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Meet Our Board Members
Meet our Founder/ Executive Director
Latoya Turner
Latoya Turner is the founder and CEO of Brown Hands Literacy Nonprofit Organization-
501(c)(3). She's a mother, educator, HBCU advocate, reading specialist, author, filmmaker, and Leading Men Fellowship Coaching Specialist with The Literacy Lab. Latoya taught grades K-3 for 13 years. She's taught in her hometown Detroit, MI, in Maryland (PGCPS), and at Cincinnati Public Schools. She's been a resident of Cincinnati for 6 years now. After transitioning from the classroom in 2022, Latoya is now coaching young men between the ages of 18-24 who are placed in CPS preschool classrooms to close the literacy gap and diversify the teacher pipeline. The Leading Men Fellowship is a new literacy program in Cincinnati.
Latoya holds a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Central State University and a Master's degree in Reading and literacy from Central Michigan University.
After reading many children's books to her students and sharing stories about her vacations and HBCU experience, Latoya became inspired to become an author. In 2020, Latoya self-published her first children's book Brown Hands, White Sand and started Brown Hands LLC. In 2021, Latoya published her second children's book Brown Hands, Black Schools: HBCUs. Brown Hands Literacy was founded in 2022 by Latoya. Latoya's passion is to give back to her community and she is doing just that. At the end of 2022, Latoya became a filmmaker by producing, directing and writing Brown Hands, Black Schools HBCUs film which is available on Prime Video.
Latoya enjoys reading children's books and going to the beach. Latoya has been featured in several news outlets for her community work, uplifting children's books and exposing our youth to more than just the curriculum. For Latoya, it is more than just being an author and filmmaker. She often asks herself, “How will I plant memorable seeds for children while exposing them to the world?"
David McGuire
Dr. David McGuire has served as a teacher, dean of students, and Principal in both the charter and traditional district settings at the primary and secondary levels. He served as Principal for six years at Tindley Accelerated Schools. Dr. McGuire oversaw two successful charter renewals and the expansion of the school from K-5 to K-6. He developed a teacher leadership program within the building and transformed the student culture. Dr. McGuire was a leader in the broader community, serving on the Far Eastside Community Council and the Far Eastside K-8 Initiative. He also established over ten community-based partnerships to support student extracurricular activities. Dr. McGuire oversaw the development of the Summit Community Learning Center and community garden.
Dr. McGuire, a 2023 fellow of the Teacher Leadership Collaborative with the Black Principal Network, a 2022 Surge Academy Indy Fellow. He is a graduate of the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute Cohort 8, a graduate of the Relay National Principal Academy in 2019, a 2017 Teach Plus Policy Fellow, and a 2017 Teach Plus Alumni Board Fellow. He completed the Indianapolis Urban League Young Professionals fellows; program. Dr. McGuire holds a bachelor's degree in English from Central State University, a Master's in Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan, and received his Building Level Administration license from Marian
University and has a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in District Level Administration and Superintendent from Marian University. His dissertation research was on Black male elementary teachers.
Bruce Stewart
Bruce is a father, youth football coach, and Regional Warranty Manager for General Motors. He was born, raised, and resides in Cincinnati, OH. Bruce graduated from Central State University with a bachelor's degree in business. He is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity Delta Zeta Chapter.
Kimberly Rowe-Barney
Kimberly is a seasoned professional passionate about strategic leadership and community impact. Her career spans over 30+ years in the insurance industry, and 6 years as an independent educational consultant with a specialty niche in guiding and exposing students to HBCU institutions. Kimberly is a graduate of Hampton University with a bachelor's in Finance and an MBA in International Business from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. She have been a member of several boards, serving as a board member, chair of various committees, vice president, and President.
Michiko Russell- Wood
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