Melinda Alexis-Hayes
Melinda Alexis-Hayes
Eastern Regional Director
Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Presidents Only



Richarda (Char) Dinkins
Richarda (Char) Dinkins
Certified Zumba Instructor
Zumba
Strength Through Movement: Steps to a Better You with Char Dinkins and Keith Wilford

Richarda (Char) Dinkins is a Fitness instructor and enthusiast. She is a licensed and certified Zumba instructor in the Philadelphia region. Char is qualified to teach Zumba, Zumba Gold, Zumba Kids and Kids Jr. She specializes in showing participants that exercise and movement can be fun and “feel like a party”.

Maureen Gerald
Maureen Gerald
CEO
Momentum, Counseling, Coaching and Consulting, LLC.
Teen Health and Wellness: Focus on Mental Health and Stress Management

Maureen Gerald is the Founder and CEO of Momentum, Counseling, Coaching and Consulting, LLC., a private practice located in Princeton, NJ, which provides holistic mental, emotional, and spiritual wellness. Her clients are adults and adolescents, with a special interest in anxiety, anger, PTSD, defiant behaviors, women’s issues, sexual identity, depression and complicated grief. She trained at the College of St. Elizabeth, Columbia University, and Princeton Theological Seminary. She is a credentialed counselor, coach and spiritual director with over 20 years in the mental health field

A’ric Jackson
A’ric Jackson
Motivational Speaker
Preparing the Next Generation to Live Well & Lead Boldly

For over a decade, people have been inspired and motivated by the words of A'ric Jackson. His mission is to Teach, Inspire, and Encourage all those who hear him, and to take the challenge of helping others pursue their goals and dreams. A charismatic and genuinely heartfelt communicator, Aric truly electrifies an audience.

Watching him speak on stage helps you realize why he is such a unique and gifted orator. For it takes a genuine speaker to present information with shared experience, passion to research a topic much deeper, and to share that information with the audience using skills that will make it a memorable and exciting experience for all.

A’ric has served as a student leadership speaker for organizations like Future Business Leaders of America, Health Occupation Students Association, DECA, FCCLA, National Association of Secondary School Principals LEAD Conferences, and many Statewide Student Council Conferences across the country.

Jayla Johnson
Jayla Johnson
Publicity Intern
Epic Records
What’s Your Personal Brand?

Jayla Johnson is a Jack & Jill Alumni and Pennoni Honors student studying Entertainment and Arts Management at Drexel University. She has held leadership positions for Sony Music Entertainment, Bumble, Rent the Runway, and Victoria's Secret PINK. She is currently working at Epic Records, a subdivision of Sony Music as their Publicity Intern.

Monae Jones
Monae Jones
Singer/ Songwriter
The Creative Logic of Song Writing

Monae Jones, artistically known as, Angelique Jae is a singer/songwriter from Maryland. She has released a single called Flower Corpse that is on all platforms and is currently finishing her first Extended Play (EP).  Her musical journey was truly awakened when she was in her first professional musical production, Right Hand of Fellowship.  From there, she wanted to grow and develop by melding her musical and theatrical talents.  She attended Albright College majoring in Music Industry and minored in Theater where she audio engineered live performances, musically directed plays, and honed her songwriting skills.  She is excited to share with young people the knowledge that she has gained along her artistic journey.

Nicole Kemp
Nicole Kemp
CEO
All About Nutrition LLC.
All About Nutrition: A Practical Approach to Creating a Healthy Lifestyle

Nicole Kemp is a Registered Dietitian with a unique background that combines culinary arts and nutrition. She was educated at Johnson and Wales University in Providence Rhode Island, where she received her bachelor’s degree in culinary nutrition. Ms. Kemp also holds a master’s degree in nutrition from Immaculata University and is certified in adult weight loss management. As a community dietitian, Ms. Kemp took a special interest in weight loss counseling due to the continuous rise in obesity and obesity-related complications.

Her dedication in reducing the morbidity and mortality caused by obesity has led her to develop All About Nutrition LLC, a wellness company focused on providing nutrition education and health awareness to the community. Ms Kemp provides a realistic approach when guiding clients in developing a healthier life-style. With her extensive experience in weight loss counseling combined with her savvy culinary techniques, Ms. Kemp has been successful at helping her clients produce positive results. Some of her innovations including the “Wellness Traffic Light System” are being used today by a few of the top hospitals in the Philadelphia area. As a public speaker Ms. Kemp has been seen on local TV on WPVI and on the Comcast Network. Ultimately, her goal is to provide a practical approach to creating a healthy lifestyle through innovative techniques that are exciting and effective.

Deirdre Guion Peoples, Ph.D
Deirdre Guion Peoples, Ph.D
Director of the Master of Business Administration Program
North Carolina Central University School of Business
Kings and Queens OWN Things: Entrepreneurship as a career path with Deirdre Guion Peoples, Ph.D.

Deirdre Guion Peoples, Ph.D., is the Director of the Master of Business Administration program at North Carolina Central University School of Business. Guion Peoples brings a wealth of knowledge from her experience in corporate branding at General Mills and a history of entrepreneurial activity in full-service marketing and advertising.

Courtney Richardson, JD
Courtney Richardson, JD
CEO
The Ivy Investor
Investing For Your Future with Courtney Richardson, JD

In 2014, Courtney Richardson founded The Ivy Investor, the resource for women seeking to navigate the maze of the investment world in ways that make sense. Courtney is a current attorney and former stockbroker and investment advisor with fifteen years of experience in the financial services industry. Courtney has an engaging and unique style that breaks down the stock market, retirement, and college savings in a way that encourages everyone to run out and take action.

She lends her legal and financial expertise to The Huffington Post, AOL, My Fab Finance, Forbes, and other online publications. Courtney was named as one of the 7 Black Millennial Financial Experts To Follow On Instagram in 2019 by Black Enterprise.

Courtney holds a BA degree in Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh. She also holds a JD from West Virginia University College of Law and a LL.M. in Taxation and Certificate in Estate Planning from Temple University Beasley School of Law.

Alexis Steals
Alexis Steals
Member-at-Large
Eastern Region, Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Team Impact- Community Service, Foundation and Fundraising


Chrissy Thornton
Chrissy Thornton
Regional Teen Advisor
Eastern Region, Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Role of a Teen Advisor and Certification


Keith Wilford
Keith Wilford
Educator
Strength Through Movement: Steps to a Better You with Char Dinkins and Keith Wilford

Keith Wilford is recognized in the Greater Philadelphia area as an accomplished athlete as well as a highly respected educator in the Mid-Atlantic region. Keith is rising to national prominence by delivering high energy, relevant messages to schools across the country that encourage and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds to break those barriers that tend to preclude them from reaching their potential. Keith works with athletes of all ages to prepare them to be physically and mentally strong for the next challenge of their journey.