TALLAHASSEE
TOGETHER

Tim Wise is among the most prominent anti-racist writers and educators in the United States. He has spent the past 25 years speaking to audiences in all 50 states, on over 1000 college and high school campuses, at hundreds of professional and academic conferences, and to community groups across the country.

Juliana "Jewels" Smith is a writer and educator who focuses on using humor to challenge presumptions about race, class, gender, and sexuality. She is the creator and writer of the comic strip “(H)afrocentric” and the short web series “Sasha and Condi.” She was awarded the Glyph Award in 2016 and 2018 for “(H)afrocentric.”

Joe Gerstandt is a speaker, author, and advisor bringing greater clarity, action, and impact to organizational diversity and inclusion efforts. Gerstandt has worked with Fortune 100 corporations, small non-profits, and everything in between. He speaks at numerous conferences and summits and blogs at joegerstandt.com.

Jane Elliott—internationally known teacher, lecturer, diversity trainer, anti-racism activist, and recipient of the National Mental Health Association Award for Excellence in Education—exposes prejudice and bigotry for what it is: an irrational class system based upon purely arbitrary factors. If you think this does not apply to you, you are in for a rude awakening.

Dr. Mary Ritz is a dynamic leader, speaker, facilitator, and consultant with repeated success guiding strategy development, business performance improvement, and teambuilding for customer-centric operations in industry sectors that have included financial services, communications, retail, hospitality, and consulting.

Dedicated to the practice of helping others achieve inner happiness and peace, Dr. Kenneth E. Fowler has commanded the minds of many and succeeded in guiding them to more harmonious and prosperous lives. He is an LMHC and an Approved Supervisor for mental health counselors, marriage and family therapists, and social workers.

Yolanda Pourciau is a professional speaker, trainer, facilitator and professor. She has over twenty years of experience in public speaking and training. Her areas of expertise include inspiration, diversity and inclusion, and wellness at work. The overarching theme of her work is “We Must Face It to Fix It!”

Julya Denholm DeMaria is the Acting Program Coordinator for Community Connections, a local restorative justice program for teens that focuses on nonviolent communication and conflict resolution. In 2014, she cofounded the Florida Restorative Justice Association.

Dr. Patricia McGill is the Founding Executive Director of the Corporation for Community and Economic Development United, Inc. (CCEDU), whose mission is to provide community economic development and empowerment, invest in education, and rebuild sustainable and healthy communities.

Dr. Andrea K. Friall, Chief Medical Officer for Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, received her B.S. degree in biology from Florida State University and her M.D. from Howard University College of Medicine. She has practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Tallahassee since 2001.

In her role as Executive Director of the Florida Commission on Human Relations (FCHR), Michelle Wilson supervises the day-to-day operations of the Commission. She directs all management areas as well as legal and investigation activities.

Marcus West is the Director of the Community Health and Planning Division at the Leon County Department of Health. He has conducted research in the areas of food insecurity and rapid development and zoning laws within Leon County.

Courtney Atkins is the Executive Director of Whole Child Leon. Atkins consistently leads collaborative efforts and initiatives, urging open communication and the sharing of resources between agencies to improve outcomes for all children.

Dr. Dakeyan Cha’ Dre’ Graham was selected in July 2019 as the 2020 Florida Teacher of the Year. During the 2019-2020 school year, Dr. Graham served as the Christa McAuliffe Ambassador for Education.

Temple O. Robinson, M.D. (Meharry Medical College) joined the Bond Community Health Center in 2003 and served as the Chief Medical Officer for 12 years prior to taking the helm as Chief Executive Officer in 2015.

Karen Butler Miller is the Executive Director of the Tallahassee Lenders’ Consortium (TLC), a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide client-focused comprehensive housing services and to promote and engage in resident-driven neighborhood revitalization.

Darryl Jones is the District 3 representative on the Leon County School Board. Elected in November 2018, his district includes all school and students in southern Leon County.

Michael Suleski, Chief of Staff of the Tallahassee Police Department, has twenty-five years of law enforcement experience in Florida and New York. While at TPD, he has served in many roles, ranks, and assignments.

Deputy Chief Maurice Holmes has twenty-six years of law enforcement experience in Florida and Georgia. He is also a veteran of the United States Army, where he served for three years active and five years reserve duty.

Deputy Chief Jason Laursen has twenty-two years of law enforcement experience at the Tallahassee Police Department, where he has served in a myriad of roles, ranks, and assignments.

Deputy Chief Tonja Bryant-Smith has over twenty-eight years of law enforcement experience. She spent 11 years at the Tallahassee Police Department before taking a position with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement in 2002.

Born and raised in Tallahassee, Rocky Hanna has served as Superintendent of Leon County Schools since 2016.

Roseanne Wood has served as the District 2 representative on the Leon County School Board since August 2016. She previously served as principal of SAIL (School for Arts and Innovative Learning) High School in Tallahassee.