A Message from
Our Chairperson
Conference
Workshop Guide
2024 Keynote Speaker
Judge Lynn Toler
Judge Lynn received her bachelor’s degree in English and American Literature from Harvard University and her Doctorate in Law from The University of Pennsylvania Law School. At 33, she was elected judge of the Cleveland Heights Municipal Court and served there for more than eight years.
While on the bench in Cleveland Heights, Judge Lynn volunteered actively in her community creating her own programs, such as Woman Talk, a project designed to intensively mentor young at-risk girls; and The CHIP Program–an intensive probationary program for young, male, chronic offenders. She also led an initiative to establish early response mental health teams for local municipal courts.
She has served as an adjunct professor at Ursuline College, where she created and taught courses on Civil Rights Law and Women and the Law. She was also a frequent instructor for the Ohio Judicial College, where she helped create and taught continuing judicial education course for other judges.
Judge Lynn has also served on a number of philanthropic boards, including but not limited to: The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), Board of Trustees Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Cuyahoga County Criminal Justice Services Supervisory Board, Board of Trustees, Goodwill Starting Over Program, Cleveland Treatment Center, and The Cleveland Domestic Violence Center.
Judge Lynn is still actively engaged in both local and national initiatives to prevent domestic violence through her work as a board member of Bloom365. She also supports The Whole Brother Mission, an organization designed to address the emotional and familial wellbeing of Black men.
Judge Lynn began her television career in 2001 when she became the host of the nationally syndicated television show, Power of Attorney. During that time, she also served as a retired judge sitting by assignment in multiple jurisdictions throughout the state of Ohio.
In 2006, Judge Lynn became the host of Divorce Court. In 2007, she expanded her television presence by becoming the host of the prime-time television show, Decision House. In 2008 and 2009, Judge Lynn was a bi-monthly contributor on News and Notes, a weekly news show on National Public Radio (NPR). In 2009, she became the host and a co-executive producer of Wedlock or Deadlock, a syndicated series based on a segment of Divorce Court. Judge Lynn became a regular co-host alongside Dr. Ish Major on We tv’s highly rated Marriage Bootcamp series in 2020. She continued her work with We tv in the series Commit or Quit with Judge Lynn Toler in 2022.
Most recently Judge Lynn became the creator, writer, and executive producer for ALLBLK, a streaming service for Black television and film from AMC Networks, series Judge Me Not, loosely based on her life.
Judge Lynn has appeared as a legal and relationship expert on a variety of shows including Larry King Live, Dr. Drew, CNN, The Dr. Phil Show, The Steve Harvey Show, CBS Morning Show, The Wendy Williams Show, The Breakfast Club, and many others.
Judge Lynn is the author of several books. Her first book, My Mother’s Rules, A Practical Guide to Becoming an Emotional Genius was published in 2007 and was described by Ebony Magazine as an “awe-inspiring memoir.” In 2009, Judge Lynn published her second book, Put It in Writing, co-authored with Deborah Hutchison. Her third book, Making Marriage Work, New Rules for an Old Institution was published in 2012. Her latest book, Dear Sonali, Letters to the Daughter I Never Had, is dedicated to young women, their progress and personal journey, was published in 2019.
Judge Lynn has been the recipient of numerous awards. She is, however, most proud of The 2002 Humanitarian of the Year Award given to her by The Cleveland Domestic Violence Center. In 2009, Judge Toler was given The Voice of Freedom Award by the Philadelphia Chapter of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. joining honorees former United States Secretary of State Colin Powell and Vice President Al Gore.
Judge Lynn has been married to Eric Mumford since 1989. She has two sons and four stepsons.
A Message from
Our Chairperson
Conference
Workshop Guide
2022 Keynote Speaker
DR. MELVA K. WILLIAMS
President and CEO at Huston-Tillotson University
A well-respected visionary with an immutable and demonstrated record as a higher education administrator and staunch advocate for the increased accessibility of education for children of all ages, Dr. Melva K. Williams assumed the position of 7th president and chief operating officer of Huston-Tillotson University (HT) in Austin, Texas, on August 15, 2022. Prior to this appointment, she served in various senior leadership roles in higher education and in corporate America.
A student-focused servant-leader, President Williams has taken the first steps in setting into motion an aggressive agenda that will expand and strengthen HT’s academic programs, galvanize its faculty, invigorate active participation among alumni, broaden its external donor base and increase financial support, improve the physical plant, and embrace a broader commitment to shared governance.
Since taking the helm of Austin’s first institution of higher education and one of the most respected private historically black universities (HBCUs) in the nation, President Williams has become committed to developing leading-edge educational experiences that will enhance its current research and scholarship offerings, while significantly impacting the local community and preparing HT graduates to compete successfully in a global workplace.
President Williams is a co-founder of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation (H.E.L.F.), which provides bold, engaging, and innovative learning and mentoring opportunities for current and aspiring leaders of HBCUs. To date, the H.E.L.F. has trained over 400 HBCU leaders across the country. She is also a founding board member and board president for Magnolia School of Excellence in Shreveport and is a national spokesperson for emotional intelligence (soft skills) development. She recently completed a stint as senior director of programming for the Clinton Presidential Center in New York.
As testament to her exemplary activism in many local, regional and national service programs and projects, President Williams received numerous commendations. Most notably, in 2020, she and then-Secretary of State Madeline Albright were among six distinguished persons recognized by former President William J. Clinton as an Everyday Hero from the Clinton Foundation. 2020 Everyday Hero: Presidential Leadership Scholar Dr. Melva Williams).
Heralded as “a futurist” by former President George W. Bush, she was invited by The Bush Institute to be a featured writer for the Summer 2020 edition of The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute on How Educators Can Prime First-Generation College Students for Success). https://www.bushcenter.org/catalyst/still-leaving-them-behind/williams-keys-to-success-for-first-generation-college-students.html.
In 2016, she was selected to participate in the Presidential Leadership Scholars program that develops national and global service projects. Through that program, she was able to study leadership with three former American Presidents (President George H. W. Bush, President William J. Clinton, and President George W. Bush). She is also the 2018 recipient of the ATHENA award, which is the highest honor in the state for professional merit, community service, and for actively assisting women in their attainment of professional excellence and leadership skills and in 2022 she received the Women Who Lead award from UNCF.
As a fiscal conservative, Dr. Williams has been highly successful in serving as a consultant in response to SASCOC core requirements relative to finance and enrollment sustainability. She also served as a national speaker and soft skills training for organizations all over the globe and trains higher education CPAs on best practices for enrollment, cost controls, and fiscal compliance. To date, Williams has been instrumental in amassing over $20 million in grants and gifts.
During her decades-long and prolific tenure at Southern University, she served in various positions including, executive associate to the chancellor, assistant vice chancellor and vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management (Shreveport campus), vice chancellor (New Orleans campus), and chief of staff for the System in Baton Rouge.
President Williams is also the former associate dean of the college at Centenary College of Louisiana and a student affairs administrator at Grambling State University. Also, she has held concurrent positions as professor, lecturer and board member at several other colleges and universities. Prior to that, she held a position in corporate America as a human resource professional.
The Shreveport, Louisiana native earned a doctorate in higher education from Jackson State University (Mississippi) and a master’s in public administration and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Grambling State University (Louisiana).
A Message from
Our Chairperson
Conference
Workshop Guide
2021 Keynote Speaker
Marilu Henner
Actress, Producer &
NY Times Bestselling Author
With the energy of a teenager, the wisdom of a sage, and the memory of a super hero, Marilu Henner has done it all! Starring in over fifty films, seven Broadway shows, and two hit classic sitcoms, “Taxi” and “Evening Shade,” this five-time Golden Globe Nominee is also a New York Times Best Selling author of ten books on health, memory, parenting, and lifestyle improvement. Her books, including recent bestseller Changing Normal: How I Helped My Husband Beat Cancer, as well as Total Memory Makeover, Total Health Makeover, 30 Day Total Health Makeover, Healthy Life Kitchen, I Refuse to Raise a Brat, and By All Means Keep On Moving, have changed the lives of millions in her quest to make the world a healthier place.
Marilu Henner, seen this past season on Broadway starring in Gettin’ the Band Back Together, is currently starring with Candace Cameron Bure in the Hallmark series “Aurora Teagarden”, which will have three new movies premiering in Fall 2019. She is also on “The Neighborhood” playing Max Greenfield’s opinionated mom! Marilu has hosted and executive produced two talk shows, “Marilu” and “Shape Up Your Life,” and as a two-time competitor on Donald Trump’s “Celebrity Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice All-Stars,” Marilu played for her favorite charities, including The Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and the Alzheimer’s Association. In fact, at PCRM’s 25th Anniversary Gala, she was awarded their Voice of Compassion Award. Marilu also competed all the way to the semi-finals on “Dancing With the Stars” Season 23!
As one of only twelve people documented with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM), Marilu was the subject of a two-part special on “60 Minutes” and on “60 Minutes Australia,” as well as in news programs and newspaper articles around the globe. She also served as the consultant on the CBS series “Unforgettable,” which ran for four seasons. Her ninth book, Total Memory Makeover: Uncover Your Past, Take Charge of Your Future! became an instant New York Times and Publishers Weekly Best Seller.
Marilu has spoken before Congress eight times on various subjects from dietary supplements to women’s cardiovascular disease to deadbeat parents to The Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act, and, most recently, taking the fight for more money for Alzheimer’s research to Capitol Hill. She was also one of only two private citizens selected to contribute to the shaping of our government’s food pyramid in 2004 and 2014. Marilu frequently lectures throughout the country as a keynote speaker and motivator for professional organizations, universities, government agencies, interest groups, and corporations on topics including memory, diet and fitness, women’s health issues, cardiovascular disease, cancer survival, and child rearing, as well as lifestyle, entertainment, and business organization strategies.
Marilu Henner is married to Michael Brown, CEO of Browntrout Publishers and is the proud mother of two sons, Nick and Joey.
