award. She graduated from
Temple University’s School of Journalism, Public Relations, and
Advertising and is currently working on her MBA.
Dr. Chekesha S. Cligman is part of the team of coaches that instruct
students in SAT/ACT preparation. She also serves as a Personal Mentor
Advisor for an LOT student. Dr. Clingman is a Senior Scientific Program
Manager in the Office of the Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). In this capacity, Dr. Clingman is responsible for
providing strategic input in the identification, design, implementation,
monitoring and reporting of key partnerships and scientific collaborations
under the Agency’s public health mission. Prior to her current appointment,
Dr. Clingman was a Technology Licensing Specialist and Patent Advisor in
the National Institutes of Health Office of Technology Transfer. In this role,
she managed the intellectual property portfolios and marketing and
licensing activities for over 200 inventions, ranging from novel vaccines and
therapeutics to medical imaging software and devices. Dr. Clingman
holds a B.A. degree in physics from Hampton University and a Ph.D. in
biophysics from Johns Hopkins University.
Alana J. Hill serves as LOT's outreach coordinator regarding community
engagement, helping the students execute community service projects and
establishing relationships with potential partners. She currently serves as
the sales and marketing coordinator for Cogent Communications, the
second largest carrier of Internet traffic in the world. Previous to Cogent,
she served as the Asst. Director of Programs for the American Association
of People with Disabilities (AAPD). In this capacity, Hill managed brand
imaging, promotions and outreach strategies for AAPD’s national
programs. In addition, Hill managed operations for various national AAPD
programs. Prior to joining AAPD, Hill served as the Public Relations and
Events Specialist for the Florida Governor’s Alliance for the Employment of
Citizens with Disabilities. Hill is also a columnist and hosts a series of
networking mixers for young professionals. She received her Bachelor of
Science degree in Public Relations from Florida A&M University.
John James helps LOT students understand both financial literacy and
basic corporate finance. He is a former vice president of administration for
the National Black MBA Association- Washington, DC chapter and its
current Corporate Relations committee chairman. John is a Finance and
Information Technology MBA with 10 years of consulting success providing
business solutions for public and private sector organizations in the areas
of information technology management, business process analysis,
financial analysis and change management. He is a senior associate in
the Washington Federal Practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers. In that role,
he managed the internal Project Management Office that provided oversight
for the agency account engagement portfolio, provided standardization of
status and budgeting reporting tools and managed the contract closeout
process, and also provided support for the subcontract contract and invoice
payment processes. John has served as team lead for the Integration
Management Office (IMO) workstream in support of client change
management initiative. He is responsible for maintaining the engagement
budget by making adjustments based on staff changes, verifying billed
hours in preparation of the monthly invoicing, providing billing forecasts,
and monitoring the accrual of expenses against contractual milestones..
John’s career has also included work as a business analyst at Catapult
Technology in Bethesda, MD, a consultant at IBM Corporation in Fairfax, VA,
an associate at Performance Partnering, LLC in Atlanta, GA, an
independent registered representative at Princor Financial Service
Corporation in Atlanta, GA, a financial professional with The MONY Group in
Atlanta, and a business analyst at American Management Systems in
Farifax, VA. John has an MBA in Finance and Information Technology at
Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA and graduated cum laude
from Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA.
More mentors >>
Communications at the Maryland Institute College of Art, responsible for
the university's media outreach, marketing, positioning, and Web activity.
Previously, he was Associate Dean for Strategic Marketing and
Communications at the Georgetown University School of Continuing
Studies, directing outreach efforts to recruit students, including advertising
and direct marketing, as well as branding, public relations, event planning,
website optimization and marketing analysis, helping to generate more
than $50 million in revenue for the school. He has led production on
publications that have won six awards for production, design, creativity, and
printing.
Prior to Georgetown, Cedric was an account supervisor and marketing
director for the public affairs department of Porter Novelli, one of the world’s
largest and most prestigious public relations agencies. Before joining
Porter Novelli, Cedric served as the marketing manager for the United
Negro College Fund, responsible for raising over $21 million through direct
marketing, as well as management of the website, branding, and public
relations associated with the “An Evening of Stars/ Lou Rawls Parade of
Stars” telethon. Cedric is also a past chief staffer for United States
Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson, managing Congressional staff
and communications outreach, including speechwriting, press relations,
television show production, website design and newsletter editing.
A graduate of Florida A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting
and an MBA in marketing, Cedric also worked as event and customer
marketing manager for AMR Corporation. He is a past host of the
Politickin’ talk show on XM Satellite Radio. Cedric is immediate past Vice-
President of Development for the National Black MBA Association-
Washington, DC Chapter, and has been awarded the organization’s
Community Service Award, President’s Award, and MBA of the Year Award.
Shani Blount oversees LOT activities related to public speaking, including
the annual Oratorical Competition. Shani is currently an immunology sales
specialist for the UCB Inc. biotechnology company and owns the public
relations firm WIN PR, where her clients have included Sam and Harry’s
and SABA Inc. She has also been a pharmaceutical sales representative
for GlaxoSmithKline. Earlier, Shani was a general assignment news
reporter for Fox News Philadelphia, providing on-air broadcast reports for
CBS and Fox television affiliates in Missouri, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Shani is the 2010 co-recipient of the National Black MBA Association-
Washington, DC chapter's Community Service Award. She graduated from
Temple University’s School of Journalism, Public Relations, and
Advertising and is currently working on her MBA.
Dr. Chekesha S. Cligman is part of the team of coaches that instruct
students in SAT/ACT preparation. She also serves as a Personal Mentor
Advisor for an LOT student. Dr. Clingman is a Senior Scientific Program
Manager in the Office of the Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). In this capacity, Dr. Clingman is responsible for
providing strategic input in the identification, design, implementation,
monitoring and reporting of key partnerships and scientific collaborations
under the Agency’s public health mission. Prior to her current appointment,
Dr. Clingman was a Technology Licensing Specialist and Patent Advisor in
the National Institutes of Health Office of Technology Transfer. In this role,
she managed the intellectual property portfolios and marketing and
licensing activities for over 200 inventions, ranging from novel vaccines and
therapeutics to medical imaging software and devices. Dr. Clingman
holds a B.A. degree in physics from Hampton University and a Ph.D. in
biophysics from Johns Hopkins University.
Alana J. Hill serves as LOT's outreach coordinator regarding community
engagement, helping the students execute community service projects and
establishing relationships with potential partners. She currently serves as
the sales and marketing coordinator for Cogent Communications, the
second largest carrier of Internet traffic in the world. Previous to Cogent,
she served as the Asst. Director of Programs for the American Association
of People with Disabilities (AAPD). In this capacity, Hill managed brand
imaging, promotions and outreach strategies for AAPD’s national
programs. In addition, Hill managed operations for various national AAPD
programs. Prior to joining AAPD, Hill served as the Public Relations and
Events Specialist for the Florida Governor’s Alliance for the Employment of
Citizens with Disabilities. Hill is also a columnist and hosts a series of
networking mixers for young professionals. She received her Bachelor of
Science degree in Public Relations from Florida A&M University.
John James helps LOT students understand both financial literacy and
basic corporate finance. He is a former vice president of administration for
the National Black MBA Association- Washington, DC chapter and its
current Corporate Relations committee chairman. John is a Finance and
Information Technology MBA with 10 years of consulting success providing
business solutions for public and private sector organizations in the areas
of information technology management, business process analysis,
financial analysis and change management. He is a senior associate in
the Washington Federal Practice for PricewaterhouseCoopers. In that role,
he managed the internal Project Management Office that provided oversight
for the agency account engagement portfolio, provided standardization of
status and budgeting reporting tools and managed the contract closeout
process, and also provided support for the subcontract contract and invoice
payment processes. John has served as team lead for the Integration
Management Office (IMO) workstream in support of client change
management initiative. He is responsible for maintaining the engagement
budget by making adjustments based on staff changes, verifying billed
hours in preparation of the monthly invoicing, providing billing forecasts,
and monitoring the accrual of expenses against contractual milestones..
John’s career has also included work as a business analyst at Catapult
Technology in Bethesda, MD, a consultant at IBM Corporation in Fairfax, VA,
an associate at Performance Partnering, LLC in Atlanta, GA, an
independent registered representative at Princor Financial Service
Corporation in Atlanta, GA, a financial professional with The MONY Group in
Atlanta, and a business analyst at American Management Systems in
Farifax, VA. John has an MBA in Finance and Information Technology at
Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, GA and graduated cum laude
from Morehouse College, Atlanta, GA.
More mentors >>
Copyright 2010, National Black MBA Association, Washington, DC Chapter
Major Sponsors:
| CEDRIC MOBLEY, MBA CHAIR LEADERSHIP COACH |
| SHANI BLOUNT ORATORICAL COACH |
| KEISHA KELLY, MBA ANALYTICAL COACH |
| CHEKESHA CLINGMAN, PHD SAT/ACT COACHING TEAM |
| JOHN JAMES, MBA FINANCE COACH |
| SHANNON KOONCE COLLEGE PREP COACH |
| NASHIRA NICHOLSON, MBA SAT/ACT COACHING TEAM |
| ALANA HILL COMMUNITY SERVICE COACH |
| CHERON REED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COACH |
| ANGELA YOUNG, MBA LIFE LESSONS COACH PARENT/ ALUMNI LAISON IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR |
| OSCAR MARDIS NBMBAA-DC PRESIDENT |
| CEDRIC MOBLEY, MBA CHAIR LEADERSHIP COACH |
| SHANI BLOUNT ORATORICAL COACH |
| CHEKESHA CLINGMAN, PHD SAT/ACT COACHING TEAM |
| JOHN JAMES, MBA FINANCE COACH |
| ALANA HILL COMMUNITY SERVICE COACH |
