CEO/FOUNDER

Michael R. Lofton  

Michael R. Lofton is an exceedingly dynamic media professional with a proud record of accomplishments within the Central Texas community. Since 1993, The Michael Lofton Talk Show has aired weekly on Public Access Channel 16. The program is dedicated to educating disadvantaged community populations on current events and school and com-munity issues. The show, emphasizing, good mental health, positive values, self-esteem, and respect for fairness and equity in the community.

Additionally, Mr. Lofton has founded The African-American Men and Boys Conference, which held its first event on June 3, 2006. Realizing that many young men do not have father figures in their homes, Mr. Lofton helped create and inspire a high-impact monthly conference supporting education and engagement between parents, students, community stakeholders and educators. Over the past three years, an average of 300 to 500 parents, students, community leaders, elected officials, school administrators and university faculty members dialogue and engage in approximately 20 workshops per conference each month. Responding to community demands, and building on the success of the Men and Boys Conferences,

Mr. Lofton created the first African American Women and Girls Conference in February of 2007. The response has been overwhelming and the Women and Girls Conferences have become a regular feature of the monthly conferences. He was fueled by his belief that a community could affect change from within by working together, engaging parents and students and giving them the resources they needed to tackle issues in and out of the classroom. Providing successful adult role models, particularly for young boys from homes headed by single moms, is critical to the vision.

 

   

  Board President 

 

 Judge Kelly Evans

Kelly Evans. Board President, African-American Men and Boys Harvest Foundation, is a 1986 graduate of the University of Texas School of Law. Prior to attending law school, Evans graduated Cum Laude with a combined degree in Public Administration and Criminal Justice from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.  Evans is currently a part-time Municipal Court Judge for Austin, Texas.  He has also served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas, and Executive Director of the State Enforcement & Investigation Division for special education programs in the District of Columbia, responsible for overseeing all investigations, monitoring, and enforcement of laws governing special education in DC.  Evans has almost 20 years litigation experience as an attorney currently specializing in representing professional educators and charter school districts.  He was a partner in the firm Bledsoe, Brown, Evans & McCullough and an associate with Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Schulze & Aldridge specializing in representing and defending school districts in employment litigation and special education cases.  Evans began his legal career as a staff attorney with the Gulf Coast Legal Foundation in Houston, and the Legal Aid Society of Central Texas in Austin. 

Evans has served on various education advisory committees with the Austin Ind. School Dist. including the Research and Evaluation Advisory Committee, the Priority Schools Monitoring Committee, and the School Bond Issue Advisory Committee.  He is past chair of the Northeast Austin Coalition for Quality Education and is a former member of the Texas Assn. of School Boards Council of School Attorneys, the Education Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, the National School Boards Assn. Council of School Attorneys, and the Texas Assn. of Community College Attorneys.    

 

 

 

Second Vice President

Ashton G. Cumberbatch Jr. 

Ashton, is the Vice President of Advocacy and Community Relations for Seton Family of Hospitals. Prior to joining Seton, Ashton served as Police Monitor for the City of Austin; a partner in the law firm of McGinnis, Lochridge & Kilgore, L.L.P., where he was head of the employment law section; and Chief of the Trial Division at the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. 

 In addition to his work at Seton, he still provides counsel at Cumberbatch & Associates, where he focuses on employment law and mediation.  Cumberbatch is an Associate Pastor at Agape Christian Ministries; and also ministers at Austin Bridge Builders Alliance (ABBA), a faith-based intermediary that influences Christian and community leaders to build partnerships that break down barriers and more effectively fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.  As part of his ministry, he has been doing cultural competency training since 2001 and is one of the co-authors of the Austin Pastoral Covenant for Racial Reconciliation and the (Austin) Commitment to Racial Reconciliation.  Cumberbatch has been and remains active in service to the Central Texas region, as exemplified by the following sampling:

 ·    Austin Independent School District, Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, 2008 – present.

·          Greater Austin Crime Commission, Board Member, 2007 – present.

·          Austin Bridge Builders Alliance (ABBA), Board Member, 2007 – present.

·          Austin Area Research Organization, Member, 2002-- present; Chair, Healthcare Committee and Executive Committee, 2008 -- present.

·          Harvest Foundation (African American Men and Boys Conferences), Board Member, 2007-- present.

·          Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce, Board Member, 2006 – present.

·          Envision Central Texas, Board Member, 2002-- 2009.

·          Connexion House, Board Member, 2003 – 2008.

·          Austin Independent School District, Citizens’ Bond Advisory Committee, 2007-2008.

·          KLRU, Board Member, 2001--2007.

·          Austin Independent School District, Co-Chair, 5-Year Plan Curriculum Committee, 2004-2005.

·          Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce, Board Member, 2001-2005; Executive Committee, 2001- 2003; Co-Chair, Education and Workforce Council, 2003, 2004.

·          Austin Metropolitan YMCA, Board Member, 1997-2004.

·          Citizen Review Panel, City of Austin Office of the Police Monitor, 2002-2004.

·          Guest Instructor, University of Texas School of Law’s Advanced Trial Advocacy Program, 1990-2002. 

In recognition of his service, Cumberbatch has received a Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Texas School of Law’s Thurgood Marshall Legal Society’s (2007); an Outstanding Service Award from the Austin Chapter of the NAACP (2007); a Distinguished Service Award from the City of Austin (2005); and the 2005 Will W. Miller Volunteer Leadership Award, from the Austin Metropolitan YMCA. Cumberbatch is a graduate of the 2002 Leadership Austin Essential Class, has an A.B. in Economics from Brown University, as well as a law degree from The University of Texas School of Law.   

He is married to his bride of 29 years, Rev. Jennifer R. Cumberbatch, who ministers via her gifts of teaching, preaching, counseling, singing, song writing and acting.  They have four children: Graham, a magazine art director in N.Y.C.; Virginia, a junior at Williams College; and Benjamin and Elizabeth, high school students.

 

 

 First Vice President

 Kevin Michael Foster, Ph.D.

Dr. Foster is a University of Texas at Austin faculty member on leave for 2009-2010 to serve as an American Academy for the Advancement of Science Policy Fellow. His assignment is with the National Science Foundation Math-Science Partnerships Program.

Dr. Foster is the founding director of ICUSP, the Institute for Community, University and School Partnerships. His work brings research, teaching and service together for the purpose of improving academic outcomes for African American, Latina/o and other students. He has authored dozens of publications, including academic articles and national columns. In 2005, he co-founded COBRA, the Community of Brothers in Revolutionary Alliance, a leadership group for high school boys. Under his stewardship ICUSP also sponsors VOICES, a leadership group for high school girls, and Young VOICES and Young COBRAs, boys and girls groups for middle school students.

In 2006, Dr. Foster was named The LBJ Presidential Library faculty volunteer of the year. In 2009, Dr. Foster received the Akins award from Austin Independent School District. This annual award recognizes "an individual who has exemplified strong character, excellent leadership and outstanding service while exhibiting respect for all people."

Dr. Foster received his Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and his B. A. from the College of William and Mary.

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Mr. Tisdale is a native and longtime resident of Austin, Texas. He began his education in the Austin ISD, attending Blackshear Elementary, Kealing Jr. High, and the old L.C. Anderson High School in East Austin.  During his college days, he attended the University of Texas, and St. Edward's University. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1962 to 1966.
 
Mr. Tisdale's postal career began in 1966 in Austin, Texas as a Letter Carrier. He served in a variety of positions including Supervisor of Mails and Delivery, Labor Relations Representative and Manager of Employment and Training (Waco, Texas). He also served as MDO (Manager of Distribution Operations).
 
In addition to the above mentioned positions, Mr. Tisdale has served the Postal Service in numerous other ways. He worked with EI (Employee Involvement) as a Facilitator and Trainer, and also has over 10 years experience working with Alternative Dispute Resolution initiatives. He retired in 2000 after 11 years as Postmaster of Smithville, Texas.
 
On the hills of his retirement from the Postal Service, Mr. Tisdale was nominated by President George W. Bush to be a Commissioner on the Postal Rate Commission. He was confirmed by the United States Senate on November 21, 2004. After 35 years of experience in many different roles, Mr. Tisdale brought a unique and interesting perspective to the Postal Rate Commission. He served as Commissioner for three years, and recently retired (again) as Vice Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission, formerly the Postal Rate Commission.
 
An active community leader, Mr. Tisdale has served as President of the Board of Directors for CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) in Bastrop County Texas as well as for LVA (Literacy Volunteers of America) in Smithville, Texas. He has served several terms on the Travis County Grand Jury.  He was also a member of the Noon Lions Club of Smithville, and a baseball coach for the Babe Ruth League in East Austin.
 
Mr. Tisdale is married to the former Vanessa Palfrey of Dallas, and they have two beautiful teenage daughters.