HEADQUARTERS: New York City
WEBSITE: www.axa-equitable.com
BUSINESS: Life insurance, annuity, and financial products and services
TITLE: Executive Vice President
EDUCATION: AA, University of Alaska; AS, Community College of the Air Force; BS, Southern University
WHAT I’M READING: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration, by Isabel Wilkerson
INTERESTS: Civil War re-enacting, horseback riding, adventure running/traveling, driving my 1955 Packard convertible, and reading

Are there any organizations that you or your family has been a part of that benefitted you?

My wife and I, our children, and many family members before us attended Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). I believe this experience provided us with the educational foundation and confidence to succeed. My wife and I both served in the Air Force. For me, being an Air Force officer nurtured my leadership and organizational skills.

How do you give back to the African American community?

I give back to the African American community in many ways. I am the president of a nonprofit, Day at the Ranch Program, where we bring kids from the inner city out to a ranch for a day to experience the history of African Americans in the West and learn the joys of outdoor life and working with horses. I am part of a professional men’s group that mentors promising young African American high school students. I am also a regular speaker at Morehouse College Leadership Classes.