Leadership

Dr. Walter L. Sutton, Jr. has had a distinguished legal career spanning over 52 years. He retired from Walmart in December 2015, where he served as Associate General Counsel – Legal Administration & External Relations. In that position, Dr. Sutton was an internal advocate and external voice for Walmart’s diversity initiatives and represented the company in many public forums.

In addition to his law degree, Dr. Sutton has earned a B.S. and Masters in Business Administration, and Ph.D. in Management Science. In 1989, he became the first African American to receive a Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD). Dr. Sutton continues to teach in the Jindal School of Management at UTD.

After graduation from the University of Denver in 1967, Dr. Sutton accepted a position with Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, MI. He worked full-time at Ford while attending evening classes at Wayne State University School of Law in Detroit. After his first year of law school, he received a full scholarship to the University of Michigan Law School where he was one of 5 African American students in the second-year class. He participated in Black Action Movement (BAM) demonstrations on campus to demand the admission of more students of color and worked in the Legal Aid Clinic representing diverse citizens in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After graduation from law school in 1970, Dr. Sutton returned to Ford’s Office of General Counsel where he practiced corporate and product liability law. Dr. Sutton returned to his native Texas in 1972 to become the first African American attorney at Tenneco Oil Company in Houston. He later became the first African American attorney at Texas Instruments Incorporated in Dallas, Texas. He was also the first African American to head the Office of Regional Counsel, U.S. EPA (Region 6) in Dallas. Dr. Sutton always used his positions and influence to advance opportunities for other diverse lawyers.

Dr. Sutton served as President of the National Bar Association (NBA) in 1987. He also served as a Board member of the State Bar of Texas, Texas Board of Legal Specialization, North Texas Legal Aid Society, and Dallas Legal Services Foundation. Dr. Sutton is a past Chair of the State Bar of Texas Minority Counsel Program which seeks to expand and increase opportunities for minority and women attorneys who provide legal services to corporate and government clients. Ebony Magazine has recognized him as one of “The 100 Most Influential Black Americans”.

Dr. Sutton has served as a Section Officer in the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, as a member of the ABA Standing Committee on Membership, the Standing Committee on Government Relations, the Standing Committee on Public Education, the Council on Racial and Ethnic Justice, the Commission on Second Season of Service, and Executive Committee of the American Bar Foundation.  Dr. Sutton currently represents the State Bar of Texas in the ABA House of Delegates. He also serves on the Board of Advisors for the Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System (IAALS) at his alma mater the University of Denver, and on the Board of Directors of the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada.

President Bill Clinton appointed Dr. Sutton as Associate Administrator for Policy and Deputy Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C. In those positions, he traveled across America and around the world representing President Clinton and Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater to assist in the development, improvement and expansion of highways and infrastructure.

Dr. Sutton serves as a mentor to many diverse law students and lawyers across the country, and continues to work to provide opportunities for racially and ethnically diverse students. He currently serves on the NBA Board of Governors. He also serves as Chairman of the Wiley College Board of Trustees, a historically Black college in Marshall, Texas. Dr. Sutton has received many honors and awards. The NBA has awarded him the C. Francis Stratford Award, the Gertrude E. Rush Award, and has inducted him into its Hall of Fame. The ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Profession awarded him the Spirit of Excellence Award in 2013. The Dallas Bar Association awarded Dr. Sutton the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Justice Award in recognition of his leadership and demonstrated values and ideals of Dr. King.

Dr. Sutton and his wife, Beverly, reside in Dallas, Texas. They have one son and two grandchildren.

Ms. Regina K. Dillard retired recently from State Farm Insurance Companies, which is the largest auto and home insurance company in the U. S.  She began her career with State Farm in San Diego by defending personal injury lawsuits. Later, she moved to State Farm’s headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois where she began handling regulatory and legislative matters.

Shortly thereafter, she accepted a position in the company’s Washington, D.C. office, having responsibility for federal legislative and regulatory matters related to insurance and financial services. The office was newly established, and as a registered lobbyist, she was tasked to oversee important issues related to State Farm’s customers and its enterprise operations.  She also served as the company’s representative on several industry-related committees of associations and organizations.

Having a strong interest in helping and mentoring college and law students, Ms. Dillard was instrumental in assisting State Farm with its sponsorship and support of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF). She helped to establish State Farm’s college communication internship program with the CBCF in which students spend a semester in Washington, D.C., assigned to a congressional or agency office.  For almost 20 years, she served on various CBCF committees including scholarship and its Advisory Council.  

Ms. Dillard has a deep interest in supporting students, especially those pursuing a career in law.  In her role as NBI Vice Chair, she oversees the NBI’s Grants Committee awards and scholarship programs. She also chairs the Endowment 2000 Committee.

Ms. Dillard’s community service interests have been long and varied. For several years while living in Los Angeles, Ms. Dillard volunteered her time and energy as vice-president of the United Negro College Fund’s Southern Advisory Board. She participated in the planning of the first television broadcast of the “Lou Rawls-Parade of Stars.”

She has also been a member of the Thurgood Marshall Center Trust Advisory Board in Washington, DC. The Center is a national historic landmark where U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, in his early years as a practicing attorney, spent time with his team of lawyers conducting research and studies.

Ms. Dillard has been honored by the City of Los Angeles; the United Negro College Fund; San Diego Women, Inc.; the Earl B. Gilliam Bar Association; the National Bar Association and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation.

Hampton University, Hampton, Virginia was Ms. Dillard’s choice for pursuing her BA degree, majoring in English. She earned her Juris Doctor at Georgetown University Law Center.

Active with The Links, Incorporated, Ms. Dillard is a member of the Silver Spring (MD) Chapter.

Ms. Sonya D. Hoskins is highly recognized for her leadership, her legal mind, and her commitment to service. She graduated Cum Laude with a Juris Doctor from Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Ms. Hoskins is licensed to practice in the State of Louisiana, State of Texas, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and Supreme Court of the United States of America.

As co-founder and partner of the law firm of Robinson & Hoskins, L.L.P., in Dallas, Texas, her main areas of practice are Business Transaction, Real Estate, Wills, Trusts and Probate and School Law.

Ms. Hoskins serves a Special Counsel to Dallas Independent School Board of Trustees and a Hearing Officer for administrative appeals. She serves as General Counsel to profit and non-profit corporations.

In addition to the work she does in the firm, Ms. Hoskins is also affiliated with several professional associations. She is an active member of the National Bar Association and the National Bar Institute. As a member of the National Bar Association, Ms. Hoskins is past Vice President of Finance; past Chair of the Budget Committee; past Chair of the Finance and Fundraising Committee; past Chair of the Business Plan Task Force; past National Secretary; past Regional Director; and past Board of Governors Member-At-Large. She is currently Board Secretary for the National Bar Institute.

Ms. Hoskins served as President of the J.L. Turner Legal Association in Dallas, Texas. She is Past Chair and a Founder of the J.L. Turner Legal Scholarship Foundation. She also served as a Director of the Dallas Bar Association and Director of the African American Section of the State Bar of Texas. She has been an active member of the Patrick E. Higginbotham American Inn of Court and the Dallas Women Lawyers Association. Ms. Hoskins is a Past Chair of the General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Section of the State Bar of Texas. She currently serves as Large Section Representative to the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors.

Ms. Hoskins’ affiliations and involvement are not restricted to the legal profession; she is also committed to service in various civic and community organizations. Ms. Hoskins is the Immediate President of Trinity (TX) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She also served as the 2012 Chair of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce. Previously, Ms. Hoskins served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau; Trustee for Dallas Women Foundation; as well as Secretary and Director for Dispute Mediation Services, Inc.

Ms. Hoskins has received numerous awards and recognitions; most notably, National Bar Association 2019 Gertrude E. Rush Award, J.L. Turner Legal Association 2015 Presidential Award, J.L. Turner Legal Association Paralegal Section 2011 Outstanding Advocate Award, J.L. Turner Legal Association 2010 C. B. Bunkley Award, Southern University Law Center 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award, the National Bar Association Presidential Award (1999, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2016, 2017, and 2020), the National Bar Association’s Outstanding Region Award, the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Award for Volunteer of the Year (2002 and 2009), and the Outstanding Young Women of America Award. Ms. Hoskins was also featured in the 2019 Who’s Who in Black Dallas, 5th Edition, 2017 Who’s Who in Black Dallas, 4th Edition, 2015 Who’s Who in Black Dallas,3rd Edition, 2014 Who’s Who in Black Dallas, 2nd Edition; 2012 Inaugural Edition Who’s Who in Black Dallas, July 2004 edition and July 2005 edition of Texas Super Lawyers Magazine as a “Texas Rising Star”.

Mr. Frank Seales, Jr. is a transportation law and policy expert with thirty-five years of experience leading federal, state and local legal departments. Since 2001, Mr. Seales has served as the general counsel for theDistrict of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) and has handled all transactional and policy matters including legislation, regulations, rate control matters, interagency and federal agreements, and contracts.

Prior to joining DDOT, Mr. Seales served as the chief counsel for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A presidential appointment, he served as the top legal counsel for the NHTSA Administrator. In this capacity, Mr. Seales oversaw the Firestone tire investigation, which led to the largest recall in the history of the NHTSA and supervised the settlement of NHTSA’s two largest civil penalties imposed on major automobile manufacturers for failure to implement timely recalls.

An antitrust expert, Mr. Seales served from 1989 to 1998 as the chief and senior assistant attorney general for Antitrust and Consumer Litigation in the Virginia Attorney General’s Office where he recovered $11 million in civil penalties and $6.8 million in costs and expenses for the Virginia Commonwealth. Mr. Seales started his antitrust legal work as a senior trial attorney in the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice where he investigated some of the nation’s largest mergers at that time.

Mr. Seales is currently the treasurer of the National Bar Institute. He received his Juris Doctorate from the Indiana University School of Law and his Bachelor of Science from Tennessee State University. In 2006, Mr. Seales was inducted into his law school’s Academy of Law Alumni Fellows, the highest honor awarded by the law school.

Graduating from the top 10% of his class at Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law, Dominique D. Calhoun is the managing partner at Calhoun Meredith, PLLC, a boutique law firm specializing in advocating for its clients in tort-related issues, commercial litigation, and government relations matters.

Prior to becoming a partner at the law firm, Mr. Calhoun was the chief government relations officer for Texas Southern University where he developed the legislative and appropriations strategies for federal, state, and local governments. During his tenure, Mr. Calhoun secured over $40 million through state and local government for the institution. Chief among his achievements was obtaining $16 million in state appropriations to improve the university’s infrastructure and $15 million from county appropriations for the Cleburne Street Improvement project. In addition, under his direction, the university was able to repeal a law that detrimentally impacted the university’s athletics program, ensuring that the program would continue to receive $2 million annually. Before joining TSU, Mr. Calhoun was the district director for a state senator and clerk for legal and budgetary affairs for then-State Representative Sylvester Turner, who is now the Mayor of the City of Houston.

Today, Mr. Calhoun represents hundreds of clients and has recovered millions for his clients either through settlement or the litigation process. In 2021, he was named a Rising Star by Texas Super Lawyers for his dedicated representation of his clients.

Wiley S. Adams retired as Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of PGIM, Inc., the global investment management businesses of Prudential Financial, Inc. PGIM has offices around the world and is one of 10 largest investment managers in the world with approximately $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2021. Mr. Adams led a team of approximately 80 lawyers in support of PGIM’s operations around the world.

Prior to his role above, Mr. Adams was Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Prudential Capital Group (now known as PGIM Private Capital (“PPC”) which is a division of PGIM). PPC is the largest manager of privately placed debt investments in the United States with over $100 billion of private debt and equity securities under management as of December 31, 2021. Upon his retirement, Mr. Adams was enshrined in PPC’s Hall of Fame being one of fewer than 10 individuals awarded that honor during PPC’s 97-year history.

Prior to joining PGIM, Mr. Adams was an associate at Sidley Austin representing banks and other financial institutions in a variety of investments. Mr. Adams also spent a summer clerking for Judge Luther M. Swygert on the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. Mr. Adams received his bachelor’s degree from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, and his law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School. He was authorized to practice in the States of Illinois, New Jersey and Wisconsin and is a member of several professional associations and not-for-profit boards.

Mr. Adams is a lifetime member of (i) the National Bar Association (“NBA”), (ii) the National Bar Institute, (iii) the Cook County Bar Association (an inaugural lifetime member), (iv) the Garden State Bar Association and (v) the NAACP, in addition to serving on the board of the Cook County Bar Association Foundation. He has served on the board of the NBA Board, as a Vice President of the NBA, as NBA Region VII director, and he has made substantial contributions to numerous NBA committees and programs over the years (including the MLK Competition). He has devoted substantial time and treasure to all his endeavors, including helping to raise millions for the NBA over the years and personally donating substantial sums as well.

He graduated as valedictorian of South Shore High School in Chicago Illinois. He attended Augustana College where in just 4 years he majored in (i) Accounting, (ii) Business Administration, (iii) Economics and (iv) Political Science. He now serves as Vice Chair of his college’s Board of Trustees. He has endowed the Wiley S. Adams Scholarship at the school for African American and other students of color.

Mr. Adams had a distinguished career at the University of Wisconsin Law School blazing a legendary academic career while also mentoring many students of color there. He spent six years at Sidley after graduation, establishing himself as a premier finance attorney widely respected by the firm, other business lawyers and his clients. While at Sidley he helped hire, and mentored, many younger associates at the firm. After deciding to take his practice in-house, he joined Prudential. His induction to the group’s Hall of Fame indicates the scale of his accomplishments and popularity there.

Over the years, he has personally positively impacted hundreds of lawyers and students and his work continues to this day. He uses his calm, low-key demeanor and persuasive logic to keep everyone on track, focused and moving forward.

Mr. Adams lives in the Chicago area, is married and has four children.

Ms. Stephanie D. Jones is Lead Counsel for GM’s Electric Vehicle Growth Operations. She leads a team providing legal and strategic guidance for EVs, EV infrastructure, energy and stationary storage, and battery sustainability initiatives. She draws from her nearly 20 years of experience in intellectual property, M&A, litigation, compliance, human resources, and government legal matters for transformational projects and cutting-edge technologies. Previously, Ms. Jones served as Lead Counsel for GM’s Global Intellectual Property group and managed a team of GM IP attorneys responsible for autonomous vehicles, infotainment, manufacturing, material science, propulsion systems, and software. She also negotiated multi-billion dollar transactions, including for autonomous vehicles and for international divestitures/restructuring, and she worked in Shanghai negotiating GM’s first co-development agreements with GM’s JV partner. Prior to GM, Ms. Jones worked at a top, national IP boutique firm handling patent prosecution, patent and copyright litigation, M&A, and opinion work for consumer product, medical device, automotive, and other industries.

She is a current Board Member of the National Bar Institute and is a past Chair of the National Bar Association’s IP Law Section. Ms. Jones is a Board Member of the Neighborhood Service Organization and the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan Foundation, and she serves as the pro bono Chief IP Counsel for the Heidelberg Project. Ms. Jones is the Vice President of Membership for the Renaissance (MI) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

Ms. Jones is a proud graduate of Syracuse University College of Law and Michigan State University.

Ms. Debra D. Matlock is Executive Director of Purchasing and Contract Management for The University of Illinois Chicago. There she leads a team responsible for all procurements, and expenditure, receivable/revenue and affiliation contracts, for the 16 colleges, administrative departments and UI Health Hospital and Clinics – representing more than 80,000 transactions annually totaling over $1.2 Billion in spend and $250 Million in projected revenue – to fulfill the University missions of education, research and public service.

Ms. Matlock is a passionate driver of change management initiatives to continuously improve procurement and contracting methodologies and systems, and she has evolved her Department from transaction processing to being a valued partner to UIC users, focusing on excellent customer service, compliance, transparency, and diversity.

She is one of six people with delegated signature authority for both the President and Comptroller of the University of Illinois System; and represents UIC on various community and diversity-based initiatives. Ms. Matlock initially joined the State of Illinois in 2006 as General Counsel, Department of Central Management Services; in 2011 was appointed Deputy Director, Procurement, Contracts and Strategic Sourcing for Department of Children and Family Services; and moved to the University in 2014. Ms. Matlock’s analytical, communication and negotiation skills were honed by her extensive private sector experience in creating, leading and counseling teams responsible for strategic business alliances at a number of leading-edge innovator companies, including Rockwell Automation, Microsoft, Motorola and Honeywell.

Ms. Matlock currently sits on the Board of the National Bar Institute, the 501(c)(3) partner to the National Bar Association. This is after many years of service to the National Bar Association on its Board of Governors as former Vice President, Chair of the Corporate Law Section, Chair of the Women Lawyers Division, many standing Committees; and is the proud recipient of various awards, including induction into the Hall of Fame (2017), an NBA Presidential Award from then-President Benjamin L. Crump (2016) and NBA Women Lawyers Division Scroll of Distinguished NBA Women Lawyers (2010). She is a member of the American Bar Association and its Public Contract Law Section. Ms. Matlock is a former member of the Board of Directors of National Able Network; and was a founding Board Member for The Support Group, a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth development and character building. Ms. Matlock earned her law degree at Northwestern University and her B.A. in Sociology and Political Science at Loyola University Chicago. Ms. Matlock often acts as a panelist and convener of seminars on various aspects of transactional and government law. She also sits as a 1L and 2L moot court judge for her alma mater, Northwestern Pritzker School of Law.

Mr. Daryl D. Parks is an accomplished lawyer and businessman who received dual degrees in Economics and Political Science from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) and a law degree from Florida State University (FSU). He is the managing partner at Parks Law, L.L.C. Through his dedication to civil rights activism and his commitment to community, Mr. Parks has represented families of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Corey Jones. The national reputation gained by Mr. Parks and his firm has led to his appearances on numerous national television broadcasts which include ABC, MSNBC, Fox News, and CNN.

Mr. Parks is also a distinguished local and national leader who epitomizes a commitment to service. He has shared his business acumen, financial expertise, and leadership qualities locally with organizations such as the Sickle Cell Foundation, the Bethel Community Development Corporation, Tallahassee Airport Advisory Committee and recently became a board member of the Bond Community Health Center. He has also provided his service to the Florida Bar, serving as a member of both, the Florida Bar Foundation Board and the Florida Bar Student Education and Admissions to the Bar Committee. Currently, He he currently serves as a Trustee to the Florida Supreme Court Historical Society. Mr. Parks has also served his alma mater as Vice Chair of the FAMU Board of Trustees and Chairman of the Board for both the FAMU Foundation and the FAMU Boosters. As a national leader, Mr. Parks is a lifetime member of the National Bar Association (NBA),and has served in national leadership positions over the last sixteen years to include National President, General Counsel, Vice President of Finance, Regional Director of Region XI, and President of the Virgil Hawkins Florida Chapter of the National Bar Association. In 2011, Mr. Parks’ was elected as the 69th President of the National Bar Association. He continues his service to the National Bar on the Board of the National Bar Institute. He was elected to serve as the Minority Caucus Chair for the American Association for Justice and also to serve in a number of leadership positions with the Florida Justice Association, including serving on the Board of Directors. Former United States’ Senator Bill Nelson appointed him to the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission for the Northern District of Florida, and former Florida Governor Charlie Crist appointed him to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the First District Court of Appeals for Florida. In 2021, United State Senator Marco Rubio Appointed appointed him to his Federal Judicial Nominating Committee for North Florida. In 2017 Mr. Parks was named the National General Counsel for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Mr. Parks’ business ventures include being the owner of Canopy Hospitality Group (Canopy). Through Canopy, Parks continues his long-time service to others in the hospitality and airport concessions industry. Canopy has been certified through governing agencies as a minority-ownedowned business in ten states.

Mr. Parks has received numerous awards and accolades for his work both as an attorney and an outstanding businessman. A few of his awards include the Leadership Pacesetter Award from the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce; the Leon County Small Business of the Year Award; the NAACP Chairman of the Board Award; the Florida Bar Henry Latimer Award; the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Law Advocates Award; and the American Justice Association Johnnie L. Cochran Soaring Eagle Award. The Association of Fundraising Professionals awarded him and his then partner with the Outstanding Philanthropists of the Year award for their firm’s donation of $1,000,000 to Legal Services of North Florida. Because of his diligent efficacious representation of his clients, Mr. Parks is also a member of the Million Dollar Advocacy Forum.

Dean Alfreda Robinson has spent her career envisioning and implementing innovative solutions to address long-term systemic problems. Dean Robinson is a leader of leaders, a law school associate dean, and the National Bar Association (NBA) past president/CEO with 30 years of contributions to the legal profession. She has litigated complex cases for the Department of Justice, educated thousands of law students, lawyers, and judges, and published law review articles on civil rights, diversity, and social justice. Dean Robinson played a key role in chairing Obama for America’s NFC African American Leadership Council. She is a champion for gender and racial equity and a much sought-after fundraiser and speaker. Dean Robinson is currently the Associate Dean for Trial Advocacy and the Co-Director of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Program at The George Washington University Law School.

Dean Robinson has raised millions of dollars for nonprofits (GWU Law School, NBA, Democratic National Finance Committee, and others), including a $500,000 corporate donation to the NBI, the largest single gift in the organization’s history. She has launched significant initiatives for the NBA, such as COVID-19 and police misconduct/justice task forces, and organized a virtual convention in 59 days that featured President-Elect Joseph Biden and provided 45 hours of events.

Dean Robinson received an official proclamation from Washington, D.C. Mayor and recognition resolution from D.C. City Council for spearheading first-ever National Bar Association Black Women’s Equity Day.

She has held 50+ leadership positions with the NBA, including chairing the nationally recognized judicial selection standing committee. She has acquired 13 years of board experience with the NBA, NBI, and the Washington Bar Association. She has won numerous awards for exceptional performance, leadership, and service to the legal profession from Departments of Justice and Navy, and diverse organizations, as well as the NBA’s highest honor, the C. Francis Stradford Award.

Dean Robinson earned her law degree from The George Washington University Law School and her BA and MA in Political Science from the University of Chicago.

Ms. Belinda D. Stith has been a practicing attorney for over 36 years in both the public and private sector. Ms. Stith worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District, Office of General Counsel for 31 years. Ms. Stith served the OGC as Assistant General Counsel, Assistant General Counsel II, and Associate General Counsel. Ms. Stith has expertise in the areas of Labor and Employment Law, Education Law and School Operations. Ms. Stith has served as a trainer in areas of Employment Law and Education Law including progressive discipline, sexual harassment, discrimination, confidentiality of student and employment records, school operations, school safety, child abuse and prevention of workplace violence. Ms. Stith has served as an expert in the field of threat assessment and threat management. Ms. Stith previously worked for a national labor and employment law firm where her work focused on labor and employment litigation, advice and counsel. Ms. Stith also served over 10 years as a contract hearing officer for the County of Los Angeles, Civil Service Commission, hearing discipline appeals. After graduating from law school, Ms. Stith was a Deputy City Attorney for the City of Compton. Prior to practicing law, Ms. Stith was a teacher with Los Angeles Unified School District.

Ms. Stith received her B.A. in mathematics from the University of Southern California, where she was recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial Scholarship. She earned a Master of Science in Education also from the University of Southern California. Ms. Stith received her J.D. from Loyola Law School where she was awarded the Alumni Service Award for outstanding service and scholarship.

Active in community service, Ms. Stith is Past President and Life Member of the Black Women Lawyers Association of Los Angeles, Inc. She is also, Past President and Life Member of the California Association of Black Lawyers. Ms. Stith is active in the National Bar Association. She is a Life Member of the National Bar Association where she has served as Deputy General Counsel, Vice President (2 terms), Region IX Director and Affiliate Representative. Stith is currently a Board member and Life Member of the National Bar Institute. Ms. Stith is a Life Member of the John M. Langston Bar Association where she served over 10 years on the Langston Board of Directors. Ms. Stith is also an active member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, where she served as Financial Secretary and Board Member. Ms. Stith served as Co-Chair of the Links Cotillion Leadership Institute for seven years. She is an active supporter, advocate and Board member of the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, where she has hosted, sponsored, and mentored numerous students.

Ms. Stith retired from LAUSD after nearly 40 years of service.

Ms. Vickie E. Turner is an emeritus partner at Wilson Turner Kosmo LLP. Ms. Turner has 40 years of experience in complex litigation matters filed against corporations, with extensive emphasis in the areas of product liability, class actions, general business litigation and warranty.

Ms. Turner has successfully defended manufacturers, distributors and retailers in complex product liability claims throughout California, and in 12 other western states. She was defense counsel for Ford Motor Company in a product liability case that was named one of the Top 20 Defense Counsel Verdicts. She was selected as one of California’s Top Women Litigators by the Los Angeles Daily Journal, and has been named one of San Diego’s top product liability defense attorneys by San Diego Super Lawyers®. She was chosen for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® in the area of product liability, and named the Best Lawyers’ 2012 and 2018 San Diego Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Lawyer of the Year. She was selected as one of the Top 25 Women Attorneys in San Diego numerous times. She was also honored for her community service by Union Bank and KPBS as a “local hero”, as a Woman of Dedication by the Salvation Army and the 2015 Woman of the Year for the California 79th Assembly District.

Throughout her career, Ms. Turner has received numerous awards and honors, including the University of San Diego School of Law Distinguished Alumni Award and Author E. Hughes Career Achievement Award, Outstanding Trial Lawyer award from the San Diego Trial Lawyers Association and Outstanding Service to the Legal Profession award presented by the San Diego County Bar Association. She has also received several awards presented by the San Diego Business Journal including Women Who Mean Business, Women of Influence in Law, SD500 List of Most Influential People in San Diego and she was selected as one of the 50 Most Influential Black Leaders in San Diego by the same publication. She was also the recipient of the San Diego Law Library Foundation’s Bernard E. Witkin, Esq. Award for Excellence in the Practice of Law, Lawyers Club Belva Lockwood Outstanding Service Award, Outstanding Service award from the National Bar Association, and the Phenomenal Woman award presented by San Diego County Ethnic Minority Bar Association.

Ms. Turner is an adjunct professor at California Western School of Law and former adjunct professor at the University of San Diego School of Law. She is on the Board of Directors for Endeavor Bank, the National Bar Institute, the University of California Chancellor’s Advisory Committee, and Emeritus member of the Executive Committee of the National Bar Association Commercial Law Section, and the University of San Diego School of Law Board of Visitors. She is also the founder and director of the Turner Dream Foundation and Links to STEM.

Ms. Kwamina Thomas Williford is an experienced regulatory and business disputes attorney, who co-chairs the Holland & Knight’s Consumer Protection Defense and Compliance Team.

Ms. Williford helps companies navigate complex regulations and enforcement regimes related to consumer engagement and interaction, including marketing and advertising, fair lending, reporting and decisions being made based on consumer credit, receiving payments from consumers and the use of consumer information. She also advises companies on how to reduce their risk profile related to consumer protection concerns when looking to bring innovative products and technology to market.

Clients also call on Ms. Williford to conduct highly sensitive internal investigations related to alleged improper or concerning activities identified by employees or that are identified through the organization’s compliance and ethics program.

Ms. Williford draws upon her experience to help clients decrease their risk profile by counseling companies on specific measures to enhance and refine their corporate compliance programs. Ms. Williford also works with clients to develop compliance training materials and conduct management training on compliance issues. She also served as the co-editor of the Corporate Compliance Answer Book, published every year since 2009 by the Practising Law Institute. Ms. Williford worked on the book with dozens of attorneys across the firm knowledgeable in various aspects of compliance. Leveraging this experience, coupled with her leadership roles within the firm for almost 20 years, has enabled Ms. Williford to work seamlessly with attorneys across subject matters to service clients and match their needs with Holland & Knight talent.

Currently, Ms. Williford chairs the Steering Committee for the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Engagement Initiative, designed to deepen partnerships with clients and businesses that share Holland &Knight’s values of diversity and inclusion. Ms. Williford also serves on Holland & Knight’s Innovation Committee, designed to further develop the firm’s use of innovation and Artificial Intelligence to advance the practice with higher efficiency. She has also served on the firm’s Directors Nominating Committee. Within the community, Ms. Williford actively supports diverse legal pipeline endeavors throughout the country. She previously served as the chair of the NBA Commercial Law Section, the NBA’s Board of Governors, and its Judicial Selection Committee. Ms. Williford also serves on the board of Light House Studios, an organization dedicated to equipping young people with the skills and confidence to tell their stories and build community through collaborative filmmaking. She also serves on the DC Regional Board for Teach For America, which develops and supports a diverse network of leaders, working together to end educational inequity.