Influential People

With a passion for community development and mission work, Pastor Funmi Obilana is an author, conference speaker, life coach and the senior pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Living Spring Miracle Center. Since she started the church in 1998, Living Spring has opened several other churches in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, Kentucky, West Virginia, and the nation of Trinidad and Tobago

The only African American to lead a destination marketing organization in a top U.S. market, Julie Coker Graham is the first woman to be appointed President and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB).

Serving at Temple University as a distinguished educator and leader for more than three decades, JoAnne A. Epps has been a member of Temple’s faculty since 1985. Epps served as dean of the Law School from 2008 to 2016.

Serving as the Executive Director of the African Family Health Organization (AFAHO), Oni Richards is responsible for leading the development, implementation and management of health and human service programs for African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees in the greater Philadelphia area.

When she ran for office, Joanna McClinton pledged to bring about change and work hard for the people of the 191 Legislative District. She began serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after winning a special election in August 2015.

Award-winning editor, Shonda McClain finds enjoyment in giving back to her community. She is the editor of the Tribune Magazine, a publication that addresses topics of interest in the African-American community, and editor of the Sojourner, a quarterly, African-American visitors guide to Philadelphia.

As a media executive, Sandra Clark advocates for Diversity in the field of journalism and strives to open doors for others. She is the Vice President for News and Civic Dialogue at WHYY in Philadelphia, overseeing news across all platforms and developing engagement events with the public.

Serving as the Chief of Staff to Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, the Majority Whip of the City Council of Philadelphia.

In 2005, Gilda Jean-Louis and her late sister, Marie Joseph, RN, co-founded the Elise Joseph Foundation (EJF), a charitable, nonprofit organization that provides education, cross-cultural and health promotion to Haitian families.