March_April_2023

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DawnOfodile

JoJo O’Neal RADIO PERSONALITY/COMMUNITY ADVOCATE STAR 94.5 - ORLANDO’S ONLY R&B

REGIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MANAGER VYSTAR CREDIT UNION

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awn Ofodile is the regional community engagement manager at VyStar Credit Union, the second-largest credit union headquartered in Florida with more than 860,000 members and assets of over $13 billion. Ofodile joined VyStar’s Community Engagement team in 2022 and manages the organization’s community partnerships, sponsorships and donations, and volunteer engagement across nine counties in Central Florida, with an emphasis on organizations that support veterans/active-duty military, youth, and community-building. Since joining VyStar, Ofodile has worked alongside the Community Engagement team in service of VyStar’s purpose to Do Good. She has been instrumental in the credit union’s growth into the Central Florida market, leading the execution of several new initiatives, identifying key partners for strategic multiyear partnerships, and increasing visibility and brand awareness. Prior to joining VyStar, Ofodile served as Fifth Third Bank’s Community & Economic Development Relationship Manager, and before that she was the community relations manager at the University of Central Florida. Over the years, she has held communications and sales and development positions in both the private and non-profit sectors in Orlando, New Orleans, and Chicago. Ofodile has served on boards and committees for several local organizations, including the African American Chamber of Commerce of Central Florida, Orlando Economic Partnership, Seminole County Chamber of Commerce, Winter Park Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Winter Park, Winter Park Housing Authority, United Negro College Fund (UNCF) Orlando Leadership Council, Oviedo-Winter Springs Chamber of Commerce, the City of Orlando Mayor’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, and the University of Central Florida (UCF) Town & Gown Council. She is in Leadership Orlando Class 104, and is a graduate of Leadership Winter Park, Leadership West Orange, Connect DTO, and Athena NextGen. Ofodile grew up in historic Tuskegee, Alabama., and has a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from Loyola University and master’s degree in Public Administration from Bernard M. Baruch College. She currently resides in beautiful Winter Park, Florida., with her husband, Bryan, and son, Brody.

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"Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way." BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

oJo O’Neal is a proud Central Floridian born and raised in Deland, Fla. O’Neal studied Radio/Television Broadcasting at the University of Central Florida and has been a full-time radio personality since 1984. She also works part-time in Broadcast Operations as a technical operator at WFTV Channel 9 Orlando, an ABC affiliate. What’s so amazing about O’Neal’s radio career is that although she has worked at several radio stations with different programming formats (including Kid’s Radio where she hosted a nationwide show), her entire career has been based out of Central Florida. Known for her fun-loving, playful personality and genuine love for people, O’Neal’s “girl-next-door” on-air delivery has garnered her thousands of not only radio, but also social media fans. O’Neal has worked as an influencer for clients such as Disney, BET, OWN, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Tamron Hall Show, Denny’s and more. She’s also a freelance voice actor, lending her vocals to tv and radio commercials, instructional videos, web projects, and more worldwide. O’Neal believes in staying busy as she completed training and in March of 2022, passed the Florida Real Estate Exam. She is now a licensed real estate associate. After an asthma diagnosis in 2004, O’Neal created the Let’s Kick Asthma Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization that educates, inspires, and supports asthma patients, encouraging them to live healthier lives by exploring ways to control the symptoms. O’Neal has a history in dance (ballet, jazz, tap, modern, praise), and was a former junior high, high school, and college majorette, and competitive baton twirler. She offers free baton twirling lessons to any young person who’s interested in learning. In her limited free time, O’Neal enjoys traveling, spending time at the beach, reading, and riding motorcycles. Spiritually grounded, O’Neal is a commissioned Stephen Minister, trained in Christian caregiving, and draws on her faith to face life’s challenges.

"Somewhere along the way we must learn that there is nothing greater than to do something for others." DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

56 ONYX MAGAZINE

ONYX MAGAZINE 57


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COSMOPOLITAN: THE FLIRTY GIRL DRINK

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page 37

ern-inspired self, speaking in your own rhythm and cadence, loudly should do it. And unwilling anymore to adopt insecure based speech patterns, “does that make sense,” embrace stereotypes of the angry Black woman, and stand with the crowd that is willing to ignore your differences, ignore you, you emerge “self-accepted” and therefore demanding to be recognized. Some WOC’s approach has been to find a comfy, hiding spot away from the spotlight, others have grown into themselves, toward the sun finding community. Potentially more common in STEM spaces, WOC also balance warming to other communities. Working from home freed many from lunch table topics they find it a stretch to even relate to. It also meant missing some conversations about strategy, that you might not otherwise be privy to. And as a layer cake, there is the dynamic among brethren where there are unspoken adoptions or rejection, labels as ally or opponent placing you on a tightrope. It might surprise some entering the space to know promotions, advancement and introductions aren’t compulsory. So, navigating all of this is, well, part of it. Recognizing allies when you’re in spaces of low representation is key. And those allies might or might not look like you. This is knowledge we all swallow as the era of favors-owed leaves a

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page 36

A KUFI, A KIMONO AND A COFFEE:

2min
page 36

KEEP YOUR CAR SAFER ON THE ROAD LONGER and

4min
page 35

WHY AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES?

4min
page 34

Ethel Isaacs Williams, J.D.

1min
page 33

Tempress (Tee) Solomon

1min
page 33

ENTERTAIN IN STYLE

4min
page 32

CENTER BRINGS WELLNESS TO WEST LAKES COMMUNITY

1min
page 32

Sharon Y. Riley

1min
page 31

Paramore

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page 31

JoJo O’Neal

1min
pages 30-31

DawnOfodile

1min
page 30

WELCOMING WEALTH in 2023

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page 29

SIXTH ANNUAL COLLARD GREEN FESTIVAL

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TAMPA LAUNCHES THE SOUL WALK

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Gwen Myers

1min
pages 27-28

Lynn Mims

1min
page 27

Sytia Necole Messer

1min
page 26

Daralene Jones

1min
page 26

SISTER GIRL

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page 25

Kim M. Johnson

1min
page 24

Terri Ann Verschell Graham,Ph.D.

1min
page 24

Olive Gaye

1min
page 23

Tammie Fields

1min
page 23

THE LONG SEARCH

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page 22

THE QUAD EDWARD WATERS UNIVERSITY ADDS EIGHT NEW DEGREE PROGRAMS

3min
page 21

LAW SCHOOL ANNOUNCES CENTER FOR JUSTICE

1min
page 21

Sandra Fatmi-Hall

1min
page 20

Ohme Entin

1min
page 20

Gail Thomas DeWitt

2min
page 19

THE LYES THAT CAN KILL YOU

2min
page 18

NEED MORE BLACK REPRESENTATION IN ALZHEIMER’S STUDY

1min
pages 17-18

HITTING YOUR PEAK

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page 17

CLOSE YOUR PORES

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page 17

INCREASING BLACK WOMEN’S ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND ECONOMIC POWER

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Iranetta J. Dennis

1min
pages 15-16

Pamela C. Cates-Smith, M.D.

1min
page 15

Patrice M. Cates–Lonberger, M.D.

1min
page 14

Vivian Bryant, Esq.

1min
page 14

M I S S I O N ONE MAN'S to build the Florida Democratic Party

1min
page 13

BLACK WOMEN OUTPACE ALL ENTREPRENEURS

2min
page 12

BLACK BEAUTY: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BLACK BEAUTY INDUSTRY

3min
page 11

BLACK WOMEN AND STUDENT DEBT

5min
pages 10-11

FIVE ESSENTIALS FOR A GIRL’S ROAD TRIP

2min
pages 9-10

Mercy Gilbert

1min
page 8

WRITING HER OWN RULES ON GENERATIONAL WEALTH

8min
pages 7-8

SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD

2min
pages 6-7

AGE INTO THE SOFTER SIDE OF LIFE

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page 5

HONORING DIVINE FEMININITY: NURTURE WARRIOR HEALERS RISE

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