Board of Directors

James E. Brown has over 30 years of experience as a venture capitalist, financial advisor, and commercial real estate sales and commercial business and investment broker. He has been an entrepreneur and management consultant in various settings. Namely, he currently serves as President of GTS Transportation Services. James is also very active in the Film Industry, serving as President and CEO of First Nite Productions, Inc., a Maryland corporation, that still partners with Poitier Productions Inc. of New York to produce Feature Films and Documentary Projects. He has served as President of JWD Management Services, Inc., and Carolina Investment Strategies Group, LLC, both an investment and financial service provider. Mr. Brown also has served as Financial Consultant and Sports Agent to former Professional Basketball Players and has partnered on several business ventures with Dominique Wilkins, basketball legend and Vice President for the Atlanta Hawks. He is founder and is currently Chair of the Gregory B. Davis Foundation.

Mr. Brown sits on several Boards including the Wilkins Foundation in Atlanta, GA., Multi-Line Management, LTD, a Bermuda based licensed insurance management company and business consultant to TESLA Reinsurance, Inc. of Barbados. In 2003, Mr. Brown was appointed as an NGO Delegate to the United Nations serving Regions in Africa in the area of Humanitarian Projects and is a member of the Washington International Trade Association. He attended Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia and received his Bachelors Degree in Business and Finance from the University of the District of Columbia in Washington, DC. 

jasbro757@gbdf.org

Edna Davis-Brown brings to GBDF over 30 years of experience in health-related program development, management, and implementation; training development and delivery; and conference/event management. She has managed numerous concurrent federal and non-federal projects worth multiple millions of dollars for consulting firms in the DC/MD/VA area.  Ms. Davis-Brown previously served as a Program Director for the American Psychological Association's Behavioral and Social Science (BSSV) Program in Washington, DC which provided HIV/AIDS prevention capacity building support across the US and US Territories. Currently, she provides specialized implementation support for the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.) on a National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative assigned to 15 States and is also a Diversity and Inclusion Trainer for The HR Source.

A very active volunteer both in her church and in the DC/MD/VA metropolitan area, Edna previously served eight years as Co-Chair for the Women’s Ministry for the Prince George’s Community Church and on the Trustee Board/Session. She has also served as a member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the Gillings School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is currently active with the Roanoke Valley Breast Cancer Coalition and serves as the Assistant Program Coordinator for the RVBCC’s Pink Link Project.

Mrs. Davis- Brown holds an undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Master of Public Health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her leisure she enjoys hiking, traveling, great movies, live jazz performances and theater.

e_davisbrown@gbdf.org

Brenda Bracey has proudly served as an educator in the Northampton County Schools

in North Carolina. Ms. Bracey was a kindergarten and pre-kindergarten teacher for thirty

three years and truly loved her work and children before retiring in 2007. She serves as

the Chief Financial Officer for GBDF.

She is a supporter of the community and civic causes. Ms. Bracey is a member of First

Baptist Church, Weldon, NC. She also serves as a volunteer at Angel’s Closet. She is an

avid reader, enjoys movies, crosswords and finds peace and solace while experiencing

the sounds of the surf and waves at the beach.  She has an adult daughter, Kimberly, and a granddaughter, Brie, who is her heart’s delight.

Ms. Bracey holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education from the

Elizabeth City State University and subsequently became a certified early childhood

teacher through North Carolina A & T State University in Greensboro

bbracey@gbdf.org

Maurice Davis has been a dentist in the Roanoke Valley Area for 35 years. He served many years on the Halifax County Health Board and served as their chairman for two years. Over the past 30 years he has also served on numerous boards related to health and children. Dr. Davis holds an undergraduate degree in Biology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC and a Doctor of Dental Science degree from Howard University in Washington, DC. 

Dr. Davis was born and raised in the Roanoke Valley Area and has been a member of Roanoke Chapel Missionary Baptist Church for many years. He served as chairperson of both the Trustee Board and Finance Committee, where he played a pivotal role in starting the church’s scholarship program. In addition, he became a Deacon at Roanoke Chapel in 2011. In 1976 he became a member of the Kappa Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in Washington, DC and in 1984 he chartered the Tau Beta Beta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in Roanoke Rapids, NC. 

vwdavis@gbdf.org

Valencia W. Davis brings to the board over 38 years of experience from the educational arena. She has been a speech therapist, diagnostician, personnel director, special education director and statewide education consultant. Her expertise has afforded her the opportunity to serve on several committees and task forces at the state level. She recently retired from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as a Consultant in the Exceptional Children Division. 

Community service is very important to Ms. Davis and she provides most of this service through her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She has held the offices of president, vice-president, secretary and parliamentarian in the local chapter. In addition, she has chaired many committees including the Debutante Ball, Budding Roses Program, membership and standards. She provides further service through her membership at the Roanoke Chapel Missionary Baptist Church where she serves as a Deaconess and missionary. Ms. Davis has served on the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District school board for 8 years and is currently serving in her second term as Vice-Chair. In a more health related way, Ms. Davis is serving her 4th year on the Susan G. Komen Triangle to the Coast Affiliate board of directors.  She is currently serving as president of this board. In her leisure she enjoys movies and traveling. 

Ms. Davis holds an undergraduate degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology and a graduate degree is Speech Pathology both from Hampton University in Hampton, VA. Currently, she is the Eastern Region Vice President of the North Carolina Region of the National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc. She also holds certification in Education Administration from East Carolina University.

vwdavis@gbdf.org

Ms. Niasha Fray is a proud native of North Carolina with an academic background in Clinical Psychology and Public Health. She has worked on research that involves health promotion and behavior change of at-risk populations including those affected by substance abuse, incarceration, HIV/AIDS, and Cancer. Niasha has also served as a counselor delivering Motivational Interviewing risk reduction counseling for people working to overcome addiction, disruptive behavior disorders, and people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. She has developed and provided a variety of community-based professional trainings among health care providers throughout North Carolina and internationally on HIV education, prevention, and risk reduction.  Ms. Fray has also provided support to community-based agencies through outreach, education, post-test counseling, and capacity-building for local and regional health departments. Currently she is a Program Director at the Duke Center for Community and Population Health Improvement where she is developing a community based multi-sector collaborative whose aim is to go beyond healthcare treatment and address the social factors that determine individual and community health, thus working on the issues that cause health inequality, and to create systemic change that benefits the entire Durham community. In this role Ms. Fray is also developing an interactive web platform that highlights the Population Health Improvement efforts at Duke that is intended to improve the lives of people who live, work, and play in Durham.  Her primary professional and research interests are working to make Health Equity a reality by improving the quality of healthcare and patient provider communication experienced by marginalized and underserved communities, working to abate issues of medical mistrust, and developing community partnerships that promote and enhance population health.

nfray@gbdf.org

Dr. Ervin V. Griffin, Sr., served as President of the Halifax Community College (Weldon, NC for 11 years and was the first African American to serve in this capacity.  His career in higher education spans over 40 years and includes roles as Director of Financial Aid,  Director of Counseling, Vice President of Student Affairs, Provost/Chief Operating Officer Director, and the first President of West Virginia State and Community and Technical College (now Kanawha Valley Community and Technical College.)  In several of those roles, President Griffin was the first African American to serve in those capacities.

 Griffin earned his B.S. degree in teacher education from Bluefield State College; M.S. Degree in College Student Personnel Services from Western Illinois University; Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies in Higher Education Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; and the Doctorate of Education in Community College Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. He is also a graduate of graduate of Leadership Roanoke Valley sponsored by the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce. 

President Griffin holds and has held membership in numerous local, state and national organizations including Rotary International (Paul Harris Fellow); Halifax County Business Horizons, Roanoke Avenue Main Street Roanoke Rapids Alliance, Halifax County Economic Development Commission, (ex officio) and NC Presidents Association and Chair of the Trustee Board at the First Baptist Church in Weldon, NC. Dr. Griffin is the father of an adult son Ervin V. Griffin, Jr.

egriffin518@halifaxcc.edu

A native of Northampton County, North Carolina, Ms. Moore is the youngest of three and the proud mother of a beautiful and energized two year old.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice with a concentration in Juvenile Justice from North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina and a Master of Education in Psychological Studies at Cambridge College in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

She began her career with Jackson-Field Behavioral Health Service working with young residents, aiding them with behavioral and mental health related needs.  Ms. Moore was then employed as the Halifax County Teen Court Coordinator.  Teen Court provided first-time juvenile offenders with a means of accountability for their actions as meted out by a jury of their peers; to help decrease delinquent and inappropriate behavior and to promote positive social interactions. She later transitioned to the Access and Visitation Coordinator, assisting parents and non-parents with filing for custody and/or visitation and divorce. Currently, she is the Family Court Judicial Assistant in the Halifax Family Court office focusing on juveniles and families working alongside with Department of Social Service and Juvenile Services.

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Her time serving the community has also centered on youth and families. Examples include: serving on the Garysburg Youth Counsel, volunteering as a youth leader for the Garysburg Community Summer Camp hosted by a formal city commissioner, volunteering as a basketball and volleyball coach for her high school and now she is currently active with the Christian Education ministry at her church.  She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., with a commitment to sisterhood, scholarship and service.

Dbmoore10@yahoo.com