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Businesswoman Sheila Johnson Announced As Centre For Women 2017 Waves
Of Change Honoree
Kan Dance Studio Fall Registration, Open House Held In New Location
One of the nation’s leading entrepreneurs will receive The Helen Gordon Davis Women’s Leadership Award at the second “Waves of Change” luncheon presented by The Helen Gordon Davis Centre for Women.
Dr. Sheila Johnson, c o - founder of Black Enter- tainment Television (BET), CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, and the first Black American female bil- lionaire, will accept the award on March 10, 2017 at the Hilton in downtown Tampa as part of the Centre’s year-long 40th anniversary observance.
The “Waves of Change” luncheon celebrates the life and visionary leadership of Helen Gordon Davis who rose from humble beginnings to become a powerhouse ad- vocate for women and minori- ties.
Helen’s story, much like Dr. Johnson, was one of courage, vision, tenacity and unparalleled achievement.
Dr. Johnson ranks sec- ond only to Oprah Winfrey among the wealthiest Black females in the United States and seventh among all African-Americans. She is the first African-American woman to be an owner or partner in three professional sports franchises: the Wash- ington Capitals (NHL), the Washington Wizards (NBA), and the Washington Mystics (WNBA).
In 2005, she founded Sala- mander Hospitality LLC, a
DR. SHEILA JOHNSON ...Waves Of Change Honoree, Onwer of Innsbrook and Hammock Resorts in Florida.
hospitality and management company through which she owns numerous properties, three in Florida including In- nisbrook Resort and Golf Club.
In 2006, she was named Global Ambassador to Care, a nonprofit dedicated to ending poverty through women’s em- powerment. She is also a doc- umentary film producer of acclaimed pictures such as A Powerful Noise (2008) and The Other City (2010). Pres- ident Obama recently ap- pointed her to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. She also sits on the Board of numerous foundations and universities.
Ann W. Madsen, Execu- tive Director of The Centre for Women said: “Our first recip-
ient, Gloria Steinem, our founder, Helen Gordon Davis and our 2017 honoree, Sheila Johnson are inspir- ing exemplars of the fact that individuals can and do make a difference – a message our Waves of Change Women’s Leader- ship Award is meant to exalt.”
The legacy of Helen Gor- don Davis lives on at The Centre for Women, a unique nonprofit she founded in 1977. The Centre initially opened as The Women’s Sur- vival Centre to help women who were divorced, separated or widowed. Today, The Helen Gordon Davis Centre for Women is an innovative nonprofit where women from all income levels and back- grounds find the resources they need to succeed person- ally and professionally.
“It is particularly exciting to honor one of the world’s most accomplished entrepre- neurs this year. It’s a perfect fit for our organization which operates the only SBA-desig- nated Women’s Business Cen- tre helping aspiring and nascent entrepreneurs on the west coast of Florida. Dr. Johnson is a great role model for all women hoping to start and grow their busi- nesses.”
Sponsor and ticket infor- mation is available on the Centre’s website at www.the- centre.org or call the Ad- vancement Office at 813-251-8437.
KANDACE NUNN JOHNSON ...Owner, Artistic Director
Kan Dance Studio (KDS) is celebrating its 5th year an- niversary in the Tampa Bay community and there are some exciting new things this dance season.
KDS offers an extensive array of dance and fitness pro- grams for students of all ages, including Pre-Dance, Combo, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Modern, Lyrical and Private Classes. Just recently KDS was nominated for the Best Dance Company in Creative Loafing’s “Best of the Bay” Awards for 2016.
Kan Dance Studio is now lo- cated at 10630 N. 56th Street, Suite 208, Tampa, 33617, not far from the old location.
The new classes offered will include Boys Hip Hop and Jazz and they are eager to see young males on the stage soon.
“I’m super excited to offer new dance classes to young males and have the commu- nity embrace that boys dance, too! I’d love to see them show off their skills this season and at our annual recital,” said Kandace Nunn Johnson, Owner/Artistic Director of KDS.
KDS is home to a few high scoring performance teams, featuring KDS “YES” and KDS Dolls. Each team has won Gold, High Gold, Elite Gold,
and First Place Overall win- nings separately and com- bined. To be a part of the KDS performance teams, dancers are required to audition every year and must commit to a high intense dance schedule training in Ballet, Jazz, and Hip Hop.
The team performs at vari- ous community events and competitions, all while meet- ing the expectation of main- taining academic excellence. The teams have traveled and performed here in Florida, At- lanta and New York City. They were also featured on “Brown Girls Do Ballet” with over 100,000 “likes” and com- ments for their awesome “Running Man” challenge on social media. Without a doubt, these ladies are FAME: Fear- less, Artist, Moving, Effort- lessly and are destined for great things!
Kandace, a product of the Howard W. Blake High School of the Arts, holds a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Dance Educa- tion from the University of the Arts, works tireless in the community to inspire count- less children to follow their dreams, just as she has done. Kandace has had brilliant performances across the United States and in West Africa, and is best known for her lead character role as “U- ni-qua” in the national tour of Nickelodeon’s Backyardi- gans Live, “Tale of the Mighty Knights,” “Storytime Live,” and the national tour of “Oz the Musical”, created by YouTube fame Todrick Hall, which featured Diana De- garmo of American Idol.
Kan Dance Studio is a pre- miere dance studio and fitness movement committed to in- spire, enrich, and educate the community in the art of dance and fitness. Visit www.kan- dacestudio.com or call 813- 985-5950 for more information on dance and fit- ness class schedules. Kan Dance Studio, Where Every Kid is a Star.
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