Executive Bios
Thomas W. Dortch, Jr., Chairman Emeritus of 100 Black Men of America, Inc. and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TWD, Inc., has established himself as a leader by diligently working to dismantle systemic barriers to empowerment.
Under his guidance, The 100 Black Men of America expanded from 43 Chapters in the U. S. to now include 102 chapters throughout the United States, Africa, England and the West Indies. Formed in 1986, the mission of the "100" is to improve the quality of life, and enhance the educational and economic opportunities for African-Americans.
Mr. Dortch launched his formal career in 1972 writing proposals and developing fund raising projects for the State of Georgia that sought to aid marginalized members of society. He became the Associate Director of the Democratic Party of Georgia in 1974 where during his four-year tenure he assisted in the creation of the first charter for the state party and wrote the first Affirmative Action and Compliance Review Program for the Party.
In 1978, Mr. Dortch began working with U.S. Senator Sam Nunn by providing technical assistance at conferences, meetings and public hearings. In 1990, he became the State Director and served as chief administrator over five field offices and one state office. Mr. Dortch was the first African-American to serve in this capacity for a United States Senator.
In 1994, Mr. Dortch chose to apply the more than twenty years of experience and knowledge gained from working in government to his business interests. These include serving as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of TWD, Inc., a consulting firm with emphasis on business development, public relations and fundraising; President of South West Investment Group (SWIG), a community development and investment group; and Chief Executive Officer of Atlanta Transportation Systems, Inc., a paratransit system that manages non-emergency transportation for Fulton County Government. His other business involvements include serving as Chairman and CEO of Cornerstone Parking, Chairman of Lancor Parking Management, LLC, and Managing Partner of FAD Consulting, LLC, a diversity management, marketing and events management company.
Thirty-six years ago, Mr. Dortch wrote proposals and developed fund raising projects designed to empower single parents and communities to meet the needs of their children. More recently, he authored "The Miracles of Mentoring: How to Encourage and Lead Future Generations," published by Doubleday Books. He is the Architect of the 100's Four for the Future.
Some of Mr. Dortch's other accomplishments include: establishing the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame Foundation, Inc. as a vehicle to continuously highlight the major contributions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and their graduates; co-founding the Georgia Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (GAME) to fill a void as an advocacy organization for minority business development; and co-founding the Greater Atlanta Economic Alliance as a capacity building and business development organization for the construction and transportation industries.
A partial listing of his involvement includes the National Drug Free Communities Act Advisory Commission, the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, the Black/Jewish Coalition, the Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, the National Assault on Illiteracy Board and the National Business League. Mr. Dortch is the recipient of numerous awards and honors that celebrate his efforts; these include a U. S. Presidential Citation for Volunteerism, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Distinguished Service Award, the Concerned Black Clergy's Salute to Black Fathers Leadership Award, the HistoryMakers Award, the 2002 National Black Caucus of State Legislators Nation Builder's Award, 2003 Turner Broadcasting Trumpet Leadership Award, 2004 Man of The Decade Award by the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., 2004 Father of The Year Award by the American Diabetes Association, 2004 CEO Networking Award of CEO Network-Nassau, Bahamas, The Institute for Advancement of Multicultural & Minority Medicine 2004 Survivors Award, The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's 2004 Distinguished Phoenix Award, 2004 John E. Jacobs Community Service Award of Anheuser Busch Company, Ludacris Foundation Community Service Award, 2007 Who's Who in Atlanta, 2008 Atlanta Perimeter College Humanitarian Award, American Heart Association Award - Power To End Stroke Award, 2008 Inductee Junior Achievement of Georgia, Inc. Atlanta Business Hall of Fame, 2008 Community Service Professional of the Year Award and Junior Achievement, Georgia Perimeter College.
He has had guest appearances on C-SPAN, the Montel Williams Show, Talk Back Atlanta, CNN, Good Day Atlanta, Fox News Channel The O'Reilly Factor and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He was listed as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Leaders in 2004 by Ebony Magazine and 2007 publication of The Atlanta Business Chronicle. Additionally, he speaks to a wide range of organizations interested in facilitating the empowerment of others.
He earned a B.A. Degree in Sociology and Pre Professional Social Work from Fort Valley State University in 1972; and a Masters of Art Degree in Criminal Justice Administration from Clark-Atlanta University in 1986. He also attended Georgia State University as a Ford Fellow in the Urban Administration Program. Dortch received Honorary Doctors Degrees from Fayetteville State University, Jarvis Christian College and Fort Valley State University.
He is currently the Chairman of the National Cares Mentoring Movement, a national effort founded by Susan Taylor, Editor Emeriti of Essence magazine to recruit one (1) million black men and women to mentor 1 million black boys and girls.
Susan Taylor
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine and Founder, National Cares Mentoring Movement
Susan L. Taylor is synonymous with Essence magazine, the brand she built-as its fashion and beauty editor, as editor-in-chief and editorial director. For 27 years she authored of one of the magazine's most popular columns, In the Spirit. For nearly three decades, as the driving force behind one of the most celebrated Black-owned businesses of our time, Susan Taylor is a legend in the magazine publishing world.
She was the first and only African American Woman to be recognized by the Magazine Publishers of America with the Henry Johnson Fisher Award-the industry's highest honor-and the first to be inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame. She is the recipient of the NAACP President's Award for visionary leadership and has honorary degrees from more than a dozen colleges and universities.
A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Susan grew up in Harlem working with her father in his women's clothing store. She founded her own cosmetics company, a first for Black women, which led to the beauty editor's position at Essence. She is the author of four books: In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor; Lessons in Living; Confirmation: The Spiritual Wisdom That Has Shaped Our Lives, which she coauthored with her husband, Khephra Burns; and her most recent, All About Love, Favorite Selections from In the Spirit on Living Fearlessly. She is a much sought-after speaker, inspiring hope and encouraging us to reclaim our lives and create sustainable communities.
She is an avid supporter of a host of organizations dedicated to moving the Black community forward, but her passion and focus today is the National Cares Mentoring Movement, a call to action, which she founded in 2006 as Essence Cares. The Cares mentoring movement is a massive campaign to recruit one million able adults to help secure our children who are in peril and losing ground. "Not on our watch!" she says. "Our children are the mothers and fathers of our tomorrows, and their future is in our hands." The goals of the Cares movement are to increase high school graduation rates among African American students, end the violence in Black communities and the over-incarceration of our young. "Creating safe, top-tier schools in every underserved community in this nation is the mandate-and it's doable," Taylor says.
Susan is a cofounder of Future PAC, the first national political action committee devoted to providing a network of support and sources of funding for progressive African American women seeking federal and state-level political offices. She is cochair with Danny Glover of Shared Interest, a capital campaign to raise money to build housing in the rural areas of South Africa, and serves on the boards of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies and the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. She has worked passionately to help restore the lives of people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region who were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
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