I spent 30 years in education — as a teacher, a professor, and a higher education leader — retiring in 2023 as Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. Along the way I served as Dean, Director, Department Chair, and Program Chair at public universities across Illinois.
 

I'm a published scholar in educational leadership, policy, diversity and equity, and Black women's leadership. Before higher education, I taught high school science and served as principal of an alternative high school in the Chicago area. In 2019, Governor J.B. Pritzker appointed me to a six-year term on the Illinois Board of Higher Education.
 

Today I write, speak, teach, and lead The Powerful Life Project — a set of thought exercises, activities, and tools I created to support self-transformation, self-actualization, and goal attainment. I don't teach from theory alone. I share my own story, because my success came through plenty of trials, setbacks, challenges, and more than a few questionable decisions. I want you to see that the path is rarely a straight line — and that's exactly why it works.
 

I live in Chicago with my husband, Dwayne. Together we have a blended family of five adult children, one son-in-law, and a dog named Deuce. When I'm not working, you'll find me traveling, reading, watching sports, playing golf, and spending time with family — including my five grandchildren.