Meet the CBCF Team

Nicole Austin-Hillery

President & CEO

Nicole Austin-Hillery is the President & CEO at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF). In this role, Ms. Austin-Hillery will lead and inspire a team of high-performing leaders and staff as they create and implement plans to carry out the organization’s mission and achieve strategic goals.  Ms. Austin-Hillery is a steward of the brand and mission of the organization, acting to build, enhance and leverage the power of relationships and networks across the private, public and corporate sectors to procure support and needed resources for the organization to further its mission.

Prior to joining to the CBCF, Ms Austin-Hillery led Human Rights Watch’s efforts to end violations in abusive systems within the United States. Her work focused on addressing and combatting systemic racism, improving the U.S. immigration system, tackling rights problems within the domestic criminal justice system and advocating for policies to address poverty and inequality informed by international human rights standards.

Prior to joining Human Rights Watch, Ms. Austin-Hillery was the first Director and Counsel of The

Brennan Center’s Washington, D.C. office which she opened in March 2008. At the Brennan Center, she oversaw the growth and development of the Center’s advocacy and policy development work in Washington and served as its chief representative before Congress and the Executive Branch.

Ms. Austin-Hillery has testified before state and local legislative bodies as well as Congress. She has published numerous pieces for major news outlets including the Washington Post, Time Magazine, The Hill, CNN.com and others. She is a frequent speaker on a host of progressive issues.

Prior to her time at the Brennan Center, Ms. Austin-Hillery litigated at the law firm of Mehri & Skalet, PLLC as part of the firm's civil rights employment class action practice and as the George N. Lindsay Civil Rights Law Fellow at the national office of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C. where she focused on housing litigation and policy.

She served as the 2018-2019 President of the Washington Bar Association, is a past President and current Board member of the Washington Council of Lawyers, formerly served as an Advisory Committee Member of the ABA Standing Committee on Election Law, serves on the Board of Common Cause and is a former co-chair of the ABA Criminal Justice Section’s Defense Function Committee. She has also been an adjunct civil rights professor at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law and is a former Wasserstein Public Interest Fellow at Harvard Law School. Ms. Austin-Hillery is a graduate of the Howard University School of Law and Carnegie Mellon University.

Paul E. Dumars, Jr.

Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer

Paul E. Dumars, Jr is the Chief Financial Officer/Chief Operating Officer at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF). He will provide financial and operational leadership to advance the mission, goals, and purposes of CBCF.

With more than 19 years of experience in accounting, corporate finance, information technology, operations and human resources, Mr. Dumars’ background includes roles at nonprofits, private businesses, and for-profit corporations. He has spent the past 15 years ensuring the long-term viability of a multi-million-dollar companies. He considers himself an innovator in corporate structure, growth and expansion strategy, mergers & acquisitions capital funding and debt financing, as well as non-profit finance. He has proven his ability to challenge, change and better existing processes, procedures, and systems. He is equipped with excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate with a high level of professionalism with clients and colleagues that span the financial spectrum.

Mr. Dumars received his B.S in Accounting from Louisiana State University in 2001 and his M.B.A, cum laude, with a concentration in Management & Finance in May of 2010. During this educational journey, Paul Dumars gained the necessary experience through previous positions of accounts payable accountant, staff accountant, senior account, controller, and chief financial officer. In these various roles, he has gained the vital knowledge of how to grow any organization through strategic planning and finance management.

Paul E. Dumars, Jr also is the President for the Board of Commissioners of the Palm Beach County Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, appointed by Governor Rick Scott in 2014 and reappointed to a second term in April of 2016. In August of 2016 Paul E. Dumars, Jr was named Legacy Magazine Top 40 Under 40 for Broward & Palm Beach County Black Leaders of Today and Tomorrow for 2016. Also, in April of 2018 in the Legacy Magazine Power Issue Edition named Paul Dumars one of the Top 50 Most Powerful & Influential Black Business Leaders of 2018. Paul Dumars, Jr is also a financial member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc and the vice President of the West Palm Beach, (FL) Alumni Chapter. In 2018 Paul Dumars, accepted a board position as the treasurer of the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County, where he revamped the budget and the finance and accounting processes and is currently the President of the Board for the organization. In 2020, Paul Dumars, was selected for the Leadership Florida program, a statewide program that focuses statewide leadership for the future of Florida.

Donna Fisher-Lewis

Senior Vice President, Resource Development

Donna Fisher-Lewis is the Senior Vice President of Resource Development at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF). She provides strategic leadership for fundraising efforts around CBCF initiatives; sets direction and goals for planned giving programs; and oversees fundraising development and expansion, and portfolio management of current and prospective donors. With more than 20 years of experience in major gift development, annual fund management, corporate sponsorship, grant writing, and planned giving, Mrs. Fisher-Lewis’ background includes roles at nonprofits that focus on the arts, education, human services, housing, and the community. Prior to joining CBCF in 2014, she was the senior development director at Rebuilding Together, a national housing organization, where she facilitated a cultural shift for individual giving over a two-year period, making it a viable revenue stream for general operating support. The shift incrementally increased individual giving revenue by 75 percent. Prior to her tenure at Rebuilding Together, Mrs. Fisher-Lewis worked in three different community foundations in Michigan and Maryland, developing and implementing comprehensive development campaigns, facilitating planned giving, matching donor philanthropic interest and grant distribution, and building endowment funds. Throughout her career, she has presented at various fundraising conferences, seminars, and webinars on grant writing, board engagement in fund development, and individual giving. She earned a Masters of Public Administration with an emphasis in Nonprofit Management and Leadership from Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Michigan; and a bachelor’s degree in Communicative Disorders (Speech-Language Pathology) from Towson University in Towson, Maryland. She completed additional study at the Indiana School of Philanthropy of Indiana University for annual fund development and marketing for development; and honed her planned giving skills at Harvard University at the John Brown Institute for Planned Giving. Mrs. Fisher-Lewis is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and a proud member of Baltimore Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. A native Washingtonian, she lives in Baltimore with her husband and two sons, Donavan and Jordan.

Renata Allen

Vice President, Strategic Events

Renata Allen, MBA, CMP is the Vice President for Strategic Events at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. She provides leadership, direction, and management of the strategic planning and event execution for all CBCF events including virtual, hybrid, and in-person conferences, fundraisers, special events, policy forums, public policy briefings, community events, and summits. She is responsible for building CBCF’s reputation for high performance results through executional excellence of high caliber strategic events, and developing departmental plans for innovation, revenue growth, and operational improvements while strengthening collaborative partnerships. A results-oriented ambassador with exceptional communication and relationship building expertise, Renata has over 15 years of corporate management and leadership experience across non-profit, higher education, and hospitality industries.

Prior to joining CBCF in 2021, she was the Director of Scheduling and Events where she was responsible for executing campus-wide events including 2 virtual commencements for over 500 graduates. She also strengthened community relations by redesigning the campus event planning process and streamlined campus utilization by community organizations. In addition, she spearheaded fundraising campaigns that increased donations 78% and increased donors by 42% to support annual foundation scholarships.

Prior to her work at Baltimore City Community College, Renata served as the Director of Operations for the American Small Business Alliance, where she was responsible for leading 3 departments (Events, Graphics and Sales/Marketing) to execute an event portfolio of government and international events totaling over $5 million in revenue. She streamlined the RFP/RFI process to successfully negotiate, review, and approve contracts for services such as catering, audio-visual services, general service contractors, hotel accommodations, travel and event venue rentals which reduced operating expenses by 20%.

She also held senior leadership roles in catering at Centerplate at the Baltimore Convention Center and student development roles at Baltimore City Public Schools.

A Baltimore native, Renata has a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from the Graves School of Business at Morgan State University, a Master’s in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the Merrick School of Business at the University of Baltimore. She is currently a PHD Candidate pursuing a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from the School of Advanced Studies in Leadership & Policy at Morgan State University. She also holds a Certified Meeting Planner (CMP) Designation issued by the Events Industry Council.

Renata is an adjunct faculty-lecturer at Morgan State University teaching undergraduate courses in Hospitality Management. In addition to her teaching duties, she also mentors and advises students on strategies to secure employment in the hospitality industry. She is currently finishing her 2nd year as board treasurer of the Maryland Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and is a proud member of the Baltimore Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Renata lives in Hyattsville, Maryland with her Significant Other and their son, Kyrie.

Dr. Jonathan Cox

Vice President, Center Policy Analysis & Research (CPAR)

Dr. Jonathan Cox is the Vice President, Center Policy Analysis & Research (CPAR) at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Inc (CBCF). The Vice President will develop world-class public policy and research strategies for the CBCF and the work it undertakes to eliminate disparities in the global Black community. He understands that the African American community is not monolithic and as such, public policy analyses and research should address the diverse interests of this community.

Dr. Jonathan Cox is a public scholar and educator, with 20 years of instructional and administrative experience across public and private K-12 and postsecondary institutions. As a culturally-response leader and mentor, Jonathan works to provide inclusive environments and promotes the development of the whole self as a tool for uplift and liberation.

Prior to joining CBCF, Jonathan was an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Central Florida. His research focuses on racial and social inequalities, primarily studying the impacts of racism in the United States. He has published in numerous academic journals on topics related to racial and ethnic identities, racial ideologies, the experiences of college students, diversity and inclusion processes in corporate America, and discrimination and racial disparities in health for Black Americans. Prior to his work as a faculty member, Jonathan worked as the Assistant Director for the Office of Multicultural Affairs at Wake Forest University. In this role he coordinated and implemented social and inter-cultural programs and events, academic intervention and support initiatives, and student leadership development programs for underrepresented students and the entire university community.

As an engaged public scholar, Jonathan regularly gives invited talks and makes media appearances, providing evidence-based commentary and insights on topics like policing in America, systemic racism, issues of social justice, and educational inequalities. He has served twice at the request of Orange County (Orlando, FL) Mayor Jerry Demings on the Citizens Safety Task Force, most recently as the Chair of the Prosecution Subcommittee, providing recommendations for Orange County social services, law enforcement, and judicial affairs towards reducing gun violence and violent crime. Through this work, Jonathan helped guide policy and funding recommendations that support and fund local grassroots organizations, provide mentoring and community-based programming for youth, create diversion programs, and increase investment in mental and behavioral health for youth and families in the Orlando area. Jonathan also regularly consults with various organizations across public and private sectors, providing expertise related to his research areas. Jonathan is a proud graduate of Hampton University, earning Bachelor of Science dual degrees in Health and Physical Education. He also holds an M.Ed. in college student affairs from the Pennsylvania State University, and an M.A and Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Maryland, College Park. Jonathan is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., the Beta Chi chapter (Hampton University). He enjoys staying active, musical performance, is an amateur chef and foodie, and loves spending time with his wife and daughter.

Yolanda Raine

Vice President, Marketing and Communications

Yolanda Raine is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated (CBCF). She is responsible for overseeing the development and implementation of all marketing, branding, and communications strategies designed to protect, promote, and build the identity and reputation of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Incorporated (CBCF).

Yolanda has a strong commitment and passion for doing good in the world through nonprofit work and for centering the needs and desires of vulnerable and marginalized communities. With over a decade of experience as a marketer and communications professional, Yolanda has developed a strong passion for advocacy, increasing brand visibility and awareness, implementing effective online and social media marketing strategies, and collaborating with business leaders to achieve their business goals. Prior to joining the CBCF, Yolanda served as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications for YWCA USA where she led and implemented integrated marketing and communications strategies to significantly improve the visibility of and strengthen the YWCA brand in the social justice space and in the quest to eliminate racism and empower women. Over the span of her career, Yolanda has been fortunate to work with nonprofits and companies to ensure that underserved communities were not overlooked and were given a face and a voice in healthcare, media and entertainment, and other industries. As a result of this work, Yolanda is the recipient of two silver AM&P Excel Awards for Advertising and Awareness campaigns.

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Yolanda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in business management with a concentration in marketing from Case Western Reserve University. She is a member of the American Marketing Association, ColorComm, and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). In her free time, Yolanda enjoys all things Black culture, cooking at home or trying new restaurants, traveling, and being an active community member.