African American Leadership Council

Bobbie Alexander has been an employee of the City and County of Denver since 2006 where she currently serves as the Special Projects Manager for the Mayor’s Office of Social Equity and Innovation. Bobbie is honored to currently serve on the Denver African American Commission and on the Denver Black Reparations Council.

Dr. Gregory Bolden is a nationally recognized consultant in men’s health, community organizing, cancer, cardiology, and diabetes. He currently serves as the Community Initiatives Program Manager for The Center for Black Health & Equity. He has 30 years of experience in Public Health and Community Medicine. He served as a co-principal investigator, researcher and health educator for the American Cancer Society, and advisor for the Congressional Black Caucus Health BrainTrust.

Angela Braggs, a resident of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a social worker by trade with over 20 years of combined experience in the healthcare and mental health fields. With a robust background in dialysis patient care, case management, and mental health therapy, she has dedicated her career to improving the well-being of individuals and families. She formerly worked extensively with dialysis patients and their families, becoming a strong advocate for advanced care planning. Her efforts played a pivotal role in significantly reducing hospital readmission rates for dialysis patients in Milwaukee’s inner city by delivering compassionate care, care coordination, education, and unwavering emotional support. As the proud founder of The Resting Spot Wellness Institute, Angela is committed to providing holistic care, with a special focus on supporting sandwich generation caregivers. Through The Resting Spot, she guides families through the sensitive processes of downsizing, bereavement, and end-of-life planning with unparalleled empathy and dedication.

Dr. DeLon Canterbury, PharmD, BCGP, is President/CEO of GeriatRx, Inc. As a  board-Certified Geriatric Pharmacist, Dr. Canterbury has a vision to reduce over medication of senior adults by implementing medication action plans and drug screenings for geriatric patients in cooperation with patient’s providers. This novel approach of instituting personalized care improves patient satisfaction and wellness.  Founder of the Deprescribing Accelerator, Dr. Canterbury trains prescribers, nurses and pharmacists in this innovative approach to holistic wellness for older adults. Dr. Canterbury was a recent TEDx Talk presenter on the topic of “The Power of Deprescribing”, and presented at the Aging Life Care Association’s regional conference in 2022. He was voted as one of the Top 50 “most influential pharmacists” from the Pharmacy Podcast Network in 2023, and is a recent recipient of the “Advocate for Aging” award given by the American Society on Aging.

As President of OneAccord Health (OAH), James Farnum leads the organization with strategic vision and expertise. OAH is dedicated to advance care planning and palliative care and provides education, training, and patient engagement strategies to healthcare stakeholders. With over 30 years of experience in finance, business development, account management, sales, marketing, and training, James brings a wealth of knowledge to his role. He holds a B.B.A. in Accounting and Computers from Pace University and an M.B.A. in Marketing Management from St. John’s University in New York City. James is committed to driving growth and aligning business strategies with the organization’s goals to ensure continued success.

Ashley Johnson is the current President of National End of Life Doula Alliance. She belongs to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), the National Funeral Home Alliance (NHFA), the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA), and the Florida Palliative Care Coalition. She also launched Loyal Hands, an End-of-Life consulting agency.

Channté is a public health activist, trainer, racial equity champion, and a breast cancer survivor. For 15 years, she has worked on issues that impact African American health. Keith has traveled across the country to provide training and technical assistance to federal and state agencies, faith-based institutions, appointed and elected officials, and HBCUs. She serves as a board member for Breast Cancer Action, Compassion and Choices, and Boards of the Community Advocacy Committee (CAC) for Wake County, North Carolina, and Hands of Protection.

Joél Simone Maldonado aka The Grave Woman is a licensed funeral director, embalmer, pre-planning specialist, award winning deathcare educator, sacred grief practitioner, and proud founder of The Multicultural Death & Grief Care Academy.  She specializes in educating  professionals about the importance of Cultural Competency,  Inclusion and Diversity in end of life, death and grief care.

Joél has worked in the death care industry since 2010 and also has over 15 years experience in the health care industry.  She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Compassion and Choices, is co-chair of the boards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion committee and volunteers with the organizations African American Leadership Council.

Her passion is educating  through having open and honest conversations about the multicultural nuance of death and grief care through the use of her courses, podcast, YouTube channel and social media platforms.  Joe’l is dedicated to continuing to enhance and improve her personal cultural intelligence, competency and skills through participating in and completing various post collegiate entrepreneurship, development and leadership programs including earning her CQ certification through the Cultural Intelligence Center. 

Pastor McNeill is a Past President of the National Capital Baptist Convention, Washington, DC & Vicinity. Pastor McNeill is also Chair of the 2022 National Baptist Convention, USA Annual Session at the National Harbor, and President of the Washington Baptist Ministers Conference of Washington, DC & Vicinity. He serves on the Executive Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., the First Vice Moderator of the Mt. Bethel Baptist Association, the Faith-Based Liaison to Prince George’s, Maryland – County Executive, Angela Alsobrooks’, Chairman of the Board of the United Community Against Poverty (UCAP), and MSNBC as a commentator.

Missy is a resident of Washington DC. Her nursing experience and knowledge in nursing spans over 30 years. She currently is Director of Staff Development at Bridgepoint Nursing and Rehabilitation Center at Capitol Hill. Ms. Moore has extensive experience in Care at the end of life. Moore is a past president of the National Federation of Licensed Practical Nurses and a Lifetime member of the National Black Nurses Association. She served on the board for the District of Columbia State Board of Nursing and other appointed committee positions including, National Council of State Boards of Nursing, PN NCLEX Item Selection Committee, Commission of Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools, LPN Standards Committee, and National League for Nursing Licensed Practical Nurse Ad Hoc Committee.

Beverly is a passionate community activist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. She is the owner of two private duty home care agencies that provide comprehensive home care services to seniors and has given generously to students pursuing careers in nursing. Beverly also works tirelessly as faculty for Vitas Innovative Hospice, traveling the country providing education on End-of-Life Care and Palliative Services. She also provides community outreach and education to churches and senior centers in Washington, DC on Medicare vs. Medicaid and Advanced Senior Planning. In addition to her work with Compassion and Choices, Beverly serves as a board member for several healthcare organizations such as, the National Association of Licensed Practical Nurses, NALPN Education Foundation, Maryland Licensed Practical Nurses Association, Black Nurses of Southern Maryland, Black Nurses Rock, Foundation and is a member of National Association Health Service Executives, Washington, D.C., chapter.

Shawn Perry is the executive producer and host of The Senior Zone, a weekly radio program dedicated to serving the needs of the older adult community. Shawn has worked tirelessly to promote older adults’ well-being and created a forum to provide relevant information, encouragement, and guidance. Uniting seniors, age 50+, with tips and directions to senior programs and services, tools and resources, events, advice and cultural forums. The Senior Zone serves as an invaluable and versatile resource each Monday at 10:00am EST on WYCB, 1340AM. Shawn is a retired military officer, serving nearly 22 years in the US Air Force and holds a BS from the University of Maryland. He has lived in the Washington, D.C., area for 32 years.

Rev. Shockley is the pastor of the Pilgrim United Church of Christ in Carlsbad, CA. He brings to Pilgrim Church a wealth of experience from his work in the political, non-profit and media environments. Originally ordained in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1979, he served churches in St. Louis, Denver and Seattle. In 1990, he joined the United Church of Christ when he accepted the call to the Congregational Church of Christian Fellowship, UCC, in Los Angeles. In Los Angeles, he became a leader in the aftermath of the 1992 riots by organizing and hosting an interracial dialogue to heal the broken community. Along with performing his pastoral duties with Pilgrim, Madison serves on the board of directors of American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of San Diego and Imperial Counties and the board of directors of Compassion & Choices. He also writes commentary for various online and print outlets.

Shaleka Smith, the writer behind “Grief, I Didn’t Sign Up for This,” has compiled a collection of stories from thirty-three individuals recounting their personal experiences with grief. Shaleka’s objective is to establish a supportive environment where individuals can openly express their grief, whether in a group or one-on-one setting. As an associate minister at her local church, Shaleka frequently offers spiritual guidance. Through her initiative, “Grief Talks,” Shaleka strives to normalize discussions about grief.

Thomas co-founded the South Jersey Journal, a monthly publication that serves a culturally diverse Southern New Jersey footprint. He currently operates as President & CEO of the South Jersey Journal. Thomas began his distinguished career as the Associate Publisher of Grio’ Magazine. He then joined the Philadelphia Tribune Newspaper as Director of Marketing & Advertising, where he was instrumental in creating local, regional, and national business partnerships. Thomas continues to extend his successes beyond publishing. He was a selected member of the Wilt Chamberlain Stamp Committee, founder of the Alice Coachman and Paul Roberson Field Day, member of the Mid-Atlantic Community Publishers Association, National Newspapers Publishers Association, and Gloucester County NAACP. Thomas is currently a board member of the Philadelphia Tribune Trust.

Ricardo Thomas is a practicing financial consultant and is the president of Thomas-Waddell & Associates, Inc., a financial consulting and asset management firm with clients across the country. He is a Registered Financial Consultant and Chartered Federal Employee Benefits Consultant who has been a practicing financial consultant for over 35 years. He is a former instructor at Delgado Community College, where he taught for 10 years several financial-related courses he developed. He also taught at the University of New Orleans as a part of their Project Pass program. He is also a former contributing financial writer for both Perspectives Magazine and Women of Excellence Magazine. His work in the area of personal finance has been featured in the Times-Picayune, New Orleans CityBusiness, New Orleans Tribune, Barnes & Noble bookstore, and other publications across the country.

Ayana Woods, MPH has a BA in Sociology and African American studies from Princeton University and a Master of Public Health in Health Behavior and Health Education from the University of North Carolina. She is a public health professional with over 20 years of experience in developing health education and outreach programs to promote wellness, successful management of chronic illness, and patient empowerment.

She is passionate about addressing health disparities and has created a multitude of culturally appropriate interventions for underserved populations. Ayana has worked with a variety of national and local nonprofit organizations including the The Wallace Foundation, Arthritis Foundation, National Hemophilia Foundation, and End of Life Choices New York. She is currently the Deputy Director of US Advocacy Relations at Bayer Healthcare in Hematology and Cardiovascular Renal Health.