Princess Fumi Ogunleye Hancock holds a dual Bachelors degree in Nursing, English, and a doctorate degree in Communication Arts. She is a practicing Registered Nurse, a Counselor, was a group leader for “Real Women” at Cottonwood Christian Center in Southern California, where she also facilitated an Addiction & Recovery Life Group alongside her husband, David Hancock. While living in New York, she hosted, produced and directed a local Christian show “Straight Talk from the Heart of Jehovah God” in conjunction with the Rhema Prayer Ministries, Inc. as well as a 30 minute talk show called “Stepping Out with Dr. Fumi.” In addition, she has coordinated several programs for women and children with many social service agencies in the New York and New Jersey area, ranging from foster care, adoption, second chance homes for pregnant teenagers to crisis intervention programs for battered women and Tennessee where she now resides with her family.    In her books, she shares her story of growing up in a Nigerian Royal family, her sorrows, her healing,  and her greatest victory in the valley of hard times. Since then, she has written "Starting Right Now" and BEYOND IDOL WORSHIP: Diary of an African Warrior Princess.

Yolanda Shields has considered a number of entrepreneurial ventures–selling floral arrangements, painting, sculpturing, consulting services for corporations and nonprofits groups, grant writing and even national franchise businesses  – she discovered exactly what that something else should be after spending time with a good friend.  She has always enjoyed fashion and home decor.  She never thought she would have the opportunity to do it.   After meeting with her good friend Fumi and talking about how to connect fashion with giving back she knew exactly what the business would be for this season of her life.  She realized with ADASSA BRAND she would be able to combine making women feel good about fashion/ design and giving back to children and families worldwide.  Yolanda says “Adassa is not just about clothes, it is also about making a difference in the lives of others”.  Yolanda has a B.S. in Education and Social Work from Austin Peay State University and M.S. in Nonprofit Management and Leadership (Fall 2009).  She has held several management and consultant positions during her professional career. She has provided services for corporate and nonprofit companies across the country.  For over 19 years she has devoted her life to helping others, so it’s no surprise that she is seen as a gifted leader and advocate in her community.  She has assisted over 20 corporations in the areas of marketing, media relations, and business development, program best practice, celebrity charity management, fund development, special event planning, strategic planning, professional development training, and organizational sustainability.    Yolanda is sought after as a leader in her field to participate in brainstorming discussions on how to improve customer services, as well as fund development sustainability strategies in the nonprofit and corporate sector.  Yolanda takes leadership seriously.   The same zestful energy that she packs into being a great leader was also packed into building her career in the area of corporate and nonprofit management and training.  She desires to serve with integrity and leaves nothing less than a trail of excellence wherever she’s involved. Yolanda has earned the respect of individuals as well as the community in which she’s involved because she hones in on the day-to-day human contact skills that allow people to feel comfortable with her in order to accomplish the desired goals of their company or community group.  Organizations that contact her to provide a service are left with not only exceptional knowledge, but with the encouragement needed to continue on a path to accomplish the strategic goals for their companies’ growth.  Yolanda Shields also knows the importance of Philanthropy; she has worked hard to bring together generous givers to make a difference in communities with the goal of promoting the well-being of the communities most at risk. Over the years her leadership skills, along with her commitment as a community leader, have worked to her advantage in establishing partnerships with several small and large corporations across the country.  She is looking forward to bringing generous givers together to make a difference in the projects and programs that the Adassa Foundation implements.

Dr. David Allen Hancock received his BSA in Management Information Systems from the University of Michigan in 1981. In 1991, Dr. Hancock received a Masters in Interdisciplinary Technology from Eastern Michigan University culminating years later in his Doctorate in Management and Organizational Leadership. Dr. Hancock brings a wealth of experience in multiple industries and organizations to provide progressive solutions to today’s organizational issues. Dr. Hancock spent 22 years, the majority at Ford Motor Company, learning various aspects of the automotive industry… from Information Technology to Purchasing/ Procurement models as well as the science of Logistics and Distribution in Supply Chain Operations Management. In the Health Care Industry, Dr. Hancock has worked with some of the largest healthcare organizations in the United States, notably Blue Cross Blue Shield and Wellpoint, in the development of new strategies for membership enrollment, claims processing, business analysis, and project management.   AREAS OF SPECIALTY: MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP Expert on issues relating to trust within organizations affecting productivity and profitability. Keen observer and good listener to diagnose and solve problems of organizations. Able to meet obstacles and challenges and overcome them. Have worked as a consultant to major corporations and also managed teams in a corporate environment. Responsible for numerous projects that were managed to a successful conclusion.   LOGISTICS AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT Insightful and knowledgeable with regard to issues in transportation and logistics. Managed in-land transportation and distribution of goods by marine, rail, and truck modalities. Involved with import and export operations and the challenges inherent with these operations. Able to manage overall distribution network and personnel to maintain and grow organizational profitability.   INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT Experienced in bringing innovation solutions to data management challenges. Able to manage teams of developers and guide them to achieve project and organizational objectives. Industry experience includes automotive, health care, insurance, and software development. Brings unique perspective and inter-disciplinary skill set to provide answers to questions that may challenge others limited by a single, uni-dimensional viewpoint. Software utilized include: JCL, COBOL, DB2, IMS, PL/1, FORTRAN, and FOCUS. Query languages included: SQL, Showcase, and Advanced Microsoft Access. Platforms operated upon: IBM/MVS, Honeywell, Burroughs, MS/DOS, and AS400.

Brian Church entered the investment industry in 1998 with Putnam Investments where he specialized in modern portfolio construction and advanced client marketing. In 2001, Brian became the youngest Vice President in Putnam’s 60 year history and ran Putnam and Allstate's joint marketing arm in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky.  In 2002, Brian was promoted to Vice President, Regional Marketing Director in charge of Putnam Retail Management’s distribution in Tennessee and Kentucky. While still at Putnam Brian raised private equity capital and became an owner, Chief Executive Officer and Board Chairman of Last Pairs Inc., a division of American Athletics. Brian went on to lead the start-up to generate over one million dollars in gross revenues within the first year. In 2004, Brian accepted a position to become the General Manager, Managing Director at Shoemaker Financial, an independent wealth management firm that currently manages over 500 million dollars for its clients.  In four years, Brian has planted new branches in Nashville, TN and Evansville, IN for the 30 year old firm and has built a team of 28 employees who generate more than 2 million in revenue annually.  Brian recently was named Managing Partner at Shoemaker Financial, becoming the youngest to do so in the 130 year history of the Securian Financial Network. In 2008, Brian was the recipient of the prestigious Kruger award on behalf of his firm from GAMA International . Brian is a co-founder and resides as Board President, Chief Executive Officer for a business consulting and invention incubation firm called the Aslan Guild. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of the Youth Life Foundation of Tennessee benefiting underprivileged children.  Brian has a B.A. degree in Economics from Hampden-Sydney College, holds a Certificate of Financial Planning from Belmont University and is a Registered Principal with series 24,7,6,63,65 qualifications.

Les E. Stouder, attended Notre Dame and Indiana Universities, focusing on law and business. Currently, he is President and owner of Consolidated Appraisal Systems, a Brentwood, Tennessee based Real Estate Appraisal and consulting firm, established in 1991. Les is also Vice President of Stro-Bro Incorporated, an Indiana based commercial real estate Holding and Management Corporation, established in 1965.   Prior to this, he began as Superintendent and rose to Vice President of Planned Unit Environmental Development Corporation. Les holds two patents on products in the Automotive, truck and boat industries.  Through the development of these products and subsequent patents, Les conceived the initial vision and concepts that eventually became the Aslan Guild. Les has been engaged in consulting services in various capacities within the real estate industry, as well as intellectual property.  Consulting services provided include clients within the banking and lending industries for capital packaged loans, bank acquisitions and developmental projects.  Additionally, Les has consulted with various clients and entities in intellectual property pertaining to strategies for protection, development, manufacturing options and providers, and product concept and features claims for patent filing.

Lisa Conner began her career in banking over ten years ago as a retail associate at a large regional financial institution.  Her background in sales management gave her an edge in the development of methods and sales initiatives for her team.  When she was recruited by a smaller locally owned bank, she developed more of her skills in customer service while specializing in Individual Retirement Accounts and other investment services.  Lisa’s drive and determination to diversify her banking experience led her to a position in loan operations, where she was promoted to the compliance area, responsible for all of the HMDA (Home Mortgage Disclosure Act) and CRA (Community Reinvestment Act) audits and review of every loan origination at a prominent locally owned institution.    Within a short amount of time, Lisa was again recruited and accepted the role of Assistant Loan Operations Manager for a local bank that was growing at a rapid pace.  She continued to utilize her skills in heading up audit and compliance in the areas of HMDA and CRA.  While in this position she also began identifying and implementing many “best practice” procedures and policies in relation to the operational and retail components of banking, specifically as it pertains to the origination and maintenance of loans and lending practices.  She designed and facilitated multiple training seminars and workshops for all lending staff in the areas of compliance and administration of loans, and was also the key contact and trainer for all new lending associates.  In August of 2007, that bank merged with the fastest growing bank in the U.S. among all those chartered in the year 2000.  It is the largest locally owned financial services firm in Middle Tennessee, and Lisa accepted a position supporting executive management with a significant commercial and residential real estate loan portfolio.  Her current role affords her the opportunity to once again enjoy direct client contact and continue to utilize her detailed skills in managing loan files and legal compliance issues.    Because Lisa has held key positions in the areas of front line client contact as well as back room operations, she has a unique perspective for analyzing and developing best practices to increase efficiency and teamwork while maximizing productivity and streamlining workflow in operational and sales roles, especially in the areas of accurate data collection and quality control.  Her experience in training and designing forms and procedures has been key in providing an environment conducive to excellent audit results and scores from external auditors and federal bank examiners.   In her spare time, Lisa is also an entrepreneur.  She is a fashion stylist and make-up artist who started her own business and is quickly building a clientele of celebrities, including actors, music artists, business professionals, and individuals who want to look their ultimate best.  Her desire is to see people encouraged, realizing their inner beauty through the services she offers that change or enhance their outward physical appearance.

Lindsay Daly - From the time she was a young girl, Lindsay Daly knew she would work with children.  She spent her growing up years teaching and coaching those younger than her so it was a natural progression that she would study Education in college.  Earning her B.S. in Education from Lipscomb University in 2005, Lindsay immediately entered the non-profit arena.  Beginning as an after-school teacher serving at-risk youth, she quickly learned the skills needed to assess the basic needs of students and families and assimilate the necessary plans to effectively reach them.    Within a year, Lindsay took on a new position as Program Director in the organization.  The responsibilities to assess, serve, and train now applied to front-line staff rather than just a classroom of students.  Lindsay has managed a team of ten (10) after-school teachers, covering six (6) community sites and approximately 160 children.  This required overseeing adult-student interaction, effective lesson planning and implementation, hiring and training new staff, and assuring overall quality of services provided.  Research in best practices and programmatic structures and flows allowed Lindsay to assist in developing the academic enrichment and character focused after-school program with measurable results and outcomes.  Training new and on-going staff also became a critical piece in maintaining a high quality of excellence.  Lindsay provided training in the areas of Classroom Management, teaching reading, Lesson planning, and the Benefits of Tracking Outcomes.    Trainings Facilitated or Co-Facilitated Teaching Reading/Forming Reading Groups  Benefits of Tracking Outcomes  Classroom Management Best Practices  Lesson Planning  Planning Based on the Learner: Using learning styles to effectively teach  Creative ways to teach Mathematics  Asking Questions: Open-ended vs. Closed  Best practice for Youth Development