Dr. Carlton Robinson

Dr. Carlton Robinson

President, First Coast African American Chamber of Commerce
Independent Researcher/Consultant

Dr. Carlton Lamar Robinson is a native Floridian (St. Petersburg), veteran of the United States Army, and resident of Northeast Florida (Clay County) since 2000. During his nine-year tenure with a Fortune 50 financial services firm he worked in multiple communities in the areas of employment, business development, and underwriting. At the end of that tenure (2005) he focused on the final year of his doctoral studies in the area of management and workplace diversity. He balanced his studies with volunteer opportunities at the Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce, The First Coast African American Chamber of Commerce, and The Jacksonville Urban League. Upon graduation (2007) he assumed a leadership positions at the First Coast African American Chamber of Commerce and the Clay County Chamber of Commerce.
Those experiences have led him to gain a better understanding of the business community throughout Northeast Florida and the potential impact of legislation on business activity. He is an advocate for business and education. He currently serves on boards that stimulate the local economy through access to capital and business development. He has also contributed to the region through the development of two local economic summits that produced supplier diversity and employment opportunities for participants.
In addition, Dr. Robinson has written extensively about entrepreneurial opportunities that may have a positive impact on the region relative to per capita income and small business development. His Diverse Business Enterprise Impact Model has been adopted by The Florida Black Chamber of Commerce in an effort to capture the capacity and utilization of small businesses; the model can be adapted for any subgroup. Some of his work has been presented at the White House on behalf of multiple Asset Building Agencies (March 2009). He recently (August 2009) signed a memorandum of understanding with the Benin (Nigeria) Chamber of Commerce to help promote international trade. His goal is to promote positive change and outcomes in business policy. He has served the community on educational boards and business development boards. He is a member of the International Academy of Management.

Dreamal I. Worthen, Ph.D

Dreamal I. Worthen, Ph.D

Professor - College of Engineering Sciences
Technology and Agriculture
Florida A&M University

Dreamal Worthen is a professor in the College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture at Florida A & M University. One of Dr. Worthen's areas of concentration is in the field of Agricultural Research, an interdisciplinary field that focuses on multiple areas of agricultural and rural research. Dr. Worthen's research has focused on environmental justice, the elderly, poverty and health issues in rural communities of color. Her latest article on elderly health-related issues is published in a book chapter titled "Critical Issues in Rural Health". Dr. Worthen currently serves as a member of the University-wide Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) committee. The QEP's purpose is to improve freshman level student learning in the area of critical thinking.

Worthen is the former chair of the FAMU Faculty Senate, as well as a former member of the Board of Trustees. She is an emeritus member of the Board of Directors for Elder Care Services. She has also served on boards and conducted research looking at how social decisions and responses impact the environment.

Worthen received her undergraduate degree from FAMU and her master's degree in urban and regional planning and doctorate in adult education from Florida State University.

Dr. Robert Conners

Dr. Robert Conners

Director of Research
Florida Commission on Human Relations
Tallahassee, FL 32301

Dr. Conners directs agency research and assists in formulating policy for the Florida Commission on Human Relations. He holds a doctoral degree in Counseling Psychology and Human Systems from Florida State University and has more than two decades' experience working for and consulting with numerous public and private sector institutions and agencies in matters ranging from institutional research to race relations. Shortly after earning his doctorate in the late eighties, Dr. Conners joined FSU's African American Studies faculty, conducting research in race conflict theory, race relations and multicultural education and curriculum development. During his tenure at FSU, he was principal investigator for a three-year, U. S. Department of Justice-sponsored project investigating racial disparities in Florida's juvenile justice system. From 2002 through 2007, Dr. Conners served as senior consultant for MGT of America, a Tallahassee-based government consulting firm, where he directed or participated in 19 disparity studies for state and local government entities, examining their utilization of minority and women-owned businesses. He is a published author and has delivered presentations on group conflict and race relations topics in dozens of professional and educational forums around the country. He remains an active member of several professional associations, including the Association for Conflict Resolution and the American Educational Research Association and also serves with the North Florida Regional Domestic Security Task Force as a consultant in bioterrorism response preparedness.

Sokoya Finch

Sokoya Finch

Founder and Executive Director
Florida Family Network, Inc. (FFN)

Sokoya Finch is founder and Executive Director of Florida Family Network, Inc. (FFN). FFN's mission is to advocate, educate, and promote self-sufficiency among families by strengthening the family foundation. Ms. Finch has been working with minorities and very low- to-moderate income families across the Southern Black Belt region; specifically in Florida, for more than 30 years. Her areas of focus in disparities have included poverty and wealth, health, education, and incarceration disparities.

Ms. Finch's efforts in combating persistent poverty in the Southeast Region of Florida, along with other community-based agencies, i.e., Historical Black Colleges & Universities, and 1890 land grant institutions, have led to specific federal legislative efforts Ms. Finch and FFN are currently a leading agency for advocacy efforts of Florida in building a statewide Asset Building Coalition (FABC) with an interdisciplinary approach to asset creation among communities of color and low to-moderate income families who are impacted by recent disasters and families inability to gain, maintain, accumulate and grow their assets. Ms. Finch works as an advocate, convener, supporter, and technical assistance provider in asset-building issues that are presently being development for the Southern Regional Asset Building Coalition; including the States of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi.

Ms. Finch has often used her many talents of advocating for systemic changes for the poverty stricken, low-income, working families in both rural and urban communities; she has also been the thread that has weaved through other services the common stitches in the social fabric of families healthy growth and stability; she has provided technical assistance to universities, community-based organizations, health care delivery agencies in organizational development, community-based participatory research, and developed strategic plans to dismantle poverty in the south. She was a major role-player, managing teams of community and health disparities experts in the development of the State of Florida's first health strategic plan for the state's racial and ethnic minorities. Ms. Finch brings grassroots health communication and experiential knowledge to risk communications, including patient and consumer perspectives, to her five-year appointment to the Food and Drug Administration Risk Communication Advisory Committee. On a county level, she sits on the Tallahassee Branch of NAACP's Health Committee, whose primary objective is racial health disparities and access to better healthcare services.

On behalf of FFN, Ms. Finch serves on the board of Florida Black Chamber of Commerce (FBCC). FBCC represents more than 5,000 members and 400 businesses across the State of Florida. Ms. Finch ensures that FFN's statewide outreach efforts intersect the basic components that strengthen the core of individuals and families. In the area of Education, Ms. Finch is a member of the Board of the George Washington Carver Humanitarian Institute. The Carver Humanitarian Institute is dedicated to advancing educational opportunities for disadvantaged communities and the introduction of technology as an equalizer. Ms. Finch's educational efforts reached the disenfranchised population -- incarcerated mothers. She has been teaching in state and federal prisons, and in public and private primary/adult education for over 15 years. She also serves as a national advocate on behalf of incarcerated mothers and the children and families left behind.

Ms. Finch is one of the founding members of the Black Belt Action Network (BBAN), a coalition comprised of community people, community activists, scholars and scholar-activists from the Black Belt/Delta South. BBAN has been working since 2004 through community-university partnerships to strengthen and extend the work of a region-wide and grassroots network that combats poverty.

Ms. Finch's credentials include a bachelor in Political Science/Journalism from Florida A & M University, masters in Education from The George Washington University and A.B.D in Education Policy from Florida State University. Ms. Finch is married and the mother of three adult children.

Furlow-Herrington

Melba Furlow-Herrington

MPA, PhD(candidate)
Northeast Florida Community Action Agency

As a teenager, Melba was appointed to Mayor Teen Volunteers by former Mayor, Tommy Hazouri. In 1987, Melba earned both the Silver and Silver Leadership Awards. They were both presented by former Governor Martinez's wife at the governor's mansion in Tallahassee, Florida. In 1991, Melba was recognized by former president George Bush, Sr. when she earned both, the Gold and Gold Leadership Awards. This award was recognized by the Veteran's of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, The Air Force, and several national organizations. Melba earned the Chamber of Commerce's/NAACP Tomorrow's Leader Award. In similarity, other notable accomplishments include being selected by Tot's N' Teens Theatre, Inc. to play a flute solo in conjunction with a spiritual dance honoring Rosa Parks at an SCLC Convention.

From college to now, Melba has participated in many organizations and programs. For example, she represented FAMU as a Model UN team member. She re-organized Lambda Alpha Epsilon, FAMU's criminal justice association. Further, she was selected to participate in the Black Executive Exchange Program, FAMU's SCLC, FAMU's NAACP (secretary), Hatchet Pre-Law Society (secretary), Lambda Alpha Epsilon (president), legislative intern to former State Representative Willeye Dennis and press intern to the late Governor Lawton Chiles. In 1992, she enlisted in United States Army Reserve as a combat medic and served as a Non-Commissioned Officer. Additionally, she was a Young and Striving Mentor, peer counselor (represented the school at a convention for peer counselors), held several pageant titles. , including the prestigious Ms. Black Florida USA. As Miss Black Florida USA, she earned both the Miss Black Florida and National Miss Black USA's Community Service Awards. She was featured in Positive Black Images for her contribution to society and Cambridge Who's Who in executive leadership.

Currently, Melba is a professor at the University of Phoenix and manages NFCAA's Individual Development Account (IDA) program. Additionally, Melba is a motivational speaker, consultant, business developer, and professional development trainer. Melba has participated with the following organizations: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., World Affairs Council, American Society for Public Administrators, Girl Scouts USA (Lifetime Member), National Council of Negro Women (Lifetime Member), JCCI, Society for Psychology and the Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), American Cancer Society (Relay for Life), Professional Woman Network, and former corresponding secretary for Duval County's Juvenile Justice Council. . She published a book entitled, Voices of Soul. Likewise, Melba hosted a Christian radio talk show called Favor on Gospel 1400AM from 2006-2007. Recently, Melba was selected to participate in television personality, Iyanla Vanzant's, Spiritual Life Coaching Program.

Lastly, Melba is completing studies towards a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Policy and Administration. She earned Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Florida A&M University and Master of Science Administration in Public Administration from Central Michigan University. Further, she has completed course work towards a Master of Divinity at Luther Rice University, Master of Business Administration at Webster University, and Juris Doctorate Studies at both Florida Coastal and Humphrey's Law Schools. Melba also graduated from Volunteer Jacksonville's Blueprint for Leadership and JCCI's Board of Director's Training Program. Melba has served on several Board of Directors as well as chaired several committees at local, state, and national levels.