Turry M. Flucker

Turry Miguel Flucker is recognized as a transformational and entrepreneurial leader with more than thirty years of experience in government relations, arts administration, historic preservation, fundraising, curatorial practice, teaching, and library and archive management. Flucker is the Vice President of Collections and Partnerships at the Terra Foundation for American Art, overseeing the foundation's collection of more than 750 paintings, prints, drawings, photographs, and sculptures by 247 artists from the 1750s to 1980s, as well as its 9,000-volume American art library, based in Chicago, Illinois, and Paris, France. Flucker serves as an executive officer at the foundation.

Flucker's commitment to art history and philanthropy has been shaped by the writings of Samella Lewis, Cedric Dover, Edwin Embree, and Charles S. Johnson. He is the author of Art and Activism at Tougaloo College and of an exhibition review titled Beyond the Blues: Reflections of African America in the Fine Arts Collection of the Amistad Research Center. He has also co-authored pictorial publications documenting African Americans' contributions in New Orleans, Louisiana, and in Jackson, Mississippi.

Flucker is a graduate of the Center for Curatorial Leadership, affiliated with Columbia Business School; the Center for the Study of Southern Culture at the University of Mississippi, where he earned a Magister Artium in Southern Studies with an emphasis in Art History; Tougaloo College, where he received an Artium Baccalaureus in History with an emphasis in African American Studies; and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, Texas, where he earned a High School Diploma and a Vocal Music Certificate.

Shirlethia V. Franklin, Esq.

Shirlethia is a Partner in the Washington, DC office of Jones Day. She is the practice leader for Jones Day’s New Lawyers Group, former co-chair of the Firm’s Black Lawyers Group, and a partner in the Business and Tort Litigation practice where she litigates complex, high-stakes cases across a broad range of industries. She also maintains an active pro bono practice, most notably playing a pivotal role in Jones Day’s Rule of Law in Africa trainings in Kenya, representing migrants in asylum cases, and serving as first-chair counsel in a matter defending the Charlottesville city councilors’ vote to relocate the Confederate statues at the center of the violent rally there in August 2017. Shirlethia has been recognized by The National Law Journal as a “D.C. Rising Star,” Bloomberg Law’s “They’ve Got Next,” and the Washington Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 for her “proven track record of success.”

Prior to joining Jones Day, Shirlethia was Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) during the Obama administration. In these roles, she counseled two Attorneys General on significant law enforcement issues, high-profile environmental matters, and key policy initiatives. She also served as a lead on the DOJ Agency Review Team during the 2020 Biden-Harris transition. Shirlethia is a former White House Fellow—one of the nation’s most prestigious fellowships for leadership and public service—and former member of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships and Board of Directors of the White House Fellows Foundation and Association.

Shirlethia currently serves on the board for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and was awarded the Brooks Burdette “Rising Impact” Award by the Lawyers’ Committee in 2022 for her work in connection with the nomination and confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

A proud Mississippi Delta native, Shirlethia received her B.A. from Tougaloo College, where she graduated Valedictorian and served as Student Government Association President. She currently serves as Governance Chair of the Tougaloo College Board of Trustees. She received her Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the Howard Law Journal.

Marcia L. Fudge, Esq.

Marcia is a partner in Taft’s Public Affairs Strategies Group and serves as firmwide Chair of Public Policy. She brings more than five decades of experience working with lawmakers, elected officials, key staff, and coalitions at the local, state, and federal levels. From 2021 to 2024, she served as the 18th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). During her tenure, Marcia led initiatives to increase housing supply, eradicate the growing homelessness issue, end discriminatory practices in the housing market, and ensure compliance with fair housing rules.

From 2008 to 2021, Marcia was the U.S. representative for the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. She was a member of several Congressional Caucuses and past Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. As a member of Congress, Marcia earned a reputation of tackling the unique challenges of her district by working with her congressional delegation and across political ideologies.

In 1999, she was elected the first female and first African American mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, a position she held for two terms. As mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, she adopted one of the first vacant and abandoned property ordinances in the state. She worked with local officials to develop a taskforce to protect against predatory lending and she secured the inclusion of property maintenance grants in the Warrensville Revitalization Action Plan. Additionally, she brought new residential development to the city and addressed the city’s growing foreclosure crisis through the formation of a local partnership that helped residents maintain the financial security needed to buy or keep a home.

Marcia’s career in public service began in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, where she rose to the rank of Director of Budget and Finance.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in business from The Ohio State University and law degree from the Cleveland State University School of Law. She served as the 21st national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is a member of its Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter.

Tray Hairston, CEcD, Esq.

Tray Hairston, CEcD, Esq., is a partner at Butler Snow LLP, concentrating on public finance and economic development matters, including all types of municipal bond issues. He serves as bond counsel for taxable and tax-exempt financings throughout the country and has worked on more than $3 billion in transactions. One of Hairston's seminal legal publications is The Future of Economic Development, 35 Miss. C.L. Rev. 370 (2017).

Before joining Butler Snow, Hairston served as Counsel and Economic Development Advisor to Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. He is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council, providing economic development consulting advice to communities and site selection consulting to companies throughout the U.S.

Hairston has been recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers® for Government Finance, Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business (Public Finance), Best Lawyers in America® (Economic Development Law), Mississippi College School of Law as Young Lawyer of the Year, and Mississippi Business Journal as one of its Top 40 Under 40 (2012–2013). The Bond Buyer publication recognized him as one of 28 "Rising Stars" in public finance nationally, and Southern Business & Development named him to its Under 50 Economic Developers to Watch.

Hairston participated in the Harvard University Kennedy School's Effective Leadership Across Sectors Program, an advanced education opportunity offered exclusively to Delta Leadership Institute alumni. He is a member of the National Association of Bond Lawyers, the International Economic Development Council, the Southern Economic Development Council, and the Mississippi Bar Association. He also serves on the boards of the International Economic Development Council and the digital news platform Deep South Today.

Hairston received his undergraduate degree from Tougaloo College, his MBA from Belhaven University, and his Juris Doctor from the Mississippi College School of Law.

Lakeysha Hallmon, Ed.D.

Dr. Lakeysha Hallmon is a native of Batesville, Mississippi, and a 2004 graduate of Tougaloo College. While at Tougaloo, she was a student leader, serving on the SGA, the Vice President of the NAACP, a member of Young Democrats, and organizer for the South Jackson Juneteenth Festival, a member of the Gamma Omicron Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, and a proud Residence Assistant.

After graduating from Tougaloo College, Dr. Hallmon spent 13 years in the education industry—teaching in the Mississippi Delta, Jackson, MS, and in 2011, moved to Atlanta, GA, where she became a research and evaluation specialist for the Georgia Department of Education. In the Fall of 2015, Dr. Hallmon began developing her first business, and her career as a nationally celebrated business owner launched in 2016.

Recognized as one of the most brilliant minds in education and business, Dr. Hallmon has transformed the lives of thousands of Black entrepreneurs across the world. Her love of community, paired with her mantra, “Support Is A Verb,” inspires and educates African Americans to create generational health and wealth. As an award-winning expert in education and business development, she leaves an indelible mark on any business that walks through her door. Dr. Hallmon has developed an economical vehicle that empowers the Black community through cooperative economics. Her ‘key’ to success is her village.

She moves businesses from sales to success and inspires them to become doers, supporters, and leaders of change. The mission-forward visionary advocates and empowers artisans, creators, and burgeoning Black businesses who want to thrive. After founding the Village Market in 2016, she has reached and served 1,440 businesses and facilitated $7.3 million in direct sales to Black-owned businesses. Now with several verticals under the Village Market moniker, Dr. Hallmon has recently expanded her village to include her storefront, The Village at Ponce City Market, a curated collection of premier Black businesses. She has cultivated a team of her own, employing 100% Black people, over 90% of them women. From Atlanta all the way to the Bahamas, the Mississippi-bred thought leader helps businesses with big ideas turn them into even bigger profits. Her goal is to build a Black mecca, where Black businesses can build and grow anywhere, and with several market storefronts on the way, she’s just getting started.

Dr. Hallmon’s expertise in education spans 15 years, where she has served as a critical voice and advocate for creating empowering learning and work environments for students and employees, and is deeply passionate about work efficacy and social-emotional learning.

Dr. Hallmon has been featured in Forbes, Essence, Black Enterprise, CNN/ HLN, the Today Show, NOW THIS, the Source, Atlanta Business Chronicle, Bustle, the Root, Forbes for the Culture, Therapy for Black Girls, and Black on Air.

A sought-after speaker, served as the keynote speaker for the Fall graduating class at Clark Atlanta University and the Boys and Girls Club of NW Mississippi and graced the stages of the Steve Harvey Foundation, National Urban League, Hope Global Forum, GoodWill, Beyond School Hours National Conference, Students At-Risk Conference, National Summer Institute Conference, GA Federal Programs Conference, the Power Rising Conference, EnricHER Conference, Atlanta University Center’s Financial Literacy and Innovation Conference, and the HBCU Entrepreneurship Financial Literacy Expo. Dr. Hallmon has worked with the White House Office of Public Engagement, serves as an Ambassador for the City of Atlanta, and was sought out by the Essence Festival to serve as one of the curators for the annual festivities.

Dr. Hallmon was inducted into the 40 under 40 Society at her undergraduate alma mater, Tougaloo College. She was also inducted into the Atlanta Business Chronicle 40 Under 40. recognized in 2021 by the Root 100 as one of the most successful African Americans, and listed in the inaugural Forbes 50 Champions. Dr. Hallmon was appointed to the 61st Mayor of Atlanta transition team to serve on the ethics and procurement committee for the City of Atlanta. Dr. Hallmon is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.

Dr. Hallmon’s debut book was published in winter 2023 by Harper Collins.

Derrick Johnson, J.D.

President and CEO, NAACP

On October 21, 2017, the executive committee of the NAACP National Board of Directors elected Derrick Johnson President and CEO. Derrick Johnson formerly served as vice chairman of the NAACP National Board of Directors as well as state president for the Mississippi State Conference NAACP.

A longstanding member and leader of the NAACP, Mr. Johnson will guide the Association through a period of re-envisioning and reinvigoration.

Born in Detroit, Mr. Johnson attended Tougaloo College in Jackson, MS. He then continued onto Houston, TX to receive his JD from the South Texas College of Law. In later years, Mr. Johnson furthered his training through fellowships with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, the George Washington University School of Political Management, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has served as an annual guest lecturer at Harvard Law School, lending his expertise to Professor Lani Guinier’s course on social movements, and as an adjunct professor at Tougaloo College.

Mr. Johnson is a veteran activist who has dedicated his career to defending the rights and improving the lives of Mississippians. As State President of the NAACP Mississippi State Conference, he led critical campaigns for voting rights and equitable education. He successfully managed two bond referendum campaigns in Jackson, MS that brought $150 million in school building improvements and $65 million towards the construction of a new convention center, respectively. As a regional organizer at the Jackson-based non-profit, Southern Echo, Inc., Mr. Johnson provided legal, technical, and training support for communities across the South.

In recognition for his service to the state of Mississippi, the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court appointed Mr. Johnson to the Mississippi Access to Justice Commission, and the Governor of Mississippi appointed him Chair of the Governor’s Commission for Recovery, Rebuilding, and Renewal after devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Mr. Johnson founded One Voice Inc. to improve the quality of life for African Americans through civic engagement training and initiatives. One Voice has spawned an annual Black Leadership Summit and the Mississippi Black Leadership Institute, a nine month training program for community leaders.

Margaret McMullan,Ph.D.

Born in Newton, Mississippi, Margaret McMullan is the author of nine award-winning books for adults and young adults. She received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in literature and a Fulbright to teach and research in Hungary. Her essays have appeared in The Bulwark, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Hill, The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Herald, The Morning Consult, Teachers & Writers Magazine, National Geographic, and other periodicals. She was Chair of the English Department at the University of Evansville, where she taught for 25 years.

She currently serves on the National Advisory Board of the Eudora Welty Foundation, Mississippi Today, and the Mississippi Center for Justice. She founded the McMullan Young Writers Summer Workshop at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. Margaret is a member of the International Women’s Forum and the Author’s Guild. She has served as a judge for the NEA, the Fulbright organization and for the Scholastic Writing awards. In 2015, Margaret and her husband, filmmaker Patrick O’Connor began the One Book, One Pass all community reading program in Pass Christian, where they live and work full time.

Carol T. Puckett Palmer

Carol Puckett Palmer has worked in and around the food business her entire career. She is the co-host of Deep South Dining, a radio show celebrating Southern food and culture on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. Formerly president of the Viking Hospitality Group for Viking Range Corporation in Greenwood, she is the founder of The Everyday Gourmet, a cooking school and gourmet retail store in Jackson and its companion store, The Everyday Gardener.

She is chair of the USA International Ballet Competition, past chair of the Mississippi Arts Commission, and serves on the Board of Directors for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi, the B. B. King Museum and Tougaloo College. She attended Jackson, Mississippi Public Schools and graduated from Converse College in Spartanburg, S.C.

Brigetta K. Turner, DDS, PLLC

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Brigetta K. Turner received her Bachelor of Science degree from Tougaloo College and completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Meharry Medical College.
She has provided healthcare through her private practice for 36 years understanding that improving the oral health in our community directly affects our overall health.

Her non-profit organization, The SmileMaker Foundation features faith, family and friends coming together to create smiles on the faces of those who need them, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Her named scholarship at Tougaloo College opens financial doors for students demonstrating financial needs and excelling in their pursuit of a degree.

Dr. Turner is the past Grassroots Representative for the DentaQuest Foundation and the Mississippi Oral Health Community Alliance (MOHCA) forming partnerships with the MS State Legislature and U. S. Congress to improve oral healthcare, equity, access, and expansion of Medicaid and Medicare.
She has served as the President of the Mississippi Dental Society.

Dr. Turner was recognized as one of the top 50 Business Women of Mississippi.
She was voted as the Tougaloo College Sesquicentennial National Alumna of the Year and is a divine member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

“It is an honor to provide service to my Alma Mater as a Trustee.I welcome the opportunity to be a steward of the rich legacy that brought me through her gates almost forty five years ago. I look forward to introducing the Eagle Queen to the world.”

Rev, Dr. J. Lawrence Turner

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Brigetta K. Turner received her Bachelor of Science degree from Tougaloo College and completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Meharry Medical College.
She has provided healthcare through her private practice for 36 years understanding that improving the oral health in our community directly affects our overall health.

Her non-profit organization, The SmileMaker Foundation features faith, family and friends coming together to create smiles on the faces of those who need them, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Her named scholarship at Tougaloo College opens financial doors for students demonstrating financial needs and excelling in their pursuit of a degree.

Dr. Turner is the past Grassroots Representative for the DentaQuest Foundation and the Mississippi Oral Health Community Alliance (MOHCA) forming partnerships with the MS State Legislature and U. S. Congress to improve oral healthcare, equity, access, and expansion of Medicaid and Medicare.
She has served as the President of the Mississippi Dental Society.

Dr. Turner was recognized as one of the top 50 Business Women of Mississippi.
She was voted as the Tougaloo College Sesquicentennial National Alumna of the Year and is a divine member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

“It is an honor to provide service to my Alma Mater as a Trustee.I welcome the opportunity to be a steward of the rich legacy that brought me through her gates almost forty five years ago. I look forward to introducing the Eagle Queen to the world.”

Michael O'Neal Weems, Esq.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Brigetta K. Turner received her Bachelor of Science degree from Tougaloo College and completed her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at Meharry Medical College.
She has provided healthcare through her private practice for 36 years understanding that improving the oral health in our community directly affects our overall health.

Her non-profit organization, The SmileMaker Foundation features faith, family and friends coming together to create smiles on the faces of those who need them, physically, spiritually and emotionally.
Her named scholarship at Tougaloo College opens financial doors for students demonstrating financial needs and excelling in their pursuit of a degree.

Dr. Turner is the past Grassroots Representative for the DentaQuest Foundation and the Mississippi Oral Health Community Alliance (MOHCA) forming partnerships with the MS State Legislature and U. S. Congress to improve oral healthcare, equity, access, and expansion of Medicaid and Medicare.
She has served as the President of the Mississippi Dental Society.

Dr. Turner was recognized as one of the top 50 Business Women of Mississippi.
She was voted as the Tougaloo College Sesquicentennial National Alumna of the Year and is a divine member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

“It is an honor to provide service to my Alma Mater as a Trustee.I welcome the opportunity to be a steward of the rich legacy that brought me through her gates almost forty five years ago. I look forward to introducing the Eagle Queen to the world.”

Lesly Gaynor Murray, Esq.

Lesly Gaynor Murray is a member of the Public Finance, Tax Incentive and Credit Markets Group and has extensive experience serving as bond counsel, issuer's disclosure counsel and underwriter's counsel, and in particular has over 30 years’ experience in the areas of single-family and multifamily housing bonds. Ms. Murray has worked with the Georgia Housing and Finance Authority continuously since 1986 as either bond counsel, issuer's disclosure counsel or underwriter's counsel on both single-family and multifamily financings. She also has worked with local housing agencies, underwriters, 501(c)(3) and for-profit developers and other financing participants through the Southeast and other parts of the country on single-family, multifamily and governmental essential function housing projects. In addition to her focus on affordable housing financings, Ms. Murray has maintained a broad-based public finance practice working with governmental issuers, underwriters, project developers, credit and liquidity providers, private placement purchasers, corporate trustees, investment providers and other financial institutions on a wide variety of financings.

She is recognized by Best Lawyers in America. She obtained her J.D. from the University of Georgia and is admitted to the Georgia State Bar.