MEET THE TEAM

Franklin Hamilton is a 1960 graduate of Carter-Parramore High School.  He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University in chemistry/biology and the Ph.D. in biochemistry from the University of Pittsburgh.  He has held faculty research appointments at the University of Tennessee-Oak Ridge Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta University and Florida A&M University.  He has held visiting scientist appointments at NIH-NIAID and the University of California, Berkeley. His academic career includes service as a consultant to programs in the NIH, NSF, NASA, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Josiah Macy, Jr. Foundation.  He is currently retired and resides with his wife in the Orlando area.

Eunice Bewington-Davis is a 1963 graduate of Carter-Parramore High School and a graduate of Lewis College of Business (HBCU) of Detroit, Michigan in 1967 with a degree in Business Administration (Marketing). After military assignments with husband in United States Air Force, she served an instructor in business courses at the Okaloosa Walton Junior College, now known as The Northwest Florida State College, located in Niceville, FL. Since 1986, Eunice has been the owner and CEO of Davington Associates, Inc. The company is a Department of Defense contracting manufacturing firm.  It is located in Ft. Walton Beach, FL and produces items for fighter jets and the B-1 bomber. Her firm has also designed Kevlar Lanyards for the U.S. Air Force. She and her husband are retired and now live in Navarre, Florida.

Marilyn Gunn Smith is a 1966 graduate of Carter-Parramore High School, Quincy, FL (Gadsden County). She received her BS Degree in 1 from Florida A&M University’s School of Business, Tallahassee, FL. Ms. Smith’s career path included the Board of County Commissioners in Daytona Beach, FL; Shands Teaching Hospital & Clinics, Inc. and the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL. In addition, the Florida Department of Administration and the State University System Board of Regents, Tallahassee, Florida. In 1980, she relocated to Gainesville, FL and continued a career in hospital administration at Shands HealthCare, 35 years. Ms. Smith retired in June 2015 and currently lives in Gainesville, FL.

Geraldine Daniels Monroe is a native of Gadsden County, Florida. She currently resides in Albany, Georgia and is a retired educator. She has taught in the public schools of Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. She has also worked as an instructor at Albany State University, Albany Technical College and Turner Job Corps. Geraldine received her BS Degree in Education and a minor in English from Paine College in Augusta, Georgia in 1964. She also received a MS Degree in Education and a minor in Guidance and Counseling from Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley, Georgia. She has completed further studies at Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia and Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, North Carolina. She is involved in many religious, civic, social organizations and with family activities involving her daughter and son-in-law, who live in Los Angeles, California.

Edna L. Cofield is the director for JAZBLU Educational Consultants, INC, a company that is committed to providing guidance/assistance to individuals and organizations with projects that focus on influencing students to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) related disciplines. She is a retired administrator and educator with more than 20 years of experience in administering STEM educational programs at the high school and collegiate levels. Additionally, she has extensive experience as a director and coordinator of grant programs designed to enhance the quality and quantity of students interested in pursuing STEM disciplines. Her educational background and vast experiences have also allowed her to cultivate and maintain strategic partnerships with the business sector. Edna received both her BS (Biology/Chemistry) and MS (Pharmacology/Toxicolog) Degrees from Florida A&M University, and a MS Degree (Higher Education and Administration) from Capella University. She resides with her family in Tallahassee, FL.

Kayla Hamilton serves as the Director of Residence Life, Emory University, Atlanta, GA. In her position, she oversees the daily operations and crisis response for the department. She works with Housing Operations staff on Openings, Closings and Assignments in Student Housing. Kayla also serves as a member of the Campus Wide Student Intervention Service Response Team. Prior to working at Emory, Kaya worked in similar roles at Appalachian State University (Boone, NC), the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill, NC) and the University of California at Berkeley (Berkeley, CA). Kayla is a graduate of Benjamin E. Mays High School (Atlanta, GA), Duke University (BS), Durham, NC and the University of Georgia (MA), Athens, GA. Kayla is an avid musical theater fan as well as a close follower of college basketball.

Daniel Lane is the Principal Broker for ABL Realty Services, located in Nashville, TN. His company provides residential, commercial and investment real estate services to property owners and small businesses located in the Bordeaux and North Nashville areas of Nashville, Tennessee. Dan received his MBA Degree from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, Nashville, Tennessee with an emphasis in finance, 1972; a MS Degree in Counseling and Behavioral Studies from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, 1966; and a BS Degree in Recreation Administration from Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1964.  He has completed over 150 hours of courses in marketing commercial and investment real estate and real estate finance.  He has worked extensively with investors and institutional owners in the acquisition, renovation and marketing of distressed properties and consulting with investor on new project development.  He and his family live in Nashville, TN.