I am doing this because I believe in the 100 and what the organization stands for. There’s talent in the organization and we must display it locally and nationally. I believe I’m one of those men who can revive the organization by connecting all generations of men to continue our forefather’s mission of our motto.
Why are you running for the Texas/Louisiana District Representative position?
I’m running for the TX/LA District Representative position because I feel I’m the one that can bring the chapters together to create a stronger district, increase collaborations, increase data metrics, and be a voice for the chapters on the national level.
For full transparency, prior to my declaration, I spoke with Michael Victorian (candidate) and told him I was running for district representative. I felt it was important to communicate with my brother and let him know no matter the outcome, we must support one another after the election. Secondly, I had a meeting with my local board and explained to them I have the bandwidth to execute my duties as president of the Austin chapter and be the district representative. Last and most importantly, I spoke to my wife and got approval to become a candidate.
Why did you become a member of the 100?
I became a member of the 100 because I wanted to utilize my time and efforts in the community with genuine, like-minded brothers. I joined the Austin chapter in 2016 and when I attended my first national conference in 2017, I was convinced I was amongst BROTHERS who believe in the same mission.
What is your vision for chapters and more specifically our mentees and community, and how will you bring in the board to help with that vision?
My vision for the chapters, mentees, and community are as follows;
1. Help chapters remain sustainable through membership retention and programming.
2. Focus on community collaborations and not reinventing the wheel for our members, mentees, events, etc.
3. Creating an annual budget to submit to the National Office for district funding. (Signature events, programming, mentoring, etc.)
What have you done locally and nationally?
- Proposed the NFLPA initiative nationally (2019).
- 100th Day on the Hill – (Partnered with Texas Presidents)
- Restored my local chapter’s credibility in the community.
- Testified for the Texas high school African American History Curriculum – Curriculum approved for Fall 2020.
- Provided a $40 million grant to the national office – Morehouse awarded $14.6m/3 years (2020).
- Currently partnering with Amazon to increase internship opportunities for Collegiate 100 students nationally.
- Member of 100 National Policy Reform committee
- Helped create the 100 National President’s forum (Nate Branscomb, Wesley Webb, Justin Brooks)
- Network on the national level to gain trust from other 100 members. (Board, nationally)
- Started a Collegiate 100 chapter at Huston-Tillotson University in 2017.
- Partnered with 100 Houston chapter for our annual HBCU College Tour.
- 2020 Your Vote is Your Voice Campaign – Austin Chapter
What are your expectations and goals as a district representative?
- Create and submit an annual funding request for local chapters to the 100 national office.
- Cross pollinate ideas/programming/planning in the district.
- Conduct quarterly meetings to provide updates to the 100 national office.
- Host annual district meeting (alternate annually) (100 Day on the Hill in Texas and signature event in Louisiana) and have an event/meeting at the National Conference.
- District collaboration of events.
- Provide the main calendar for all chapters in the district.
- Create a District task force (1 member per chapter) to ensure full transparency of the district’s intentions/expectations/goals.
- Create a succession plan for the next District Rep/Task Force.
What They See is What They’ll Be
My vision for the Texas and Louisiana district is to build stronger relationships among chapters, collaborate events, provide support and resources to chapters (if needed), create data metrics for the district for local, state, and national grant opportunities, create a district succession plan, and promote more opportunities nationally for all chapters in the district. If I’m elected TX/LA District Representative, I will submit annual funding requests to the national office for local chapters, hold the national office accountable for local support of TX/LA chapters, and create a sustainable process for the district to enhance the national and local relationships to benefit all chapters in the district.
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