About Us
Board of Directors
Staff
Board of Directors
Youlanda Gibbons, PhD
Chair
Chair
Youlanda M. Gibbons, PhD is a visionary educator and proponent of DEI advancement. She is the Chief Executive Officer of the Partnership for Inclusion Leadership, a Women-Owned business she founded after serving as an advisor and strategist for DEI throughout the federal government. She is also a former faculty member of Georgetown University as a Professor of Sociology and was recognized for instructional excellence. She has been appointed to serve as an affiliated Georgetown University Scholar because of her visionary work with the federal government. Her academic credentials include a Ph.D. in Sociology and a Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She also holds a Master of Science in Public Health and a Master of Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. While at Boston University, she earned a master’s degree in social work. Finally, Dr. Gibbons earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Human Development from Mercer University, where she graduated cum laude.
Dr. Gibbons was inspired by former President Obama’s proclamation that required the federal government to implement a strategy to increase diversity and inclusion. Her experience is varied, yet she senses a remarkable synergy among her professional appointments. As a social scientist and DEI strategist, Dr. Gibbons matured NASA’s vision to sustain an inclusive workforce to advance space exploration and discovery. The influence of Dr. Gibbons’ work led her to establish the Diversity, Inclusion, and Innovation in government initiative.
Dr. Gibbons remains wholly convinced about the immense significance of her mission, which is built on a platform of inclusive principles, values, and topics. As an advisor, she has proudly recommended to the Secretary of Defense to prioritize specific instructional policies, and recommended approaches and frameworks to realign military education and training protocols to inclusive principles and topics that impact personnel from cadets and officers to the civilian workforce at the Department of Defense.
Numerous commendations have marked Dr. Gibbons’ broad contributions to her field. For example, Dr Gibbons has been inducted into the 2023 prestigious Biography of Marquis Who’s Who in America and the Marquis Who’s Who Distinguished Humanitarian Award 2023. Dr. Gibbons is featured in the annual publication of Fortune Magazine’s 100 Most Powerful Women, October/November 2023, and The Wall Street Journal, November 2023. She has also been nominated for the Washington Business Journal Award and is a recipient of the Women Worth Watching Award from the Profiles in Diversity Journal. That same publication recognized her with the Black Leadership Award in 2022, and she has won Stevie Awards for Women in International Business, and Woman of the Year in Government. In 2021, she was awarded Power the Future Award from the Historic Forum on Workplace Inclusion organization. Furthermore, Dr. Gibbons received the Women’s Education Research Institute Congressional Fellowship and served in the office of Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D Massachusetts).
Dr. Gibbons maintains critical memberships in the American Sociological Association and the Association of Black Sociologists. Her publication, The Business of Diversity: A View from the Corporate Suite, has captured the attention of students, faculty, and practitioners throughout the country. Dr. Gibbons’ passion for the performing arts and sciences has inspired her to establish the Wilson Foundation for the Performing Arts and Sciences. She believes that the performing arts and sciences are uniquely poised to shape the values and traditions that give rise to freedom, thought, imagination, and inquiry. Committed to the priorities of greater access and acceptance, health and well-being, community engagement, and arts learning, Dr. Gibbons is confident that the performing arts will continue to transform perspectives that lead to a more equitable and just society. In 2024, the Wilson Foundation announced its Artist-in-Residency program focused on recognizing Gospel music as an American art form. Recognizing and celebrating the legacy of the Harlem School of the Arts, NYC, NY, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Washington, DC, and the John F. Kennedy Center, the Wilson Foundation serves as a conduit for shared vision, collaboration, and innovation to bolster arts learning and professional development for artists across the lifespan. Of particular importance is that the Wilson Foundation supports the US military and their families, by providing musical and arts participation at national observances and ceremonies in the Washington, DC area.
Looking ahead, Dr. Gibbons anticipates exciting travel, research, and consultancy opportunities via a Fulbright award, which will take her to the University of Cape Town, South Africa.
Elizabeth H. Hicks
Vice Chair
Vice Chair
Dr. Elizabeth Harrison Hicks is founder of Fine Arts in Metropolitan and Its Environment (FAME), a ministry that provides opportunities for various forms of artistic expression for the creative mind and spirit. She enjoys occasional acting in its dramatic and arts presentations.
Dr. Hicks was born and raised in Selma, Alabama, where she received her early education in the parochial and public schools of that city. Following her honors graduation from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff she began her career as a teacher in the state of New York. Subsequently, she earned a masters degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh. In 2010 she received her Doctor of Divinity degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Currently Dr. Hicks is Vice President of H. Beecher Hicks Ministries, a religious consulting business. Since moving to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area she has served as Acting Director and President of the District of Columbia Lung Association, Counselor with the Washington Institute for Employment Training, and Executive Director of Metropolitan Delta Adult Literacy Council. She has also served in volunteer capacities with the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, her neighborhood Community Association, the National Council of Negro Women, and the Board of Governors for the Metropolitan Day School. Dr. Hicks is published in Sisters to Sisters: Devotions For and From African American Women, 1995, Judson Press.
Neidy Hornsby
Neidy Hornsby safeguards innovation. An experienced IP attorney helps clients navigate the legal landscape of intellectual property, particularly in federal trademarks.
She is dedicated to empowering clients to leverage their intellectual property for success.
A results-oriented IP attorney with a proven track record, Neidy secured copyrights and trademarks for countless entrepreneurs.
She brings over a decade of experience to the table, guiding clients across the full spectrum of intellectual property law. Neidy is passionate about fostering creativity and protecting your competitive edge.
Camilla McGhee
Camilla as a senior staff leader, was instrumental in the development and implementation of all Foundation programs that provided financial scholarships, internships and job placements to undergraduate and graduate students who participated in the academic programs. She is a member of the Krewe of Pyros Foundation, based in Washington, DC and New Orleans and Board Member of CALIBR, Washington, WC. She graduated from Southern University, BA; Northwestern University, MS; George Washington University, Executive MBA. Camilla is a successful strategic business leader who has a strong sense of business acumen. With her recent transition as a consultant within her company, “Catalyst Connections, LLC”, she continues to leverage her 30+ years of extensive corporate experience to Fortune 1000 corporations, large non-profit companies and C-Suite executives.
Before this transition, in her recent corporate role she served as Vice President/Chief Corporate Partnership Officer at The Executive Leadership Council (ELC). The ELC is the pre-eminent organization committed to increasing the number of global black executives in corporate America’s C- Suites; on corporate boards and in global enterprises. As the Chief Staff Liaison to the membership, she also lead the major fundraising efforts for
the organization raising a average of $7 million dollars annually. Additionally, she ensured that all corporate responsibilities, programs and initiatives met the needs of the members, their corporations and the community at-large.
William Rowe, PhD
Dr. Rowe has over 40 years of professional experience working for the federal government and in the private sector in support of infrastructure, energy, and environmental (IEE) programs.
His experience includes 26 years with Booz Allen Hamilton, 5 years at MITRE Corporation; 1 year at MITRETEK, Inc. (now Noblis); 2.5 years at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); 7 years at the United States Geological Survey (USGS); 4.5 part-time years at the University of Texas; and 0.5 years at the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Dr. Rowe provided market leadership for IEE programs in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and Department of Interior (DOI). He supported EPA, Department of Energy (DOE), NASA, and international IEE markets and led cross cutting business thrusts in public-public and public private partnerships, military test and training ranges, water infrastructure and security, environmental restoration, and Base Realignment and Closure. He led Booz Allen’s 950 person IEE functional community, coordinated the firm’s IEE industry engagements, and volunteered extensively to support community & military partnership programs focused on workforce development, sustainability, resilience, shared services and diversity, equity and inclusion. He took on a people leadership role in the firm and helped lead talent acquisition, retention, employee engagement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion work streams for the 3400-person Joint Combatant Command business.
Volunteer Activities
Dr. Rowe has volunteered extensively in support military, defense communities, and civilian communities during most of his career. Some of his current volunteer engagements include:
- Support to the Association of Defense Communities One Military, One Community Program designed to create a conversation within defense communities about the issues of racism, intolerance or inequality, and their impact on our service members and families.
- Advisory Board Member for Blue Star Families Campaign for Inclusion.
- Support to Crucial Convos, and monthly conversation among military members on issues impacting the military mission, military family, women and People of Color.
- Co-lead a grassroots racial reconciliation group with some 200 participants in areas of education, service, prayer, and policy. Supporting many service projects in the DC-region.
- Support the Northern Virginia Regional Commission as co-lead for Transitioning Military Community Alliance; facilitator for Military Installation Resilience Review grant and associated Industry Days; facilitator for diversity, equity, and inclusion roadmap and implementation working group with EveryMind; facilitator for the Community, Military, and Federal Facility Partnership of Northern Virginia; and grant reviewer.
- Co-lead the National Ad Hoc Committee for the Anniversary of Executive Orders 9980 and 9981 and for the celebration of roles African Americans and other minorities have played in support of our freedoms.
- Teach English as a second language.
- Support to the Patriot Art Foundation.
- Co-lead men’s ministry and hospitality at local church.
Performing Acts Experience
Dr. Rowe has a variety of experience engaging in performing arts and making the performing arts part of events and celebrations. Some examples include:
- Performance in weddings, churches, orchestras, especially earlier in his life (French horn, trumpet)
- Strategic planning support for the Patriot Arts Foundation.
- Support for performing arts and military events.
- Support planning and implementation art displays at churches to foster relationship-building across denominational and racial/ethnic lines.
- Support for music performance associated with Juneteenth, Memorial Day, wreath-laying events at historic African American cemeteries.
- Support for partnership between local military installations in Northern Virginia and Lorton Workhouse Art Center for veteran art and poetry engagement (wounded warrior wall).
- Planning and implementation of bridge-building dinners that include art auctions as part of fund-raising.
Leslie Delaine
Leslie Delaine is a native of Washington, DC. She is a graduate of the New England Conservatory School of Music. Born into a musical family, she learned to play the viola at the DC Youth Orchestra Program. While attending the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, she was accepted into the National Symphony Youth Fellowship Program. It was during a master class, that she was invited to study with James Buswell and Marcus Thompson, at the New England Conservatory, where she received her BA in Music Performance. Ms. DeLaine is a member of the Soulful Symphony. She is a certified DCPS music instructor and has taught in the school system since 2004. Ms. DeLaine has won numerous awards and grants for music. In addition to her musical talents, Ms. DeLaine has had an illustrious dance career. She has danced as a member of Dance Theater of Harlem, Atlanta Ballet, and Boston Dance Company. She has performed with Metropolitan Opera and has danced many years with Washington National Opera, as a soloist and core dancer. Currently, Ms. DeLaine is an instructor at the DC Youth Orchestra Program. She is also a teaching artist with the Washington Performing Arts Society, and the violist in the L’Enfant Trio.
Staff
Sandy Shuler
Senior Projects Officer
Kristen Jarrett
Administrative Officer
Patricia Johnson
Senior Program Officer,
Social Media and IT
Chrissie Nash
Human Relations Officer
Lena Wongho
Program Officer
Bruno Perez
Program Officer
