Kansas Wesleyan University will conclude this year’s celebration of Black History Month with the Black Leadership Symposium at 2 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, in Peters Science Hall 201. Seven Black leaders from throughout the region and country are slated to speak on their experiences. Admission is free and the event is open to the public.
The featured speakers include:
Keynote speaker Ashley Holt is currently a program manager for TikTok. Her resume includes writing and production experience at BuzzFeed and NBCUniversal, among others. She possesses a bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Missouri and a master’s in Marketing Communication from the University of South Carolina. Her television career took her to Tulsa, Okla., Chicago, Ill., and Dallas, Texas, where she specialized in telling the stories of underrepresented communities. Holt continues to adjust to the shifting media landscape and now applies her skills in journalism to tech spaces.
Angelo C. Banks is a family law attorney based in Kansas City, Mo., with licenses in his state of residence and Kansas. He served in the United States Airforce for a decade and was honored as one of the Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen in 2012. He earned his master’s degree in Marriage and Family Counseling while serving, becoming a family law attorney following his second tour of service.
Also joining the roster is Salina local Dr. Ralita Cheeks ’07. Dr. Cheeks is a freelance contractor, school counselor, educational consultant, and inclusion and belonging leader. She holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Criminal Justice and Religion from Kansas Wesleyan, a master’s in School Counseling and Student Development and a Doctorate (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership from Kansas State University. She has been a school counselor, district mental health liaison, behavioral health consultant, and cultural and climate strategist and authored the book “Cracking the Code: Building Inclusive Culture and Climate.”
Another Salina local, Robert M. Cunningham Jr., serves the community as the Assistant Pastor of Lift Church of God in Christ alongside his wife, Vesa. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of R.M. Cunningham Consulting, LLC. Since 2009, he’s been involved in Salina’s The City Teen Center and is currently its director of special programs.
Ascendra Donald is the founder of MDA Partners, based out of Olathe, Kan. MDA specializes in helping property managers and landlords with their resident experience, creating communities and increasing retention of tenants. She has two decades of experience as a student services director, special education director and school psychologist. She co-founded Ascend Krystal Clear Education Consulting Group, where she’s served as a consultant since 2024.
Coming to KWU from Nashville, Tenn., is Carleigh Frazier, senior program manager with the Office of Community Health and Engagement at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. She holds a Master of Public Health from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. She leads the Community Health Needs Assessment process across six counties in Tennessee, helping facilitate community partnerships, monitor community grant programs and providing health equity training internally and externally as part of her role. She additionally serves on the boards of Senior Ride Nashville, Sisters Sharing With a Purpose, the Diversity Committee for the VUSM Master of Public Health program and the SENT Community Health Committee in Topeka.
Rounding out the roster is another Salina native, Reginald A. Moore, PhD, LPC, ACS, who currently leads a non-profit that provides transitional housing and services to marginalized, under-represented and low-income individuals, families and former felons in the Five Points and Northeast communities of Denver, Colo. His background includes 23 years of educating and supervising counselor education programs at various universities in Colorado.
For more information on this event, please contact VP Bridget Weiser at 785-833-4325.
