Juneteenth is more than a holiday. We can seize the opportunity to reflect, unite, engage in real conversation and celebrate possibilities for a brighter future. A future where we acknowledge and embrace the past yet focus on possibilities – fulfilling the vision of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Desmond Meade is a formerly homeless returning citizen who overcame many obstacles to eventually become the President of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), Chair of Floridians for a Fair Democracy, a graduate of Miami Dade College, Florida International University College of Law, a Ford Global Fellow, and a 2021 MacArthur “Genius” Fellow.
Recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2019, Desmond presently leads efforts to empower and civically re-engage local communities across the state, and to reshape local, state, and national criminal justice policies. His work has resulted in being named Floridian and Central Floridian of the Year 2019.
As President and Executive Director of FRRC, which is recognized for its work on voting and criminal justice reform issues, Desmond led the FRRC to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen’s initiative which restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century and brought an end to 150 years of a Jim Crow-era law in Florida.
A sought-after speaker, Desmond has made numerous appearances on radio and television, and has spoken before national organizations such as the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Bread for the World. Desmond has testified before Congressional members and staffers and was a part of a delegation to the United Nations where he gave testimony regarding disenfranchisement in Florida. Desmond orchestrated a historic meeting at the White House between returning citizens and President Obama’s administration. Most recently, Desmond served as a Commissioner on the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice which was co-chaired by former U.S. Attorney Generals Loretta Lynch and Alberto Gonzalez. He is also a member of the Council on Criminal Justice. He has appeared on numerous shows such as Al-Jazeera, Democracy NOW, MSNBC with Joy Ann Reid, FOX News with Dana Perino and Tucker Carlson, Samantha Bee, and All In with Chris Hayes. He is a guest columnist for the Huffington Post in which one of his articles about the death of Trayvon Martin garnered national attention. Desmond has been featured in several newspaper and magazine articles and was chosen as a “Game Changer” by Politic 365, as well as being recognized as a “Foot Soldier” on the Melissa Harris-Perry Show on MSNBC. Desmond is married and has five beautiful children.
The Summit will showcase representatives from VyStar, Florida Blue, WESH2 News, and others, with remarks from Keynote Speaker Desmond Meade.
Brian E. Wolfburg currently serves as the President/CEO of VyStar Credit Union. Prior to joining VyStar in 2017, Mr. Wolfburg was the Chief Operations Officer for Alaska USA Federal Credit Union, based in Anchorage, Alaska.
Mr. Wolfburg has over twenty years of experience and leadership as a Senior Executive in the credit union and diversified financial services industry, as well as various other entrepreneurial ventures and on non-profit boards.
Mr. Wolfburg believes in being very involved in the communities in which he lives and works, in hopes of making each a robust, diverse and inclusive environment. Since moving his family to Jacksonville, he has joined the boards of and or taken leadership positions in the Jacksonville Chamber, Groundwork Jacksonville, the NASCUS Credit Union Advisory Board, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions Legislative & Regulatory committee, the Credit Union National Association’s World Credit Union Committee and FIS’ Credit Union Advisory Board. Previous efforts involve his position as JaxUSA’s Military Issues Committee Chair, the Civic Council’s Executive Committee, a Committee Chair for Lift Jax, a member of UNF’s Entrepreneurial Center Advisory Board and as the Chair of JASMYN’s Coming Out Day Breakfast Host Committee.
In 2019, due to VyStar’s relocation of their Headquarters to Downtown Jacksonville, including the $125M+ redevelopment of an entire city block and the relocation of over 1,000 new employees downtown, Mr. Wolfburg was recognized by Downtown Vision as the Downtowner of the Year, as well as awarded CREW Jacksonville’s Individual Impact Award. Mr. Wolfburg was later inducted into the First Coast Business Hall of Fame in 2020. In 2021, Mr. Wolfburg was recognized as one of Jacksonville Business Journals Ultimate CEOs, selected as finalist for the Credit Union Executives Society (CUES) Outstanding CEO, and honored by Read USA with their Read to Succeed Award.
Previous to relocating to Jacksonville, Mr. Wolfburg served on the board of the Anchorage Concert Association and Covenant House; the Broadway Center for Performing Arts, Habitat for Humanity and Humane Society in Tacoma, Washington; and the Salvation Army, and American Heart Association in Buffalo, New York. He has been an active volunteer for the ArtsFund, Humane Society, Jr. Achievement, March of Dimes, and the Pride Foundation, and served as a guest Teacher at Pacific Lutheran University, Banking/Finance classes.
Mr. Wolfburg performed his undergraduate studies at Georgetown University, Vanderbilt University and the State University of New York at Buffalo, ultimately graduating from State University of New York at Buffalo with a B.S. Business Administration, in January 1999. Mr. Wolfburg went on to achieve a Master of Business Administration from New York University – Stern School of Management in May 2011. Mr. Wolfburg continues to further his education, attending programming at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business in 2019.
VyStar Credit Union, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida was formed in 1952 to serve Navy and civil service personnel and their family members. VyStar currently serves over 775,000 members through 62 Traditional Branches, 18 High School Branches and over 225 ATMs across 49 counties in Central to Northern Florida, as well as 10 counties in Southeast Georgia. Additionally, members can call VyStar’s full-service call center or view their account and complete transactions 24 hours a day online and through the Mobile App. VyStar will soon complete the largest acquisition of a bank by a Credit Union in the Q4 of 2021, purchasing the 23 locations of Heritage Southeast Bank, with over $1.5B in assets across the state of Georgia. VyStar is currently the 13th largest credit union in the country and second largest in Florida, at $12B in assets.
Mr. Allie Braswell is an accomplished entrepreneur, author, and civic leader with diverse experiences in business, public speaking, and community engagement, as well as, leadership, technology operations and human resources.
Allie is the Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for VyStar Credit Union in Jacksonville, Florida. He is responsible for leading VyStar’s efforts to be recognized by its members, employees, peer institutions and the community as a leading model for diversity, equity and inclusion. Allie’s diversity journey has afforded opportunities for him to assist organizations in achieving inclusive, high-performance cultures while simultaneously building bridges that connect them with their local and global communities through support, education, and social responsibility.
Mr. Braswell received his Bachelors in Information Technology from American Intercontinental University, Masters of Arts in Human Resource Management from Webster University and Advanced Certificate in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from Cornell University.
Summer Knowles is an award-winning journalist, who co-anchors WESH 2 News at 4, 6 & 11. She joined WESH 2 News in January of 2015.
Since arriving in Central Florida, Summer has landed multiple high-profile interviews including but not limited to former US Rep. Corrine Brown before she was convicted of fraud, Stacey Abrams, local Congresswoman Val Demings, Vice President Mike Pence and Presidential Candidate Joe Biden (shortly before the presidential election).
Summer is most proud of her work in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death on the Project Community: Crusade for Change news documentary. It was awarded an Edward R. Murrow award in 2021 (her second such award). She is equally proud of her short series spotlighting COVID-19’s impact on local prisons and their families in the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.
Summer came to Central Florida from Miami, where she was a Reporter/Fill-in Anchor for CBS 4 News. While in Miami, Summer covered several high-profile national stories, including the 2014 Florida Gubernatorial debate between Gov. Rick Scott and Gov. Charlie Crist (now often referred to as Fangate), the release of Alan Gross and the US’s intent to normalize US/Cuba relations as well as the George Zimmerman trial. Shortly after the trial ended, Summer scored the first local TV interview with Rachel Jeantel (the teenager who was on the phone with Trayvon Martin the night he died).
Summer began her career in Charlotte, North Carolina where she worked as a News Writer and Overnight Producer for NBC News Channel before landing her first on-air reporter job in Charlottesville, Virginia. After Charlottesville, Summer moved on to report at KTVI in St. Louis, WPEC in West Palm Beach, and KSLA News 12 in Shreveport, Lousiana, where she also anchored the morning and afternoon newscasts.
Summer’s parents are retired Army officers, so she has lived all over and doesn’t have a “hometown” per se, but the Sunshine State has always been in her heart. Her grandparents, whom she visited every summer growing up, lived in Miami, Florida, where her father was born and raised.
Summer is a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina (UNC)-Chapel Hill, where she majored in Journalism and minored in Spanish. She is a member of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Investigative Reporters and Editors (IRE) and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Summer enjoys moderating and hosting events ranging from The Women’s Summit on Intersectionality to the African American Chamber of Commerce Eagle Awards.
She has served on the YMCA Achievers Board of Directors and worked with public school literacy programs, but most enjoys speaking with and mentoring young journalist and those aspiring to become journalists.
When she is not at work or volunteering in the community she enjoys weight training and spending quality time with her husband (college sweetheart) and their two young daughters.
A blend of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Dominican and Floridian, Gaby Ortigoni has been serving the Central Florida Hispanic community for 20 years. As the President of HCCMO, her duty is to ensure that the Chamber fulfills its responsibilities to its members. Throughout her professional career, Ortigoni has been strongly committed to business development, strategic relationship building, economic development, international business, government affairs, and comprehensive community development.
Ortigoni has received numerous awards, including the Orlando Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award & Women Who Mean Business, Hispanic Women Who Make the Difference Award from La Prensa, Orange County Sheriff’s Office Community Service Award, and the Orlando Police Department’s Good Citizenship Award, among others. Gaby has demonstrated strong leadership skills and community involvement.
Kawanza Humphrey serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for VyStar Credit Union. In her role she is responsible for leading the credit union’s human resources efforts, including diversity, equity and inclusion, talent acquisition, employee relations, benefits, compensation, organizational performance and development.
Since joining VyStar in 2021, Kawanza and her team have prioritized their efforts around talent acquisition, compensation and benefits offerings and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. She has helped lead the growth of over 10 employee resource groups, called VyStar Resource Groups (VRGs), execution of educational summits such as the upcoming Juneteenth Summit and much more. These efforts display Kawanza’s passion for creating positive change in the work environment and in the community.
In addition to her role at VyStar, Kawanza is passionate about volunteerism and economic development. She has volunteered with several nonprofit organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Sisters Hospital Foundation and the Ralph C Wilson Foundation’s Program Committee. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and The Links, Inc. Kawanza was named to Buffalo Business First’s Power 200 Women and has been recognized as a Woman of Influence, a 40 under 40 recipient and a Black Achiever in Industry.
Kawanza has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry. Most recently, she served as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility for the Eastern Region of KeyBank. Prior to joining KeyBank, Kawanza held several positions at HSBC, including Retail Management, after completing the organization’s Executive Development Program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English/African American Studies from the University of Buffalo and a master’s degree in Executive Leadership and Change from Daemen College. She is a Phi Beta Kappa.
Robby Luckett received his BA in political science from Yale University and his PhD in history from the University of Georgia. A native Mississippian, he returned home, where he is a tenured Professor of History and Director of the Margaret Walker Center and COFO Center at Jackson State University. His books include a collection of essays, Redefining Liberal Arts Education in the 21st Century (University Press of Mississippi, 2021), and a monograph, Joe T. Patterson and the White South’s Dilemma: Evolving Resistance to Black Advancement (University Press of Mississippi, 2015).
Robby is an Advisory Board member for the Mississippi Book Festival, and he serves as Interim President of the Board of Directors of Common Cause Mississippi and as Secretary of the Board for the Association of African American Museums. In 2017, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba appointed him to the Board of Trustees of Jackson Public Schools and now serves as its Secretary. In 2018, he received a W.K. Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellowship for his work in racial equity. Robby has three children: Silas, Hazel, and Flip.
Sherilyn brings a diverse spectrum of educational, entertainment, and business leadership experience to her role of shining a light on Building Hope’s Impact. It is her honor to help expand educational opportunities for students nationwide by making connections and sparking growth in the charter school community. She serves on the Minneola Charter School Board of Directors, Turtle’s Nest Early Learning Center Board, and the Educational Growth Fund board. She has a Master’s degree in Creative Writing from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelors in Finance from the University of South Florida.
Tony Jenkins is the Market President for the Central Florida region where he provides strategic oversight and leads a team in developing business plans to increase and retain membership, enhance brand visibility and coordinate employee engagement.
Tony was instrumental in establishing Florida Blue’s diversity efforts in 2001. Prior to joining Florida Blue, Jenkins served as Director of Diversity for CSX Corporation, the largest rail network in the eastern United States, and he spent 18 years with the Walt Disney World Company in various leadership roles, specializing in Hospitality Management and Human Resources.
Under Tony’s leadership in Central Florida, Florida Blue has been recognized as a Best Place to Work, an Outstanding Diverse Organization and a Corporate Philanthropy honoree.
Tony is an advocate for several causes throughout the Orlando Community. He is the past Chair for United Arts of Central Florida and The Florida Commission on Human Relations. He currently serves on the board of Florida Citrus Sports and he is a Board Trustee at Stetson University. Tony is Chair Elect for the Orlando Economic Partnership board, where he also serves as Chair for their DEI Task Force, engaging Orlando’s business leaders across varied industries.
Tony has been recognized by the Orlando Business Journal as one of Central Florida’s Top 10 Businessmen to Watch and as CEO of the Year. Most recently, he received the publication’s Diversity in Business Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also an i4 Business Magazine Business Leader of the Year recipient. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality Management from Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Ga.