Our Team

Atlanta, Georgia

Dr. Ebbie Parsons, III, is the Founder and Managing Partner of Yardstick Management. A seasoned business executive with a passion for intentional impact, he has been applauded for his strategic thinking, engaging leadership, and results-oriented mindset throughout his successful career. After working at Fortune 500 companies, including Intel, Medtronic, and American Express, Dr. Parsons III decided to transition from a promising career in business in 2007 to join the prestigious Broad Residency Program in Educational Leadership. The Broad Residency was his first introduction to the inner-workings of America’s public education system, where he served as the Chief Operating Officer of Hartford Public Schools.

Championing the overhaul of the district’s school funding methodology, he negotiated the state’s first pay-for-performance teacher union contract. He led the redistricting of the city to an “All-Choice” system of schools. Following his time in Hartford, Dr. Parsons, III, was on the founding team of the groundbreaking Relay Graduate School of Education, where he led the organization’s Human Capital function. Following Relay, he took on a new challenge to serve as the Chief Operating Officer of the third-largest Charter Management Organization in the U.S., Mosaica Education, Inc. At Mosaica, Dr. Parsons, III, managed over 80 schools across eight states, Washington, D.C., the Middle East, and Asia. He led Mosaica to its two consecutive most profitable years in its 14-year history while simultaneously leading the company to its highest academic performance results in years.

Leveraging his wealth of experience and expertise in business and education, he launched Yardstick Management with a vision to become a leader in transforming and impacting the global landscape of the management consulting industry. Less than a decade later, Yardstick has become a world thought leader and powerhouse in providing specialized Management, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Talent consulting services to renowned mission-driven brands and organizations worldwide. Yardstick is committed to building its clients’ internal capacity to enhance its ability to deliver extraordinary results to its constituents.

He holds a BS in Industrial Engineering from Florida A&M University, an MBA from the University of Minnesota, and a Doctorate in Educational and Organizational Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. He has also served as a Faculty member at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education. Dr. Parsons, III, has extensive board leadership experience, including serving on the boards of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Sinfonietta, the Metropolitan Opera Guild, Lighthouse Academies, Children’s Orchestra Society, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, Urban Ministries, Inc., the Atlanta Music Project (an El Sistema Program), The Winans Group and the Finance Corps. Dr. Parsons, III, is a Fellow with the Pahara Institute and the Aspen Institute and is a Member of the Aspen Institute’s Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Dr. Parsons, III, resides in Atlanta, GA, with his wife, Ayana, and their adorable daughters, Ebbie Noelle, aka “Noey,” and Noohra Celeste. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, kayaking, and, most of all, rooting for his favorite hometown team, the Michigan Wolverines. Go BLUE!

• Ebbie@yardstickmanagement.com
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Atlanta, Georgia

Chris Webber serves as Partner for Yardstick Management and is responsible for growing the company portfolio and acting as an ongoing image consultant. Before joining Yardstick, Chris was a five-time NBA All-Star, a five-time All-NBA Team member, a former NBA Rookie of the Year, and a former number one overall NBA draftee. At the University of Michigan, he was a member of the unforgettable “Fab Five.” He is now in the NBA Hall of Fame.

Webber now serves as a Broadcast Analyst at TNT, where he also co-anchors “Players Only.” Aside from basketball, Webber produces films under his company with documentarian Peter Gilbert. He is also one half of Beat Brothers, a music production duo with brother David Ranier. He is featured as a broadcaster in the massively popular video game: NBA 2K and hosted “Chris Webber’s Full Court Pranks” on TruTV.

In his free time, Chris enjoys giving back to his community and spending time with his wife and two kids.

Atlanta, Georgia

Naima Greenwood serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Yardstick Management, responsible for growing the Yardstick Management portfolio and managing ongoing projects. Before joining Yardstick, Naima served as a Senior Manager on a government contract with the Office of Foreign Labor Certification. Naima has a diverse background in Sales and Marketing, Operations, and Retail. Naima is an advisory board member for the College of Business and Information Science at Tuskegee University.

Naima holds a Bachelor of Science degree cum laude in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from Florida A&M University and an Executive MBA in Global Business from Georgia Institute of Technology. Naima started her career at Target Corporation as a Business Analyst in their entertainment division. There she collaborated with major movie studios and record labels in managing their releases. She later relocated to Atlanta, GA where she managed a $1 billion domestic landscape business for over 2,200 retail stores for The Home Depot. After completing her Executive MBA, Naima was recruited by Bank of America where she served as an Assistant Vice-President. She oversaw efforts to convert California accounts to a single platform for improved efficiency and reliability and managed a multi-million-dollar project to develop global consumer risk assessment plans for call centers.

Naima resides in Atlanta with her husband Andre, and their daughters, Ava and Aubree. In her spare time, she actively volunteers in a variety of civic and cultural organizations including Habitat for Humanity, and the Andrew & Walter Young YMCA. Outside of professional interests, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

• Naima@yardstickmanagement.com
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Atlanta, Georgia

Slma Shelbayah serves as the Chief Communications Officer at Yardstick Management, overseeing the internal and external communications strategy alignment, marketing, public relations, branding, and project management solutions for clients. Her background includes more than 15 years of experience as an award-winning journalist, communication, and public relations expert in the media industry, including experience as a reporter, show host, editor, writer, voice-over artist, and producer.

Prior to joining Yardstick, Slma managed her own communication consulting firm. She brings with her experience as a former Director of Corporate Public Relations with Savannah College of Art and Design. Previous to that role, she spent many years in journalism as a producer, writer, and assignment editor at CNN. She has also taught as an Adjunct Professor of communications, language, and business for several universities, including Brenau University, Georgia State University, and Clayton State University. Most recently, she completed the Diversity and Inclusion certification program from eCornell University.

In 2015, she won the CNN Worldwide Diversity Ovation Award for her commitment to inclusion in news coverage. Shelbayah is passionate about diversity, human uniqueness, and unraveling tough conversations and traditions. Additionally, she is dedicated to promoting stronger voices for underprivileged individuals with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Slma holds a B.A. in Journalism with a minor in Sociology and an M.A. in Linguistics with a focus on cross-cultural linguistics of Spanish and Arabic, both degrees from Georgia State University. She was inducted and graduated from LEAD Atlanta’s distinguished and highly selective leadership program for the class of 2018. She has also obtained a certificate from Oxford University, the U.K., during which students were selected from 30 countries across the world to pursue a seminar on global media policy: technology and new themes in media regulations.

• slma@yardstickmanagement.com
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Atlanta, Georgia

Vallori Thomas serves as the Performance Coach for Yardstick Management. She is an accredited member of the Forbes Coaches Council, an ICF-Certified Coach, 2021 WeInspire Movement for Change Ambassador, and the Founder of The Institute at WOW Coaching and Consulting, She is the author of “POSSIBILITOLOGY: Its A Great Day To Be Amazing”, and Co-Author of “Through It All We’re Still Standing”.

Known for delivering potent results, Vallori’s expertise is personal and professional development, leadership optimization, corporate culture, team dynamics, diversity, equity, and inclusion. A practitioner of context mastery, Vallori is adept at vision building and breakthrough training. She is an enthusiastic and indefatigable keynote speaker and facilitator who has delivered women’s empowerment training for Harvard University Graduate Students, as well as adult and youth leadership programs in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C, Seattle, South Carolina, and Atlanta.

Recently, Vallori began expanding her reach to other countries, traveling first to South Africa and later to Peru then Thailand to bring a message of empowerment, and to raise money and awareness for indigent social programs there.

With a background in entertainment and business administration, Vallori went on to become an executive in the fashion industry. In 2003, She founded her own nonprofit organization that provided personal effectiveness and performance training to women seeking to re-enter the workforce following an institutional hiatus. She has been profiled in local newspapers as well as “The Huff Post” and “Bella Magazine, and a recurring guest on the Dr. Oz Show.

• vallori@yardstickmanagement.com
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Detroit, Michigan

Johnny serves as the Global Head of Executive Search and Human Resources for Yardstick Management, where he is responsible for leading Human Resources and the Executive Search team. He is a seasoned HR practitioner with over 15 years of international experience in policies and strategies, including workforce management consultancy and people development.

Prior to joining Yardstick Management, Johnny was based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, living and working in Southeast Asia and specializing in HR for emerging markets, international conglomerates, and large companies. Some of his employers included Fortune 500 and global organizations such as Hong Leong Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Right Management/Manpower Group, and Franklin Covey.

Johnny holds a BA in Management with a minor in Marketing from Loyola University in Chicago and currently resides in Metro Detroit, Michigan along with his wife, Betsye, and their two young children, Jackson, and Lucy Mai. Besides spending time with his family, Johnny is committed to serving his community through volunteering with youth groups.

• johnny@yardstickmanagement.com
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Dallas, Texas

Dr. Nicole Nero serves as Yardstick Management’s Global Head of the Management Consulting practice. She is responsible for facilitating client workshops and trainings and oversees Yardstick Management’s Consulting practice. Before joining Yardstick, Nicole served as a Consultant in the rapidly expanding EdTech industry. In her most recent role at CampusLogic, Nicole led the strategic adoption and training efforts for enrollment solutions clients.

Nicole’s mission as a Consultant is to leave people and teams better than she finds them: more encouraged, better equipped, and in a better position to win! Her experience has given her the unique ability to support clients by purposefully aligning their organizational values with their strategic goals.

Nicole holds a BSBA from Auburn University in Human Resource Management with a minor in Marketing. She also received an MBA from Auburn University at Montgomery. Additionally, she earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Southern Methodist University.

Sparked by her former role in campus recruiting for Deloitte, Nicole’s doctoral research focused heavily on job attainment for minoritized groups. Nicole was born and raised in Montgomery, Alabama, where her passion for DEI work was first sparked as a young intern for the Intelligence Project at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Nicole now resides in Dallas, Texas.

Outside of professional interests, she enjoys travel, (very) slowly learning to play her guitars and all things Peloton. She is also a proud co-founder of DRA Lending, a non-profit microlending organization for entrepreneurs in the South Dallas community, and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

• Nicole@yardstickmanagement.com
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St. Simons Island, Georgia

Dr. Monica Miller-Smith serves as the Global Director of Research and Impact at Yardstick Management, where she oversees training and development. For over 14 years, she has instructed courses in Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Connecticut, University of Bridgeport, and Central Michigan University. She possesses expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion, civic engagement, and distance education, and has presented at national and international conferences on topics such as economic inequality, experiential learning, and e-learning. With her extensive knowledge in development and diversity, Monica worked as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Specialist in the non-profit and education sectors. In addition, while living in the West Indies, Monica worked with the Ministry of Education. She collaborated with colleagues on the creation of early childhood, socioemotional teacher trainings, and developmental screening assessments to connect families in Nevis with speech language and behavior therapy resources.

Her first textbook, Families and Children Living in Poverty, was published in March 2020. Families and Children Living in Poverty explores the factors that contribute to the existence of poverty, as well as the social, developmental, and environmental ramifications of poverty. Through scholarly studies, case studies, historical events, and contemporary happenings, readers examine the connections between poverty and family-related challenges, including adverse childhood experiences, lack of a living wage, health disparities, social exclusion, and homelessness.

Monica earned her Doctorate in Education from the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. She is an avid traveler and has lived in California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Puerto Rico, and Nevis, West Indies. She currently lives in St. Simons Island, Georgia with her husband and two daughters.

• monica@yardstickmanagement.com
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Atlanta, Georgia

Linda Brito serves as Senior Consultant, Director of Business Strategy at Yardstick Management and has a keen insight into operations improvement. Before joining Yardstick, she worked for several years in customer operations in the manufacturing sector and most recently in healthcare improvement. She brings cross-industry experience, facilitation and coaching improvement initiatives, and vast knowledge of evaluating performance and promoting data-informed decision-making to drive sustainable change.

Linda is originally from the Dominican Republic, where she completed her BS in Industrial Engineering. She obtained her MBA in Spain from EAE Business School and has a Lean Six Sigma Certification from the University of Georgia. She currently lives in Athens, GA, with her husband and their two kids.

• linda@yardstickmanagement.com
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Miami, Florida

Dr. Bernard Ashby serves as a Principal Consultant for Yardstick Management. He was born and raised in South Florida by Caribbean parents who were able to instill in him strong qualities such as family values, a strong work ethic, and a love of serving others.

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Oakland, California

Sonia Marroquin serves as a Senior Recruiter for Yardstick Management, where she is a key member of our Executive Search practice.

Sonia brings 10 years of recruiting experience across sectors and functions. She most recently served as a University Talent Program Specialist at Adobe, focusing on recruiting and supporting early in- career talent. Before Adobe, Sonia was at LinkedIn as a Recruiter Excellence Program Manager, where she supported the development and deployment of learning programs and projects aimed at building recruiter skills and competencies across the global talent acquisition team. She also managed an apprenticeship program designed to build and train people from non-traditional backgrounds to become recruiters across industries.

Sonia spent the early part of her career specializing in non-profit programming, where she was compelled to contribute towards education equity by increasing student and parent engagement within schools and their community. In 2015, she founded the Bay Area site for the Posse Foundation, a comprehensive scholarship program that identifies, recruits, and trains outstanding young leaders from non-traditional backgrounds and sends them to top colleges and universities. After working with some of the most driven young people, she decided to explore and dissect the obstacles in executive search. Sonia became a Senior Search Associate at Goodcitizen, where she built and maintained healthy pipelines for C-Level, VP, and Director roles for national and international foundations and nonprofits, emphasizing the candidate experience. These pivotal experiences deeply inform her advocacy and consulting practice today.

As an immigrant from Guatemala, Sonia understands the obstacles and disparities that underrepresented talent face during the recruitment process. She strongly believes that creating economic opportunities for marginalized communities and having a workforce that is representative of all communities will help alleviate social and economic disparities.

Sonia received her BS in Human Development and Family Studies and BA in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Sonia is an active Board Member of Justice Outside, an Oakland-based non-profit that centers and shifts resources to build power with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to ensure greater equity and racial justice within the environmental movement. To balance her professional aspirations, Sonia enjoys exploring the outdoors, creating visual art projects, and practicing yoga.

• sonia@yardstickmanagement.com
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Los Angeles, California

Mona Khalil serves as a Senior Consultant for Yardstick Management. Prior to joining Yardstick, Mona Khalil worked at LinkedIn as a Senior Program Manager in Talent Acquisition on the Innovation and Solutions team.

Mona is a first-generation Guyanese-Egyptian American. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, focused on community and youth development work. Mona holds a B.A. in International Studies from the University of California- San Diego. She pursued her Executive MBA at St. Mary’s College of California and is currently attending an Inner MBA, Mindful Business program through New York University. In June 2021, Mona taught a module for Bellarmine University W. Fielding Rubel of Business’s new leadership certificate program for Women of Color Entrepreneurs.

Mona’s previous work experience was at Tesla as a Senior Project Manager, Global Business Operations. She was the Founder and President of Tesla’s Intersectionality Employee Resource Group (ERG). The mission is to promote personal empowerment for individuals where the social categorization of (mixed) race, class, gender, age, sexuality, ability, and other characteristics meet. She is passionate about empowering employees to show up to work as their whole self without deconstructing their identity to achieve professional and social workplace equality.

In 2017, she published her first book of reflective poetry rooted in love and telling the story of her life, from childhood through the present day. I Write Letters In My Thoughts is a synoptic view into one person’s journey through love, life, and ultimately towards liberation. Her book is a testament to the power of storytelling as a historic healing method for communities who are often told to be quiet and patient. I Write Letters In My Thoughts allows us to realize that we are enough and that enough is enough; suffering is not our destiny, love is not impossible, and freedom is what we make it.

Mona resides in Pasadena, California where she grew up. Outside of professional interests, Mona enjoys writing poetry and spending time with family and friends.

• Mona@yardstickmanagement.com
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Los Angeles, California

Kristi serves as a Senior Consultant for Yardstick Management. She is responsible for managing both small-scale and large-scale projects, harnessing her background in strategy, digital marketing, social impact, and operations to ensure client success.

Prior to joining Yardstick, Kristi served as Director of Social Impact at Playboy Enterprises where she worked to evolve internal and external representation and reestablish the historical advocacy built into the brand’s DNA. Kristi’s professional history holds an emphasis on public relations and brand strategy, most recently including brand and entertainment consulting for advocacy platforms such as I Weigh. Her professional philosophy revolves around the concept of identity, with the belief system that people who feel comfortable showing up to work exactly as they are and knowing exactly how they are contributing to the larger mission is the foundation of a successful workplace.

Kristi holds a Bachelors of Science in eBusiness with an emphasis in eCommerce from Cal Poly University, Pomona.

Kristi resides in Los Angeles where she enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, interior design, and travel. She is also passionate about mental health advocacy and access.

• kristi@yardstickmanagement.com
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Atlanta, Georgia

Melanie Calhoun serves as a Senior Consultant for Yardstick Management, supporting the diversity and inclusion line of business. With her expertise in marketing management and diversity and inclusion initiatives, Melanie helps organizations improve D&I strategies by conducting assessments, establishing clear and measurable D&I goals, and creating long-term roadmaps to address the structural inequality that may exist.

Before joining Yardstick, Melanie spent time as a researcher in the Relationships and Social Cognition Lab at the University of California, Berkeley Psychology Department. Under the leadership of Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, Ph.D., Melanie developed an active research interest in stigma, intergroup relations, and stereotyping. Much of her racism and bias research is informed by her experience working as a marketing executive for over fifteen years.

Before her work at UC Berkeley, she was Head of New Customer Acquisition and Experience for Invisalign® clear aligners at Align Technology. Under her leadership, Melanie launched new advertising campaigns to recruit new dentists to become providers. Before working at Align, Melanie spent time as the Senior Marketing Manager of Product Marketing for Vocera Communications. In her role, she oversaw competitive strategy. As Marketing Manager at Ecolab, she managed the Surgical Patient Care products, increasing sales to $12MM. She also spent time at Medtronic supporting surgical procedures in endovascular aortic aneurysm stent-graft repair, pediatric deformity spinal surgery, and neurostimulation for obesity and chronic stomach disorders. She received various awards for her leadership, including the Medtronic Emerging Leaders, and was one of the first participants in the Leadership Development Rotation Program.

Melanie is committed to her community and, through her leadership, has made a significant impact on women and children’s issues. She has held various positions in the Junior League of Atlanta and served on the Executive Board of the San Jose Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Currently, Melanie is a Board Member of the Atlanta Chapter of It’s My Birthday, Inc. and The Atlanta Birth Center.

Melanie earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida A&M University. She currently resides in Atlanta with her husband, two-year-old son, and newborn daughter. She is an avid reader, loves cooking, traveling, and yoga.

• melanie@yardstickmanagement.com
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Hartford, Connecticut

Jaclyn Carter serves as a Senior Consultant on the Yardstick Management team. Jaclyn provides leadership and direction in all aspects of managing Human Capital. She brings over 15 years of experience in labor/employee relations, recruitment, training, compensation design, compliance audits, job analysis, process improvement, culture shifts, and performance improvement interventions. She has served in leadership roles and provided HR support to various clients ranging from Fortune 500 companies, including DaimlerChrysler, United Technologies, and Berkshire Hathaway, to small startups. Jaclyn can successfully re-engineer organizational Human Resource goals and practices to align with strategic business goals and objectives.

Jaclyn also serves as a trainer and coach for leadership and professional development programs and career transition services. Through her extensive experience with executives and professionals, she has developed a unique ability to help clients identify core values and motivators. She collaborates with clients in developing career management and performance plans to achieve progressive success. Jaclyn brings a broad base of industry experience, which helps her connect with each client and support advancement and success in their profession. Jaclyn customizes her approach to each client as they build the next stage’s skills in their career.

Jaclyn holds a BA in Human Resource Management from Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business and an MILR, with a Dispute Resolution concentration via Mediation and Arbitration, from Cornell University’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations.  Jaclyn resides in Hartford, CT, with her family.

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St. Simons Island, Georgia

Odet Douglass serves as a Recruiter for Yardstick Management, providing essential functions to our Executive Search team and practice. As an Executive Search Recruiter, Odet works closely with our clients to understand their specific functional hiring needs and is responsible for identifying, engaging, and securing top-level talent.

Odet holds a B.A. in Philosophy with a concentration in Asian studies and Chinese language (Mandarin) from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts. There she was a four-year member on the Varsity Women’s Rowing Team (NCAA D1). She is also a graduate of Florida Coastal School of Law, where she earned a J.D.

She is a solutions-oriented professional with a legal background and H.R. experience managing business operations. Prior to joining Yardstick, Odet was the Human Resources Manager for First Touch Logistics Company in Atlanta, Georgia. She directed all H.R. functions and employee relations for the startup Amazon Delivery Service Partner.

She has also worked as a legal assistant at several small to medium law firms, including the nonprofit Georgia Legal Services Program. A native of St. Simons Island, Odet is an “island girl” and a proud daughter of the Golden Isles – a small group of barrier islands along the coast of southeast Georgia. In her free time, Odet remains an active member in her community, coaching youth soccer, volunteering yearly service hours as a member of the Brunswick (GA) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and serves as an active Ruling Elder in her church, Brunswick Second Presbyterian Church (USA).

• odet@yardstickmanagement.com
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Houston, Texas

Dr. Bernada Baker serves as a Recruiter for Yardstick Management. She is responsible for managing clients and their recruitment requisitions, along with other special projects or assignments for Yardstick’s Executive Search practice.

Dr. Bernada is a Community Psychologist and Educator with high levels of multicultural competence, management experience, and a solid understanding of business execution and integration. Prior to joining Yardstick, Dr. Bernada worked for the past 15 years as an educator in the field of higher education, but most recently, she served as a Visiting Psychology Professor at Texas Southern University and The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. She is also the Founder/CEO of her own firm and The Princess Within Foundation.

Dr. Bernada holds a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from National Louis University, an MBA, and a Master’s of Public Health degree from Saint Xavier University. She also holds a Master’s of Divinity Degree from McCormick Theological Seminary and a Bachelor’s of Science in Community Health from Eastern Illinois University. Dr. Baker has dedicated her life’s work to focus on teaching, mentoring, conducting research, service, consulting, directing community-based programs, program development, motivational speaking, and providing direct pastoral support and chaplaincy services to individuals, families, and other groups. As a Community Psychologist, Dr. Baker has been most recognized for her passion for establishing relationships in disenfranchised communities, building bridges for under-served populations, and serving as an advocate for those whose voices will never be heard. Dr. Baker has conducted extensive research on social issues among minority groups and has a proven track record of developing, implementing, and evaluating action-oriented community-based programs.

Dr. Bernada is a native of Chicago who resides in Houston, Texas with her daughter Bella Skye. She enjoys making family memories, scrapbooking, traveling, mentoring girls from under-served communities, and modeling.

• Bernada@yardstickmanagement.com
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Istanbul, Turkey

Haneen AbuFarha serves as the Diversity Sourcer for Yardstick Management. She is a seasoned Sourcer, having previously worked with Microsoft, Facebook, AWS, and Slack. Her mission has been to ensure big companies in the United States and overseas have a diverse candidate pool and that marginalized groups have equal access to the senior technical and non-technical roles within these organizations.

Haneen graduated with her Bachelors of Science degree in computer science from Najah National University, and she holds an MBA from Indiana University Pennsylvania. Before her sourcing experience, she interned as a Technical Program Manager at LinkedIn and worked as a Product and Account Manager for the Telecom company, Jawwal.ps.

• haneen@yardstickmanagement.com
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Atlanta, Georgia

Shakiri Murrain serves as a Consultant for Yardstick Management. He has over 15 years of professional international business experience in supply chain management, product development, and language/cultural training. His expertise includes a deep understanding of the Asian and Latin American cultures with the ability to turn interpersonal interaction into tangible business results.

As a 2005 graduate of Howard University School of Business, Murrain studied International Business with concentrations in Finance and Insurance. Determined to build an international path, Murrain completed several study abroad programs during his matriculation at Howard University. Murrain has advanced proficiency in both Spanish and Mandarin.

Murrain’s collective experiences motivated him to found the Product Development & Quality Assurance firm – Jade Trading Company in 2012. The company’s foundational pillars rest in international understanding, foreign language ability, and client-based relationships. Jade Trading Company became a vendor for several business incubators and co-working spaces with the most influential being The Daymond John Academy. After seven years working with the academy, Jade’s team successfully developed over 130 diverse products. Many of these products entered the global marketplace and are currently offered to consumers in various parts of the world.

Shakiri currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia with his wife and two children, and he enjoys assisting with community service at his church, traveling and learning about new cultures, and scuba diving with his family.

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Atlanta, Georgia

Gordon Callaway serves as a Recruiter for Yardstick Management. He is a member of Yardstick’s Executive Search practice and is responsible for end to end support on key client accounts.

Before joining Yardstick, Gordon worked as an Operations Manager at DHL and was responsible for domestic and international logistical operations. Before joining DHL, Gordon served as an Air Force Contracting Officer in the field of acquisitions, contracting, and procurement. While in the Air Force, he was responsible for both military and civilian personnel members and executed over 200 Million Dollars annually in new acquisitions for 5 military organizations. He was an advisor to senior government and corporate executives and ensured acquisitions complied with federal laws and regulations.

Gordon holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Tuskegee University and is currently pursuing his M.B.A. at Emory University. He is also a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Gordon resides in Atlanta, Georgia, and enjoys spending time with family, traveling, and attending Atlanta United games.

• gordon@yardstickmanagement.com
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Detroit, Michigan

Gilberto Orozco is a 2020 graduate of the University of Michigan and serves as a Consultant for Yardstick Management. Before joining Yardstick, Gilberto was involved in the entrepreneurship space — being a part of a team that founded an educational non-profit dedicated to teaching entrepreneurship to kids — for over six years and worked in a lab as a coordinator for the Institute of Social Research, where he analyzed global market trends through a multidisciplinary approach. Gilberto’s passions lie in global human development and bipartisan policies that improve the longevity of everyone.

Residing in Detroit as a Venture for America fellow, Gilberto aims to aid the city in the entrepreneurship ecosystem for the next two years. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, trains for marathons, and creates elaborate meals for his friends and family.

• gilberto@yardstickmanagement.com
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Fort Wayne, Indiana

Josie serves as a Consultant for Yardstick Management where she supports projects across Yardstick’s portfolio of clients. She is a 2020 graduate of Earlham College obtaining a degree in Global Management with a focus in Management Information Technology. Josie is a Venture for America Fellow and found entrepreneurship by being a founder herself. She assembled a company called Methane Hub in 2016 to help international rural communities fight indoor air pollution using an engineered renewable cooking fuel and has since moved on to creating information products and processes to uplift women in tech. Josie is passionate about applying tech-based solutions to businesses and products that positively impact social impact while contributing other skills such as UX design and coding. She builds teams that make work enjoyable and transparent. To recharge, Josie loves sailing, meeting with like-minded changemakers and GenZers over coffee, starting side hustles, and reading about new fascinating concepts.

• josie@yardstickmanagement.com
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St. Simons Island, Georgia

Keisha Herron serves as the Consultant, Event Manager for Yardstick Management. She will be responsible for planning, organizing, and orchestrating the Yardstick Management Institute while also handling all events logistics.

Keisha is a marketing, event, and project management professional with over 15 years of experience at corporate organizations such as Nike, GO GROUND, GBI Strategies, and the University of Illinois. Keisha has excelled in brand marketing, bringing awareness to brands through high-quality marketing strategies and developing and executing large and small events.

Keisha holds a Bachelor’s in Marketing from Florida A&M University.

Keisha is a true southern belle from Baton Rouge, but has fallen in love with the big city life now residing in Chicago for the past 14 years. She now resides in Brunswick, Georgia, and she is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, and ex-track star who lives a very healthy and active life. She has competed in 2 triathlons, ran 1 half marathon, and is currently an NPC bikini bodybuilder.

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Detroit, Michigan

Jasmine Johnson serves as the Brand Strategist for Yardstick Management, where she leads the development of the Yardstick brand in design, communications, internal, and external perception.

Jasmine is a 2019 graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. With her focus on multimedia journalism, marketing, and public relations, she hopes to connect individuals with the power of digital communication. Her previous experience includes internships at Pace Communications, a full-service advertising agency, Ripple Match, and BET Networks, working directly under the President of Media Sales.

Prior to joining Yardstick, Jasmine worked as an Account Manager in the fintech industry, curating high-level marketing campaigns for over twelve banks and credit unions. She enjoys using her passions for story development, brand management, and creative direction to bring visions to life.

Jasmine has received many accolades throughout her professional career, including admittance into Harvard’s Summer Venture in Management Program, Stanford’s Future Leaders Program, Yale’s Emerging Leaders Seminar, and Forbes’ 30 under 30 Scholar program. In her free time, she enjoys balancing work-life with yoga, dance at AKT Studios, blogging, and cuddling her German Shepard, Onyx.

• jasmine@yardstickmanagement.com
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Atlanta, Georgia

Kae McGowa serves as the Senior Designer for Yardstick Management, bringing over 7 years of art direction experience to the Yardstick team while providing print and digital design solutions for the firm and its clients.

Her interests have always been split between sports and the arts, and she attended Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) as an undergrad to grow in both areas. She learned a lot about balance as a student-athlete as she earned a BFA in Advertising Design with a specialization in Graphic Design. After graduation, she moved to the Atlanta campus and obtained her Master’s degree in Interactive Design and Game Development.

Today, Kae maintains her balance by skating for the Atlanta Rollergirls.

• kae@yardstickmanagement.com

St. Simons Island, Georgia

Reyonia Whipple serves as the Executive Search Coordinator supporting Yardstick’s Executive Search practice. She graduated in 2018 from Lander University with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications. Additionally, she served as a Captain of the Lander Volleyball Team, holds her school’s collegiate record for the most number of blocks by a player in a single season, and was named Lander Women’s Volleyball 2017 MVP. Ms. Whipple is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and has served as Vice President of her University’s Chapter. She also graduated cum laude from Lander with her 2018 class. Before joining Yardstick, Reyonia served as a contractor for Delta Airlines, working as a Lead Ground Security Coordinator. She brings the same passionate leadership qualities that made her successful in the classroom, within her sorority, and on the volleyball court to Yardstick and looks forward to even more success.

Outside of her professional interests and accomplishments, Reyonia enjoys spending time with her family and finding new adventures with her many friends, including traveling and playing volleyball whenever she gets the chance.

• reyonia@yardstickmanagement.com
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