Episodes
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Dr. Kristi Dumas: It’s Time to Get Unstuck
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Monday Oct 03, 2022
Dr. Foster’s guest on this episode of Fostering Solutions is Dr. Kristi Williams Dumas. Kristi is a native of California and transplant to West Virginia. She received a Bachelors of Science from California University Bakersfield, a Masters of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from California State University Northridge, and a Doctorate of Psychology with an emphasis in Forensics from Argosy University of Orange. She has worked in the mental health field for over 25 years. Dr. Dumas is a forensic psychologist by trade. She is recognized as a qualified expert witness and routinely provides court testimony on the local, state, and federal levels. Kristi and her husband own Dumas Psychology Collective, a licensed behavioral health center and The Brain Training Center WV, a wellness center that offers neurofeedback brain training, yoga, and holistic health classes. Kristi is dedicated to the betterment of her community through philanthropy and civic engagement. She is the newest member appointed to the Governor’s Council-Public Education Subcommittee for the State of West Virginia. Her role is to develop initiatives and campaigns to reduce the stigma around mental health. Dr. Dumas serves as a Commissioner on the Raleigh County Human Rights Commission. Kristi is honored to be the West Virginia Alumni Fellow of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation where she represents and advocates for the over 5.5 million military caregivers across the nation. She is a member of American Psychology Law Society, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, The Links Incorporated, Beckley Rotary Club, and Downtown Beckley Business Association. Kristi is co-host of the Bloody Mary Quilt Society Podcast and the author of the book Unstuck: Moving Toward Your Ideal Life.
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Assignment Guyana: Hannah Porter Pursuing her Passion in the Peace Corps
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Assignment Guyana: Hannah Porter Pursuing her Passion in the Peace Corps
Hannah Porter, a 2022 graduate of Angelo State University, accepted an assignment to serve in the Peace Corps. She left her home in Austin, Texas earlier this week to spend the next 27 months teaching in Guyana, South America. A native of Guyana, Dr. Foster speaks with Hannah in this episode about pursuing her passion for teaching in the land of many waters.
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Changed Assignment: President Ericke Cage
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Changed Assignment: President Ericke Cage
President Ericke Cage is Dr. Foster’s guest on this episode of Fostering Solutions. The 13th president of West Virginia State University, President Cage is a native of Halifax County, Virginia. He joined the university in July 2021 as vice president and chief of staff and was subsequently appointed by the Board as the university’s chief operating officer on July 30, 2021, with responsibility for managing the day-to-day operations of the university. Since assuming the leadership of West Virginia State University, Cage has prioritized institutional stabilization and operational optimization, renewal of the “state spirit,” the development and expansion of high demand academic programs, and the cultivation of a diverse range of internal and external relationships to support WVSU’s forward momentum and growth.
Under Cage’s leadership, the university was able to obtain historic levels of state funding for its land-grant programs and Healthy Grandfamilies program during the recently concluded state legislative session. Also, the university recently obtained a more than $700,000 grant from the Kanawha County Commission to launch a Cybersecurity Innovation Center at WVSU in fall 2022. Plans are also underway to add the university’s first doctoral degree program in education.
Prior to joining WVSU, Cage most recently served as executive advisor to the president and Board of Visitors at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia – where as a member of the university’s executive management team he served as principal advisor to the university president and board of visitors on matters related to institutional policy making, governance, government relations, and university ombudsman. Cage also served as speechwriter for Norfolk State’s presidents and board chairs.
While at Norfolk State University, Cage led the university’s 2019-2025 strategic plan committee, served as the chief architect of the university’s 2019-2020 self-assessment, and modernized the university’s policymaking process to improve decision making and compliance. As a former education lobbyist, Cage was instrumental in expanding Norfolk State’s presence and impact on Capitol Hill and before the Virginia General Assembly.
He directly supported outreach efforts that helped Norfolk State secure the largest state appropriation in the history of the university. While at Norfolk State, Cage also authored a successful $2.7 million grant proposal to support student access, retention, and completion. As the principal advisor and speechwriter to Norfolk State’s presidents and governing board chairs, Cage played a pivotal role in developing the institution’s strategic priorities and crafting the narratives that helped to move these priorities forward. As university ombudsman, he advanced a culture of care and inclusion at Norfolk State by serving as a confidential resource for employees as they worked through issues of conflict and challenge.
Prior to joining Norfolk State University, Cage served as director of government affairs for Teach for America, and also served as state policy and research director for the Obama-Biden 2012 reelection campaign. Cage served as legislative counsel for U.S. Congressman Tom Perriello, where he managed a legislative portfolio that included federal education, healthcare, defense, and veterans affairs policy. Cage also served as a law clerk for the U.S. Department of Defense, and a legislative fellow for the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. He also served as a congressional fellow in the office of U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison. During law school, he completed summer legal placements in the New York City Law Department’s Special Litigation Unit and at Prudential Financial Corporation. Cage began his professional career as a high school government teacher in his hometown of Halifax County, Virginia, where he was recognized as teacher of the year by the senior class in 2004.
Cage is a graduate of Virginia Tech and the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in leadership studies. He holds a juris doctorate from the Rutgers University Law School, where he served as an Associate Editor of the Women’s Rights Law Reporter, Associate Editor of the Rutgers Business Law Journal, Member of the Rutgers Moot Court Board, and Third Circuit Governor of the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division. Cage holds a masters of law degree in litigation and dispute resolution from the George Washington University Law School. He is also a graduate of the United States Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College and the University of Virginia’s Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership.
Cage currently serves on the boards of the Mountain East Conference, the West Virginia State University Research and Development Corporation, and the West Virginia State University Foundation. He is a past board member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Alumni Association and the U.S. Selective Service System (local board). Cage is an active member of the Rotary Club of Charleston, West Virginia.
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Matt Young: There’s a Runner in You
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Wednesday Sep 21, 2022
Matt Young, Head Coach of Genesis Running, is Dr. Foster’s guest on this episode. Dr. Foster was coached by Matt for several years and is a 10K runner. She believes that any able-bodied person can run and it’s a wonderful way to get and stay fit. The Genesis 5K Program is a great way to start your running journey. There are several classes during the year in three locations. The next one starts on September 26. Check out genesisrunning.info for more information.
In Matt’s words, “I’ve raced on roads and trails in events from 5ks to 100 miles, century bike rides, and triathlons but I don’t win races. I’m not a superstar runner, but I’ve learned some things along the way that have helped me improve over the past 23 years and I love to share those lessons with others. I’m a Road Runner Club of America certified coach and have been certified to teach natural running, running the way the body is made to do it. The Genesis 5k training program started in 2007 after I watched my dad, who at the age of 64, went from barely running ¼ mile to running a 4-mile race in just nine weeks. So I thought, if it works for him it can work for anyone. Since 2007 we’ve had over 3500 people in the Kanawha Valley learn to run through Genesis Running. Running is the easiest, most affordable, most portable, and most efficient exercise you can do but so many people don’t know where to start, and that’s why I’m here to help.”
Tuesday Sep 20, 2022
LaKeisha Barron-Brown: Making INROADS for Youth
Tuesday Sep 20, 2022
Tuesday Sep 20, 2022
LaKeisha Barron-Brown: Making INROADS for Youth
LaKeisha Barron-Brown is Dr. Foster’s guest on this episode of Fostering Solutions. A native of Detroit, Michigan, LaKeisha has lived in Charleston, West Virginia, for most of her life. She is a South Charleston High School and Marshall University graduate.
LaKeisha has an extensive professional background in providing therapeutic services to the substance abuse population. In 2013, the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals hired her to serve as the Probation Officer/Coordinator for the Putnam County Adult Drug Court, a newly created program within the Putnam County area. After leaving Putnam County, she later went on the work for Aetna as a Medicaid Members’ Advocate. However, as LaKeisha has enjoyed working with the substance abuse population, she recognized her true passion was working with the youth.
LaKeisha is currently the INROADS College Links WV Program Manager. This position allows LaKeisha to help foster personal, educational, and leadership development skills among traditionally underserved minority high school students. As an INROADS alumnus, LaKeisha can attest to how the program influenced her college and career success. As a result, she desires to ensure that scholars within the area have the same opportunities.
In her spare time, LaKeisha is devoted to impacting the community. On October 26, 2021, LaKeisha lost her 21-year-old son to COVID-19, and since his passing, she has found strength in serving her community through her grief. She has made it a mission to educate the community on COVID awareness and the importance of getting vaccinated. She has also authored a self-help journal entitled: Loss of Self: Turning Sorrow into Service ™ and an autobiography titled Through the Eye of a Crack Soul. LaKeisha recognizes that her strength to “Survive” is a guiding force in inspiring and uplifting others.
In 2020, LaKeisha was selected as a WVSSAC Girls’ Basketball State Tournament official. Not only was it an honor for her to be chosen, but she made history as the First African American woman to officiate a WVSSAC Girls’ Basketball Tournament. Alongside making history as the first African American woman, the three-person crew was also African American, which had never occurred in West Virginia. LaKeisha is currently the Vice President of the Charleston-Institute Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc., a devoted mother, grandmother, and a community advocate for the citizens of Charleston, particularly the youth.
Monday Apr 11, 2022
Monday Apr 11, 2022
Attorneys Kitty Dooley, Stephanie Coleman, and Nicole McConlogue join Dr. Foster on this special episode of Fostering Solutions to share their perspectives on the confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as a Justice on the US Supreme Court.
Katherine L. “Kitty” Dooley has been a practicing attorney for more than twenty-nine years. She is the principal of The Dooley Law Firm, P.L.L.C. where she concentrates her practice in plaintiff’s personal injury, employment and administrative law. Click here for a detailed bio.
Stephanie M. Coleman is the Director of the Low Income Taxpayer Advocacy Clinic at West Virginia University College of Law. Click here for a detailed bio.
Nicole McConlogue is an Associate Professor and Clinic Director, primarily teaching in the Litigation and Advocacy Clinic at West Virginia University School of Law. Click here for a detailed bio.
Friday Apr 01, 2022
Black Immigrant Women Pursuing their Passions
Friday Apr 01, 2022
Friday Apr 01, 2022
Dr. Foster’s guests on this episode of Fostering Solutions are Karen Wharton and Dr. Saran Nurse. Karen is a political organizer based in Brooklyn. She’s currently the Democracy Coalition Coordinator for Citizen Action of New York & Public Policy and Education Fund, supporting the implementation of public campaign finance in the state of New York and the development of a BIPOC-centered democracy. The goal is to make democracy more inclusive and representative. Previously, she was the Brooklyn Education Organizer for Rank the Vote NYC (2021), the Field Director on Sandy Nurse for NYC Council (2020), the Assistant Field Director on Jason Salmon for NYS Senate (2020); and the Volunteer Coordinator on Art Chang for NYC Mary (2021). In addition, Karen was a member of the campaign team that successfully advocated for the passage of ranked choice voting in the November 2019 municipal election. Karen comes to political organizing after working for many years as a Systems Engineer. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and an MS in Telecommunications. An immigrant from Guyana. Karen’s activism in her community is varied and vibrant. Karen is a member of the Canarsie Lions Club. She served on the 2016 Symposium Sub-Committee of the organizers of Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary Celebrations that organized The National Symposium Series held during Guyana’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in Georgetown and New York. She is a Founding Member of the Queen’s-based Guyana-Jamaica Friendship Association. As President of The Queen’s College of Guyana Alumni Association (NY), Inc. (2016-2018), Karen was instrumental in the growth and development of the organization’s student-facing programs, such as the annual summer math institute and the annual student conferences that brought alumni and students together for learning. She also instituted a cultural component to the organization’s outreach through programs that celebrated and promoted Guyanese heritage artists, authors, and filmmakers. And Karen championed diversity, equity, and inclusion schoolwide as a Packer Collegiate Institute’s Parent Association Board Member (2011-2016). In her spare time, Karen leads a Brooklyn book club that focuses on female authors and writings that center women. Close to twenty years ago, Dr. Saran Nurse became an entrepreneur. Propelled by a lifetime passion – and much to the consternation of her family – she relinquished a corporate career, cashed out her 401K, and sold her apartment to open her first pet care services store. Despite challenges, she grew Kiki’s Pet Spa & Boutique into a successful business with multiple locations. In the process, she became convinced of a calling to combine her experience in entrepreneurship, and interest in public service, with my academic ambitions – to share her expertise through research and published work, and to explore and develop new policies and theories. To this end, Saran entered the Public and Urban Policy doctoral program at The Milano School of International Affairs, Management and Urban Policy at The New School. Within four years, she defended - with distinction - her dissertation Still Standing: An Analytic Autoethnographic Case Study Examining Resilience, Business Survival And Other Entrepreneurial Outcomes of Black Small Business Owners Under Conditions Of Gentrification. She is now now an Equity in Action Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow at Kean University. She has taught a variety of business courses including Entrepreneurship, Social Entrepreneurship, Business Ethics, Managing in Times of Crisis, Marketing Management, and Gender and Sexuality in Marketing. Saran earned her Bachelor’s degree (Cum Laude) in Marketing and International Business from Florida International University, and Master of Business Administration from Georgetown University. She enjoys working out, cooking, travelling, and writing.
Wednesday Mar 23, 2022
Olubunmi Kusimo-Frazier: Leading in the Legal Profession
Wednesday Mar 23, 2022
Wednesday Mar 23, 2022
Attorney Olubunmi “Bunmi” Kusimo-Frazier is Dr. Foster’s guest on this episode of Fostering Solution. Bunmi was born and raised in Charleston, West Virginia. A magna cum laude graduate of Florida A& M University, Bunmi also holds a juris doctor from Washington and Lee University School of Law, in Lexington, Virginia. After law school graduation, Bunmi returned to Charleston to work as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and as a criminal defense lawyer for a private firm.
As a criminal defense attorney, Bunmi represented numerous clients in federal, state, and municipal courts, and was named one of the "Top 40 under 40" by the National Trial Lawyers Association. She also worked as a Deputy Counsel for the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. Bunmi currently works as the Director of Magistrate Court Services the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, where she manages over several hundred employees, and the operations of the fifty-five magistrate courts in the State of West Virginia.
Bunmi served on the WVU Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Faculty, in Fall and Spring of 2021, presenting a course on magistrate courts. She currently serves as a Commissioner on the WV Juvenile Justice Commission; and is a member of the State of West Virginia’s Traffic Records Coordinating Committee. Bunmi is also the co-Chair of the Minority Lawyer’s Committee of the West Virginia State Bar.
Bunmi is married to Stuart Frazier, and they have one daughter, Naomi. She is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha Omicron Omega Chapter, and the Charleston-Institute (WV) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.
Friday Mar 18, 2022
Morgan Rhea Beals: Succeeding in Business in Appalachia
Friday Mar 18, 2022
Friday Mar 18, 2022
Morgan Rhea Beals is Dr. Foster’s guest on this episode of Fostering Solutions. Morgan and her husband Michael started Morgan Rhea, an American-made luxury leather brand, in 2015. Morgan always knew she wanted to be in the fashion industry. Coloring and designing outfits were her favorite past time. Her mother, Kathi, would take her along on her work trips. Kathi was an account executive for Elizabeth Arden. Morgan was always around fashion and drew inspiration from her grandmothers and aunts.
Morgan is a graduate of Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College, where she earned her Associate in Fashion Merchandising degree. Additionally, she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Accessory Design at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in 2014.
While at SCAD, Morgan was selected to meet with industry leaders, including Zac Posen and Alexander Wang. She learned from professionals how to perfect the art of making accessories. Upon graduation, Morgan won an international award for Best Student-Made Handbag at the International Handbag Designer Awards for her “Ronald Briefcase” from her Silently Speaking Gratitude Collection. She also made a pair of shoes for singer John Legend. As an apprentice at the Coach headquarters in New York City, Morgan learned even more sophisticated leather-crafting techniques at the 78-year-old luxury goods company.
After completing her time in New York City, Morgan returned to her Appalachian roots and started her family-owned business in Charleston, West Virginia. Morgan Rhea continues to work with celebrity clientele while growing internationally.
Tuesday Mar 15, 2022
5 Christian Self-Care Principles for Life Balance
Tuesday Mar 15, 2022
Tuesday Mar 15, 2022
In celebration of Women’s History Month 2022, I first shared this message at my home church, Ferguson Memorial Baptist. As we live through these COVID years, the need for self-care has become increasingly important. Self-care is the practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s well-being and happiness, especially during periods of stress. Self-care is not selfish. Self-care is not indulgent. Self-care is necessary for us to cope in the midst of chaos. Jesus practiced self-care. He not only cared for others, but he took care of himself, physically, mentally, and spiritually. If Jesus practiced self-care, so should we!