Georgetown: The Guyana Foundation announce the appointment of Mr. Byron V. Garrett to its Board of Trustees. He will serve a two-year term commencing on September 1, 2014, and brings a distinguished record of achievement in the United States to his new role with the Guyana Foundation.
Mr. Garrett is the Chairman of the National Family Engagement Alliance (NFEA), the Director of Innovative Schools for Microsoft, and an Executive Consultant for Scholastic. He served as a lead strategist and planner for NBC News’ Education Nation and produced the 1st Annual Building a Grad Nation Summit for the America’s Promise Alliance, featuring United States Vice President Joe Biden.
The former CEO of the National PTA, Mr. Garrett has a unique combination of experience from both the non-profit and governmental sectors, having served as the first Chief of Staff for the Office of Public Affairs at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security). Prior to this, he served as National Program Leader for the National 4-H Headquarters at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.) for the program’s seven million participants and 90,000 clubs.
While at U.S.D.A. he was appointed by the White House as co-convener of the Helping America’s Youth initiative, an interagency effort to address challenges facing youth and to promote successful solutions.
He served as a Policy Advisor for Faith and Community Initiatives for then Governor Janet Napolitano (former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security). Prior to that role, he was the Director of the Governor’s Division for Community and Youth Development, where he administered multiple boards and commissions.
Mr. Garrett is a former K-8 charter school principal. He has been a guest on the Today Show, MSNBC, Fox and the Dr. Phil Show, and featured in a number of publications, such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and JET Magazine.He was named to Ebony’s “Power 150,” an annual list of “The Most Influential Black Americans.” Mr. Garrett is a member of the advisory board for Mocha Moms, a board member of the CeCe Peniston Youth Foundation, a member of the regional advisory board for Usher's New Look Foundation, and an advisory board member for Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. An accomplished writer and speaker, he has authored several books, including “The ABC’s of Life,” and delivered presentations all across the U.S., Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.
According to Founder of the Guyana Foundation, Mrs. Supriya Singh-Bodden, “the needs in Guyana are great, requiring urgent attention, so our Board of Trustees has been actively seeking out like-minded individuals who share our vision that in an increasingly interdependent world, we have the opportunity and the duty to reach across physical geographic boundaries to bring relief wherever it is needed. We are all so delighted that Mr. Garrett has accepted our invitation to join our Board of Trustees, and are confident that his professional background and experiences would be a significant asset to our team. We look forward to the exciting possibilities that he brings, particularly to our youth empowerment and literacy programs, and will very shortly be announcing several events that he will be spearheading for us.”
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