It's A WondHERful World

Dr. Dalia Antonia Caraballo Muller is a published author and professor of history specializing in Latin American, Caribbean and Afro-Diasporic history. She works at the University at Buffalo as a professor and has also served as Director of the University Honors College. Off campus Dr. Caraballo Muller is busy. In 2022 she founded, and currently directs an education-focused non-profit called the Impossible Project. She also serves on the board of her local radio station, is a member of a leaders of color organization called LOC Step, teaches and trains in Brazilian Jujitsu three times a week and raises two children  and a dog with her partner

Dr. Stephanie Brown, MD, PCC, is a highly acclaimed and International Coaching Federation (ICF) credentialed Life Coach specializing in empowering mid-career professionals to unlock their full potential and overcome obstacles hindering their personal and professional growth. With over 25 years of clinical experience as a family physician, she transitioned from her full-time role to become a dedicated entrepreneur and life coach in January 2022. Dr. Brown is the founder of Stephanie Brown Coaching LLC and has been recognized as a Top 1% Life Coach by Yahoo Finance. She is also the host of the podcast Sisters Overcoming And Rising (S.O.A.R) for the past three years where she highlights the stories that matter to professional Black women. 

Her coaching philosophy is rooted in challenging thoughts and beliefs to free oneself from paralyzing emotions, leading to positive action and ultimate success. Dr. Brown's expertise extends to diverse clientele including physicians, executives, professionals, and business owners. All benefit from her guidance in navigating life and work transitions, combating burnout, and addressing strained relationships

Mrs. Lolade Adesina is a wife, mother and a seasoned IT Professional with over 30 years of experience. She has worked in various roles in engineering, computer science/software development, technical & customer support, and project management. In addition to holding engineering and computer science degrees, PMP, ITIL and Scrum Master certifications, Mrs. Adesina is an entrepreneur, a licensed insurance and mutual fund agent, and an avid educator. She strives to maintain a culture of continuous learning and personal growth.

Ms. Tjok-A-Tam is an accomplished business professional with almost 30 years of experience at leading industry organizations including AT&T Canada, IBM Global Services and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) with sector experience in technology, consulting, telecom and finance. She is widely recognized as a change agent and advocate through her fostering of meaningful dialogue about diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging.  She is also an active board member for Springboard Services, a 50-year old non-profit organization helping at risk and vulnerable youth, and adults, through critical transitions in their lives with a focus on community justice, employment and developmental disability services. Ms. Tjok-A-Tam is an avid traveler, and in the last year has visited Vietnam, Dubai and Namibia and is preparing to ring in the new year in South Africa.  Her favourite role in life however is mother to her teenaged son. 

Mrs. Setton was born in the UK and, aside from a few years in what was then Czechoslovakia in the 1980s , grew up in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. After flirting with the idea of becoming a ballerina, she went into engineering and became one of the first in BC to be registered as an Environmental Engineer. She went back to school while working to complete her MBA, because it was something that had intimidated her. She married her husband David in 2006 and converted to Judaism. They started a family and while on maternity leave, Alison decided to complete an Ironman triathlon because, why not?Eleven years ago, Alison decided to go into personal finance with WFG, rather than go back to the corporate world. She brought her husband on board to join her in the past year and together they are growing a business. This has been her toughest and most rewarding challenge to date.

Dr. Tiffany T. Sanchez is the Vice President for Programs and Fellowships at the American Association of University Women (AAUW). She has over twenty years of experience in higher education including women’s education and leadership, social justice and advocacy, LGBTQ identity and leadership. She also has experience working with non-profit organizations, including Youth For Understanding International Exchange, the Baltimore Collegetown Network, and with AAUW as a volunteer for several years. Dr. Sanchez earned her Doctor of Education degree from Vanderbilt University. She holds a Master’s degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University and a Bachelor’s degree in English and German from the University of New Mexico in her home state of New Mexico. She and her family (including her husband, three daughters, and two cats) live in Maryland.

The Honourable Marlene Jennings’, P.C. positive impact in the province of Quebec. and in Canada generally, is undisputed.  Most notably she served as a member of Canada’s Parliament from 1997-2011 representing Notre Dame de Grace - Lachine.  She was also a member of the Official Opposition, senior advisor to the Leader of the Official Opposition, senior member of the Leader’s Strategy & Planning Committee as well as Deputy House Leader & Official Critic for Justice and the Attorney General of Canada. Additionally, Ms. Jennings has also served as Parliamentary Secretary (PS) with special emphasis on Canada-USA Relations to the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada; PS to the Solicitor General of Canada; and PS to the Minister for International Cooperation. Most recently Ms. Jennings participated on the COMITE CONSULTATIF SUR LA REALITE POLICIERE (CCRP), a committee formed to shift the policing practices in the province of Quebec to meet the needs of the 21st century.  Recommendations in the final report discussed issues such as recruitment, training, and the promotion of officers as well as the mitigation of crimes under such categories as sexual violence, family violence, child pornography, and cybercrimes. She is mom to one daughter.

Mrs. Lauree Woodring works as the Assistant to the President at Stevenson University. With over 15 years of experience in professional office assistant positions and a track record of strong performance in high-volume environments, Mrs. Woodring skillfully manages administrative duties and client relations for her colleagues at Stevenson University.

She was born and raised in Northern Baltimore County, and received her Associate's degree from Baltimore County Community College (CCBC) in General Studies. Mrs. Woodring is currently completing her bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies with a minor in Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity through Stevenson University's Online program. She was inducted into The National Honors Society of Leadership and Success and was selected to participate in Stevenson University’s Leadership Seminar in 2022.

Mrs. Woodring is the mother of two who enjoys simple things like walking her dog Rocky, listening to podcasts, gardening, and spending time with her children.

Ms. Jonelle Ocloo, Esq. is the managing attorney of the Law Offices of Jonelle Ocloo, LLC (also known as LOJO Immigration) based in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Ms. Ocloo received her Doctor of Law (J.D.) from Yale University. She has practiced U.S. immigration law exclusively for over 15 years and represents individuals, families, and businesses in a variety of employment-based and family-sponsored immigration and naturalization matters. She has assisted a broad range of businesses, and has spoken on complex immigration issues to lawyers in local, regional, and national seminars and conferences.

Ms. Ocloo is Past Chair of the Maryland State Bar Association (MSBA) Immigration Law Section. She is an active member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) where she serves as Liaison to the Baltimore USCIS office. She also serves on the executive board of the DMV Chapter of the Association of Ghanaian Lawyers of America (AGLA-DMV).

Ms. Ocloo was named as a SuperLawyer in the field of Immigration Law. She has been recognized in the International Who’s Who of Corporate Immigration Lawyers, and was named as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women by the Daily Record.

Ms. Sheryl Daniel has always been on the natural side of life and in tune to mother nature, the environment, and community. She is an observer of life, and curious about other indigenous people and their way of life including food, natural medicine, and dance. Ms. Daniel's inquisitive nature led her to her acupuncturist of 18 years. For the last 15 years, she has been the owner of Acupuncture Works LLC in Randallstown, Maryland. Her passions are dance, the arts, and life.

Ms. Stephanie Verni is the author of several books including: From Humbug To Humble: The Transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge (2021), Little Milestones (2019), The Postcard And Other Short Stories & Poetry (2018), Inn Significant (2017), Baseball Girl (2015), and Beneath The Mimosa Tree (2012). Additionally, she and her colleagues, Dr. Leeanne Bell McManus and Ms. Chip Rouse, are the co-authors of Event Planning: Communicating Theory & Practice (second edition, 2020). She is professor of communication at Stevenson University where she instructs writing and communication courses. Prior to working in academia, Ms. Verni spent 13 years with the Baltimore Orioles and was the editor of Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken's Commemorative book, which celebrated and marked his consecutive games record. She and her family reside in Severna Park, Maryland, and enjoy spending time out on their boat. On the side, she also writes travel pieces for marylandroadtrips.com.

For more information about Ms.Stephanie Verni and her work, visit her website and blog at stephanieverni.com.

Ms. Lori Rubeling’s creative research practice spans four decades. She exhibits her drawings and installations nationally and internationally. Professor Rubeling has also established herself has a facilitator of design problem-solving in education and community contexts. She recently assumed the position of Faculty Director of Exhibitions for Stevenson University.

Ms. Celia Collymore is the founder and senior project manager of Bajan Fusion- a fitness lifestyle service.

She describes herself as a fun loving, versatile, and tenacious individual who is purposed to help individuals create harmony, find balance, and develop a fit mindset in their personal and professional lives.  Celia is a professional with 20 plus years of knowledge, skills, and experience in Human Resources. She is also a Certified TVET trainer and assessor mentor as well as a fitness instructor.

She lived and worked in the USA from 1998 to 2011. She is a women's basketball player and champion.

Mrs. Sally Di Marco earned a respectable reputation in the fashion industry as a chief fashion designer for the fur-lined coat collections for names such as Chanel and Dior at the Glenbrook Coat Company. From 1979-2010 she worked at Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) where she was an Associate Professor and the Program Coordinator of the Fashion Design and Merchandising Programs. From 2011-2017, she served as an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Fashion Design Program at Stevenson University located in Maryland. Her academic background includes a Master of Higher Education Degree from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Fashion Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). Mrs. Di Marco is the author of the technical fashion design text, “Draping Basics” published by Bloomsbury-Fairchild Publications.

Ms. Kaymar Jordan is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Jamaica Gleaner (Media) Company Limited. Starting as a rookie reporter/sub-editor at the Caribbean News Agency (CANA), she has asserted herself professionally, and has proved her quality and worth by moving up the ranks from radio and television producer to print editor, presenter, and newsroom manager. Ms. Jordan is a highly qualified communications specialist with a Master’s degree (with distinction) in Communication Policy Studies from the City University of London. She launched her own media consultancy firm after serving for five years as CEO and Editor-In-Chief of Barbados’ first online multimedia platform, Barbados TODAY. Prior to that, Ms. Jordan served as Editor-in-Chief of the Barbados-based Nation Publishing Company, and as Director of News and Current Affairs of the Caribbean Media Corporation, the successor to CANA.

Ms. Juliet Gilden is an artist who primarily paints acrylics on paper and canvas.  Her studio is located in Baltimore, and she was trained at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Ms. Gilden's free-form style reinterprets reality on her own loose terms by showing the world she sees as sunny, funny, and optimistic. She is Influenced by an eclectic mix of styles and artists  -- everything from surrealism to realism, and Bottecelli to Botero.  Mostly, however, she is inspired by the works of her own mother, Mrs. Miriam Bransky Gilden, a respected professional artist of more than 60 years before she passed away in October 2013.

Dr. Baker-Brown is a top communication scholar and professional with academic and corporate experiences in organizational, interpersonal, and intercultural communication. She is a full professor at Prince George’s Community College and a proud graduate of Howard University. Dr. Brown is also a Commissioner with Montgomery County Commission of Land and Tenants Association and a proud Jamaican who serves on the Board of Sarah’s Children, a Jamaican-based service organization.

Susanne Riveles received a Ph.D. in African Studies from Howard University in Washington DC and holds an MA in Sociology from the Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, Germany. She also studied at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and Columbia University in New York. From 1980-1993, she worked for Amnesty International (AIUSA), leading their Southern Africa Coordination Group.  Her advocacy portfolio included many hundreds of prisoners of conscience, notably Nelson Mandela, Albertina and Walter Sisulu, Desmond Tutu, and Simon Farisani. In May 1985, she accompanied the Rev. Jesse Jackson on his two-weeks speaking tour to the European Parliament in Strasbourg and to Berlin to mark the 40th anniversary of the liberation of Berlin and the end of WWII. For three years, Dr. Riveles directed a project for the Holocaust and war victims Tracing and Information Center of the American Red Cross at the US National Archives, searching through German documents captured by the US army during WWII and at the liberation of German concentration camps.

From 2005-2009 Dr. Riveles researched the National Archives in Berlin, researching the records collected by the Nazi secret police (Gestapo) about the activities of the Saefkow, Jacob, Baestlein (SJB) resistance group. Dr. Riveles and two historians, all daughters of executed members of the SJB resistance organization, designed, researched, fundraised, and implemented the exhibit presented at Berlin's Humboldt University in summer 2009. Dr. Riveles was also responsible for a project that placed 53 commemorative stones {Stolpersteine) in and around Berlin.

Dr. Riveles served on the Board of the International Alliance of Women, where she was the convener of the Commission for Women, Peace, and Security and served as a delegate to the UN Commission on the Status of Women CSW for the last seven years. She was born in Berlin Germany.

Dr. Donna Oti has spent more than 20 years as a journalist, educator, and trainer. She was an associate professor in Communication Studies at the University of Maryland University College (now Global Campus) before embarking on a career in Leadership and Organizational Development.  She was a Fulbright Senior Fellow at the University of Jos in Nigeria and a Fulbright Specialist in Accra, Ghana. In addition, she worked on the People Strategy for the Caribbean Community Secretariat in Georgetown, Guyana. She also worked in training and development at the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of State Foreign Service Institute, and the Department of Education.

Cherylann Charles-Williamson, Ph.D. is the President and founder of The Nyela Foundation Inc., a philanthropic non-profit organization providing financial support to individuals in their educational efforts and other life improving endeavors, founded in 2017. She wears many professional hats and lends her talents to two other successful entrepreneurial ventures. She is currently the Director of Human Resources and FSO at Netops Solutions Inc., an Information Technology company founded by her husband, Tyrone Williamson in 2008. She is the Senior Program Manager at DDAT Realty Management LLC., a real estate development company founded by she and her husband in 2004. Dr. Williamson brings a wealth of entrepreneurial knowledge and business acumen to lead the Nylea Foundation in its missions to educate many and support the life improvement goals of others.

She holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Communication from Howard University, Washington DC; a Masters Certificate in Business and Leadership Development from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD; a Master of Arts in Communication Disorders from Hampton University, Virginia; and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Language Pathology from Pace University, New York.

Dr. Kerry Spencer Pray studied English, Chemistry, Music, Paleography, Marketing, and Writing. She teaches Scientific Communication at Stevenson University. She has published fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and academic work in books, medical journals, and writing journals. She lives in Maryland with her wife, her children, and their father. She has a book about Queer Mormons coming out with the University of Utah press in Spring 2022. You can follow her on Twitter: @swilua ("swill-oo-ah")

Ms. Thairen D. Greene was raised in St. Croix US Virgin Islands and migrated to the contiguous United States in 1991. Thairen is a graduate of Spelman College and Towson University with respective degrees in mathematics and mathematics education. She has been an educator of math for over 20 years and also owns a personalized tutorial service, One Star Approach. She is a doting mother of three teenagers, two of whom have autism. Thairen has proudly been active with the Autism Society of Baltimore Chesapeake for over 10 years and is relentless in her support and advocacy for her children.

A true child of the Caribbean with roots in Antigua, Curacao and the Virgin Islands, she has expanded upon her interests by recently becoming a published author two collections of poetry- Inside Out a collection of poems, and Emerging Unclothed, an unbridled poetic experience.

Global women (45 years old plus) dialogue about the ways in which we cultivate and sustain love, joy, inspiration, compassion, forgiveness, motivation, spirituality, health, wealth, and overall well-being to nurture ourselves. Connect at DivineWondHERland@gmail.com to be on the show. Subscribe, share, and comment. Welcome to WondHERland! 

Balencia Brown Owens is a survivor because of the challenging obstacle courses she has to had to journey through in her life. Born in small town Texas, she attended UCLA,  and graduated from DePaul University, Chicago. She had a career as a luxury buyer for 24 duty free locations in the Caribbean and four duty free airport locations in the United States. She is the mother of three sons, grandmother to three grandchildren, and wife to her college sweetheart and best friend James Owens.  Last but not least, she is a cancer survivor.

Dr. Sharon Marshall is an award-winning broadcast journalist, author and public relations executive from Barbados. After a rewarding career in journalism and corporate communications, Dr. Marshall is now enjoying semi-retirement which enables her to use her skills to give back to her community, but at her own pace.