WHAT ARE OUR BIPOC COMMUNITIES'/YOUTHS' PREPAREDNESS/READINESS FOR THE INNOVATIVE STEAM FIELDS?

I was honored to discuss the state of our BIPOC community's workforce preparedness/readiness in the STEAM fields with Dr. Bernard Jackson, Ph.D., a retired Navy Captain, and the President & CEO of Leading-Edge Solutions, LLC. Dr. Bernard Jackson is the President and Chief Executive Officer for Leading Edge Solutions, LLC, and a Service-Disabled Veteran owned small business. Leading Edge Solutions is a business management, leadership development, and Diversity & Inclusion consulting company specializing in creating innovative solutions to enhance competitive advantage in the global market. Dr. Jackson is a retired Navy Captain with over 25 years of operational leadership experience in various programs. Significant leadership assignments at sea include Commanding Officer Destroyer Squadron Fourteen, Commanding Officer USS McFaul (DDG-74), and Executive Officer USS TICONDEROGA (CG-47). From 2006 to 2010, Dr. Jackson served as the National President of the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA). During his tenure as President, NNOA supported Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard efforts to increase diversity at the service academies and Naval ROTC programs. In 2011, Dr. Jackson established the NNOA Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) program. He leveraged a national network of civilian and military champions to create a STEM program that identified over 95 minority students to participate in STEM-related intern programs. From 2011 to 2014, this program awarded over $400,000.00 in scholarships to minority students interested in STEM-related careers. Dr. Jackson currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Savannah State University Foundation. Dr. Jackson also serves on the Board of the Concerned Citizens Network of Alexandria (CCNA). CCNA coordinates with local government, state, and community stakeholders to empower a comprehensive community-wide effort, to increase student achievement and reduce the high school dropout rate. Dr. Jackson served as the President of the Alfred Street Baptist Church HCBU College Festival Ministry from 2017 to 2021. The Alfred Street HBCU College Festival is recognized as one of the largest college festivals in the nation. Over the past five years (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020), the ASBC HBCU College Festival provided an opportunity for over $25 million in scholarships to be offered to high school students across 40 states. In 2016 and 2020, Dr. Jackson was awarded the Omega Man of the Year Award for serving as the Purple Boot Mentoring Program (PBMP) Chair. The Purple Boot mentoring program supports young minority males by exposing them to leadership and male mentors in combination with robotics training. Dr. Jackson received his Bachelor of Science degree (Chemistry/Math) from Savannah State University. He was awarded a master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He received his Doctoral Degree (Ph.D.) in Organizational Management with a specialization in leadership from Capella University. He has completed the Navy Corporate Business Course at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill business school. He is a native of Macon, Georgia, and resides in Fort Washington, MD.contact:Email: [email protected]: 703-655-943Support the show