FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 10, 2018
CONTACT:
Marc Banks
202.263.2800
Media@CBCFinc.org
WASHINGTON—The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) today announced the election of eight members to the board of directors and the appointment of four members to the foundation’s Corporate Advisory Council (CAC). The new members join the CBCF at a pivotal time with the organization looking to expand its reach across key initiatives in underserved communities.
Appointed by the board of directors, the CAC serves in an advisory role to the board and is charged with supporting the programs and furthering the objectives of the CBCF, including assisting with fundraising. Each body meets four times annually.
“As the CBCF continues to grow and expand, it is imperative that we bring diverse and new voices to the table to help accomplish the great work ahead of us,” said Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, chair, CBCF Board of Directors. “I extend my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the members of the board and the CAC for their service and leadership. I look forward to working in partnership with the new and current members of both groups to advance CBCF priorities.”
The new members bring a cross-section of talent in fields spanning government affairs, Fortune 500 companies, entertainment and banking. Each individual has demonstrated a willingness to invest his or her time, energy and resources in helping the CBCF achieve its vision of eliminating disparities within the global black community.
“The diverse experiences our new board and CAC members bring, enriches our capacity to advance the CBCF’s goals, and helps expand our reach to larger audiences,” said A. Shuanise Washington, president and CEO, CBCF. “I commend their willingness to contribute their time and talents to furthering the mission of the CBCF.”
The new board members who began three-year terms on May 6, 2018 are:
- Shanti Das – Founder and CEO, Press Reset Entertainment
- Dwight Evans – Member, U.S. Congress
- Fred Humphries – Corporate Vice President of U.S Government Affairs, Microsoft
- Leonard James, III – Founder, CEO, and Chief Strategist, J3 Advisory Group
- Keith Magee – Director, The Social Justice Institute; Senior Fellow in Culture and Justice, University College London
- Lisa Blunt Rochester – Member, U.S. Congress
- Julia Simon – Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary, Mary Kay Inc.
- Al Smith – Group Vice President and Chief Social Innovation Officer, Toyota Motor North America
The new Corporate Advisory Council members who began three-year terms on May 9, 2018 are:
- Lonnie Johnson – Counsel, Exxon Mobil Corporation
- Ramon Looby – Senior Vice President and Public Policy Lead, Bank of America Corporation
- Waldo McMillan – Vice President of Government Affairs, Charter Communications, Inc.
- Shashrina Thomas – Vice President, TRI-COR Industries, Inc.
New Board Members Biographies
- Shanti Das is a music industry veteran and the founder of Press Reset Entertainment, an Atlanta-based firm that serves as an entertainment concierge service providing independent marketing & strategy for music acts, artist development, talent booking for private & corporate events, brand influencer marketing and special event assistance.
- Dwight Evans is currently serving his first-term after being elected in a special election in November 2016. For 36 years, Congressman Evans served as a state representative in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. In the state legislature, he earned a reputation as a pragmatic leader who knows how to put public policy above politics and make ideas matter.
- Fred Humphries is the Corporate Vice President of U.S Government Affairs for Microsoft in Washington, D.C. Under his leadership as chief public policy advocate, U.S. Government Affairs is its own practice group within the company comprising expertise in policy, outreach, political engagement and government affairs. His work amplifies Microsoft’s voice regarding key advocacy issues internally and externally on all aspects of federal and state affairs.
- Leonard James, III is the Founder, CEO, and Chief Strategist of the J3 Advisory Group (J3AG), a management and relationship-building consulting firm that specializes in business, communications strategies that assists clients in educating people on their issues. J3AG assists its clients in developing short and long range plans with the specific goals, approaches, stratifies and actions that enable the organization to achieve its mission.
- Keith Magee is a public intellectual, social justice scholar, theologian, and philanthropic advisor. He serves as Senior Fellow, Culture & Justice, University College London and Scholar in Residence, Boston University. He was the founding director, National Public Housing Museum, Chicago, IL, successfully leading a multi-million dollars capital campaign. He took the post after serving as senior religious affairs advisor with the Obama for America campaign.
- Lisa Blunt Rochester is currently serving her first-term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Before being electing to Congress, she managed an $87 million budget as Secretary of Labor for the state of Delaware. She also served as the CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, an action-oriented, public policy research think-tank focused on the inclusion of people of color.
- Julia Simon is Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for Mary Kay Inc., overseeing the company’s Legal Department, Risk Management, Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility functions. Her teams protect the company’s reputation and operations in more than 40 markets around the globe. She is a member of the company’s executive committee, and also serves as the Senior Privacy Officer for the company. Prior to joining Mary Kay, Julia was a partner at the law firm, Locke Liddell & Sapp in Dallas, practicing in the areas of commercial litigation and labor & employment.
- Al Smith is Group Vice President, Chief Social Innovation Officer for Toyota Motor North America, where he is responsible for the organization’s shared impact, including philanthropy efforts, the Toyota USA Foundation, and the corporate diversity and inclusion strategy. In addition, Smith is responsible for the organization’s environmental sustainability function across North America.
New Corporate Advisory Council Member Biographies
- Lonnie Johnson is Counsel at Exxon Mobil Corporation. Prior to serving in his current role, Lonnie served in various positions within Exxon and ExxonMobil including Strategic Issues Manager, Exxon Mobil Corporation, Counsel for ExxonMobil Exploration and Development projects in the Gulf of Mexico, Madagascar and Nigeria; Refinery Attorney, Baytown and Beaumont Texas refineries and Trial Attorney, Exxon Company U.S.A., Houston, Texas.
- Ramon Looby is the Senior Vice President, and Public Policy Lead for the Bank of America Corporation where he is responsible for managing the company’s public policy strategy development and implementation of the strategy on a regional basis. Ramon also serves as a member of the Global Marketing & Corporate Affairs Diversity and Inclusion Council – a group focused on identifying opportunities to leverage the division’s D&I internal employee strategy and service to clients around the world.
- Waldo McMillian is Vice President of Government Affairs and oversees Charter’s Federal Legislative efforts. Waldo most recently served as Founder and Managing Director of Capstone Counsel Group, a federal government relations firm based in Washington, DC. Prior to founding his firm, Mr. McMillan served as Counsel in the Public Policy and Government Affairs practice group at Bryan Cave LLP, and served as Vice President for Public Policy and General Counsel at the broadband technology nonprofit One Economy Corporation.
- Shashrina Thomas is Vice President at TRI-COR Industries, Inc. (TCI) and is committed to building a diverse operational culture of excellence to help create a competitive advantage in the Defense, the Homeland Security and the Intelligence Communities for both the public and the private sectors. Shashrina is a transformational leader and has been an experienced leader in congressional and state government affairs; has extensive marketing expertise in appropriations, defense, energy, healthcare, homeland security, intelligence and transportation. Shashrina has built a reputation for getting things done, working in a bipartisan manner even in an increasingly partisan environment. Shashrina’s achievements at the national and state level are unparalleled.
ABOUT CBCF
Established in 1976, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. (CBCF) is a non-partisan, nonprofit, public policy, research and educational institute committed to advancing the global black community by developing leaders, informing policy and educating the public. For more information, visit cbcfinc.org.
# # #