Carl-Henry Fortune is a Project Manager at Prometheus Federal Services (PFS) where he supports and oversees programs and initiatives geared towards improving healthcare access for veterans all across the country. Carl has more than 10 years of public health and project management experience and has also dedicated much of his time towards youth empowerment and community development efforts. He attended the University of Florida where he obtained a Bachelor of Health Science and a Master of Public Health degree. This was followed by his attendance to the University of Maryland where he graduated with both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Healthcare Management.
Vanessa Outland serves as the Operations Manager in the Office of the Director within the Federal Government for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She achieved a Bachelor of Science from Howard University in 2006, a Master of Human Resource Management (MHRM) from the University of Maryland in 2015, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Maryland in 2016. In her former position as a Program Analyst with the Indian Health Service (IHS) she was involved heavily with scholarship processing and awards. Some of her responsibilities included monitoring students’ academic activity from the onset of the scholarship award through graduation. She also provided guidance and technical assistance to scholarship recipients to ensure that all program requirements, criteria, guidelines, operating procedures, and objectives were clearly understood. Her experience in this particular area proves to be invaluable to the success of this organization. Vanessa is a mother of two young children and is passionate about life, education, arts and achievement.
As a professional working in education spaces for 10 years, Martens Roc’s heart lies in making sure every student, especially students of color, receive education experiences that will assist in changing the world! Currently, Martens is a Senior Associate at The Raben Group. Prior to joining The Raben Group, Martens was an education policy professional at the Alliance for Excellent Education in Washington, DC. During his tenure at the Alliance, he managed grants connecting education justice with better economic outcomes, health benefits, and efforts to lower costs associated with criminal behavior. Martens also led work around bettering education experiences for students of color and low-income students by providing more access to better school climate, great teachers, and rigorous and engaging curricula. Martens holds a master’s degree in higher education management and a bachelor’s degree in history and Africana studies, both from the University of Pittsburgh, qualifying him as an ultimate Pitt Panther. He volunteers his time as a researcher for local campaigns and an academic mentor in DC through College Bound, Inc.
Delano Squires is the Director of Connect.DC, the DC Office of the Chief Technology Officer’s (OCTO) digital inclusion program. Connect.DC works to “bridge the digital divide” in the District by making technology more accessible to low-income and underserved DC residents and community institutions. Delano is also a frequent contributor to the award-winning website Black and Married With Kids (BMWK). His writing has been featured on The Root and The Grio. He is an active participant in Stephen Ministry, an organization committed to offering care and support to individuals in distress. Delano earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Public Policy degree from George Washington University.
Felicia Turner has gained her knowledge and experience in a variety of diverse fields of education and employments. In 2009, Felicia received a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Management from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. After graduation, Felicia worked in the commercial banking industry training newly hired tellers and personal bankers on commercial banking regulations. This experience laid the foundation of her desire to teach and impart knowledge and skill in to students. She hopes to foster civic virtues such as intelligence, integrity, diligence, and responsibility, which is imperative in helping students uncover their passion, without allowing life’s obstacles to hinder their journey to success. Consequently, Felicia started a free tutoring program at Mort Elementary School, in Tampa, Florida. This program was designed to assist students in different subject content areas according to their needs, with study strategies and techniques to improve content comprehension. In 2011 Felicia decided to pursue a Masters in Curriculum & Instruction in Secondary Education Mathematics at Howard University. During her time at Howard University, she interned and worked at Columbia Heights Education Center, preparing and delivering mathematical lessons to 10th grade Algebra II students. Felicia also worked closely with different However University professors on educational grants and proposals to identify factors that lead to improved writing and mathematical skills for students, when working collaboratively. After completing her studies in 2013, Felicia worked as the Operations Director for the Children’s Education Ministry at Evangel Cathedral, where she assisted in devised and created new curriculum materials for kindergarten to sixth grade students. In the next ten years, Felicia plans to start her own elementary Charter School in the District of Columbia.