Page 14 - Florida Sentinel 6-8-18

Local
State Attorney’s New Director Excited About Position
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
Last month, Andrew Warren, Hillsborough County State Attorney, hired a Tampa woman to fill the vacancy of Director of Com- munications. She is re- placing Ms. Rena Frazier, who resigned to pursue other interests. Ms. Estella Gray began in her new po- sition on May 24, 2018.
Ms. Gray said, “I’m ex- cited to use my public rela- tions skills to impact change and serve my community in the criminal justice system.”
A native of Boston, MA, Ms. Gray moved to Tampa with her family as a young- ster. She attended the public schools of Hillsborough County and graduated from Florida A & M University, School of Journalism and Graphic Communication, with a degree in Public Rela-
MS. ESTELLA GRAY
... New Communications Director for the Hillsborough County State Attorney’s Office
tions.
She was also chosen as a
member of the 2016 Tampa Bay Business Journal’s Up & Comers class. She was also a pioneering team member that launched Give Day Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay’s first 24-hour online giving
campaign.
Ms. Gray is a board
member with United Way Suncoast, Leadership Florida Connect and the Florida Public Relations As- sociation of Tampa Bay. She has developed award-win- ning public affairs programs in Tampa Bay.
Prior to accepting her current position, Ms. Gray was a Principal with Hill & Knowlton Strategies, a global public relations firm, where she led client teams in the public affairs and corpo- rate affairs practices in Tampa
Ms. Gray specializes in public affairs, strategic com- munications, grassroots or- ganizing and media relations.
When time allows, she enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and at- tending church at Love First Christian Center.
Free Gospel Event To Feature Popular Artist
DR. JEFFERY A. J. JOHNSON ...Pastor, Connections Community Church
The Connections Commu- nity Church of Tampa, which is one church in two cities, pastored by Dr. Jeffery A. J. Johnson, is excited to welcome to the city of Tampa on Sunday, June 10, 2018 at 1 p. m., ‘Gospel Giant,’ Ben Tankard.
Pastor Ben Tankard is a former professional basket- ball player and an American gospel, jazz key- boardist, producer, best- selling author, recording artist, and songwriter with over 300 songs recorded, earning 15 Stellar Awards (the highest of any musician), fifteen gold and six platinum records in his career to date.
Tankard and his wife, Jewel donate their time as non-salary senior pastors of Destiny Center Church of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Tankard is also a motiva- tional speaker for the Na- tional Basketball Association D-League and a reality television co-star with the Bravo show, Thicker Than Water. The family show premiered November 10, 2013. Dropping the “Thicker Than Water” title and going with simply “The Tankards,” season four is in pre-produc-
PASTOR BEN TANKARD ...Featured Guest Artist
tion though no other details have been released.
Tankard and R&B/Gos- pel veteran, Shirley Mur- dock recently received RIAA Gold records for their WOW Gospel 2006 Collaboration, which climbed to #1 Gospel and #20 on Billboard Top 200 and is certified Gold for more than 500,000 sales.
His arrangement of the Lionel Richie song “Jesus Is Love,” has been one of the most played songs on Sirius XM Radio gospel channel for 10 years running. He has been a BMI writer (Broadcast Music, Inc.) for over 25 years.
Tankard’s latest CD, Ben Tankard / Full Tank 3: Can- TANKerous, was released on May 12, 2017, and quickly climbed to #1 Smooth Jazz Amazon Bestseller and en- tered Billboard Gospel chart at #15 and Billboard Jazz chart at #18.
This event is free and open to the public. Connec- tions Community Church of Tampa is located at 2708 E. Osborne Ave., Tampa, FL 33610, pastored by Over- seer Jeffery A. J. John- son.
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