Jerald January, Sr.

Senior Pastor, Vernon Park Church of God | President, Jerald January Ministries

Jerald January, Sr. is the Pastor of Possibilities ™, known for inspiring hope and vision in God’s people. He serves as the Senior Pastor of Vernon Park Church of God in Lynwood, Illinois and is the Visionary of Vernon Park Village. VP Village is destined to become an expanded church campus that encompasses, an independent senior living facility, sports center as well as retail vendors. The campus is centrally and intentionally positioned to broaden the reach of the church, in order to care and support the community.

He is also the President of Jerald January Ministries, which includes preaching, teaching and leading church as well as facilitating community development programs designed to educate, engage and entertain. The infamous Urban Block Party is one of the projects he spearheaded as part of a nationwide campaign for community outreach.

Pastor J is an author of several books and the Founder and CEO of Cool Springs Publishing, Inc. His titles include “A Messed Up Ride Or A Dressed Up Walk,” “A Second Time,” “Life Advance Curriculum” volumes 1 & 2 and most recently “The Joshua Process” scheduled for release this winter.

Having entered the Ministry in 1976, Pastor J has served people for over 40 years. He served the USA Director of Compassion International for 4 years, responsible for leading Ministry efforts to thousands of children and youth in Urban and Rural areas to include New Mexico. For several years he shared the gospel to those in bondage as counselor to inmates in the Cook County jail system in Chicago, IL and he spent 18 years working with Inner-City Youth and Community Ministries in both Chicago and Denver.

Rev. January is an outside the box Pastor/Teacher. His ability to share profound subjects in a simplistic fashion has made him a highly requested motivational and ministry speaker. Having been raised in Detroit, deposited into him a determination to help the defeated. Chicago and Colorado cultivated his confidence in ownership…believing God’s people must OWN themselves in order to be utilized without restraint in service to humanity. He is the proud father of five children and resides in the south suburbs of Chicago with his wife Maura.

Bishop J. W. Macklin

Pastor, Glad Tidings Church

Jerry W. Macklin, a native of San Mateo, CA, is the eldest son of a Pentecostal minister. He, and his wife, Vanessa founded Glad Tidings Church of God in Christ in Hayward, CA in 1978. With more than 40 active ministries to a diverse community, this servant church is a dynamic voice throughout Northern California. Responding to humanitarian crises in America and around the world, Glad Tidings continues to mobilize and equip hundreds of caring people who are making a difference.  In 1992, Pastor Macklin established Northern California Community Development Corporation (NCCD). Working with civic and community leads, they lead this deteriorating, marginalized, South Hayward community through a major revitalization.  Empowered through economic development, housing, community policing, and education, today this neighborhood is known by many as the Glad Tidings Campus. As a catalyst for change, Bishop Macklin has served on several community boards from hospitals to universities to prisons. He has served in numerous leadership roles in the Church of God in Christ such as the National Sunday School Superintendent, and was the founding Chairman of AIM, COGIC Summer Conventions. In 2007, he was elevated to the office of 2^nd Assistant Presiding Bishop of the Church of God in Christ, Inc. under the Leadership of Presiding Bishop Charles E. Blake, Sr.  Bishop Macklin has been the recipient of numerous citations, honors and awards at the local, state, and national level. He is married to Vanessa Wells Macklin (40 years), and they have been blessed with two sons, three daughters, and seven grandchildren.

Reverend Dante R. Quick, Ph.D.

Senior Pastor, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church

On Sunday, August 1, 2010, Reverend Danté R. Quick began his pastoral ministry at Friendship Missionary Baptist Church.  One year later, on August 7, 2011, he was installed as Senior Pastor.  Since his arrival, the church has had extraordinary growth both spiritually and numerically.  Only eight weeks into his tenure, Reverend Quick and the Friendship family were featured on the front page of the Times-Herald as “one of the largest African-American congregations in Vallejo.”

Pastor Quick was born and reared in Washington, D.C. He relocated to Atlanta to attend Morehouse College where he received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science with a concentration in Pre-law.  While at Morehouse, he was one of the first recipients of the William H. Cosby Grant for Landmark College’s gifted-dyslexic student program.

Pastor Quick accepted his call to ministry under the Pastorate of the Reverend Dr. Aaron L. Parker of the Zion Hill Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia.  In response to his commitment to serve God, Pastor Quick received a Master of Divinity with a concentration in Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey.  He was the recipient of the Jean Anne Swope and James L. Mechem Prize in Christian Ethics.  He served as the President of the Association of Black Seminarians, an organization that represents all Princeton seminarians of the African Diaspora.  Pastor Quick also served on numerous student/faculty committees and as a Graduate Chaplain for the African-American students at Princeton University.  Pastor Quick published his first article entitled, “The Relevance of Race,” in The Princeton Theological Review and is a contributor to The African-American Lectionary.

Pastor Quick has served both the church and the academy in several capacities.  In 2006, he was called to serve New Liberation Presbyterian Church in San Francisco which experienced phenomenal growth in attendance and internal love.   In addition, Pastor Quick served as a Policy Analyst for ITC/Faithfactor, a Presidential Initiative of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia. In that capacity, he developed and delivered training materials and programs to aid African-American churches and leaders in engaging in community development programming.

Secularly, Pastor Quick has served in the offices of Mayor Marion Barry, Congressman John Lewis and Governor Zell Miller.  He also served as the Legislative Representative for the Atlanta Board of Education.  In these capacities he has addressed audiences at the National Conference of Black Mayors, The World Conference of Mayors and the National Conference of Black Men.  He also served as the Special Programs Administrator for the Fulton County District Attorney in Atlanta, Georgia.

Pastor Quick relocated to the Bay area to pursue a Ph.D. in Philosophical and Systematic Theology at the Graduate Theological Union, as well as African- American Studies. Upon his acceptance, he was awarded the President’s Award and the William Randolph Hearst Scholarship.  His studies are focused on the theology of Howard Thurman and the political philosophy of Ralph Bunche en route to the construction of an African-American political theology.  He was the first appointed Howard Washington Thurman Teaching Fellow at the American Baptist Seminary of the West where he was responsible for teaching Constructive and Systematic Theology and Ethics. Pastor Quick was also one of only twelve Ph.D. students selected as a Walbash/Teagle Religious Educator Fellow at the Graduate Theological Union. He also served as the student representative to the Graduate Theological Union Board of Trustees.

On September 8th, 2017, Reverend Quick was conferred with his Ph.D. in Philosophical and Systematic Theology with a focus on African American Studies from the Graduate Theological Union, University of California at Berkeley.

Rev. Dr. Quick is the proud parent of Alexander Danté and Kennedy Danielle.

Genora Boykins, J.D.

President and Board Chair, Pyramid CDC

Genora Kendrick Boykins is Assistant Regional General Counsel with NRG Energy, Inc. She is a native of Prairie View, Texas. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BA in English from Spelman College and has a Doctor of Jurisprudence from South Texas College of Law.

Genora is a member of the State Bar of Texas, the Houston Bar Association, and Houston Lawyers Association, and has actively supported Texas State Bar activities during her legal career. Development Corporation (CDC) since its creation by Founder Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell in 1992. Under Genora’s leadership, Pyramid CDC developed, owns and operates The Power Center and Pyramid Residential Community Corporation developed Corinthian Pointe with 462 low to moderate income affordable homes completed in 2007. This residential project was the first and largest development of its kind by a non-profit minority developer and has been recognized within the City of Houston as well as nationally.

Corinthian Pointe is a part of Pointe 235, a master-planned community where the Kingdom Builders Center is located along with the Jean Hines Caldwell Elementary school, a YMCA, Corinthian Pointe Commercial Park, Corinthian Village Independent Living Facility, and Texas Children’s Pediatric practice. Genora is also member of the Board of Directors of South Texas College of Law Houston, Board Member for the Houston Downtown Management District, Board Trustee for The Woman’s Hospital of Texas, Advisory Board Member for Dress For Success Houston, a Senior Fellow in American Leadership Forum, Class XXXII, a 2005 recipient of the Texas Executive Women organization’s Women on the Move Award and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

In additional Genora is co-owner of La Maison in Midtown, an urban bed and breakfast developed in 2010, to provide travelers with a unique experience and a wonderful “escape in the city.” Genora is married to her husband of 28 years, Houston City Council member Dwight Boykins, and they are active members of Windsor Village United Methodist Church.

Landis Graden

President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of DCG Strategies

Landis Graden is President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of DCG Strategies.  Landis is a serial entrepreneur having founded over 10 companies and brings to the company over 20 years of business experience.

In 1997, Landis founded Penn & Graden Properties, a residential properties acquisition company, leaving behind a very successful career at a Fortune 500 company. At Penn & Graden, Landis managed multiple real estate investment groups that were focused on acquiring, rehabilitating, and selling undervalued Bay Area properties, all of which resulted in positive returns for investors.

As the previous Chair of the Vallejo Planning Commission, Landis blends his business acumen with a local grasp of his community’s needs and values. Fusing opportunity, understanding, and experience has enabled Landis to pursue projects that strengthen the community’s economic base, attract new business and jobs, and work towards a sustained, healthy, robust future for the coming generation.

In addition to the Vallejo Planning Commission, Landis is the Board Director on the Vallejo Chamber of Commerce, Board Member for the Community Democratic Club of Solano County, Board President of Glad Tidings Community Development Corporation and previously served on the Board of Brighter Beginnings and the City of Hayward’s Economic Development Committee.

A licensed real estate broker, Landis earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Information Systems Management from the University of San Francisco, and an MBA from Holy Names University.

Rev. Jeffrey Wright

Chief Executive Officer

Carl Jeffrey Wright is chief executive officer of UMI.

Jeff Wright has been active in ministry for over 25 years. He has served several congregations as associate pastor, director of Christian Education, adult Bible study teacher, Vacation Bible School director and in various teaching and administrative roles. His preaching and teaching engagements have included numerous national and international conferences and conventions and he has provided consulting to several national ministries. Jeff joined UMI in 1994 after a career that included working for Johnson & Johnson, where he was a winner of the Johnson & Johnson Leadership Award and Bristol Myers Squibb. Jeff’s educational background includes prep school education at St. Albans School (The National Cathedral School for Boys) in his hometown of Washington, D.C., and a B.A. degree with honors from Fisk University. He earned his Juris Doctorate (JD) from Georgetown University Law School and was admitted to the Pennsylvania Bar and the U.S. Supreme Court Bar. He earned an MBA in Finance and International Business from Columbia University Graduate School of Business in New York and completed additional study at the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) and Harvard Law School. Jeff is the author of the book and media literacy Bible study guide God’s Vision or Television: How Television Influences What We Believe and is also a contributing author to the book Nonprofit Leadership in a For-Profit World. He has four children and is married to Lakita Garth Wright.

Rev. Elliott H. Johnson

Sr. VP Church Relations, Urban Outreach Foundation

Mr. Johnson, a 1977 alumna of Howard University’s School of Business started his professional life with the City of Chicago.  Enjoying a successful eight-year career with the City of Chicago, his positions involved managing various city departments within the Mayor’s office. He was responsible for monitoring and developing departmental operations, administrative procedures and the fiscal accountability of city departments and non-profit organizations, including the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Jewish Federation and the Woodlawn Organization.

In 1985, Mr. Johnson transitioned to positions in three of the top five major breweries in America. Over the next eleven years, his sales and leadership roles included Marketing Representative and National Sales Manager for the Miller Brewing Company; Regional Vice President of Sales for the Coors Brewing Company; and  Sr. Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing for G. Heileman/Stroh Brewery.

In 1996, he retired from the malt beverage industry to be Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Southeastern Medical Centers, S.C., a forty-five year old family owned business of which he still retains ownership. He also is the co-founder of Heyward & Johnson LLC., a full service management services organization, of which Mr. Johnson is the current President and CEO.

He enjoys a strong network of political and professional relationships on both the local and national levels. Mr. Johnson served on the National Board of Advisors for the Democratic Leadership Council. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Howard University School of Business, Institute for Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Innovation (ELI), Marketing Department and Executive MBA program. He also serves as a Senior Advisor to Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Office of Diversity and Inclusion. Mr. Johnson serves as an Advisor to The American Hospital Association’s Institute for Diversity in Health Care Management and he currently serves on the Board of Advisors for Governor State University’s Executive Advisory Council.

Mr. Johnson is a thought leader with subject matter expertise who understands the value of entrepreneurship and innovation in the areas of economic development, technology, education and health care.  This expertise led to his appointment by the Obama administration as an Advisor to the National Foreign Trade Council.

In the area of philanthropy, Mr. Johnson has served in numerous positions to include the Vice President of Development for the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., Chicago Chapter, and as Chairman of the Board for the South Suburban region of the Chicago Metropolitan YMCA.  Additionally, he served as the past President of the Board of Directors for The South/South West Suburban Region of The United Way, Vice President of Strategic Development for The Evangelical Training Association, Vice President of Church Relations for The Urban Outreach Foundation and he is currently enrolled at The McCormick Theological Seminary in the Masters’ program in the Art of Urban Ministry.

Mr. Johnson continues as an active resident of the Matteson community serving over 25 years. He served as Elementary School District 159 school board President and a former Planning and Zoning Commissioner for the Village of Matteson. Mr. Johnson served as an advisor to the Village of Matteson, the Village of Park Forest, the Village of Hazel Crest, Village of Olympia Fields and Washington, D.C. for their Economic Development and Marketing Programs. He currently serves as a Trustee for the Rich Township Government and President of The Township Officials of Cook County. Mr. Johnson currently resides in Matteson Illinois and has been married for over 35 years to Hope Heyward Johnson. He has two children Aja’ and Elliott III who are also graduates of Howard University.

Leslie Harris, Ph.D

Professor of History, Northwestern University

Dr. Harris received her undergraduate degree from Columbia University and her doctoral degree from Stanford University. She is the author and co-editor of three award-winning books:: In the Shadow of Slavery: African Americans in New York City, 1626-1863 (University of Chicago, 2003); co-editor with Ira Berlin of Slavery in New York (The New Press, 2005), which accompanied the groundbreaking New-York Historical Society exhibition of the same name; and Slavery and Freedom in Savannah (University of Georgia Press, 2014), co-edited with Daina Ramey Berry, in collaboration with Telfair Museums’ Owens-Thomas House.

From 2004 to 2011, she co-founded and co-directed the Transforming Community Project (TCP) at Emory University, which used history to engage members of the university community in dialogue, research, and teaching on racial and other forms of human diversity.  In 2011, the Transforming Community Project organized the first international conference on the history of slavery in higher education. The Transforming Community Project received generous funding from the Ford Foundation and the Emory University Strategic Fund Plan.

Dr. Harris is currently working on a book on late-twentieth century New Orleans, entitled “Leaving New Orleans: A Personal Urban History”; and co-edited volumes on slavery and the university; and slavery and sexuality.

Dr. Larry Acosta

President & Founder, Urban Youth Workers Institute

Larry Acosta is the Founder of the Hispanic Ministry Center, Urban Youth Workers Institute & Co-founder of KIDWORKS along with his wife Jayme. Under Larry’s leadership, UYWI has grown from a local, southern California ministry, to a national organization operating in key U.S. cities with a combined network of over 20,000 emerging ethnic leaders. UYWI is recognized as one of the top urban leadership training organizations in the United States.

He is an accomplished keynote having spoken at conferences and events throughout the U.S. He serves on the boards of Kingdomworks SDG and Azusa Pacific University. His achievements also include serving as contributing writer to the handbook “Deep Justice in a Broken World” and “Urban Youth Ministry Handbook” and he was Editor of SHOUT Magazine.

Larry graduated from both Biola University and Talbot School of Theology and completed his doctorate in Leadership Development at Fuller Theological Seminary. He is married to his lovely wife Jayme, and they have four wonderful children, Brock, Karis, Malia and Diego.