Board of Directors
Dr. Jerrund Wilkerson, PD, MBA, PCC - CEO & Chairman of the Board
Jerrund, Founder and CEO of Leadership Empowerment Project, has a unique gift to mentor, coach and inspire others. As a proven successful leader, manager, and sales expert, Jerrund offers experience from more than 29 years as a senior business executive with Merck, United Healthcare, Actavis and entrepreneurial ventures.
Jerrund is also Founder and President of Level 10 Consulting where his primary focus is executive leadership coaching. His extensive training and development, experience and vision all converged to create the Leadership Empowerment Project. In addition to degrees from the University of Florida (Pharmacy) and University of Phoenix (MBA), he has earned executive leadership certificates from the following universities and organization:
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Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania
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Harvard University
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University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)
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Cornell University
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University of Southern California (USC)
Certified coach and member of The John Maxwell Leadership Team, Jerrund is the author of What Sales Leaders Do! – The 22 Habits of an Effective Salesperson published in 2010 by Westbow Press. His second book, 9 Qualities of An Effective Leader – What They Know and Do! was published in 2022.
Dr. John A. Johnson, MD, MBA, FACP - Director & Vice President
John serves on the Leadership Empowerment Project Board of Directors as the Vice-President since 2015. He is a distinguished health care leader equipped with more than 25 years of experience leading strategic planning and implementation, driving effective integrated care and utilization of clinical services to optimize health outcomes while managing costs.
John owned and operated an Internal Medicine practice in the Atlanta area where he focused on treating patients with acute and chronic conditions for over 15 years. One of his clinical areas of interest has been treating patients with diabetes. He successfully grew his practice to more than 10,000 patients before selling it to transition his career focus to managed care.
John has spent the past ten years working in managed care with reputable health plans. He currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer for GEHA Health and is responsible for driving the national strategy and operations of the health plan’s clinical organization focusing on health outcomes, quality improvement and appropriate interventions. He oversees large-scale clinical transformation and complex care management for over two million federal employees, retired military members and their families with comprehensive medical and dental benefits.
More recently, John served as Chief Medical Officer for Virginia Premier Health Plan in Richmond, Virginia, Molina Healthcare of Ohio and Cardinal Health Innovations Healthcare in Charlotte, North Carolina where he oversaw medical and behavioral health strategy, clinical policy, pharmacy, and quality improvement initiatives.
John served as the Senior Medical Director for WellCare of Georgia from 2014 to 2017 where he oversaw the clinical direction of medical services, quality improvement and performance outcomes for Managed Medicaid members and Medicare Advantage members. Under his leadership, WellCare successfully won its bid for the State of Georgia’s new Managed Medicaid contract.
Prior to WellCare, he was with Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia serving as Medical Director supporting utilization review and care management for over 600,000 state employees under the State Health Benefit Plan.
Originally from New Jersey, John graduated from Rutgers University New Jersey Medical School, and he completed his Internal Medicine residency at Emory University in Atlanta. He is Board certified in Internal Medicine, and he is also a Fellow of the American College of Physicians. He earned his master’s in business administration from Emory University School of Business with a focus in Healthcare Management.
John and his lovely wife, Donna, have been married for 21 years and they live in the East Cobb Marietta area. John also serves as a Colonel in the United States Army Reserves Medical Corps with 26 years of service. In addition, he serves as President of the Emory University Medical Alumni Board and President of the Medical Association of Atlanta. He enjoys listening to music, exercising, and traveling. John and his wife have traveled to six of the continents which includes destinations throughout South America and Europe, St. Lucia, Canouan Island, Grenadines, Maldives, Costa Rica, Egypt, South Africa, Vietnam, China, Australia, and New Zealand.
Kacee W. Huguely - Director & CFO
Kacee W. Huguely is an accomplished leader known for driving impactful and sustainable results. Currently, she leads the US marketing organization at Mölnlycke Healthcare, an international medical device company, where her team has achieved historic growth and contributed to approximately $71 million in sales.
Prior to Mölnlycke Healthcare, Kacee spent over a decade at The Coca-Cola Company as the Director of Channel Commercialization, leading strategic efforts for large format and mass merchandisers in Coca-Cola North America. With over 20 years of experience in sales and marketing, Kacee demonstrates exceptional leadership, creativity, and communication skills.
Her background spans diverse industries, including government, healthcare, and consumer goods. She honed her communication expertise while coordinating national and international communications within the White House in both the Office of Media and the Press Secretary's office. In the healthcare sector, Kacee managed multi-million dollar portfolios for Fortune 500 companies at Eli Lilly and Glaxo-Smith Kline.
Kacee holds a B.A. degree from Howard University and actively engages in organizations promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a focus on women and people of color. She resides in the north Atlanta area with her husband, Brad, and their three children, Riley, BJ, and Parker.
Fernando Nasmyth, JD - Director and Secretary
Fernando’s 40 year career afforded him with extensive experiences and leadership roles in areas of Legal Operations, Portfolio and Asset Management, and Capital Markets at companies in diverse sectors, including Aetna Life & Casualty, GE Real Estate, GE Capital Investment Advisors, SSR Realty Advisors, BlackRock Realty, and The Hanover Company.
Fernando retired in 2017 from the Hanover Company where he served as the Managing Director, Portfolio Management and Client Services for Hanover Investment Advisors, LLC. In addition to his corporate career, Fernando served as a volunteer in numerous non-profit organizations. In addition to serving on the board of The Leadership Empowerment Project, he serves on the boards of Abilene Christian University and Greater Atlanta Christian School, where he has served as a Trustee for approximately 20 years, including serving an 8-year term as Chair.
Fernando is a graduate of Cornell University, where he earned a B.A in Government and a J.D. from Cornell Law School. He has also successfully completed the Certificate Program Alternative Dispute and Conflict Resolution from Abilene Christian University.
Dr. Earle R. Hall - Director
Earle is the founder and CEO of StoneAge Consulting, a sole-proprietorship consultancy, where he delivers customized Human Resources and Organizational Development solutions for small to mid-sized companies. He is a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR®) with over 15 years of Human Resources leadership experience.
He has worked with both the for-and not-for-profit sectors in various industries including sales and distribution, education, and health science research. With an emphasis on the human resources of organizations, his work focuses on aligning operational objectives with the organization’s mission.
A native New Yorker, Earle relocated to Atlanta (for the third time) in 2012 from California where he earned his M.S. in Human Resources Management from Claremont Graduate University, and both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Alliant International University’s California School of Professional Psychology.
Initiatives that provide greater access to education to underserved populations are near and dear to his heart. In addition to his consulting work, Earle l is an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Morehouse College, where he teaches Industrial/Organizational Psychology. He is also a current Advisor to the Board of Directors and past Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources.
Kelvin Pettaway - Director
Kelvin Pettaway is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA), and President and Financial Advisor of his Ameriprise Financial franchise, The Pettaway Group of Ameriprise Financial. Kelvin and his team specialize in providing comprehensive, goals - based financial planning, investment management services and solutions, and lifetime plan management based on the unique needs, concerns, and goals of high-net-worth retirees, professionals, and business owners.
Kelvin established The Pettaway Group of Ameriprise Financial to collaborate with and motivate clients to create, cultivate, and live a life of legacy, thereby affording clients the freedom, ability, and options that are important to them
in building wealth, changing lives, and leaving wealth, businesses, and values to t hose they care about. A veteran of the financial services industry, Kelvin’s desire to impact lives combined with his diverse background in corporate auditing, accounting, and marketing led him to become a financial advisor for Northwestern Mutual, Merri ll Lynch, and later, Morgan Stanley. He built a
successful financial advisory practice over 10 years at Morgan Stanley, rose to the rank of vice president, and flourished in creating wealth and financial opportunities for clients. He left the company in January 2023 to launch The Pettaway Group of Ameriprise Financial.
Kelvin holds a master’s degree in business administration from Keller Graduate School of Management at DeVry University and a bachelor’s degree in business administration an accounting from Howard University. Kelvin, his wife Lynn, and their daughter reside in Roswell, Georgia, and attend Eagles Nest Church, where Kelvin serves as an usher, leader of the Eagles Nest Financial University advanced course, and leads a small marriage group with his wife. Kelvin also serves on the board of directors of the Atlanta Jazz Festival. He enjoys community activities, such as public speaking, mentoring local youth, playing golf, and running in organized races.
Ralph Berry - Board Advisor
Ralph is an educator with over 20 years of instructional experience working with students from kindergarten through the twelfth grade both academically and athletically. This includes working with students in Durham Public Schools (NC), Lee County Schools (NC), and Atlanta Public Schools (GA). He began his teaching and coaching career in Durham, North Carolina and relocated to Atlanta, Georgia in 2008. Over his career, athletic leadership duties included serving as an Athletic Director, Head Football Coach, Head Basketball Coach, and Head Baseball Coach. Areas of state teaching certification include Heath/Physical Education, Reading, Special Education: Adaptive Curriculum, and Gifted Education. He holds a national certification in Adapted Physical Education through the National Consortium for Physical Education for Individuals with Disabilities. Currently, he serves as an Adapted Physical Educator for Atlanta Public Schools providing direct and consultative service for all qualified K-12 students from the Frederick Douglass Cluster including 10 schools located on the westside of Atlanta, Georgia.
Ralph has experience serving schools from various demographic areas ranging from rural to urban settings and those identified as being high poverty as well as affluent. He has served most often with students and their families who are from disadvantaged areas who seek opportunities to improve their circumstances. This desire has provided him opportunities to volunteer on many occcassions across the metro Atlanta area.
Originally from North Carolina, Ralph gained a B.S. degree in Physical Education from North Carolina Central University and later earned a M.A. in Physical Education; Adapted Physical Education degree from Western Michigan University. He also received a graduate certificate in Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) from Western Michigan University.
Ralph lives in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Je-Anne, and their three daughters Brooklyn, Zara, and Reagan. He loves to travel and experience new things as well as most things involving being near the water.
Karen Hargrove - Board Advisor
Karen Dorsey Hargrove recently retired from Federal Service after over 30 years of distinguished work. She began her career with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, focusing on child welfare policies. Later, she transitioned to the U.S. Department of Education (ED), where she spent the majority of her career.
During her tenure at ED, Ms. Hargrove gained extensive experience with both discretionary and formula grant programs, providing support and technical assistance to applicants, grantees, and state and local education agencies. Her work included involvement with programs such as Title I, Title II, Title III, Race to the Top, and Promise Neighborhoods.
Ms. Hargrove earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Maryland at College Park and holds a master’s degree in public administration from George Washington University. Additionally, she is a trained mediator. She resides in Annapolis, Maryland, and is currently pursuing her passion for creative writing.