IAEOZ Summit 2021 Speakers

David Wilson, Ed.D., the 10th president of Morgan State University, has a long record of accomplishments and more than 30 years of experience in higher education administration. Dr. Wilson holds four academic degrees: a B.S. in political science and an M.S. in education from Tuskegee University; an Ed.M. in educational planning and administration from Harvard University; and an Ed.D. in administration, planning and social policy, also from Harvard. 

James O. Lang focuses his tax and corporate project finance practice on tax incentive programs, Qualified Opportunity Zone and Qualified Opportunity Fund financing, tax credits, and related state and federal incentive programs. Jim is closing over $8 billion of Qualified Opportunity Funds and ancillary Qualified Opportunity Zone deployment of funds and has closed or is structuring several billion dollars in tax credit incentivized transactions.

Erich Yost recently joined the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD), Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Economic Development as a Senior Community Planning and Development Specialist working for Deputy Assistant Secretary Robin Keegan. He previously served as the Acting Branch Chief for the Place-Based Initiatives Division in HUD's Office of Field Policy and Management (FPM) Headquarters team with a focus on Opportunity Zones. 

Dr. Cynthia Warrick is the 7th President and the first female to lead Stillman College, a historically black liberal arts college in Tuscaloosa Alabama, that was founded by and affiliated with the Presbyterian Church USA. Named one of the Ten Most Dominant HBCU Leaders of 2020 by the HBCU Campaign Fund, Dr. Warrick served as the Interim President of two HBCUs (Grambling State University and South Carolina State University) after advancing the faculty and administrative ranks at Howard University, the University of Texas, Texas Southern University, Florida A&M University, and Elizabeth City State University.

Mr. Haynie is CEO of Haynie Farms, LLC in Reedville, VA. Philip J. Haynie, III, more commonly known as P.J., graduated from Northumberland High School, Heathsville, Va., in June 1995. While in high school, Haynie served as vice president of his Future Farmers of America chapter and actively worked on his family farm in Reedville, Va. Haynie graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics in May 1999.

Zahn Patin founded The Wonder Group, a Management Consulting firm focusing on promoting equity through projects and programs that improve the world. The firm implements various programs that transform the ways we live, work, and do business.The Wonder Group promotes diversity,equity and inclusion, community outreach, workforce development,and training and development initiatives.

The Wonder Group's clients represent various industries, including;construction, real estate,manufacturing, and healthcare.Addressing the root cause and barriers to growth for MWSBE, The Wonder Group team works to build capacity in MWSBE through its alliance with the Minority Business Development Association, its Minority Roundtable forum, and other projects and programs in Dallas, Texas,Charlotte, North Carolina, andJackson, Mississippi.

For over a decade, Zahn has developed programs that address challenges in Supply Chain and Procurement with technology and a value-driven approach. Her work targets industry-wide issues related to the aging construction work force and access to opportunities for Minority/Woman/Small Business Enterprises (MWSBE).

She and her team have achieved over 30% participation in various initiatives while reducing costs by over $3MM annually and increasing capacity for MWSBEs.

Her experience in various roles has uniquely equipped her to support the strategic objectives of large firms while understanding the dynamics surrounding small businesses and entrepreneurs.

With a strong commitment and innate desire to support underserved minority populations, Zahn launched Comprehensive Solutions Inc. and Bridges Summer Camp and Leadership Academy in 2017 to address college readiness gaps in the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex.Leveraging the curriculum she developed, she led the program to realize a 68% improvement in English and Math for participants.

As a serial entrepreneur, Zahn has pursued various paths to achieve equity by creating safe spaces,closing economic disparity gaps, and creating opportunities for minorities and women.

By leading with love, she believes that we have the opportunity to do impossible things.

Rose Greer is an entrepreneur and Founder of RR Connection Consulting Group (RR),based in Dallas, Texas. After establishing a successful 20-year career working in the insurance industry,

Rose saw an opportunity to elevate the level of MBE firms in the workforce industry.

In 2009, Rose launched RR -- a new Staffing Company where she would train hundreds of people, primarily minorities to understand the insurance industry and empower them to establish wealth as adjusters; through her dynamic training program, she and her team helped many individuals to gain economic freedom.

Over the years, Rose has developed powerful partnerships across industries in the private and public sectors. Her alliances with major insurance carriers have enabled her firm to provide employment opportunities to over 800 people.

Rose continues to invest much of her time,energy, and love into RR Connection Consulting Group to develop the firm into atop-tier staffing solutions option, providing wealth-building career opportunities to candidates and best-fit team members to clients.

Mrs. Greer has over 25 years of experience managing both daily operational and catastrophe businesses. In an earlier position,as a catastrophe claims manager, Mrs. Greer managed large-scale service contracts for clients such as WSP and CRU. In that role, she was responsible for managing the program from end-to-end from attracting qualified candidates, training, day-to-day operations,and compliance reporting.

Mrs. Greer focuses on client needs and the most efficient way to execute strategies. Sheworks to build solutions for clients by leveraging her staffing resources and her strong connection to the Minority Business network in the Southwestern region to work on various projects.

A life of prayer, gratitude, and meditation bring balance to the busyness that entrepreneurship brings. Rose leads with a nurturing spirit, setting clear priorities to focus and achieve their goals.

Rose's personal story of healing and hope will be cataloged in her first published work,"Damn!! God"--highlighting a time where her faith faced the ultimate test.

Rose is the proud mother of 4 and works diligently to support her community and provide opportunities to the willing.

Dr. Willie E. May currently serves as Vice President for Research and Economic Development at Morgan State University where he will be working to aggressively increase the quality and quantity research outputs, facilitate increased tech transfer, and better connect research across Maryland’s preeminent urban research university to community needs. 

Immediately prior to Morgan, Dr. May served as Director of Major Research and Training Initiatives for the College of Computer, Mathematical and the Natural Sciences, University of Maryland College Park where he developed new relationships and expanded existing partnerships with corporations, foundations and government agencies and assisted the college in obtaining additional support for graduate student education, training and mentoring.

Dr. May previously served as Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology, a position created in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. As U/S and NIST Director, Dr. May provided high-level oversight and direction for NIST, the agency that promotes U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology. Dr. May began as a bench Chemist and went on to work at every management level within the organization. His personal research activities were focused in the areas of trace organic analytical chemistry and physico-chemical properties of organic compounds, where his work is described in more than 90 peer-reviewed technical publications. He has given more than 250 invited lectures at Conferences and Symposia around the world. 

Dr. May, until very recently, maintained several senior leadership responsibilities in addition to those at MSU. Until March 2019, he was [1] Vice President of the 18-person International Committee on Weights and Measures (CIPM); [2] President of the CIPM’s Consultative Committee on Metrology in Chemistry and Biology;  and [3] Executive Board Member for the Joint Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM), and Vice-Chair of the U.S. National Commission on Forensic Sciences He still serves on the Board of Directors for Consumer Reports, the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership Program, and the Science and Technology Advisory Board’s for the UK's National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and China’s National Institute of Metrology. 

Dr. May earned his B.S in Chemistry from Knoxville College and his Ph. D. in Analytical Chemistry from the University of Maryland, College Park. His numerous honors and awards include: Honorary Doctorate’s from Wake Forrest University and the University of Alabama Huntsville; the American Chemical Society’s Distinguished Service in the Advancement of Analytical Chemistry Award; the American Chemical Society’s Public Service Award; the Department of Commerce’s Gold, Silver and Bronze Medal Awards; the National Institute of Standards and Technology Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Award; and the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers’  Percy Julian Award; in 2015, recognized as the Federal Government’s “Top Chemist” by Chemical and Engineering News Magazine and in 2016 recognized by the Federal Laboratory Consortium as “Laboratory Director of the Year”.