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Keynote Speakers
Meet our dynamic speakers since 2018
Dr. Teresa Slade
Gala Keynote Speaker: May 19, 2023, @ 7 p.m.
Dr. Judy Mandrell
Worship Night Keynote Speaker: May 18, 2023, @ 7 p.m.
Pastor Rhonda Lloyd
Gala Keynote Speaker: May 13, 2022, @ 7 p.m.
See bio here.
Pastor Deshone Hedrington
Worship Night Keynote Speaker: May 12, 2022, @ 7 p.m.
Pastor Deshone Hedrington helms from the tropical island of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. After moving to Tallahassee, Florida, she began making her mark in this community.
As Executive Pastor of The Father’s House Unlimited Ministries, Inc., she ministers to forgotten populations with her husband and Senior Pastor, Roland Hedrington. She serves in many capacities, and as woman on a mission from God, she can best be described as “God’s Love in Action.”
Pastor Hedrington is also the Founder and President of About My Father’s Business, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, which was established in 2006. Pastor Hedrington actively serves the community with a focus on restoring economic and social stability to underprivileged individuals and families. Under the auspices of this organization, she has partnered with the City of Tallahassee to host the annual Dade Street Back to School Jamboree. She provides temporary shelter, Thanksgiving dinners, and clothing to numerous needy families. Additionally, she is Founder of the Lincoln and Eunice Duggins Memorial scholarship. In memory of her parents, Pastor Hedrington raises funds for scholarships to first generation college students who have a passion for community service. She is a mentor to many youths, young adults and women sharing wisdom, guidance, and leadership strengths from a biblical perspective.
Pastor Hedrington’s passion for service extends well beyond her commitment to the community. She has dedicated twenty-nine years to Leon County Schools. For the last nineteen years, she has served as an accomplished and successful Assistant Principal.
Pastor Hedrington’s greatest role, however, is serving as a loving wife, mother of four children, and MaDee to four grandchildren.
Pastor DeShone Hedrington: God’s Love in Action.
Pastor Ed Lloyd, Sr.
Gala Night Keynote Speaker: July 16, 2021, @ 7 p.m.
Rita Brown
Gala Night Keynote Speaker: May 17, 2019, @ 7 p.m.
Rita Respass-Brown, affectionately know as Mrs. Brown to the Tallahassee community is a native New Yorker. She moved to Tallahassee in 2003 to begin a new journey in her life and her entrepreneurial career. Having been a long time business owner in New York City from the early 1980’s, Mrs. Brown felt that it was time to align her business interests with her 20 year passion…educating children. As a mother of three children, Mrs. Brown was very invested and committed to their growth. She always encouraged them to exceed the expectations set forth by traditional educational institutions. Having home schooled her children at various stages of their academic careers, she had a formula for success. Mrs. Brown soon had local Tallahassee parents asking her “can you do what you did for your kids…for mine?!?!”….and THAT became the beginning of Brownsville Child Learning Center, now the Brownsville Preparatory Institute, LLC.
Mrs. Brown started BPI in her home in 2005 with one 4 year old child named Taziyah, who went to college last year on a full scholarship. She quickly grew to 10 children. In 2009, Mrs. Brown’s daughter Dr. Atira Charles and son-in-law Mr. Patrick Charles, MS moved back to Tallahassee and told her “Mom, it is time for growth and to share your secret sauce with the greater Tallahassee community”. She then knew it was time to expand to a larger impact level. In 2010, BPI became a stand alone brick and mortar private school in Tallahassee. Starting with 15 children, it quickly grew to a capacity of 30. It was at this point that the conversation of next level growth and impact resurfaced. At this time, Mrs. Brown expanded BPI to its new and current location at New. Mt. Zion AME. Brownsville Prep is now at capacity and getting ready for expansion again. Knowing Mrs. Brown’s commitment to growth and educating as many children as possible, new things are always on the horizon for BPI.
Not only did Mrs. Brown found Brownsville Preparatory Institute, but she is firmly embedded in that landscape of service when it comes to education in the Tallahassee community. Brownsville Prep provides services through the Brownsville Pre-School, K-2 Private School, Camp Excellence Academic Camp, & BPI Kindergarten Reading Camp. She serves on committees dealing with children success on the city and state levels. This year she was recognized by Tallahassee Community College for her service to the community, on their Cherry Hall Alexander Black History Calendar 2019.
Even when stage 5 kidney failure slowed her down in 2013, she jumped back in after a successful kidney transplant donation from her son Tony. She didn’t miss a beat, getting back to her babies was all she was focused on. This past year Brownsville Seeds of Literacy 501c was formed with the intent to raise funds to create educational programing to insure that the most underserved can access quality education. Mrs. Brown has a firm belief that the educational landscape must be leveled and she intends to be a part of an educational revolution right here in Tallahassee.
On a personal note, Mrs. Brown has had the pleasure of watching all three of her children (Dr. Atira Charles (business professor & consultant) , Anthony Brown II (healthcare consultant) , Ameer Brown (software engineer) graduate from Florida A & M University. The apple also doesn’t fall far from the tree because all of her children also are entrepreneurs as well. This speaks to Mrs. Brown serving as a model of excellence in all lanes. She has also had the special pleasure to educate all three of her grandchildren at Brownsville Prep. All three have now graduated from Brownsville Prep and have accelerated multiple grades and doing extremely well in various Tallahassee schools.
Mrs. Brown is truly a gem and special gift to the Tallahassee community, and is a model of how passion and energy can drive community impact.
Pastor Stephanie Williams
Worship Night Keynote Speaker: May 16, 2019, @ 7 p.m.
Elder Stefanie Williams was born on June 6, 1966 in Tallahassee Florida to Willie James and the Late Pearlie V. Jackson of Crawfordville, Florida. She attended and completed her high school education in the Wakulla County School System. In addition, a graduate of Branell Business College of Tallahassee, Florida.
Elder Williams is the proud mother of India Swann, Son-in-Law Clyde Swann, Harold Williams, Jr., and grandmother of Kaliyah Seabrooks and Kemiyah Swann.
After turning her life to Jesus and receiving the Holy Ghost, she was baptized at the age of 13 on June 24, 1979 and became a member of Hallowed Be Thy Name First Born Church of the Living God (Hyde Park Community, Crawfordville, Florida) under the leadership of the Late Prophet Grant Richardson. Accepting her calling in 1992, she became a licensed Missionary and began her journey teaching and preaching the Word of God. Later, she was ordained and licensed as an Evangelist by Bishop Jerry Gordon, leader of The New Covenant First Born Church Ministries, Inc. of Pensacola, Florida. In 2011, was Ordained Elder after attending the seminary at True Light Ministries under the leadership of Pastor Jacquelyn Kennerly. In October 2014 ordained Pastor of The Holy Trinity Church of God of Tallahassee under the leadership of her stepmother, Elder Josephine Jackson.
God has blessed her to travel various areas of Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee preaching and singing the Gospel of Jesus. She has been blessed by God to render services for various Youth and Women Conferences, Workshops, District Meetings, Revivals, and Community Outreach in the nursing homes and prayer in homes of the elderly.
It’s her daily goal to be dressed for warfare having on the whole Armor of God. And, to let women know “You may be down; but, you are not out of the race. If you believe it, you shall receive it.”
Paula Deboles-Johnson, MPA, CCM
Gala Night Keynote Speaker: May 18, 2018, @ 7 p.m.
Paula DeBoles-Johnson, MPA, CCM is a graduate of Florida A&M University, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She joined Volunteer Florida in 2006 and currently holds the position of AmeriCorps & LeaderCorps Program Manager. She is also the Founder and Executive Director of the Capital City Youth Development Corporation (CCYDC), a small nonprofit in Tallahassee founded for the purposes of ensuring the well-being of youth through mentoring and training.
Her leadership experience has led her to positions with the Department of Children & Family Services, Department of Health, Leon County Schools, and the Department of Transportation. She is an active member of several nonprofit and faith-based organizations throughout Florida as a board member, speaker and advocate, including serving as the past Chair of the Tallahassee\Leon County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, Vice-Chair for the Timothy Training and Development Center, Leadership Tallahassee’s Class #33 and the Airport Advisory Committee.
Mayor Andrew Gillum selected Ms. Johnson to join the Tallahassee Human Relations Council. Her expertise includes program and project development, strategic planning, youth programming, grant management and organizational design. She is a dynamic trainer and motivational speaker on both state and national levels, a contributing author, co-convener of the North Florida African-American Healthy Marriage Initiative, OJJDP National Training Consultant, creator of All About Girls, an empowerment conference for girls and a member of Celebrate New Life Tabernacle. She is the recipient of several awards for her commitment to community service including the 2017 Girl Scouts Woman of Distinction Award, Tallahassee Community College Women’s Trailblazer Award, the Phenomenal Woman Award sponsored by the WAMS organization in Pensacola, Florida and a Finalist for the America’s Service Commission (ASC) Innovation & Leadership Award to name a few.
Touted as, “a high energy- thought provoking – agent of change…. a grower of greatness,” Paula has provided her expertise in working with youth, families and women at numerous conferences and roundtable events across the country including the National Board of Governors, Department of Health and Human Services and the Corporation for National and Community Service. She and her husband, Captain David Johnson, Ret., have two beautiful and talented adult daughters, Zenani and Zemoria who are emerging leaders in their own rights. She is passionate about community service, women and girls issues and lives by the philosophy that, “nothing that you will ever do for children is wasted!”
Dr. Rhonda Blackwell-Flanagan
Gala Night Keynote Speaker: May 19, 2017, @ 7 p.m.
A seasoned woman in ministry of over 30+ years, Dr. Rhonda Blackwell Flanagan was born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in the near western suburbs. She recognized her first level of ministry work as a young girl organizing activities for youth in her church and neighborhood. She recounts mentoring young girls while in middle school and teaching them how to set goals for their lives. In addition to using her creative talent for writing stage productions, she found herself at a very young age carving a path to personal discipleship and answering the call to encourage and empower others.
Dr. Rhonda has experienced a full life; she is a lifelong learner, teacher and born leader. In her profession she has provided leadership for K12 schools and programs at the graduate level. She walked in the call of being married to a pastor and from their union became the mother of five beautiful girls and grandchildren that will further her legacy of learning and leading.
As the visionary for Wellspring Project, Intl. she is an authentic woman with vision and drive. Her life purpose is to facilitate opportunities for others to thrive in their walk with God, and in excellence work to make their calling and election sure. Her gifts in administration, church growth and development, women’s ministry, and the creative arts, has served as a platform to do that which she purposes to do in others… pour in and connect them to a Wellspring and Fountain that is the source from which greater flows.
