AfSAE Virtual Africa Association Summit (AAS2)

Eldest grandchild of United States Congressional Gold Medal Recipient and Tuskegee Airmen, William A. Colbert, Jr., Clayonia Colbert-Dorsey was born and raised in Maryland, among the mountains of Appalachia. Her familial roots and growth as an African-American woman, were enriched by living beneath the “wings” of a historical icon, her grandfather. Diagnosed with unilateral retinoblastoma (a rare/often-malignant cancer) at the age of two, Clayonia embraced life beyond fear; learning that every day of our existence takes courage. Accordingly, she believes in words by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “to know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived . . .this is to have succeeded.” Embracing the above life journey, a commitment to Servant Leadership was forged. Clayonia has gone on to hold positions in both federal and state government, as well as academia. Currently, she serves as Manager, Continuing Education Provider Services, for the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), where she manages a caseload of over 110 continuing education groups from across the United States and Canada. With a volunteer heart, Clayonia is a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); and currently serves as Chairperson of ASAE’s National Capital Area Advisory Council. Recently she was selected as a 2019-2021 ASAE Diversity and Executive Leadership Program Scholar. Additionally, she completed the ASAE Certificate Program in Association Management and was a member of the ASAE Future Leaders Class of 2015. Clayonia is also a member of the East Coast Chapter of Tuskegee Airmen International and serves on the Board of Trustees for her church, White Rock Independent Methodist Episcopal. She is an avid writer and speaker, having made countless educational/motivational presentations. Clayonia attended Allegany College of Maryland, earning an Associate Arts Degree in Executive Secretarial Science. After years of work, she entered Nyack college, pursuing Bachelor’s study in Organizational Management, where she earned honors and was inducted into Omicron Psi National Honor Society. She is the daughter of Anna (Hudson) and William Colbert, of Cumberland, MD. Clayonia resides in Gaithersburg, Maryland with her husband Neal; they are the proud parents of two children, Duaeno and Aynia Dorsey.

Aynia ViVique Dorsey is the daughter of Neal and Clayonia Dorsey. She is the proud great-granddaughter of Congressional Gold Medal Recipient and Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen (DOTA), the late William Augustus Colbert, Jr., who was in Aynia’s life until the time of his passing in 2015. Born seven weeks prematurely, Aynia is a survivor who has grown, thrived, and excelled. Through educational attainment, Aynia describes herself as a health advocate and motivational speaker. Graduating with a Master of Science degree in Occupational Therapy, from Howard University in Washington, DC, Aynia has a keen interest in Alzheimer’s Awareness. Her platform service, “Colbert’s Wings,” pays homage to her late, great-grandfather and all those whose lives have been impacted by Alzheimer’s. As such, Aynia currently serves on the District of Columbia’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s Committee, as well as serves as a member of the Event Experience Subcommittee. Miss Dorsey is also a member of the University of Pittsburgh’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Community Advisory Council. Previously, she served on Pittsburgh’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s Committee (three years), both on the New Team Recruitment Subcommittee and the Team Retention Subcommittee. Miss Dorsey is a National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) registered occupational therapist, licensed in the State of Maryland. Aynia is an active member of White Rock Independent Methodist Episcopal Church in Sykesville, Maryland, where she was christened at the age of four months. Aynia was a three-year recipient of White Rock’s Eliza D. Kane Academic Memorial Scholarship and was also awarded the Fruit of the Spirit Book Scholarship presented by Saint Luke United Methodist Church, also in Sykesville, Maryland.

Nycole M. Joiner, MS, CAE, is a senior finance professional with more than 25 years of progressive experience in association management and finance sectors. Her diverse experience includes leadership of finance and operations teams, strategic work with Board committees and development of operational strategies and tactical plans for associations and other types of nonprofit organizations. Joiner strongly believes in the value of education and community. She served as Adjunct Professor in Accounting at a college for five years. In addition, she actively leads, and is a member of, the Finance Committee for a start-up organization in North Carolina. Joiner was also one of 12 individuals, each from underrepresented identity groups, hand selected by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) to join an accelerated leadership development program. DELP Scholars, as they are known, are selected based on professional achievements and leadership skills. Her two-year term (2019-2021) within this professional program has a strong focus upon education, mentoring, and volunteer service in the association community. Joiner earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD, and Master of Science degree in Accounting Information Systems from Strayer University in Washington, DC.

Camille Sanders, CAE, PCM is an experienced nonprofit strategist, specializing in membership and marketing. Camille has spent nearly two decades working with associations and other types of mission-focused, nonprofit organizations to measurably grow membership constituencies, develop strategic marketing and communications plans, and lead successful programs that strengthen member and donor engagement. In addition to her abilities as a strategic leader, Camille is an experienced project lead skilled in developing and implementing intricate tactical plans, building consensus with individuals and among teams, and efficiently directing operations. She has led the development and launch of a high-profile planned giving program for one of the country's largest and most influential political action committees, served on the core implementation team responsible for the successful launch of an association management system, and directed an organizational re-brand of membership and conference collateral (for programs yielding more than six million dollars in annual revenue). Camille regularly gives back to her community as a volunteer for organizations that feed the hungry and homeless. She is also an active member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), where she currently serves on the organization's Ethics Committee. In 2019, she earned the highly respected Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential. She was also selected for ASAE's highly respected Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) program. DELP Scholars, as program participants are known, are selected based on professional achievements and leadership skills. Her two-year term (2019-2021) within this professional program has a strong focus on education, mentoring, and volunteer service in the association community. Camille has also earned the American Marketing Association's Professional Certified Marketer (PCM) credential and is a graduate of Liberty University.

Sharmila Sandhu is Vice President, Regulatory Affairs for the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University and her law degree from the American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, DC. In her current role at AOTA, Ms. Sandhu leads a team of regulatory affairs professionals to represent and promote the profession of occupational therapy with federal agency officials, insurance payers and other national policy stakeholders in regard to fair reimbursement, coverage, and correct health care procedural coding in skilled nursing facilities, acute care hospitals, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, home health care and outpatient settings. Ms. Sandhu is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the District of Columbia Bar Association.

Blanca Campos, M.P.A.is Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for the Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois (CBHA). Blanca has been involved in the government affairs realm of the association industry for over nine years and in that capacity has led advocacy efforts at all levels of government. Blanca knows what truly drives change and how nonprofits can be an important bridge between policymakers and their constituents. In her current role as the Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs at Community Behavioral Healthcare Association of Illinois (CBHA), Blanca is responsible for engaging in public policy advocacy to highlight the need for all people to work together to break down the barriers that keep individuals from getting the mental health help that they need. She understands that we all have a role to play in changing the culture around behavioral health and, through effective advocacy, we can achieve the greatest good and bring hope to the greatest number of people.

Haley M. Jones, CAE, is the senior manager of member engagement at the American Staffing Association (ASA). At ASA, Haley provides oversight to the organization’s Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity Advocacy (IDEA) Group and initiatives, the state network council program, and the ASA-affiliated chapter network. She provides strategic guidance to volunteer leaders to strengthen grassroots legislative advocacy efforts at the state level and provide local networking and educational opportunities to members. Haley’s areas of expertise include volunteer management, leadership development, and identifying new ways to increase member engagement, especially as it pertains to members in underrepresented groups. Haley has been a member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) since 2011. She has served on the Component Relations and Volunteer Management Section Council and authored several articles on component relations. In 2019, Haley was selected as one of 12 ASAE Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) scholars. Additionally, Haley is an active volunteer with the National Blood Clot Alliance (NBCA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the prevention, early diagnosis, and successful treatment of life-threatening blood clots and clot-provoked strokes. Haley also regularly plans and coordinates volunteer and fundraising opportunities for underserved groups in her community. A native Washingtonian, Haley received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and earned the ASAE Certified Association Executive credential in 2018.

Jay Cariño has been in the Association Industry for over 15 years and is currently the VP of Member Services at ANFP. He oversees leadership development for members, including nomination process, training, and board/committee volunteer recruitment efforts. Develop and oversee implementation of strategies and operational issues affecting membership acquisition and engagement, keeping the focus on members’ needs. Lead Member Services, Volunteerism, and Chapters management. Previously he served as Director of Customer Relations & Ombudsman and other roles for American Health Information Management Association for over five years. He was responsible for assessing and developing strategic plans for customer/member facing improvements. Engineering all customer touch points to assure AHIMA values were delivered with highest quality care. Managed and oversaw customer care operations via cross-functional workgroups, projects, and customer relations’ staff. Led customer experience taskforce in taking voice of the customer and developing actionable items that had a positive impact on the customer/member experience overall. Functioned as the organization’s designated neutral/impartial dispute resolution practitioner by providing confidential assistance to key stakeholders (members, volunteers, etc.) and assisted in the resolution of concerns and critical situations related to delivering effective and efficient customer service to customers/members. Jay received his Bachelor’s in Healthcare Management from St. Peter’s College, and his Master’s in Business Administration from Argosy University. He has earned his certification for association executive (CAE) and is a scholar of ASAE’s Diversity and Executive Leadership Program.

Michael Martinez is a digital marketing and communications consultant who has been involved with nonprofit associations for more than 20 years. His writing and editing recently won an award from the Los Angeles Press Club. Throughout his career, he has been a leader and project manager for Latino journalist associations at the regional and national levels, where he also enjoys working as a volunteer mentor to Hispanic students and professionals. On behalf of those associations, he has been a fundraiser, securing grants from foundations, media outlets, and major corporations. He also created and led partnerships with leading newspapers that became a national model for encouraging better Latino representation in the nation’s newsrooms. Michael has also worked as a journalist and editor for some of the world’s biggest media outlets, such as CNN, and he has traveled the world as a correspondent covering the major assignments of the day. He now focuses on technology, contributing to its advancement for the benefit of humanity. He has done nearly every job in publishing, on all platforms (print, broadcasting, digital). In his spare time, you are likely to find him sail racing on the California coast and the Great Lakes, or doing triathlons.