Building Student and Staff Resilience Through Transformational Leadership

Margaret Meade once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has”. Dr. Melissa Noland Chester (fondly known as Doc) is a part of that small group of thoughtful people committed to serving and impacting the lives of those in our community. Doc is a former professor who taught on the collegiate level for approximately fifteen years before transitioning into entrepreneurship full-time. She obtained her B.S. & Master’s degrees from Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Secondary Physical Education and Sport Management. She obtained her Ph.D. in Sport Management from Florida State University (FSU). She has taught at several universities, including Florida A&M University, Florida State University, Grambling State University, University of North Florida, and online at Southern New Hampshire University. Dr. Chester is the Co-Founder and CEO of Black Educators Rock, Inc., a national nonprofit. BER, Inc.’s goal is to further the academic success of our nation’s minority students by closing the “attitude gap” that exists among educators and students. It accomplishes this goal through its flagship event, the ROCK Conference. The ROCK Conference is a summer professional development conference that showcases the top educational consultants and educators in the country. Currently touted as a success strategist, Dr. Chester is an Amazon 3x best-selling co-author and has presented numerous keynotes, training, seminars, and workshops at universities, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and K-12 schools. These include, but are not limited to, the Urban League National Conference, the National Association of Black School Educators (NABSE) National Conference, the Working to Extend Anti-racist Education (WE ARE) Conference, Acceleration Leadership Summit, The Inflection Point Women’s Conference, South Carolina State University, Communities in Schools, Leon County School District, Duval County Public Schools, Volusia County Public Schools, and Bay County Public Schools. The topics she has spoken on include Poverty Mindset, Character Development, Increasing Self-Esteem, Mental Health Awareness, Personality Assessment, Communication & Conflict Resolution, Health and Physical Fitness, Financial Literacy, Entrepreneurship, and High school graduation/college preparation. Dr. Chester is also actively involved with many nonprofit organizations. She is on the executive board of the UNCF Jacksonville Leadership Council, The Greater First Coast Chamber of Commerce, The Center One Foundation (board member), Georgia Association of Alternative Education (GAAE), Florida Recovery School of Jacksonville, and is a certified instructor for the national initiative known as Adult Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA). She is also an active member of the Jacksonville Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Her dedication and passion to assist individuals and organizations is evident in the numerous seminars, workshops, and programs she has participated in and implemented.