The Leadership Consortium (TLC) From July 2004 – August of 2005 Michael Kelly and Denise Meredith published the Arizona Examiner Newspaper. Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig was the Editor in Chief. Don Henninger, then publisher of the Phoenix Business Journal, generously supported TLC to publish a monthly Multi-Cultural insert for the 80,000 Phoenix Business Journal subscribers. The Leadership Consortium (TLC) From July 2004 – August of 2005 Michael Kelly and Denise Meredith published the Arizona Examiner Newspaper. Michelle Fitzhugh-Craig was the Editor in Chief. Don Henninger, then publisher of the Phoenix Business Journal, generously supported TLC to publish a monthly Multi-Cultural insert for the 80,000 Phoenix Business Journal subscribers.

TLC has also been a School Tuition Organization (STO). The STO mission of TLC was to award tuition scholarships to the children of low-income families to attend private elementary and secondary schools (K-12) throughout Arizona. Additionally, it was in the business of helping disabled and foster care children obtain special education at private institutions no longer supported by the state of Arizona.

The Leadership Consortium (TLC) In 2017, TLC worked with Project H.E.A.L and a Community Advocacy and Scholarship Program. January 16, 2017 (Phoenix, AZ) – Minister of Music and national recording artist R. Bernard (aka Reginald Holmes), was the featured entertainer for the inaugural H.E.A.L. (Healing & Educating Arizona’s Lost) Live Experience CD recording at the Tempe Center for the Arts. This FREE event began with a health and wellness fair at 12:00 Noon. Doors open for the concert at 5:00 pm. The Community Advocacy and Scholarship Program was funded by anonymous donors to encourage speaking truth to power, community succession planning and organization sustainability.

The Covid-19 pandemic had devastating effects on the economy, health care and education, just to name a few challenges. Millions of jobs were lost, work and family routines were disrupted, health and mental health suffered, and hundreds of brick-and-mortar K-12 schools and colleges were closed. Additionally, non-profit organization were ravaged because they could not conduct fundraising activities to support staffing and services. During this time period, The Leadership Consortium (TLC), modified activities to decrease the far-reaching repercussions of the pandemic. With the help of collaborators and donors, especially Southwest Airlines (SWA), that provided E-Passes for all of the following events, TLC addressed the impact of Covid-19 accordingly:

• Helped to create and convene The Black, Brown and College Bound (BBCB) Scholarship Program. This program introduced high school and college transfer students and their parents and guardians, to higher education opportunities.
• Worked with the Arizona Area Agency on Aging to provided SWA tickets to senior citizens who had out of state family situations.
• Supported programs that prepare kids for school, put people to work, help students navigate the path to college, and promote entrepreneurship – Phoenix Public Library Foundation
• Partnered with the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Delta Beta Omega Chapter and Phoenix AKARAMA Foundation to inform, encourage, and enable students in their quest to attend Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Collaborated with the Maricopa County Branch NAACP to convene a Wellness Campaign on Lifestyle Tips and Info on Childhood Immunization and Vaccinations to help stop the pandemic. Mayo Clinic and First Institutional Baptist Church also participated in this event.
• Sponsored the Phoenix Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Delta Academy, Delta Gems and Scholarship program.
• Provided SWA tickets to be auctioned in support of the Phoenix Public Library Foundation for The Dinner in the Stacks fundraiser.
• Sponsored the Society of St. Vincent de Paul with travel vouchers for unhoused individuals and families.

Black, Brown and College Bound Initiative – In June of 2018, representing TLC, I (Michael Kelly) met with Judy Reno, Director College Depot, Phoenix and Kelly Bushong, Executive Director Phoenix Public Library Foundation to “plant the seeds” for a Scholarship Program “Boot Camp.” With collaboration and coordination as the vision for this initiative, we did not want to duplicate community efforts or create experiences that was a conflict with any of the events already on the calendar. That meant we needed to partner with several ongoing projects and programs. After conducting a variety of meetings with our collaborators, the name was changed to the Black, Brown and College Bound (BBCB) Initiative. For the past 4 years, we invited African American & Hispanic students and their parents/guardians to this program to increase the number of African American and Hispanic students who apply for and are awarded college scholarships. Perpetuation of this initiative could not be done without the leadership of Dr. Eula Dean, Judy Reno, promotion of Dr. Camilla Westenberg and representatives from the following organizations:

Dr. Eula Saxon Dean is the past president of the Delta Beta Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc., member of the Phoenix, Chapter of the Links, Inc., and a member of The Greater Phoenix Urban League. Her twenty plus years of administrative work has included conflict resolution, mediation, sexual harassment investigations, and job retention and career placement for continuing college students. Dr. Dean is the recipient of many accolades for professionalism and community service. Dr. Dean earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Home Economics Education from Barber-Scotia College, a Master of Arts in Human Ecology from Cornell University, and her Juris Doctorate from the University of Northern California School of Law.

Camilla A. H. Westenberg, Ed.D. Dr. Camilla A. H. Westenberg is professor emeritus at Phoenix College. For decades, Dr. Westenberg has convened the Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Fair that has helped thousands of students pursue their higher education experience and advanced degrees by attending an HBCU. Dr. Westenberg is a member of: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated – Delta Beta Omega Chapter, the Phoenix Chapter of the Links, Inc., the Phoenix Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., and the Arizona Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Committee, where she chairs the MLK Youth Celebration. She has received numerous community awards and acknowledgements. Dr. Westenberg earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education and English from the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff; a Master of Arts degree in Communication from Arizona State University, and a Doctor of Education from Nova University.

Judy Reno Judy Reno has served as College Depot Director at Phoenix Public Library for the past fourteen years. Judy has a passion for helping underserved youth and adults achieve their educational goals. Under Judy’s leadership, College Depot staff have served more than 25,500 people (unduplicated count) with college planning services. The team of college planning and re-engagement advisors offer one-on-one appointments to assist with all action steps necessary to earn a GED, diploma, college degree or apprenticeship, and host workshops including admissions, financial aid, scholarships, and more. Prior to becoming the College Depot Director, Judy worked as Associate Director of Admissions, Director of Regional Recruitment, for the University of Arizona. Director Reno earned her Master’s in Public Administration from Arizona State University and her Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Arizona.

I would like to close this chapter of the TLC book with testimonials from organizations and students, that illustrates the effectiveness of collaboration and the effect it has on people’s lives.

Hi Michael, Hope you’re well! I’m back at work today (with a mask).

Our social work services team would be so grateful for the use of these plane tickets – they help folks reconnect with loved ones or support systems elsewhere and this would be so helpful!

Best, Executive St. Vincent de Paul Society

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Greetings, I am … a freshmen Mass Communication major attending Southern University A&M College in Baton Rouge, L.A. I am thankful and blessed to state that I completed my fall semester with a GPA of 4.0. I would like to thank Southwest Airlines for providing e-tickets; I would also like to thank the HBCU committee of Delta Beta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for selecting me as one of the recipients of the e-tickets. I plan on using the tickets for a return flight home at the end of the semester. Thanks again for your continued support; it means a lot, and I am very grateful.

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Dear Southwest Airlines, I am sincerely honored to receive the airline tickets. Thank you for this generous gift. It could not have come at a better time, as I am making plans to travel home to Arizona in May and back to DC in August, while coordinating travel plans to my summer internship in Washington state. I am completing my freshman year at Howard University where I am majoring in environmental science with a minor in biology. I have recently been accepted to the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars program at the University of Washington in Seattle. I will spend the next two summers there working on environmental issues and developing my leadership skills related to Environmental Quality and Justice. Your gift serves as an inspiration to follow my dreams. With sincere thanks.

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Good Morning – Southwest Airline Executive

I want to share a thank you note from …A recipient of an E pass for academic achievement from one of The Leadership Consortium collaborators, The AKARAMA Foundation. [This student] lives in Arizona but attends Tennessee State University, an HBCU – Historically Black College and University. In recognition of her academic achievements, she was recently placed on the Dean’s List with grades of a 3.00 or higher. Collectively, we are helping to shape lives, Michael