Leadership

LaTanya M. Edwards embodies this philosophy, bringing more than 34 years of

experience in accounting, corporate governance, and organizational leadership to her

role as President of the Manasota Branch of ASALH (Association for the Study of

African American Life and History). A proud graduate of Alabama State University—one

of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities—LaTanya earned a Bachelor

of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and

holds a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification.

Throughout her career, she has served as an Accountant, Finance Operations Manager,

Director of Administrative Services, and Controller, with expertise spanning project

management, acquisitions and integrations, process improvement, and internal audit.

A dedicated servant leader, LaTanya is also the President of the Ivy Foundation,

Incorporated, the non-profit partner of the Lambda Omicron Omega Chapter of Alpha

Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. She serves as Vice-President of her local Alpha

Kappa Alpha chapter, where she is committed to programs that uplift and support

education, cultural enrichment, and community engagement across Manatee and

Sarasota counties.

Her commitment to service extends into her faith community, where she is an active

member of her church. She serves on the Steward Board, the Lay Organization, and the

Women’s Missionary Society, and holds leadership positions as Treasurer of both the

St. Petersburg District Lay Organization and the West Coast Conference Lay

Organization.

LaTanya is the proud mother of one son and the grandmother of three beautiful

grandchildren, whom she affectionately calls her “lil people.”

Rita B. Smith, has been a Realtor since 2000 with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, where she was ranked in top 30% worldwide. Her tagline is “Leading The Way Home.” She is a native of Manatee County. She attended schools in Manatee County, holding an AA, AS and Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of South Florida in Interdisciplinary Social Science. She also studied graduate courses in Educational Leadership at University of Florida in Gainesville. Prior to becoming a Realtor, she worked over 23 years in the public sector.

Professional affiliations include serving on the Housing Opportunity Committee and has served on the Diversity Committee of the National Association of Realtors; served on the Board of Directors of the Realtors Association of Sarasota and Manatee; served on the Board of Directors for Florida Realtors Association; Graduate of Florida Realtors Leadership Academy; Graduate of Leadership Manatee.

Rita is passionate about her community and it shows in her daily community service. Rita spends countless hours volunteering in her community in numerous capacities and has received numerous awards and accolades. Some of which include the Community Service Award from the Realtors Association for her tireless community work; recipient of the Realtist of the Year Award from the National Association of Real Estate Brokers; recipient of the Mover and Shaker of the Year Award from Manasota Black Chamber of Commerce; recipient of the Rookie of the Year Award from Donate Life Florida (organ donations), a cause she is very passionate about; recipient of the Greater Good Award from Biz941 in Community Service; finalist of the Manatee County Chamber Champion Award.

Community affiliations include serving as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Suncoast Partnership to End Homelessness; served on the Board of Directors for Bradenton Kiwanis, served on the Executive Committee for the Florida State NAACP Conference; served on the Manatee Boys and Girls Club Corporate Board, serve on Executive Committee of the Manatee NAACP Branch; serve on the Board of Directors of Eternity Temple Washington Park CDC; past Board Chairperson of the Manatee Community Action Agency, founding member of the United Way Women’s Leadership Initiative, lifelong member of the Mt. Carmel MB Church. She has been a Senior Correspondent with Tempo News for the past 24 years.

Travels abroad include trips to Dubai, Europe, London, Paris, Hawaii, Jamaica, Mexico, Belize, Honduras and others.

Designations include GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute); CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist); TRC (Transactional Realtor Certification); AHWD (At Home With Diversity Designation); RSPS (Resort and Second Home Specialist), SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialists), and SSRS (Short Sale Residential Specialist).

Rita is the 7th child of the late Rev. Moses and Rosalee Newsome. She has three children, 11 grands and 1 great grand.

Jada Wright-Greene is a passionate advocate for Black museums, history, and culture. Deemed as the “Black Museum Activist, she is a writer, independent museum professional, and nonprofit leader, dedicating her career to elevating awareness of Black museums and Black history across the United States. In August 2024, she made history as the first Executive Director of the Manasota Branch of ASALH, the largest branch in the country, based in Sarasota, Florida.

Jada is the Founder and President of Heritage Salon, the only magazine dedicated exclusively to museums, historic sites, and cultural institutions that center Black history. Her writings have been featured in prominent publications such as HuffPost and The Florida Times-Union, further establishing her voice in the field of Black museums and history. 

Her educational background is as distinguished as her career. Jada earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Bethune-Cookman University, followed by a Master’s in Urban and Regional Planning. In 2004, she became the first Black student to complete the Museum Studies program at Michigan State University. She went on to earn a Master’s in Museum Studies and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Johns Hopkins University in 2015. Most recently, she completed executive leadership training at Howard University’s Business School and earned her third Master’s degree in History from Jackson State University in 2022.

With more than a decade of research centered on Black historic homes—particularly in Florida and the Malcolm X Homesite in Lansing, Michigan—Jada authored the groundbreaking book Florida’s Historic African American Homes (Arcadia Publishing), the first of its kind to document residences owned by Black Floridians who helped shape the state’s history.

As a member of the Florida Humanities Speakers Bureau, she shares her deep knowledge of Black Floridians and their homes. Her expertise has been sought at institutions including Harvard University Extension School, Johns Hopkins University, Florida A&M University, and Howard University. A highlight of her public speaking career was serving as the keynote speaker for Mary McLeod Bethune’s birthday celebration at Bethune-Cookman University in 2015.

With over 20 years of experience in nonprofits and museums—spanning program management, operations, and fundraising—Jada brings a dynamic and visionary leadership style to the Manasota ASALH Branch. Her work continues to inspire the preservation and celebration of Black history, ensuring it remains a vital part of our shared national narrative.

Originally from New York, Ms. Toler holds an MBA and BBA in Accounting from Adelphi University and a Continuing Education Diploma in Human Resource Management from New York University. She worked in the corporate world in Manhattan, New York for 15 years with various companies as an auditor in various financial-related areas, and in human resource management.

Upon relocating to Florida in 2002, Ms. Toler began her Florida career in real estate sales and community management. After working in community management as a portfolio manager for a couple of years, she started her own association management company in 2006, providing financial, administrative, and maintenance services to community associations. With a successful 12-year expansion period, she sold the company in 2018 to another association management company. After working as the Chief Financial Officer for that management company, she left to open an accounting and bookkeeping company at the end of 2019 to use her 3O+ years of experience in the financial field.

Ms. Toler is a Community Association Management and Real Estate Sales license holder. She is a member of various organizations such as Community Association Institute (West Coast Chapter), Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority (Financial Secretary), Ivy Foundation (Treasurer), Literacy Council of Sarasota (Treasurer), Manasota ASALH (Treasurer), Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance (Member), New York University Alumni Club, and Adelphi University Alumni Club.

Ms. Toler has one adult son.

Felecia is the daughter of Willie and Yvonne Jett. Born in Brookhaven, MS where she resided until graduation from Brookhaven High School, Class of 77.

She is a graduate of Northwestern University, Evanston, IL achieving a B.S. in Industrial Engineering, and a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning in 1981. She achieved her MBA from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL in 1997 and her Doctor of Management degree from University of Phoenix in 2010.

Felecia retired from Tropicana Products, Inc. after 38 years in Corporate America. She began her career with Personal Products Company (Johnson & Johnson, Inc.) in 1981 where she worked as an Industrial Engineer, Project Manager, and entered production management. She moved to Mead Johnson Nutritionals, Inc. (Bristol-Myers Squibb, Inc.) in Evansville, IN in 1986, followed by Nutrilite, Inc. (Amway Corporation) in Buena Park, CA in 1999. She moved to Bradenton in 2007 to begin what turned out to be 11.5 years with Tropicana Products, Inc. (PepsiCo, Inc.) working as a Manager in Packaging, Logistics and various other assignment and projects.

Felecia has always been involved in church and community service during her career – from singing in community choirs and leadership teams to serving as a mentor in various groups and sitting on various Boards such as Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Inc., and Leadership Evansville. She also has acted and modeled.

Currently, Felecia continues to be involved in the community. She is a lifetime and active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she currently serves as Treasurer, Co-Chair of the Social Action, and participates on the Membership Committee. She is also a Board Member of the League of Women Voters – Manatee County where she serves as Membership Co-Chair and active with Voter Services, Social Issues, and Education Committees. She also serves on the League of Women Voters Florida Board as Membership Chair, and Co-Chair of Voter Services. She serves on the Board of Trustees at Wiley College – Home of the Great Debaters, Marshall, TX and is a Guardian ad Litem in Manatee County. In addition, she also attends Bayside Community Church and is a member the Association of the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), Leadership Manatee (2014 graduate), and a life-time member of the NAACP and serves on the NAACP Education Committee.

Felecia is an avid reader and is a member of several book clubs and serves as Treasurer with the Butterflies and Dreams Book Club. In addition, she is an avid runner and has finished 12 marathons, numerous half-marathons, 10Ks, and 5Ks. She has achieved a certificate as Integrative Nutrition Coach and is certified through the Dave Ramsey program as a Financial Coach.

Felecia has three furry kids, Beau, Bleu, and Missy Gurl and is an advocate for assisting in Trap-Neuter-Release (TNR) programs for cats. Felecia’s other hobbies include cross-stitch, genealogical research, and occasional travel.

“Live life to the fullest and bring others with you.”

Born in New Orleans, LA and raised in Queens, NY, I left in my late teens to become an Air Force Lieutenant’s wife subsequently residing in several states across the country. During this time, I was able to finish college, earning my BS and Master’s degree in Education and Behavioral Sciences. While living in Los Angeles, CA, I secured a teaching position and served on the L A School Board Advisory Council. Finally moving back to New York with my two daughters, I worked for New York Blood Services as a donor recruiter, becoming educated on the importance of donating blood and plasma and continuing my volunteer work with the South Shore Child Guidance Center in Long Island. Years following, I returned to teaching and mentoring teachers until my husband, Wallace and I decided to move to Sarasota, FL. in 1993 where I continued teaching for the Sarasota County School Board for 15 years. Now that I am fully retired and a widow, I have become involved with a variety of community organizations, volunteering with the Literacy Council, Boys and Girls After School Tutoring Program, Masala Giving Circle and The Association for the Study of African American Life and History, Manasota ASALH, Inc. In my free time, I have been able to pursue my love of playing tennis, Mah Jongg, traveling the world, and best of all, visiting my family in Atlanta.

Dr. Mike Weddle is the Director of Wellness at the Multicultural Health Institute in Sarasota Florida. He has an MD from the University of Miami and a PhD in engineering from the University of Michigan. He completed his medical residency at the George Washington and Georgetown University Hospitals in Washington DC. 

Before moving to Florida in 2021, Mike was an addiction physician and Medical Director of Catholic Charities of Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties in New York. He had a 30-year career in Emergency Medicine and was Director of Emergency Medicine at the Conemaugh Health System campus in Meyersdale PA. Mike has also worked as a public health planner and as a training supervisor for the Center for Mind Body Medicine. 

Mike was the US Medical Director of the Herbert Valentine Medical Clinic in Chimaltenango, Guatemala, between 1999 and 2012, Group Leader of the Adult Self-Care Group at the North Branch Correctional Institute, Maryland Department of Prisons, between 2015 and 2019 and the Education Chair of the Allegany County MD Branch 7007 of the NAACP between 2016 and April 2019. 

Mike now lives in Venice Florida with his wife Sandi Rowland. They have two sons, both great young men, Christopher age 29 and Stephen age 30. 

  A native of Lawrence, Massachusetts, Robert J. Catineau and his wife and partner Carole Jackson Catineau have lived in Florida for 20 years after retirement from county and federal governments in the Washington, D.C area. Bob and Carole have a son and granddaughter living in Massachusetts. Mr. Catineau graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture and received the degree Master of Public Administration from Northeastern University in Boston, Ma. Bob has a long and varied career in park design, urban and regional planning and economic development. During his career, he designed inner block parks in Harlem Park, Baltimore, Maryland, developed plans for the reconstruction of areas damaged during the 1968 rebellion in Washington, D.C., acted as Regional Policy Officer for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council in Boston, Ma., and as founding partner of Connery Associates, consulting planners, wrote zoning by-laws and fair housing plans for a number of Massachusetts cities and towns. Living in Florida, Bob enjoys playing golf with the “Bobby Jones group” and being a keen member of ASALH.

Born and raised in Palmetto, Florida, Reggie Bellamy is a proud native of Manatee County who has dedicated his life to service, leadership, and uplifting his community. A graduate of Manatee High School, Bellamy went on to serve honorably in the United States Army before earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bethune-Cookman University.

Bellamy’s early achievements set the stage for a lifetime of excellence. In 1988, he was recognized as both an All-State football receiver and an All-State basketball player. He later made history by becoming the first African American head boys’ basketball coach at Manatee High School. Over his coaching career, he led teams to five district championships—two at Manatee High and three at Palmetto High—along with three regional appearances. In 2013, he guided his team to a national title at the USSAA National Boys’ Basketball Championship. He also became the first African American to serve as head men’s basketball coach at State College of Florida.

Since 2015, Bellamy has served as Executive Director of the Palmetto Youth Center, where he has continued to champion youth development and mentorship. In 2018, he was elected County Commissioner for District 2, where he has led a range of transformative initiatives. His accomplishments include:

• The Memphis Community lighting and sidewalk projects
• Renovations to East Bradenton Park
• Renaming and reimagining Lincoln Park as Coach Eddie Shannon Park, including a new aquatic center, relocated basketball courts, and a press box

As Chairman of the Public Safety Council, Bellamy played a pivotal role in implementing body cameras for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Department and supported the addition of more school resource officers. He has also helped drive numerous traffic and infrastructure improvements across the county.

In another historic first, Bellamy became the first African American Chair of Seaport Manatee, where he oversaw a rebranding initiative and contributed to the port’s $5.1 billion economic impact, supporting over 37,000 jobs.

Appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, Bellamy serves on the Florida Council on the Social Status of Black Men and Boys. He is also Vice Chair of the MCR Health Board of Directors.

His leadership and commitment have earned him numerous accolades, including:

• 2013: Omega Psi Phi Citizen of the Year
• 2020: Proclamation Declaring Racism as a Public Health Crisis
• 2020: Turner Chapel AME Man of the Year
• 2021: SRQ Magazine’s Best Manatee County Elected Official
• 2021: Kappa Alpha Psi Citizen of the Year
• 2022: Mt. Raymond Man of the Year

Mr. Bellamy is a devoted father to his son, Arthur Bellamy. Guided by his personal motto—“Make Good Decisions & Avoid the Unnecessary”—he continues to impact lives daily through public service, mentorship, and community engagement.

Dr. Derrick L. Randall is a Clinical Social Worker with a Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Innovation. Dr. Randall has years of experience working in the nonprofit sector as a Chief Executive Officer. An Iraqi War Veteran and Purple Heart Recipient, Dr. Randall specializes in administrative development and is responsible for educating others on using progressive systems and applications, including youth empowerment, community stabilization, and collaborative relationship building. Dr. Randall is a powerful force in the workplace and uses his positive attitude and tireless energy to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Inspired daily by his wife and their three sons and daughter, in his free time, Dr. Randall enjoys reading, writing, watching sports, and spending time with family.

Dr. Randall received his Bachelors of Social Work and Masters of Social Work (Advanced Clinical Practice) from St. Leo University and completed his Doctorate of Education at St. Thomas University. 

Currently, he serves as President/CEO of United Community Centers, Inc., The D. L. Randall Foundation, Inc., President of Xi Psi Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc., and West Area Director for the Florida Federation of Alpha Chapters.

 As an entrepreneur, Financial Advisor, owner of a State Farm agency, farther and husband, my focus has always been on how I might help others achieve their dreams.  I am currently involved with various organizations such LOTW International Church, Gamma Xi Boule, Alpha Phi Alpha, the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, along with several other community activities.

A graduate from Savannah State University (HBCU) in Business Administration and Finance as well as professional designations such as Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant (Doctorate) from The American College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

My wife and I enjoy traveling abroad, golf, exercise, theatre, along with a host of other social activities.

With over 36 years of experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods Industry and a proven track record of strategic leadership and business growth, Mr. Copeland brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to ASALH.

His career spans leadership roles at prominent and industry leading companies such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola Foods, and Procter & Gamble. He has demonstrated exceptional proficiency in driving innovation and profitability across various channels, including Travel, Foodservice, Grocery, and Convenience & Gas segments. Notably, his ability to identify and secure new business opportunities resulted in generating over $600 million in incremental net revenue during his tenure at PepsiCo. In recognition of his exceptional leadership, he was honored with prestigious accolades such as the PepsiCo Ring of Honor and the PepsiCo Chairman’s Award, awarded to the Top 1% of employees. 

A dynamic leader, he played an instrumental role in shaping PepsiCo’s Racial Equality Journey Taskforce, contributing to the company’s strategic Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiatives.

Beyond his professional achievements, he has been a dedicated mentor and community advocate, actively volunteering with programs such as the Tropicana Mosaic Palmetto High School Mentorship Program and supporting the Second Chance Last Opportunity.

Academically, Mr. Copeland earned an M.B.A. with a Marketing concentration from Washington University in St. Louis, where he was awarded the prestigious Graduate Studies in Business Fellowship. He also holds a B.A. in Economics from Illinois Wesleyan University, where he was recognized for his academic and extracurricular achievements. While there, he became a member of the Blue Key National Honor Society, earned Honorable Mention to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) All-Conference Football Team, served as the Black Student Union Representative on the University’s Student Council, and received the Outstanding Senior Award from the administration.

On a personal level, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Susan, and their daughter, Samantha (Sami). He is an avid angler and an enthusiastic creator of colored pencil artwork. As a devoted attendee of Living Lord Lutheran Church, he is committed to supporting the church’s property management efforts and community initiatives.

Currently, he is the President of J Guy Enterprises, which provides strategic thought leadership to C-Suite Executives within the Consumer Packaged Goods industry.