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Board of Directors

Erica Williams

Erica Williams is a Washington based activist and commentator who works to engage young people and underrepresented communities in the political process. She is the Deputy Director of Progress 2050, a project of the Center for American Progress (CAP) that develops new ideas for an increasingly diverse America. 2050 seeks to build a more inclusive progressive agenda by promoting innovative policy, facilitating honest dialogue and developing new leaders. She is also the founder of Politics Unplugged, a platform that combines innovation and inspiration in public policy, technology, and art to increase political participation. Through Politics Unplugged, Erica hosts community events and travels the country speaking on the possibility and opportunity of engaging non-traditional audiences in civic life.

Listed by Politico.com as one of Top 50 Politicos to Watch, she is the former Deputy Director of Campus Progress, the youth outreach arm of CAP where she still serves as a senior advisor. There, she led the staff and network of young Americans in advancing progressive policy with and for 18- to 27-year-olds across the nation. Her advocacy focused on economic mobility, equal opportunity, health care, and clean energy. Before joining CAP, Erica worked at the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights to advance effective civil and human rights legislation at the federal level.

She is a past participant of the American University Women and Political Leadership Training Program, a 2008 O Magazine Women Rule Leadership winner, and a 2008 Aspen Institute IDEAS fellow. She is a DC/Maryland native and a graduate of the University of Maryland College Park.

Dr. Leonard L. Hamlin

Dr. Hamlin currently serves as the pastor of the Macedonia Baptist Church in Arlington, Virginia. Since coming to Macedonia in July 1996, the fellowship has strengthened from 200 to over 1500 members.  Over thirty ministries have been organized to meet the needs of the congregants and community. Due to a concern for community, the Bonder & Amanda Johnson Community Development Corporation was founded and designed and programs are in place for the construction of a 36 unit affordable housing mixed used development project.

Dr. Hamlin received his Bachelor’s of Business Administration Degree from the Howard University School of Business, Master of Divinity Degree from the Howard University School of Divinity, and a Doctor of Ministry Degree. He has served as a Ford Foundation Research Fellow and was recipient of the Benjamin E. Mays Scholarship for Education and Commitment to the ministry. Dr. Hamlin completed the (SLI) Summer Leadership Institute Continuing Education Program of the Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, April 2005. The executive training program is for clergy and community activists who are involved in faith-based community and economic development.

Germonique R. Ulmer

Germonique R. Ulmer currently serves as the Director of Media Relations for the Center for Community Change, a national social and economic justice nonprofit that builds the field of community organizing with local community groups nationwide, she oversees the strategic direction of the organization’s media relations efforts. 

Prior to joining the Center for Community Change, Ms. Ulmer was the Deputy Press Secretary for DC Mayor Anthony Williams where she handled a variety of media relations activities including the logistics and coordination of coverage for hundreds of press events such as the 2000 Presidential Inaugural and the first citywide  9/11 Remembrance Activities.  Additionally, Ms. Ulmer developed and produced a monthly radio show, wrote press materials and advised on crisis communications strategy.  Her career in communications began at a national nonprofit, Volunteers of America, where she wrote numerous articles for the organization’s bi-monthly newsletter, provided website content and produced a weekly newsletter. 

Germonique has coordinated media strategy and coverage of issues campaigns and initiatives including securing live coverage for two presidential candidate forums in the ’04 and ’08 presidential election that brought the voices of low income people into the political debate.  She is a strategic communications trainer, training low income grassroots groups on messaging and media relations.  Ms. Ulmer has a BA in Journalism from the University of Georgia and a MA in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University.  She is active in the local chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists and has served on the board of directors.

Natalie Madeira Cofield

Natalie Cofield is President of the NMC Consulting Group a boutique consulting firm with the mission of increasing entrepreneurship and economic development for youth, women and underserved communities. Cofield is a professional who brings years of expertise in strategic planning, program development and management, public affairs and marketing for businesses, nonprofit, microfinance/ enterprise, economic development entities. Ms. Cofield, is a frequent public speaker, radio personality, presenter and lecturer on topics of business, economic and community development serving as a featured speaker for the Congressional Black Caucus, National Urban League, national colleges and universities and regional chambers of commerce.

She is a researcher, writer and published author on topics of entrepreneurship and industry development. Cofield has published The Pursuit of Entrepreneurship a Guide For African American Entrepreneurs commissioned by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and The Articles: A Guide for Starting and Running a Successful Business, 17-chapter textbook on entrepreneurship and is a contributing author for the 2011 National Urban League State of Black America Report. Cofield has also conducted international research to be published as a report on women and economic development in South America.

In 2008, Cofield was appointed as the youngest Commissioner for the District of Columbia Commission for Women where she serves as Chair of the Economic Development Committee. She is the founder of Walker’s Legacy: A Women in Business Lecture Series televised for more than 200,000 households in Washington, DC. She is a graduate of Howard University, magna cum laude and obtained her Master of Public Affairs as a Pi Alpha Alpha graduate of the National Urban Fellows at the Baruch School of Public Affairs in New York.

Cofield has been featured in Ebony, Honey Magazine, Essence, Politic365 and The Afro.

Richard Baptiste

Mr. Baptiste currently serves as President and COO for World Pac Paper, LLC (WPP) where he is responsible for the day-to-day operations. WPP is a national distributor of high quality printing and packaging papers serving commercial printers, catalogers, publishers, integrated and independent corrugated converters, folding carton/rigid box manufacturers, tube winders, laminators and paper converters. As a certified minority owned and operated business enterprise, WPP handles Tier I and Tier II purchasing needs of Corporate America and offers a wide variety of virgin fiber and recycled fiber paper products for various industries. WPP is a CoC-FSC certified organization.

Mr. Baptiste holds a Bachelor of Science in Printing Management and Technology from Rochester Institute of Technology (class of 88) and has attended several Executive Management programs at the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management and the Tuck Business School at Dartmouth. Mr. Baptiste has served as an industry guest speaker at a wide variety of national and international industry events.

Christopher Gray

Christopher Franklin Gray was born and raised in the Marshall Heights section of Washington, DC. In 1989, after graduating from Kelly Miller Junior High School and completing his sophomore year at H.D. Woodson Senior High School, he moved to Scotland Neck, NC and enrolled in Southeast Halifax Senior High School.  In March 1990, while an eleventh grader, Christopher joined the N.C. National Guard and served for six years.  After his high school graduation, he went on to attend and graduate from Elizabeth City State University in May 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.  After his college graduation, he returned to the Washington, DC area.  While a graduate student at Howard University, he worked for the District of Columbia Government’s Department of Human Services as a Program Analyst.  In 1999, he received a M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance and accepted a position as a Guidance Counselor at Calvin Coolidge Senior High School. 

Mr. Gray enjoyed serving the students at Calvin Coolidge Senior High School in the capacity of a Guidance Counselor for more than five years, but wanted to have an even greater impact in the lives of students.  This desire drove him to earn a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership from George Mason University in January 2004.   In August 2004, he was asked to accept an Assistant Principal position at Jefferson Junior High School in Southwest, Washington, DC, and since July 1, 2005 he has served as the principal of Mary H. Plummer Elementary School, which he affectionately calls “A School on the Rise”.

He believes that all children can achieve if given the proper tools and the right motivation.  He also believes that the single most important key to achievement and success is strongly tied to parental involvement and oversight.

Mark Brown

Mr. Brown is the Founder and President of Golden Life Financial, LLC, a financial services company located in Raleigh, NC. He has over 13 years of financial and management experience ranging from financial analysis, auditing, consulting, real estate finance, and business development.

Mr. Brown received his B.S Degree in Accounting from Elizabeth City State University in May 1995. After graduation, he was employed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue as a Tax Auditor before becoming an Assistant State Auditor with the State Auditor’s Office. In May 2002, he received his M.B.A in Finance from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA. Upon receiving his M.B.A, he accepted a managerial position with General Motors in Detroit, MI.

Mr. Brown believes through commitment to education, hard work, and never burning bridges, your achievements can become your success. Mr. Brown is a board member of Family Intervention & Prevention Services, LLC, a mental health agency in Louisburg, NC.