Mr. Ralph B. Everett, Esq. served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Joint Center at Political and Economic Studies, Inc. from December 2006 to December 31, 2013. Mr. Everett served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Joint Center Media & Technology Institute at Joint Center For Political And Economic Studies, Inc. Mr. Everett has 30-year track record of pioneering leadership in the nation's capital. Mr. Everett was a Managing Partner with the Washington, D.C. office of the law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP, where he headed its Federal Legislative Practice Group since October 1989. He previously worked in the U.S. Senate for more than a decade and served as Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. He has been a Director at Cumulus Media Inc. and Cumulus Media Partners, LLC since July 1998. He serves as a Director at Connected Nation, Inc. He serves as a Director of Shenandoah Life Insurance Company and Independent Sector. He served as a Director of Star Scientific, Inc. until December 27, 2013. He was Secretary at the Center for National Policy.

Michael Grant is President of both the National Bankers Association and its Foundation.  He is also board secretary for the Minbanc Scholarship Fund for minority banks.

A corporate consultant for fifteen years, Grant’s firm, of which he was a co-owner, claimed as his clients some of America’s best known companies: Marriott and Ritz-Carlton Hotels, McDonalds Corporation, Harrah’s Casinos, Westin and Hilton Hotels, Dell Computers, the Cracker Barrel Corporation and others.

Grant served as a member of the Commission for the Future of the Tennessee Judicial System, president of the Nashville Branch of the NAACP and chief fundraiser of the NAACP’s Tennessee State Conference of Branches.  He was co-founder of the Greater Nashville African-American Chamber of Commerce.  Presently, he serves on the board of directors for the U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

The Honorable Marie C. Johns, the founder and President of L&L Consulting LLC, has been a leader in business, community and government service for more than 30 years.  From 2010 through June 2013, Marie was the Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA); she was nominated by President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate.  As Deputy Administrator, Marie was responsible for management of the agency and development of SBA programs and policies.  In 2011, as a result of her initiatives, the SBA supported more than $30 billion in lending to more than 60,000 small businesses, the most capital going to small business in SBA history.  In addition to other duties, Marie had the privilege of serving as the chair of the President’s Interagency Task Force on Veterans’ Small Business Development.  She also was the force behind “Start Young,” an SBA/Department of Labor initiative that provides entrepreneurial training to Job Corps students and encourages them to use their technical skills to start a business.

Alisa S. Joseph, Founder, CINE Enterprises, LLC – Alisa Joseph is a business professional who combines generalist skills with a variety of practices, processes and industry expertise. A talented marketing professional, she has a proven record of accomplishment in planning and leading comprehensive marketing strategies in support of business goals and objectives. She is a highly skilled producer of multi-media channel solutions to gain share of voice through synergy and coordination of marketing messaging. In addition to her solid leadership skills, she is able to build and guide projects with individuals and teams. Joseph has worked in the financial services field for over 25 years, specializing in strategy, product management, marketing, communications, developing program initiatives and event execution. She is a graduate of Fordham University with a B.S. in Psychology and Columbia University – Teachers College with an M.S. in Organizational Psychology.  Alisa is married and has three children.

Ronald C. Parker is president and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council (ELC). He has been a member of the organization representing senior black executives at Fortune 500 and equivalent companies since 1994, and has served on both the Council and Foundation Boards. Parker, who recently retired from his post as senior vice president for human resources, labor relations and global diversity and inclusion for PepsiCo, is focused on assuring that The ELC's brand, programs and overall impact remain strong as the organization launches its aspirational goals.

As senior vice president with PepsiCo, Parker was responsible for directing the company's global labor relations and diversity and inclusion strategies and its efforts to become a premier company of the 21st century. His involvement with succession planning, workforce analysis and developing the cultural competency of PepsiCo's leaders form a base of experience that complement The ELC's aspirational goals to place more black executives in C-suites and on the boards of Fortune 500 companies.

Mr. Stone is currently the President/CEO of the California Black Chamber of Commerce (CBCC) and Director of the California Black Chamber Foundation. Appointed by the Governor, he currently serves as a California Commissioner for Economic Development. He aggressively led the California Black Chamber in such public policy issues as: Prop 187, co-authored the 9th circuit injunction against implementation of Prop 209, publicly advocated against Brown-fields, the urban environment, insurance redlining the inner city impact of bank acquisitions and mergers and leads the charge of new and emerging markets.

Aubry’s single-minded focus is the creation of individual and community wealth through small business growth development and sustainability. He is currently the Chairman of the National African American California Chamber of Commerce and also serves on the California Regional Community Utilities Diversity Council, the Citibank Regional Community Board, the Pfizer National Minority Business Board, the California Small Business Advisory Board, the Cal-Trans Small Business Board, and is a member of the Greenlining Coalition. He has served on the boards of the NAACP, Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce, the Mayor’s Economic Development Council, the District Attorney’s Community Relations Board and the State Fair Minority council.