Fostering Solutions

Tamara Rush: A Businesswoman who Champions Community Service and Advocacy

Tamara Rush, a proud alumna of West Virginia State University, has dedicated two decades to the field of social work and community service. Growing up in Washington Manor, a Charleston Housing apartment complex in Charleston, West Virginia, Tamara's childhood environment inspired her passion for fairness, advocacy, and community service.

 

Tamara's career began as a Child Protective Service Worker, playing a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of vulnerable children in both West Virginia and North Carolina. After her tenure in child protective services, she transitioned to become a case manager for the Comforts of Home program, where she provided essential services for the elderly and adults with mental health diagnoses.

 

At EnAct Community Action, Tamara was entrusted with launching the statewide Medicaid program, Right from the Start. In this role, she supported mothers during their first year of pregnancy, offering them education, support, and baby supplies. Recognizing a broader need, Tamara secured grant funding to establish a baby pantry, providing much-needed resources to program participants. Additionally, she initiated the Mom’s Night Out event, which celebrated motherhood with prizes, meals, entertainment, and appreciation.

 

Tamara’s exceptional leadership and dedication led her to the role of Community Service Block Grant Director at EnAct Community Action. In this position, she guided her team in developing and implementing programs that addressed the needs of disadvantaged families across five counties. Her effective management and empathetic approach culminated in the opening of her own business, She vs Her Beauty Supply Boutique, in 2020.

 

Driven by a desire to provide representation in the beauty industry, Tamara meticulously planned the opening of her store over two years. Despite facing significant setbacks, her resilience and determination saw her through to the successful launch of She vs Her Beauty Supply Boutique. The boutique serves as a community hub where women can discuss everything from politics to popular culture, creating a safe space for women to be seen and heard.

 

Tamara's journey did not end with her store opening. As the Executive Director of Our Future WV, she continues her advocacy for justice, healthcare, housing, civic engagement, and education in West Virginia. 

 

In her personal life, Tamara enjoys simple pleasures like dinner and a movie, and cherishes spending time with friends and family. Her unwavering commitment to her community and her work exemplifies her as a true champion of service and advocacy.

 

Ashley Wright and Chef Ke: Culinary Trailblazers

Ashley Wright

 

Ashley Wright is a second-generation restaurateur who developed her entrepreneurial spirit early on by working in her father’s businesses before and after school. 

 

Before joining the family business at Dem 2 Brothers and a Grill in 2017, Ashley enjoyed a successful 10-year career as a department manager at Publix Supermarket. Her management experience at Publix equipped her with the skills needed to transition smoothly into fully managing operations at her family’s restaurant.

 

Ashley’s unwavering determination and strategic mindset have been instrumental in her success. She embraces challenges with iron-will determination, an incredible amount of patience, and a readiness to learn from every experience. Under her leadership, “Dem 2 Brothers and a Grill” has flourished into one of Charleston’s beloved downtown eateries, earning widespread community support.

 

Through her tenacity, infectious smile, and business acumen, Ashley has become an inspiration to young, aspiring entrepreneurs, especially women looking to make their mark in the business world. Her story is a testament to the power of perseverance, passion, and dedication in achieving entrepreneurial success.

Chef Ke 

 

Chef Ke, originally from Alexandria, Virginia, is the Head Chef and Kitchen Manager of Dem 2 Brothers and A Grill. She also works as a private chef and caterer, dedicated to incorporating Soul Food and African American cuisine, often collaborating with Black West Virginia Farmers.

 

Her culinary journey is deeply rooted in her upbringing. Influenced by her mother, a South Carolina native, Chef Ke developed a passion for cooking early on, attending 4-H and YMCA camps in her youth. This foundation has shaped her into the chef she is today.

 

Chef Ke is on a mission to shine a light on what it means to be an African American woman in a male-dominated industry. She honors the legacy of those who have come before her, breaking barriers and championing the rich history of Black chefs.

 

Beyond her exceptional culinary skills, Chef Ke is committed to education and advocacy. She works tirelessly to preserve and celebrate African American culinary traditions, ensuring they are passed down and appreciated by future generations. Her dedication and innovative approach make her a true trailblazer in the culinary world.

 

Women in Business: Consandra Leonard, Silhouette Boutique

Consandra D. Leonard is a seasoned Risk Management Property Adjuster with 32 years of dedicated service, licensed in nine states across the country. Her academic accomplishments include a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from West Virginia State University. Consandra is also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Charleston Institute Alumnae Chapter, serving on the Executive Leadership Committee as the Treasurer.

 

With an entrepreneurial spirit, Consandra began investing in real estate, which led to the significant expense of preparing her yearly tax returns. To manage this, she became a federal tax associate, eventually rising to the role of Senior Tax Specialist with over 20 years of experience.

 

In 2014, Consandra ventured into retail business ownership by launching an online women's boutique store called Silhouette Boutique. Her mission is to inspire women to love their curves while feeling and looking their absolute finest. In 2017, she expanded the store into a mobile women's clothing store, purchasing and renovating a 16ft Step Van (Bread truck) to create a traveling boutique. By 2019, she moved her boutique into brick-and-mortar locations at the Charleston Town Center Mall and the Huntington Mall. However, due to the changing landscape of malls, she recently returned to operating her store online only.

 

Noticing a lack of networking opportunities among Black women business owners, Consandra founded the Black Women’s Business Owners of West Virginia (BWBO of WV) in January 2018. The organization provides inclusive opportunities for Black businesswomen to receive instructional training, education, and networking skills from industry leaders and organizations across West Virginia. Membership is open to women of all ages, ethnicities, interests, and professions. BWBO of WV aims to restore access and fill the needs of Black women with entrepreneurial aspirations and dreams while pushing West Virginia forward.

 

As part of BWBO's efforts, they host an Annual Black Women Business Owners Expo, which provides members with the opportunity to promote and strengthen their businesses and services to the public, both locally and nationally. This event allows members to generate new business, rekindle relationships with customers, and build a more substantial business for the future.

 

In her spare time, Consandra loves spending time with her family and traveling. She has vacationed in 30 U.S. states, visited ten countries, and set foot on three continents. When asked about her most successful achievement, she proudly says it is raising her two beautiful children.

Women in Business: Dr. Jerica Wesley, Restored Wellness Life Enrichment Services, LLC.

Today's guest: Dr. Jerica Wesley, a proud native of West Virginia, has dedicated over a decade to serving her community as a Licensed Professional Counselor. With extensive experience in both school and community settings, she has supported the mental health of youth and adults in roles such as school counselor and community mental health provider.

 

Dr. Wesley's academic journey began at Marshall University and Ohio University, where she ultimately earned a doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision. Currently, she is an Assistant Professor at Marshall University, her alma mater, where she educates students in the graduate counseling program.

 

Her research is particularly focused on dismantling barriers that disrupt the continuity of care for Black women experiencing reproductive loss and trauma. Dr. Wesley collaborates across disciplines to raise awareness about the high rates of infant, perinatal, and maternal mortality in West Virginia, striving to close the disparity gap affecting Black women in her state. She shares her insights and findings through local and national presentations, highlighting her innovative work on The Bioecological Model of Reproductive Loss.

 

Beyond her academic and research endeavors, Dr. Wesley founded Restored Wellness Life Enrichment Services, LLC. Through this practice, she aims to "restore the village" by offering consultation, continuing education, clinical supervision, culturally sensitive counseling, and doula services. Her commitment to holistic and inclusive care underscores her mission to improve mental health and reproductive outcomes for her community.

 

Dr. Jerica Wesley's dedication to her profession and her community establishes her as a leading figure in the fields of mental health and reproductive justice in West Virginia.

2024 Delta Authors on Tour - Midwest Region Stop

This special episode of Fostering Solutions showcases the authors who will be part of the Midwest Region stop of Delta Authors on Tour on May 4, 2024, at the Kanawha County Public Library, downtown branch. Whether you're a fan of gripping fiction, thought-provoking nonfiction, captivating memoirs, or children’s books, there's something for everyone. Listen to this episode to get a preview of the authors and their books before you join us in person at the free event at the library.

Maximizing with Michelle: Justin Clark, Executive Director of The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Charleston, West Virginia

Justin Clark is the Executive Director of The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Clubs of Charleston, West Virginia. Justin moved to the Mountain State in May of 2021 and led the process of reopening the Clubs to in-person programming following a 15-month COVID-19 related closure. During his tenure, the Clubs have been recognized at the state and national level for successes in programming and advocacy, have significantly increased revenue, and are on track to exceed pre-COVID attendance levels in the fall of 2023.

 

Justin, a first-generation college student, obtained his Master of Public Administration degree with a concentration in nonprofit management in May 2023. He looks forward to pursuing a doctoral degree in the future. When he isn’t at work Justin can be found spending time with his family, attempting to perfect his biscuit recipe, or enjoying a book on the front porch.

 

Justin & his wife Anne Marie enjoy the peace and quiet around Kanawha State Forest where they live with their sons, Asher (6) and Simeon (4) along with Anne Marie’s grandmother, Dora.

Maximizing with Michelle: Clint Arnold, CEO, Kanawha Institute for Social Research & Action, Inc. (KISRA)

Clinton Arnold is the CEO of KISRA, Inc. This nonprofit organization provides life, business, affordable housing, mental health, and coaching programs for the recovery, transitioning, and youth populations throughout West Virginia. He is also a West Virginia State University professor, teaching entrepreneurship, marketing, and business operations courses.

 

Clinton is a former business owner and telecommunications professional. He spent 25 years with Verizon Communications Inc. before retiring in 2013 as a director, where he led teams in sales, product marketing, product development, training, channel sales, customer marketing, and operations and communications, earned multiple President’s Leadership awards, as well as Platinum, Presidents and Diamond Club awards for sales and operations excellence.

 

Additionally, after serving faithfully in churches since his youth, he answered a call to serve as an Executive Pastor. He was licensed as an Executive Pastor in 2014 and is a certified Faith Based Counselor specializing in marriage and relationships.

 

The foundation of his experience is education, training, and life. He has a BA in Communications from the University of Kentucky, where he was the baseball team co-captain his senior year. He was also a four-year letterman and All-SEC performer for the baseball team from 1982-1986. He earned an MBA from the University of Charleston and graduated from the University of Maryland Executive Leadership Program, and the Center for Creative Leadership in San Diego, CA. He has completed the first year of the Doctorate in Business Administration program at Marshall University. He expects to defend his dissertation in the Spring of 2025.

 

He has been married to Trina, a retired teacher, and UK graduate, for 37 years, and they have two grown children and five grandchildren.

Maximizing with Michelle: Jessica Hudson, Executive Director, Dress for Success River Cities/Kanawha Valley

After nearly 15 years of a serving several different non-profit organizations throughout the Kanawha Valley,  in the fall of 2015 Jessica Hudson took her passion and desire to positively impact people and communities to Huntington, where she became the Executive Director of Dress for Success River Cities, which recently opened a branch in the Kanawha Valley.  After attending Concord University,  Jessica later furthered her education by obtaining her Fundraising Management Certification through the School of Philanthropy at IUPUI.  With the knowledge gained through that educational experience , along with a natural ability to engage an audience through her stories and experiences,  Jessica has devoted herself not only to her current cause of empowering and supporting women, but to sharing her expertise and knowledge with others.  She is passionate about encouraging people to devote their time, talents and treasures to make their community a better place.   In 2017 Jessica accepted the Momentum Award from Dress for Success Worldwide, the first award of its kind. This award was in recognition of the achievements of the affiliate to overcome some significant obstacles to build a thriving and sustainable organization.  Jessica has been instrumental in helping Dress for Success River Cities reach new heights and more importantly serve more women in need of support to move from poverty to self-sufficiency. Outside of her career, Jessica is dedicated to being a mom to a busy 17-year-old and supporting his goals, as well as a fan of WVU athletics, traveling and DIY projects. 

 

Maximizing with Michelle: Dural Miller, CEO of Keep Your Faith Corporation

Dural is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of KYFC, Inc. Through partnership and mission focused drive, Dural has been able to apply leadership and community support to strategies designed to meet individual and collective social needs of family and community. Since 2006, Dural and his team of committed volunteers and professionals have been able to positively impact community wellness by moving forward school and community-based social programs developed to promote positive social and health outcomes.

Maximizing with Michelle: Sharon Lansdale, President/CEO of the Center for Rural Health Development, Inc.

Ms. Lansdale is the President/CEO of the Center for Rural Health Development, Inc.. She joined the Center in 1994 and brings over 40 years’ experience in health and health care resulting from her work in both the private and public health sectors. The Center is a private nonprofit that works to strengthen West Virginia’s health care system and improve the health of West Virginians.

Before entering public health, Sharon worked as a hospital pharmacist, including serving as the director of pharmacy at a hospital in Charleston. As a hospital pharmacist she was engaged in educating patients with diabetes about how to manage their diabetes once discharged from the hospital. This led her to the WV Bureau for Public Health where she developed the Bureau’s first diabetes control program. After serving as a consultant at the Bureau for about 10 years, she became the Director of the Division of Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention. In this role, she managed the development of several chronic disease control programs and community health improvement programs such as Planned Approach to Community Health (PATCH) and Community-Oriented Primary Care (COPC).

Through her role at both the WV Bureau for Public Health and Center she has focused on the health and health care needs of rural communities in West Virginia. The Center created the WV Rural Health Infrastructure Loan Fund to provide a source of affordable capital financing for health care providers and organizations in the state. Since 2001, the Center has partnered with banks and other funders to leverage over $65 million in health care infrastructure improvements in the state.

Throughout her work at the Center, Sharon has focused on the linkages between both health and health care and economic development. In fall 2018, recognizing that community health and economic prosperity are inextricably linked, the Center launched Wild, Wonderful and Healthy West Virginia. Through Wild, Wonderful and Healthy West Virginia the Center works to strengthen the capacity of communities to improve the health of residents and create a community culture that supports entrepreneurial and small business development.

Sharon has received recognition for her work to address health and health care disparities, especially in rural and under-served communities throughout her career. Recent recognition of note includes the CDC’s Childhood Immunization Champion Award in 2012 and the Health Innovator Award by the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation in 2019 in recognition of the Foundation’s 75th Anniversary.