"Spotlighting exceptional leaders"
The Leadership Blend Magazine
The Leadership Blend magazine is designed to spotlight exceptional leaders! The objective is to immortalize shining examples of leadership in and out of their organizations! Published quarterly, it is the print version of the radio & television shows.
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The Ten "Blend" Blazers are announced!
The 2nd Edition Featured Gentlemen
Attorney Gerald Griggs
Attorney Gerald Griggs
Attorney Gerald Griggs
Attorney Griggs is a 1996 graduate of Woodward Academy. He furthered his studies at Oxford College of Emory University and Emory University, where he received his BA in 2000. After his time at Emory, Attorney Griggs received JD in 2004 from the University of Cincinnati College Of Law, the fourth oldest law school in the country. Attorney Griggs began practicing law in the State of Georgia after passing the Bar Examination in the fall of 2004. Attorney Griggs has handled over a thousand cases over his legal career. Attorney Griggs is a well-respected litigator known for handling high profile cases. Attorney Griggs represented numerous clients involved in the Atlanta Public Schools Cheating Trial, Georgia’s Longest Trial. Further, Attorney Griggs has handled countless high profile cases featured on Media Outlets such as WSBTV, ABC, NBC, FOX, CNN, FOX NEWS, CBS, TV-ONE, and WGCL.
His most notable case, Jaheem Herrera, helped launch the National Anti-Bullying Movement and changed the Anti-Bullying Law in Georgia. Jaheem Herrera Case was featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show in the spring of 2009. Since then, Attorney Griggs has traveled all across the country promoting the Anti-bullying movement. He was recently a featured speaker at Second Annual National Federal Partners in Bullying Summit in Washington D.C. Attorney Griggs currently tours the Metro Atlanta School Systems with the Hot 107.9 Bullying is Not Hot Tour spreading the Anti-Bullying Message.
Attorney Griggs is committed to community service throughout Georgia. He is the Second Vice President of Atlanta Chapter of the NAACP and the Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee for the Georgia NAACP. Attorney is also the President Elect of the DeKalb Lawyer Association. Further, Attorney Griggs has worked in partnership with the SCLC, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Emerging 100, ACLU, The Urban League Young Professionals and numerous community groups that are committed to improving the community. Attorney Griggs was honored for his Community Activism by Congressman John Lewis during the 2016 Congressional Black Caucus Conference in Washington D.C.
Bob Rogers
Attorney Gerald Griggs
Attorney Gerald Griggs
Bob serves as Street Grace President and CEO, bringing more than 30 years of corporate and nonprofit leadership and team development experience to this role. Under Rodgers’ leadership, Street Grace has experienced remarkable growth and has a significant nation presence, including offices in Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and California
Previously, Rodgers served as the fourth president of Richmont Graduate University, which offers fully accredited graduate programs in Counseling, Ministry and Spiritual Formation. As president, Rodgers led Richmont into an era of institutional and financial growth. Championing the addition of a new accredited master’s degree program, spearheading the efforts for a new, debt free, multimillion-dollar Atlanta campus and launching two university-sponsored mental health trauma centers. In his former position as vice president of one of the largest restaurant chains in the Southeast, Rodgers provided oversight and support for more than 22,000 employees in 21 states. In addition, through his firm Quantum Search, he has conducted more than 24,000 interviews and led searches for key leadership positions at Chick-fil-A, Georgia Pacific, Baptist Healthcare, Curtis1000 and other major corporate, healthcare and nonprofit organizations worldwide. Rodgers is a sought-after speaker and panelist. He has written for a variety of publications including business journals and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal and The Atlanta Business Chronicle. His work has been featured on hundreds of media outlets including the Washington Post and The New York Times. Additionally, Rodgers has testified before congress and has been invited to the White House, on multiple occasions, to provide expertise on trafficking legislation and demand reduction strategies. Rodgers has hosted “Thinking Out Loud,” a weekly radio broadcast, and is the co-author of the devotional “God Is With Us”. Additionally, he serves on numerous boards, is on the Business Advisory Council for Lee University, a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett and the founder of the Freedom Coalition, a collaborative initiative addressing global human trafficking.
Dr. Kevin James
Attorney Gerald Griggs
Stephen Dolinger, ED.D
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Dr. Kevin James serves as the President of Morris Brown College, a historically Black college located in Atlanta, Georgia. In this role he leads as CEO and is responsible for leadership and management of all aspects of college operations and responsible for the development and execution of the vision and strategic direction for the college in concert with the Board of Trustees.
In his nearly 21-year career as a higher education administrator, executive business leader, and motivational speaker, Dr. Kevin James is committed to improving his community through education and empowerment. He has served in various executive-level roles in both for-profit and non-profit colleges. Additionally, he teaches doctoral courses and serves as a Senior Dissertation Chair at the largest Christian school in the country, Grand Canyon University.
Furthermore, his non-profit leadership experience includes serving on the 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc. Board of Directors, Chair of Mentoring, and Vice Chair for New Member Training. He also served on the Board of Directors of Girls Inc., located in Columbus, Ga., and was a career-readiness speaker for college students with the United Negro College Fund. Additionally, he has numerous leadership experiences in international associations and fraternal organizations as an advisor and regional director. Moreover, he serves on the National Board of Directors (Executive Committee) for the Safe America Foundation Inc. and the University of South Florida Advisory Board, Muma College of Business. In fall 2018, he was a nominee for the Turknett Leadership Character Award recognizing outstanding leaders of character across Georgia in the business, nonprofit and education sectors.
Prior to his current post as President, Dr. James was Interim CEO of the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. (The 100), internationally headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The mission of 100 Black Men of America is to improve the quality of life and enhance educational and economic opportunities for all African Americans. 100 Black Men of America has more than 125,000 students enrolled in its mentoring and outreach programs. In his role as CEO, Dr. James oversaw the day to day operations, strategic planning, and external relations for the non-profit organization of 10,000+ members who volunteer through a host of mentorship and community service initiatives across the country and internationally.
A native of Columbia, S.C., Dr. James attended South Carolina State University and earned his bachelor’s degree in Communication Disorders and Social Sciences from Winthrop University; a master’s degree in Business Management, Leadership, and Organizational Effectiveness from Troy State University; and a Doctor of Education degree in Higher Education Leadership from Nova Southeastern University. He is also a graduate of the Higher Education Institute at Harvard University.
Among his memberships are Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education and Golden Key International Honor Society. Committed to community service, Dr. James holds memberships in several organizations including Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, the Prince Hall Masonic Fraternity, and 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc.
Stephen Dolinger, ED.D
Stephen Dolinger, ED.D
Stephen Dolinger, ED.D
Steve joined the Partnership in 2002 as its third president. He served as the Superintendent of Schools for Fulton County for seven years prior to joining the Partnership. He served in the Fairfax County, VA school system for 26 years before accepting the Fulton position. He has an Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University, an M.Ed. from George Mason University, and B.B.A. from Wake Forest University. He has served on the Board of Directors for several organizations, currently including the Georgia Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement. In addition, he has served on the Education and Health Advisory Council for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and has been recognized in Georgia Trend magazine’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” list and the Atlanta Business Chronicle‘s “Education Who’s Who: A Guide to the Top 100 Leaders Educating the Future of Metro Atlanta.”
Dr. Shelton Goode
Stephen Dolinger, ED.D
Dr. Shelton Goode
Dr. Shelton Goode is the president and chief executive officer of Icarus Consulting, a veteran-owned consulting firm that specializes in helping organizations create inclusive cultures that leverage diversity and inclusion for a competitive advantage.
Dr. Goode is the author of Diversity Managers: Angels of Mercy or Barbarians at the Gate. He leveraged his extensive teaching experience to publish his first book, So You Think You Can Teach: A Guide for the New College Professor in Teaching Adult Learners. He is also the founder and CEO of My ABD Network, an organization that helps students succeed in doctoral education programs.
Dr. Goode, a highly decorated Air Force veteran, has not only served the country in time of war but also consistently served his community in a time of need. In July 2011, the Supreme Court of Georgia appointed him to the State Bar Ethics Investigative Panel. He was one of only three non-lawyers serving on this prestigious panel. He chaired the Conference Board Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council and has served on the board of numerous professional organizations such as the Atlanta Compliance and Ethics Roundtable, American Association National of Blacks in Energy, Society for Human Resource Management, and the Atlanta and Diversity Management Advocacy Group.
In 2019, Forbes selected him as one of the Top 10 Diversity and Inclusion Trailblazers. The National Association of African Americans in Human Resources awarded him their HR Trailblazer Award in 2005 and 2012 -- the only person selected for the award twice. In April 2013, the Technology Association of Georgia presented him with the organization's first Lifetime Diversity Achievement Award for his body of work in diversity and human resources.
Jared Sawyer Jr.
Stephen Dolinger, ED.D
Dr. Shelton Goode
Jared Andre’ Sawyer Jr. is a young man of vision, ambition, and spirituality. A classic example of the anointing operating in Sawyer’s life, is when he was just 5, he was called by God in a dream into the gospel ministry; now having have preached for more than half of his life.
For 15 years, Rev. Sawyer has acclaimed an international ministry as a preacher, motivational speaker, and author. Jared’s support system has always been his family and being in rooted in the word of God. In 2008, Jared was featured in “The Child Preacher”, a European documentary produced by The British Broadcasting Company (BBC) and “Around The World In 80 Faiths”, an original British television series aired by the BBC for two seasons.
Rev. Sawyer is currently pursuing a Bachelors of Arts in Religion degree from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He is the 2013 recipient of the Trailblazer Leadership Award from Beulah Heights University. In November of 2012, he was graced to be the invocation speaker for the National Black MBA Association. Jared was also the keynote speaker at Howard University’s Paul Anthony Dillard Awards Program in Washington, D.C. Jared is the 2015 recipient of the NAACP’s Earl T. Shinhoster Youth Services Award and the Inaugural Recipient of The King Center’s Dream Forward Spiritual Faith Based Award.
Passionate about community empowerment, Jared is a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association and an advocate for civil and human rights as an active member of the NAACP. Along with speaking at venues such as The White House, he has appeared on TBN’s Praise The Lord, Fox News, ABC Nightline, Huffington Post and numerous other media, sending a message to the world that “age is nothing but a number”. Jared is the founder of You Power Purpose Inc., a nonprofit organization designed to help the next generation of leaders discover and drive their purpose equip them with moral values, and advance their social growth.
Rev. Sawyer has written 4 books, with his latest release, EMPOWER YOUR PURPOSE, available worldwide. 200,000 people follow on social media. He has been featured in several film and television projects, including Tyler Perry and The Best of Enemies, a feature film starring Taraji P. Henson.
Rev. Sawyer is now 22 years old and the best is indeed yet to come. His motto is “Praise Is What I Do” and millions of people around the world can attest that they know he was placed on this earth to do just that.
Tony Terry
Tony Terry
Tony Terry
The 10 Contributing Writers Announced!
