Velma was born and raised in Brooklyn and is a proud New Yorker!  Having visited the south over the years she and her husband fell in love with North Carolina where they make their home.

Velma’s vast work experience exposed her to several successful career paths from administration to radio and television, mortgage banking and event planning. However it is her greatest joy to serve children in need in our communities.

Most recently Velma taught workshops at Elon Homes & Schools, The Village. This is a residential transitional living program for young adults 18-21 who are transitioning out of foster care into adulthood. She also served as a mentor and volunteer for Faith, Hope and Love for two years. Velma teaches children Sunday school at Church in the City, an inner-city church, in Charlotte.

Velma’s prior professional work experience includes a successful career as a Corporate Event Manager for NRT, in Parsippany, NJ and as Housing Director for ConferenceDirect, in Charlotte, NC.  Velma also has a background in mortgage banking as a Risk Management Manager, and Legal Document and Credit file processor (having worked at Citibank and Bear Stearns in New York City).  As a communicator Velma worked as a Disc-Jockey, on air, drive-time in the cities of Toledo, Ohio (WKLR) and Detroit, Michigan (WJLB).  Additionally she worked as a television producer and on-air talent at a local TV station (WJBK TV2) in Detroit, Michigan

Velma relocated in 2006 to Charlotte, NC with her husband and left the corporate world in 2014.  During this season of change and supporting her husband in ministry, Velma had a strong desire to help children in crisis, which lead her and her husband to mentor a group of boys and girls at a local church.  Seeing an even greater need, she visualized a place where children can come to feel loved, safe, learn and have fun, and the Pineville Dream Center was born.

Affiliations

• Elon Homes and Schools, The Village, Charlotte, NC
• Faith Hope and Love, Charlotte, NC
• Immeasurable Faith Ministries, EventCoordinator
• Homeowners Association, Board Member, Pineville, NC

Education

• Toledo University – Studies in Communications
• Pace University, NY – Life Experience Learning Program
• Grace Institute, NY – Business Administration