Ms. Valentine began her career in higher education in 1977 and developed her knowledge and management skills in various roles at Student Loan Express, the University of Maryland, College Park, Salem State College in Salem Massachusetts, Barry University in Miami, Florida, American University in Washington, DC, Anne Arundel Community College near Annapolis Maryland and Laureate International Education in Baltimore Maryland.  Ms. Valentine has a longstanding interest in legislative and governmental issues. Ingrid is currently the Deputy Director for Partner Eligibility and Oversight for Federal Student Aid at the U.S. Department of Education.

Ms. Valentine received her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland, College Park and her Jurists Doctorate from the University of Maryland.

Ingrid is also a certified spin instructor and enjoys creating motivational playlist for her classes that she teaches at her local YMCA.

Wayne Ferguson, a native of Prince George’s County Maryland, serves as Vice Chair of the FAME Board of Directors. He started his career at the United Parcel Service in 1988 and currently serves as a Division Manager. “UPS encourages us to get out into the communities and make a difference, therefore I have an extensive history in volunteering my time but an even longer history encouraging employees to support United Way sponsored organizations”.

An active member of the Board, Mr. Ferguson, chairs one of FAME’s most successful fundraising events – the Race for FAME Scavenger Hunt. The event was created in 2016 by United Parcel Service (UPS) management and employees in the DC Region to provide a family-friendly event that supports FAME’s academic and cultural programs for youth in the Greater Washington Region.

Mr. Ferguson has two children, Janelle, who attends Morgan State University; and Chester, who attends Bowie State University.

Gregory K. Wells, a trial lawyer, focuses on Plaintiff’s medical malpractice, serious personal injury and wrongful death cases. He is also a highly sought-after Mediator. Greg is listed in Best Lawyers in America in the areas of Medical Malpractice, Personal Injury, Product Liability and Professional Malpractice Law; the Maryland Lawyers and Washington, D.C. “Super Lawyers” and in Washingtonian Magazine’s “Washington D.C.’s Top Lawyers “Hall of Fame”. Greg has been recognized as “Lawyer of the Year” in numerous occasions in the area of Professional Malpractice by Best Lawyers in America.

Greg is a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, where he currently serves as the Regent for Washington, D.C. and Maryland, and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. He has maintained the coveted “AV” rating, the rating for the highest level of professional excellence for legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards, from the prestigious Martindale-Hubbell publication.

A Board member of FAME – Foundation for the Advancement of Music and Education, Greg, a life-long music lover, is an avid guitar-player whose ability to gig has been, unfortunately, been curtailed by his busy law practice.

Reginald ‘Reg’ Weaver is past president of the National Education Association (NEA); at then 3.2 million-members, it is the nation’s largest professional employee organization committed to advancing public education.  He continues being a staunch public education advocate.

Weaver also served as vice president of Education International (EI), a federation of approximately 400 associations and unions in over 170 countries, representing over 30 million members in global education institutions from early childhood to university.  Mr. Weaver has traveled domestically and internationally, being an ambassador for public education, equity,  access, social justice, human rights, and the preservation of civil liberties.

He has served on numerous Boards, has testified before Congress on federal education policy, and has frequently provided a critical voice on public education for nationally recognized publications, televised and broadcast media. He has received countless awards and recognition both domestically and globally.

Mr. Weaver delivered a landmark speech at the Lincoln Cathedral in England—home to a rare copy of the Magna Carta—that was met with widespread acclaim. In recognition of his commitment to democracy and fundamental freedoms, a stone column was unveiled in Mr. Weaver’s name along with the granting of an honorary doctorate.

Mr. Weaver is also the recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from North Carolina’s Shaw University, and a Doctor of Public Service from South Carolina State University.

Mr. Weaver earned his B.A. degree in special education from Illinois State University and his master’s degree in Public School Administration from Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois.

Cecelia has been actively involved with FAME since its founding in 2004.  She currently serves as the treasurer and is responsible for maintaining all pertinent financial records and files for the Foundation, which includes developing the annual budget and completing financial reports as required by law.

Cecelia retired from the General Services Administration (GSA) with over 36 years of Federal service.  During her career at GSA, she served as a senior procurement analyst responsible for Government-wide policy, a contracting officer, an acquisition trainer (including development), and a contract specialist.  She demonstrated her vast experience in operational contract management.

Prior to her employment at GSA, she worked in international trade at the Department of Commerce.  In that role, she was responsible for analyzing and processing export licenses.

She holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the College of Charleston, Charleston, SC and a Master of Public Administration from American University, Washington, DC. Over the years, Cecelia received various awards recognizing her outstanding performance within the Federal Government and for her public service contributions. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, Federally Employed Women, Blacks in Government, and the National Contract Management Association.

Karen Stamper Jackson served as a Federal senior executive with an accomplished career spanning over thirty-eight years and many organizations within the federal sector. She began her career at the General Services Administration in 1973 and focused her efforts in the budget and financial management areas. She broaden her areas of interests and expertise when moving to the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1994 as the Director of Administrative Expenses Budget within the Chief Financial Office, where she responsibly managed a billion dollar budget dedicated to the Department’s Salaries and Expenses. She represented the Department before Congressional Committees, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Government Accounting Office (GAO) and Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Under her leadership the Division was transformed into a high performing organization that received recognition from Secretary Andrew Cuomo for “The Best HUD Budget.” Her innovative management style of including all members of her staff in the decision-making process and equipping them with the resources to respond to the challenge of a perpetual changing Government, increased the morale, productivity, and the financial position of the Department.

Mrs. Jackson’s reputation for results and high performance gained her nationwide recognition and led to her subsequent appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) and numerous executive level positions. Over a span of seventeen years, she was responsible for various agency operations to include:

• Director of the Office of Administrative and Management Services where she was responsible for overseeing the Operations of the Headquarters Building and policy oversight for HUD’s field offices. She managed a broad portfolio to include space, furniture, equipment, mail, communications services, parking, transit subsidy, motor vehicles, records management, safety and health, printing, and visual arts;
• General Deputy, Chief Information Officer with a portfolio that included human capital planning and development, employee recruitment, IT Reform, Capital Planning and Investment Management, eGovernment, Security and Enterprise Architecture;
• Deputy Assistant Secretary for Budget and Management Support responsible for financial and administrative support services for the Office of Administration, executive correspondence management and the Departmental Grants program;
• Deputy Associate General Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration where she managed and led the Department’s entire administrative operation. She retired as the Associate General Deputy Assistant Secretary/Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer with a broad portfolio of human capital services.

During her years of service, she was recognized with outstanding achievement awards, Distinguished Service Award and is a graduate and award recipient from the John F. Kennedy Harvard School of Government and Council for Excellence in Government Alumnae. She is a graduate of Harvard University’s Senior Managers in Government Program and Federal Executive Institute. Mrs. Jackson graduated magna cum laude from Grambling State University and holds a Masters of Arts from George Washington University. She serves on several boards and is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She and her husband Donzell are natives of Louisiana; they have three adult children and seven grandchildren. Her love for kids, music and education drives her passion to serve in any capacity for FAME.

Leslie Echols is the Senior Homeland Security Business Development Manager for a Tribally owned company based in Northern Virginia. With 23 years of diverse experience in the industry, Leslie has been instrumental in securing over a billion dollars in new and recompeted contracts for major systems integrators. Her strategic vision and deep understanding of teamwork and collaboration make her an asset both within her organization and among strategic partners.

Leslie’s journey in supporting the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) mission began with the agency’s inception in 2003. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with federal agencies such as Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Defense (DOD) and other agencies including commercial business, playing a key role in the success of her companies across the DMV region.

She holds a Master of Science degree in Business Management and Public Relations from the University of Maryland, blending her academic insights with practical experience to craft impactful strategies.

A proud native Washingtonian, Leslie leads a balanced lifestyle that prioritizes fitness and family. She enjoys staying active and loves cheering on her favorite teams at professional sporting events, where the thrill of the game creates lasting memories with her loved ones. Leslie is passionate about her community and aspires to inspire others through her commitment to collaboration, resilience, and dedication in both her professional endeavors and personal life.

Sam Hutchinson has a distinguished national reputation and has had an outstanding career in federal service. He was a member of the government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from August 1994 through January 2010. During this period he was the highest ranking African-American career executive in the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) nationwide. He served as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary of HUD; Deputy General Counsel for Operations (Acting); and Associate General Counsel for Human Resources Law. As Deputy General Counsel, he oversaw a $93 million annual budget and directed operations covering over 700 employees in HUD’s Washington, DC and ten (10) Regional Offices across the country. During his tenure at HUD, Mr. Hutchinson was also a key legal advisor to several former HUD Secretaries, including Jack Kemp, Henry Cisneros, Andrew Cuomo, Mel Martinez and Alphonso Jackson. As the Associate General Counsel, he supervised three highly specialized legal divisions in ethics law, public integrity, compliance with federal criminal statutes, employment law, and federal procurement and contracts law. He was also an advisor to a number of Presidentially appointed sub-cabinet level officials in preparation for Senate confirmation on housing and community development issues, HUD policy matters, conflicts of interest, transition issues, divestitures, and financial disclosure requirements. He served as Director of Personnel overseeing a national workforce of 10,000 employees. He supervised payroll and budget operations, collective bargaining and, he managed a successful nationwide downsizing initiative that resulted in substantial savings to HUD and incorporated program consolidation, buyouts, and employee re-training.

Mr. Hutchinson has considerable expertise in managing large organizations, directing legal and administrative operations, establishing public policy and addressing major issues related to housing, public housing, fair housing and community planning and development. He was also legal counsel to the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. Throughout his career at HUD, he counseled Assistant Secretaries in a number of Administrations and high level Regional Officials having oversight of HUD’s (10) Regional Offices and (61) Field Offices across the nation. Mr. Hutchinson was HUD’s key senior legal official on matters pertaining to intergovernmental relations, contract awards, procurement integrity and the Agency’s initiatives for restoring accountability and transparency in the annual disbursement of over $42 billion dollars in federal programs and housing assistance.

In August of 2000, Mr. Hutchinson was awarded the coveted Presidential Rank Award for outstanding leadership and achievement from former President Bill Clinton. This award is among the highest bestowed for civilian government service. During the administration of President Barack Obama, Mr. Hutchinson served as Senior Advisor to Ron Sims, current Deputy Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He was also an advisor to the interim Provost at Howard University and a lecturer on fair housing and fair lending at the Howard University School of Law. Mr. Hutchinson holds a Bachelor of Science and a Juris Doctorate from Howard and completed the Senior Managers in Government (SMG) program at Harvard. He is a member of the bar in the state of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Hutchinson was also Deputy Executive Director of the National African American Drug Policy Coalition (NAADPC) in Washington, D.C. NAADPC is a collaborative of twenty five of the Nation’s most preeminent national organizations involved in promoting health and justice policies affecting African-American families and youth. Member organizations include the National Bar Association, National Medical Association, Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Black Psychiatrists of America, National Police Chiefs Association, and the substance abuse consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. NAADPC organizations are represented in 50 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Mr. Hutchinson is currently in private practice and active in a number of civic and community organizations.

With a strong commitment to community impact and a proven track record of strategic leadership, I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the FAME Board of Directors. With 10 years of experience at The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC), I have grown as a business leader, a mentor, and a cultural architect. In my current role, I lead Portfolio Management for the Global Research & Development organization, overseeing the allocation of 200formulators across 20 brands, and developing 3-year strategies to drive product innovation and process optimization, including the integration of AI platforms.

In partnership with ELC’s Inclusion, Diversity & Equity division, I also lead the GenerationalEmployee Resource Group. This initiative focuses on strengthening connections across diverse generations and accelerating growth for employees early in their careers. What started as a small group of millennials several years ago has evolved into a global network, spanning four countries and a dozen sites, engaging hundreds of employees. The group is sustained by three core pillars: Professional Development, Innovation & Business, and Sustainability & Philanthropy, with multiple activations and events throughout the year to unite and empower the company’s young talent.

I am eager to leverage my skills and experiences to help propel FAME into its next stage of growth and continue to advance FAME’s mission of driving evolution through both music and education for future generations of students.

Jerome Navies has been a business owner in the Washington DC, suburb prince George’s County, Maryland for 33 years. He is a McDonald’s franchise owner with seven restaurants and more than 500 employees. Jerome is a member of the National Black McDonald’s Owners Association. Four restaurants are around Joint Base Andrews, home to Air Force One. Navies has resided in the county for more than 40 years. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and raised in Los Angeles, California. He attended Los Angeles public schools, graduating from Dorsey High School. He attended San Jose State University, graduating in four years with a B.A. Degree in Journalism.

Navies earned a four-year scholarship and played on the 1968 and 1969 Spartans football team. As he pursued his Journalism degree he leaned towardsBroadcast Journalism. He was elected News Director of the San Jose State Radio/Television News Center. An honor bestowed by a vote of classmates. A highlight of our coverage was providing updates on the Angela Davis Trial, which was held near campus. Our broadcasts were featured on KSJS and the ABC TV affiliate and Education Channel 54. He won a San Jose State prize for writing. It was the Phelan Award for Short Stories.

Navies began his journalism career as a News Writer with KNX Radio, the CBS station in Los Angeles, and became an Editor and Producer. After ten years with KNX, he met his future wife, Mary Hopkins. This encounter lead to a desire to move east. During that period, he received an offers at CBS News, in New York and the CBS News Washington Bureau. He accepted the position, in Washington, as Executive Producer of CBS Radio Stations News Service. Three years later he became Bureau Director. Among his favorite assignments were organizing news coverage of eight Presidential Nominating Conventions and four Presidential Inaugurations. His team assisted CBS Radio reporters from affiliate radio stations with Credentials, Workspace, logistics and convention coverage. Navies spent 26 years at CBS. Before retiring, Navies moved from the CBSRadio Division to the CBS News Division to handle Washington Radio News coverage and Affiliate Relations.

Navies is a former member of the Boot Group, LLC, which owns the Comfort Suites Hotel in Goodyear, Arizona, which opened the last day of 2007.He is a member of Shiloh Baptist Church, where he serves as a Deacon. He was in charge of the New Members Program for 26 years. Also, he served as president of the Church Tennis Club. Navies and his wife Mary, reside in FortWashington, Maryland. They have two children, Omari Hopkins-Navies and Imani Ford, and eight grandchildren.

Gregory “Trey” Proctor III is the Vice President of G.S. Proctor & Associates, Inc. Trey has been with G.S. Proctor since June 2014. In that time, he has emerged as a real asset in local, state, and federal government areas, particularly in energy, utilities, transportation and infrastructure, healthcare, zoning and permitting, and many other areas of interest for our clients. Trey can quickly grasp new concepts and has strong problem-solving and communication skills, making for a thoughtful and efficient leadership character.

Trey graduated from Elon University in 2008 with a B.S. in Business Administration with a Marketing concentration and dual minors in Economics and International Studies. He immediately began his career as a Credit Analyst at Old Line Bank. Before being promoted to an Assistant Vice President position, Trey assisted the credit department in analyzing potential clients and loans and assisting with the real property valuation process. Trey also helped manage all of the accounts receivable lines and letters of credit customers for the Bank.

Trey has a strong commitment to community involvement and, in addition to contributing countless hours to community service efforts with Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Heart of America, and the Alice Ferguson Foundation, he serves on the Board of Directors for the College of Southern Maryland Foundation, Historic Sotterley and Leadership Prince George’s.

He often says that “no two things can be more important than exposure to new things and perspective.” With this mantra, Trey is a regular at elementary and middle school career days helping the next generation to start thinking about financial literacy and their future, and how to place their personal and professional well-being in the context of their families and communities.

Trey is a consummate family man. He lives in Accokeek with his wife, Charlita, and their two daughters, Zauriel and Simile.

Gregory “Trey” Proctor III

Carl Shazor, Jr, is the current Business Manager for United Parcel Services (UPS) in Landover, MD. Prior to serving in this position, Carl started his career with UPS as a driver and was quickly promoted to an On-Road Supervisor. Having spent more than two decades in the Logistics field, his ability to navigate challenges and identify opportunities benefitting the organization, both internally and externally, is unmatched.Previously Carl served as a Private Contract Business Owner with FedEx Home Delivery where he owned and operated over fifteen routes in the DMV area. Carl was born and raised in Detroit, MI and now resides in Maryland with his wife and daughter (who loves to travel and read like her dad) while his son is away in college.

• Develop strategies to meet Departmental Budget Challenges and Objectives.
• Ensure compliance with all SOX related controls
• Participate in Benchmarking exercises.

• Responsible for communicating all corporate and departmental information; procedures/practices, and company programs and services.
• Plan and establish- budgets to anticipate future staffing, training, technology and organizational requirements.
• Handle escalated appeals in writing and verbally.

• Support Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives to increase performance, encourage success and decrease turnover.
• Approve security access for IEE, UIQ, Corporate forms, Manual Bills, AT Work requests, exempt online time and segregation of Duty requests.
• Develop process improvements to impact First Contact Resolution goals.
• Discuss and reinforce safety messages and practices in team meetings.
• Complete Business Continuity Plan for Pepco and ACE/DPL Billing.
• Represent the company as an Ambassador for Government and External Affairs for Wards 2C and 8.
• Manage invoice processing,  expense reports, manual adjustment, daily rate changes and AGS requests.
• Collaborate on the planning and achievement of KPIs consistent with Exelon’s mission and philosophy.
• Conduct annual performance reviews and  recommend performance increases and areas for improvement.
• Ensure compliance with all OSHA and Company Safety policies and procedures.
• Manage process improvements across business lines including Engineering,  Meter Services and Call

Center.

• Work with AT to resolve billing issues  caused by technology.
• Manage investigations involving customer complaints/issues, energy diversion and payment administration.
• Provide direction to Account Investigators on issues involving the recovery of revenue from consumers of Unauthorized Use of Electricity.
• Analyze operational needs and coordinate staffing resources.

• Represent company for speaking engagements to provide on-site conservation tips, address billing concerns with customers and promote the Pepco/Exelon brand.

• Perform all necessary storm duty assignments and activities.
• Ensure timely and accurate billing, manual production of complex bills, timely processing of bill exceptions, and adjustments, and correction