Carole has had a varied career, beginning as an English professor, then moving into higher education administration in small and large colleges and universities, including the University of Maryland’s Central Administration planning office where she rose to Director of Capital Planning, to Drexel as Chief Planning Officer, to the Smithsonian as Director of the Office of Planning, Management and Budget. Thereafter,  she served as a consultant in NIH’s Facilities Planning Office. Throughout, she consulted with museums, colleges, and universities while offering workshops on strategic planning, board management, business planning, and leadership development. She is the co-author of the well known Planning Successful Museum Building Projects and co-founder of the Building Museums Symposium in the Mid-Atlantic, and the International Museum Construction Congress. She has served as Chair of SCUP and of the board of her alma mater. Today she prepares grant applications for nonprofits.

Orlando-based saxophonist Bennie Yarbrough has been captivating audiences with his soulful, smooth jazz performances since his early childhood. A prodigy with the saxophone, Bennie began playing at just four years old and earned his first paid gig by the age of ten. His artistry is deeply influenced by jazz legends such as Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, John Coltrane, and Grover Washington Jr., as well as, musical icons like Duke Ellington and Stevie Wonder.

Renowned for his warm, laid-back tone—often described as mellow and soulful, "like honey on the tongue"—Bennie brings passion, authenticity, and emotional depth to every live performance. His music reflects his desire to uplift and inspire his audiences, delivering an experience that resonates long after the last note fades.

Bennie draws inspiration from one of his favorite quotes by John Coltrane:
"My music is the spiritual expression of what I am — my faith, my knowledge, my being . . . When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hang-ups . . . I want to speak to their souls."

When he’s not performing, Bennie treasures spending quality time with his family, friends, and loved ones.

Donna M. Gray-Banks is the Founder and Director of the F.R.E.S.H. Book Festival (Fiction, Romance, Erotica, Spiritual and Health), one of the largest book festivals for melanated, indie, and self-published authors in Florida. The festival is going into its 15th year and has been sponsored by the City of Daytona Beach and other major corporations since 2011.

Gray-Banks is the author of a highly successful suspense erotic series, Ila’s Diamonds I, II, III and IV The House That Jack Built, which received the Amazon Gold Seal, Best Seller award in March 2024. She also has been a part of two anthologies: The Confinement Chronicles and Writing our Lives: A Southern Storytellers Anthology - Volume 5. Donna is a guest columnist for Blackmeninamerica.com and the Daytona Times/Courier Newspaper. She is the host of her own YouTube channels: Zoom In On A F.R.E.S.H. Conversation on Monday nights from 8-9 p.m. where she provides a platform for authors to market their books and Zoom In On A F.R.E.S.H. Conversation After Dark. Ms. Banks is also the voice of Daytona Beach Radio on Joy 106.3 F.M.

Donna Gray-Banks is the Executive Director of the Midtown Community

Development Corporation in Daytona Beach, FL, which is the corporation that sponsors along with the City of Daytona Beach the Black History Banner Project and S.U.D.S., which is a community distribution of detergent, cleaning vinegar and books.

She is the proud Mother of Gregory Taylor Banks and resides in the State of Florida.

Contact Information:

www.freshbookfestivals.net

freshbookfestivals@gmail.com

www.midtowncdc.org

mcdced2020@gmail.com

Awards

2024 Daytona Beach Hometown Hero recipient

2024 Mr. and Mrs. Mentoring Community Mentor award recipient

2022 Florida Brownfields Association Environmental Justice Spirit of

Excellence Award 2022

2022 Alopecia Awareness Award

2017 Enrichment Employee of the Year Award, City of New

Smyrna Beach, Volusia League of Cities 2017

2011 Stetson University Community Partner of the Year Award 2011

Born on a brisk January day in 1938, in Detroit, Michigan, Barbara Henderson grew up in the heart of Royal Oak Township, where music and resilience wove together the fabric of her childhood. Life was a harmonious blend of piano lessons and family meetings, where her parents cultivated open dialogue and unity. A natural pianist, Barbara played at her school graduations, each note a testament to the discipline and passion instilled by her mentor, who also happened to be the mother of Lorraine Hansberry, author of A Raisin in the Sun.

Barbara’s early adulthood mirrored the industrious spirit of Detroit itself. While pursuing dental studies at the University of Detroit, she juggled three jobs, building a career that spanned education, healthcare, and accounting. This unrelenting drive set the stage for a life of profound personal and professional achievements.

Barbara first met Billy Henderson, the man who would become her husband, at the tender ages of 10 and 11. He taught her how to roller skate backward, a symbolic gesture of their lifelong partnership—supporting each other through the glides and tumbles of life. Their romance blossomed into a union in 1972, as Billy’s career with The Spinners soared.

As the wife of a founding member of The Spinners, Barbara was no stranger to the spotlight. From the Hollywood Walk of Fame to international stages in Africa, Spain, and beyond, she stood as a quiet force behind the music. The group’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2023 brought their legacy full circle, a poignant tribute to her late husband.

Life on the road was not without its trials. Barbara’s role in the play Selma exposed her to the stark realities of racism during a harrowing experience in North Carolina. Refusing to succumb to anger, she channeled the ordeal into a lesson of resilience and grace, teaching those around her that calm and strength can disarm hatred.

Chauncey Dunham is a current member of the Board of Directors for the Florida Coastal Jazz Society.  He has a vast amount of experience in developing and hosting musical concerts. 

Chauncey is the CEO/CVO for that well-known company, A Dante Production LLC, located in Florida. He advises the board officers on the pros and cons for each musical jazz event that is planned.

His knowledge expands from legal to concert development as it relates to music--that is, from A to Z. Chauncey’s experience is both national and international. He also serves as liaison to assist with future musical ventures.

Gary Johnson is the Managing Creative Editor of Gary Johnson Media. A former government manager, he served in the Intelligence Community (IC) in various roles, including as an Intelligence Analyst at The White House for three Assistants to the President for National Security Affairs.

Beyond government service, Gary is an author, business owner, community activist, and media strategist. He is the founder and publisher of Black Men In America.com, a top-ranked website in the African American Online Communities category. Additionally, he serves as the host and executive producer of The Calculations Talk Show and The Thought Brothers podcasts, where he interviews music industry

veterans, politicians, educators, and other thought leaders. He is also a strategist for the Justice For Black Farmers organization.

Gary’s passion for music traces back to his teenage years when he worked as a record reviewer. Over time, he built an extensive collection of several hundred albums and CDs, spanning genres and artists such as Judy Garland, The Mills Brothers, Quincy Jones, Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Billy Eckstine, Peter Frampton, Sammy Davis Jr., Jackie Gleason, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Motown, STAX, and more.

As an author, Gary wrote 25 Things That Really Matter In Life: A Quick and Comprehensive Guide to Making Your Life Better—Today! and contributed to The Black Father Perspective: What We Want America to Know and In Search of Fatherhood – Transcending Boundaries: International Conversations on Fatherhood.

Through Gary Johnson Media, he collaborates with A Dante Production, the Fresh Book Festival, and its partners to deliver high-quality live performances, featuring top national and local musicians, technical engineers, and production crews.

Last, but not least, Gary is an avid lover of jazz music.

Contact Information

Gary Johnson Media

Web: www.garyjohnsonmedia.com

Main Office: 1-877-792-7262

Direct: 301-900-5482

Anita Milograno has a retail, marketing, and advertising degree from a business school in North Carolina. She spent twenty-five years in retail management and product direct sales, along with advertising and publishing sales.  

She is a neuromuscular deep tissue therapist with twenty-six years of experience.

An International Flight Attendant with a military charter,  Anita spent fifteen years flying soldiers to their next duty station.  In her spare time, she became a full-time caretaker for her parents as they aged.

I own an arts management consulting business, Performing Arts Center Consultant, LLC, based in Central Florida. As a solopreneur, it is my mission is to engage with and support the development, growth, and sustainable success of performing arts centers, and performing arts presenters. My professional services include strategic and master plan development, feasibility studies, and facilities planning for live performance venues.

I have worked in a variety of roles in over four decades of professional experience. Prior to my retirement from the City of Ormond Beach, Florida, I was the Supervisor of the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center. My previous roles included owner of JG Sound and Stage Productions, Inc, (FL), Tour Sound Engineer for Grammy nominees Spin Doctors (NYC), Technical Director/Head Sound Engineer at The Wetlands Preserve (NYC), Sound Engineer at Blue Note Jazz Club (NYC), Sound Engineer at Cat Club (NYC). My professional career began at 16 years old in 197,  as sound engineer for the Kilgore Trout Band in Corpus Christi, Texas, while I was a high school student. Since then I have received formal audio and acoustics training at SYN-AUD-CON. I completed the sound systems for technicians course, and sound systems for designers course, as well as, continuing education and professional development courses through AVIXA and Daytona State College.