Staff & Volunteers
BOARD MEMBER
TIMOTHY D YOUNG
Timothy D. Young, M.Ed., is a dedicated educator, entrepreneur, and community leader with over 30 years of experience. A proud U.S. Army veteran who served through ROTC and the Oklahoma National Guard, he holds a Master’s degree in Public-School Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice, with a minor in Military Science.
Throughout his distinguished career in education, Young has served as a Principal, Assistant Principal, Athletic Director, and Coach. His influence extends into entrepreneurship as the founder of A Heavenly Taste, LLC, overseeing ventures such as Kinyon’s Elite Sauce and Young’s Gourmet Sweets. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Dunbar Heights Community Group and is a former City Council member.
An accomplished author of “Pathway to Trauma Recovery,” Young is also a certified football and basketball official with over 21 years of experience at the high school, college, and professional levels. His lifelong commitment to service has earned him induction into the Shawnee Football Hall of Fame and the 2022 Shawnee Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award.
DeShannon (De) Harris
DeShannon (De) Harris is a Certified Executive Coach, Certified Leadership Coach, Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Emergenetics Certified Associate, and Certified Coach of Excellence. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration and is pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration, Leadership. Her doctoral research centers on organizational leadership behavior and employee engagement.
De is an accomplished Organizational Development Professional for the Tulsa County Health Department in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she creates leadership development content and facilitates training sessions for a 75-member leadership team, playing a pivotal role in cultivating a strong organizational leadership culture. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded learning and development initiatives that have impacted over 5,000 employees, designing transformative onboarding and orientation programs that establish a strong foundation for employee success.
De specializes in developing strategic learning solutions that drive measurable results, foster sustainable organizational growth, and create high-performing, employee-centered work environments. Her expertise includes designing and delivering comprehensive leadership development programs that empower individuals, elevate teams, and align with organizational goals.
She is deeply committed to empowering others to lead authentically by integrating evidence-based leadership practices into her coaching and training. Her comprehensive understanding of diverse leadership styles enables her to design and deliver development programs that are both highly resonant and transformative, driving meaningful and lasting growth.
De’s dedication to inclusive and purpose-driven leadership has also led her to collaborate with UBFSF Founder Ivan Kilgore, developing leadership training initiatives for incarcerated individuals. This transformative work reflects her belief in second chances and her commitment to equipping others with the skills necessary for successful reintegration and lifelong growth.
A commitment to excellence and innovation guides her work, and a deeply rooted passion for developing leaders who inspire, influence, and make a meaningful impact.
Zebulon Vance Miletsky
Zebulon Vance Miletsky, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Department of Africana Studies and History. His articles have appeared in the Trotter Review, the Historical Journal of Massachusetts, the Journal of Civil and Human Rights, and the Journal of Urban History. He is an Executive Board member of the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History. He is a regular contributor to the award-winning blog <em>Black Perspectives, hosted by the African-American Intellectual Historical Society</em>. He has written op-eds for Diverse Issues in Higher Education and is a columnist for the BK Reader. His new book <em>Before Busing: A History of Boston’s Long Black Freedom Struggle</em> was published in December 2022 by the University of North Carolina Press.
Miletsky was the recipient of a 2020 “Game Changer” Award by the Long Island Area NAACP branch. In 2021 he was honored by the Town of Brookhaven Black History Commission “for leadership and service to the community as a role model to the next generation.” He lives in Brooklyn and works with the UBFSF as an editor for the 100 Prisoner Book Publishing Literacy Program.