BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Kareem Miller
Chairman
Kareem Miller was elected to Vice Chairman of the 2nd Century Invictus Fund in 2021. Mr. Miller is a 22 year veteran in the hospitality field, currently working as a Sr. Groups Sales Executive. He holds several professional awards including a Certified Meeting Professional designation. Kareem has served as a co-chair for the Drive 4 Knowledge golf tournament over the last 5 years.
Mr. Miller earned his B.S. in Marketing from Virginia State University and a Masters of Hospitality from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is a proud husband and father of two sons.
Chesley McNeil
Vice Chairman
Chesley McNeil joined 11Alive in 2009 as Meteorologist for the morning and noon news and instantly became one of Atlanta’s most popular on-air personalities. He now greets viewers every weekday as the host of his own morning show on 11Alive, “Wake Up With Chesley”. Chesley’s career began at WRICTV in Richmond, Virginia where he produced two weekly shows: a teen show called “Rich talk” and a public affairs show called “This Week in Richmond. “ But his interest and training in Meteorology soon won him the weekend weather anchor job, reporting on weather, local events, and environmental and human interest stories. After 8 years at WRIC, Chesley left his job anchoring the weather on Good Morning Richmond and the 8 News at Noon new casts, and moved to Buffalo, New York where he joined
the staff of WGRZ as morning Meteorologist for the Daybreak Morning show and Noon newscasts.
He holds a BA in Mass Communications from Wesley College in Delaware, and an MS in Geosciences from Mississippi State University. In addition to his career in television, Chesley has taught both undergraduate and graduate level Meteorology and Earth Sciences courses at several colleges and universities. He has been awarded the prestigious American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval, is a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist and is the recipient of numerous professional awards. He is a
member of the American Meteorology Society, the National Weather Association and the National Association of Black Journalists and proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. In 2013, he was named by the Governor of Georgia to the Severe Weather Task Force.
Chesley and his wife Ramona are the proud and involved parents of three boys. In his free time, he enjoys church, sports, especially tennis or basketball, and making documentaries
Secretary of the Board
Roy C. Hopkins
Roy has been employed with AT&T for over 34 years, with varying responsibilities, including strategic planning, financial analysis, project management and data analytics. Roy’s current assignment is Financial Systems Analyst for the Business Finance Operations division.
Roy has served on numerous boards as Chairman, including Piedmont Health Services and Sickle Cell Agency in Greensboro, NC, Laurel University Board of Trustees, now merged with Carolina University in Winston Salem, NC, and Gate City Golf Association, host of the former Gate City Open and the Toyota Charlie Sifford Open (a Professional and Amateur golf tournament).
Roy holds an Executive MBA from Wake Forest University, Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Ethics from John Wesley College and studied Mechanical Engineering at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University.
“Proceed as if success is inevitable”
Dale Smith
Treasurer of the Board
Dale Smith is a Certified Public Accountant in private practice specializing in taxation and business consultation. Dale also provides virtual CFO services for several small and medium sized businesses.
Dale’s experience includes more than 40 years of senior level professional and management roles in corporate America and the private/public sectors. His experience includes accounting leadership positions with Mobil Chemical, Texas Instruments, Johnson and Johnson Products and BP Oil. Dale has extensive experience in working with businesses to identify profit opportunities by improving efficiency in business operations and establishing accountable guidelines and processes.
Dale also has experience in the education sector, where he has served as an adjunct accounting instructor at Cabrini College in Radnor PA. He has also served as a consultant with Junior Achievement, teaching the American Economic System to high school students.
Dale attended Florida State University graduating with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He has been licensed to practice accounting in Texas, Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Shaun I. Lain
STEM Program Director
Shaun I. Lain, is the Owner / President of College Campus Tours, LLC, an educational consulting firm that provides decision making tools for adolescents. He is an educator, leader, speaker, mentor, and entrepreneur. His expertise has been in motivating, encouraging, and directing adolescents to become better decision makers and avoiding social landmines. He earned a Physics degree from Morehouse College and a Master degree in Counseling from Loyola University New Orleans. Through the College Campus Tours program Lain has mentored over 62,000 students as they transition from high school to college.
Prior to College Campus Tours, Lain served as a counselor, high school teacher, and football coach. He earned several awards reflecting his character as a detail-oriented self-starter who sets realistic priorities and completes multiple complex projects. Lain is an effective adolescent communicator with the ability to motivate students towards setting lifelong goals.
Several organizations have utilized his program, namely: The College Fund, Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, Gear-Up, Churches, Civic Organizations and hundreds of middle and high schools
Desmond Smalls
Technology Chair/Webmaster
Desmond is an accomplished and experienced IT professional with over 20 years of experience. An innovative leader with diverse customer, computer, network, and people skills. Consistent ability to transform requirements into solutions, ensure continuity of services, and employ dynamic resolutions to complex problems. Desmond has held a number of positions in IT as Enterprise Architect, Director of Infrastructure and recently as of Senior Cloud Engineer for a major Technology company.
Desmond has served on several IT foundations that help other IT professionals grow their careers throughout the Atlanta and Southeast area. Desmond also has strong ties and relationships with some of the largest educational institutes such as Georgia Tech and one of the largest technology companies in the world (Microsoft).
Desmond hold’s a Bachelors of Science in Computer Science and a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from Savannah State University and currently pursuing an executive EMBA in Business and Technology. Desmond is also a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, INC.
Desmond also holds a number of Microsoft and other IT certifications such as Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect, Microsoft Certified: Azure Security Engineer, Microsoft Certified: Azure Administrator, Microsoft Certified: Azure Fundamentals, Certified Kubernetes Security Specialist, TOGAF Certified
He is also a proud and devoted husband and father to a daughter.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela
Randall Gist
External Auditor
Randall Gist is a former Auditor in Charge with the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Audits. He is a federal government retiree with over 30 years of work experience in the contracting, logistics, accounting, and auditing fields. He also served in a variety of management positions with the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Office of Audits and the Department of Energy, Environmental Management Program Office, Office of Oversight and Monitoring.
Mr. Gist graduated from Kentucky State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Management. He also holds a Master of Science in Environment, Safety, and Health Management from the University of Findlay
Robert G Haley
Advisor to the Board
Robert Haley, a native of West Virginia and attended Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business and Finance and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army. He served in the Korean Theater and was promoted to 1st Lieutenant and his last assignment was commanding officer, 14th Transportation Company, Continental Army Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia.
Mr. Haley has served in leadership roles in Cobb County. In 1988 he was chair of the Cobb County Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Support Group and led the effort to secure proclamations from Cobb County and City of Marietta governments to recognize the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. national holiday.
He is a charter member and served as the second Basileus of Chi Gamma Gamma Chapter, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, and as Treasurer and Chair of the 2nd Century Invictus Fund, Inc., an affiliate of Chi Gamma Gamma Chapter, Inc.
He served as Treasurer, President and Chairman of the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc. and during his tenure as President conceived and led the effort to start a single gender all male school, the B.E.S.T. Academy, grades 6-12. He has served on boards in Cobb County, City of Atlanta and post-secondary faculty and student organizations and consistently recognized for his accomplishments.
He and his wife Paula have been married for thirty years and are members of Cascade United Methodist Church. They have three children and six grandchildren.
Christopher Drayton
Ex-officio Member
Christopher Drayton is a Sr. Fixed Asset Accountant with Novelis Inc., an aluminum recycling company, with over 20 years of experience. Managing assets for the North American division of the company, which includes 11 plants in the United States and Canada handling over 2.5 billion dollars’ worth of assets.
A native of Brooklyn, NY. Christopher was elected the Basileus of the Chi Gamma Gamma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in November of 2020. A chapter servicing the Cobb County community. He previously served as the Keeper of Finance, as well as, the Vice-Basileus of the chapter and won several awards.
He is a graduate of Georgia State University where he earned his BBA in accounting and is actively pursuing his CPA certification.
“If your presence doesn’t make an impact, your absence won’t make a difference.” –Trey Smith-
Stephen J. Smith
Board Member
Stephen is the Founder and President of The HR Group, Inc. a human resources consulting firm, which he started with his wife Beverly in 1990. Stephen’s corporate experience in human resources and as an entrepreneur include a background in negotiating labor contracts with several unions, handling employee relations issues, training, recruitment, conducting HR audits, leading various organization development projects, investigating harassment/discrimination complaints and managing entire HR Departments serving more than 5,500 employees in multi-state operations. As a business owner, his clients have included such organizations as Verizon, the Cobb County Government, The Edison Electric Institute, The City of Atlanta, InfoMart, The Southern Company, Concessions International, Alabama State University and The Cobb County Children’s Center.
Stephen received his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio and his MBA from Atlanta University. In addition, he is a graduate of Leadership Cobb and has served on the board of directors for Chattahoochee Technical College, the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce Cumberland District, Girls Inc., and the Whitefoord Community Program.
He is a Life Member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, where he currently serves as a member of their International HR Committee. He has also served as an officer or chair of several committees in his local chapter (Chi Gamma Gamma), including serving as a former Vice Basileus of his chapter.
Stephen and his wife Beverly have been married for over 50 years and are members of Zion Missionary Baptist Church. They are also the parents of two children (Brian and Stacy) and five grandchildren.
Darryl Orlando Ledbetter
Board Member
Journalist. Professor. Attorney. His professional background includes work in both the print, broadcast media and the legal field. He’s currently the award-winning Atlanta Falcons Beat Writer for The Atlanta Journal Constitution. He has appeared on ESPN’s First Take, Cold Pizza and Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith, MSNBC, NFL Network’s Total Access and ESPN’s SportsCenter. He’s been a sports reporter for the Charlotte Observer, the Cincinnati Enquirer, a sports reporter and columnist for the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Ledbetter started teaching at Georgia in Spring of 2015. He’s also taught Communications Law, Mass Media Writing and Reporting and Entertainment Law at Clark Atlanta University and has lectured at the Marquette University’s National Sports Law Institute. He was one of the lead writers in the notorious Michael Vick dog-fighting federal case. He has also practiced law with the law firms of Gonzalez, Saggio, Birdsall & Harlan in Milwaukee and Prioleau & Associates in Atlanta. Attorney Ledbetter joined the CAU faculty in the Fall of 2006 through Fall 2015.
Jarvis T. Cannon
Webmaster/Board Member
Jarvis co-founded a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that helps adults with low skills learn the critical skills needed for success in today’s workforce. Students appreciate the knowledge he has given them to improve their ability to use computers in their businesses.
Recognized for his ability to learn and master complex concepts quickly, Jarvis provided countless recommendations to mitigate and resolve problems throughout his previous career. His background included working for 13 years for one of the largest communication technology companies in the world. Before this, he worked for 19 years for an American multinational technology corporation.
Jarvis holds a Master of Science in Information Technology, a Master’s Certificate in Project Management, and a Bachelor of Science in Management with a minor in Music. Before retirement, he held the prestigious designation of Microsoft Office Specialist in Excel, CompTIA A+, Cisco Certified Network Associate, and Microsoft Certified Professional.
He is also a proud and devoted husband and father of two adult sons.
Lastly, Jarvis has 31 years of devotion and service to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.