BOARD MEMBERS AND LEADERS
JASON K. EDWARDS
Chairman & President
Jason Edwards is the founder of Providence Realty Investors and PRI Asset Management. Through Providence Realty Investors, Jason has been responsible for the development, asset management, and capital markets for several high-net-worth and family office real estate portfolios in the Southeast. Prior to founding PRI, Jason was responsible for the asset management of a $450MM portfolio of 11 market-rate value-add properties located across six states at Fairfield Residential. While at Boston Capital, he served as asset manager of a $400MM portfolio of 75 Low-Income Housing Tax Credit properties in 15 states. Jason currently serves as a founding board member of the Atlanta based, Grove Park Foundation where he currently serves on the Governance Committee and in the past served as Co-Chair of the Finance Committee, led the audit process for 3 years, and Chaired the Governance Committee, President of the Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management Alumni Club of Atlanta, and is an active fundraiser and donor for Morehouse College, his alma mater. Also, he serves as Chairman and President of Juneteenth USA, a Houston-based nonprofit founded in 1979 by his late Father, State Representative Al Edwards Sr.
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Jason holds a Bachelor of Arts in Finance from Morehouse College and a Master of Business Administration from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Jason resides in Atlanta with his wife Denise, and daughters, Sidney and Sloane.
AL EDWARDS II
Vice President and Board Member
Albert Ely Edwards II, is a licensed commercial contractor, a private pilot, a published author and the founding president and CEO of Ely Edwards Enterprises, Inc. A native Houstonian; he received his bachelor’s degree from Dillard University in Premedical Biology in 1995. Edwards earned his FAA Pilot's Certificate in 2005 and his Masters of Business Administration from The Freeman School of Business at Tulane University in 2016. In September of 2001, Ely Edwards Enterprises, Inc., was founded as a solely owned corporation designed to acquire, renovate and manage residential and rental properties in New Orleans, Louisiana and beyond. The company, now owning as many as forty properties in the Greater New Orleans area. The company's largest focus is its effort to eradicate homelessness in the New Orleans area in conjunction with partnering agencies and currently houses dozens of previously rescued homeless individuals and families through such organizations as Unity of Greater New Orleans, Odyssey House and others.
Beginning in 2012, Edwards established the, "Flight for Excellence"; a civic enrichment program for elementary school students. To date, the, "Flight For Excellence", program has taken more one hundred local students on the first flights  Beginning in 2018, Edwards will serve as president of Fulton Insurance Agency; a long-existing, full service independent producer which Ely Edwards Enterprises has taken an ownership stake in.  Al Edwards II has recently served on the Facilities Task force for the Recovery School District to Orleans Parish School Board transition and has been a board member of Fannie C. Williams Elementary Charter School since 2011. He established the Ely Edwards Enterprises Scholarship Fund for Dillard Students in 2013. He is a man of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and a member of the Fore!Kids Charitable Foundation and The New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.
ALANA E HOLLOWAY
Secretary and Board Member
Alana E. Holloway began her career in education 13 years ago. Holloway has served students as a Secondary English Language Arts teacher, Reading teacher, ESL Reading teacher, Teacher Specialist, Assistant Principal and Principal. Alana E. Holloway is the former Principal of a North Area Elementary School where she served for 2 years and earned the “New Principal of the Year award.” Alana E. Holloway earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Houston and a Master of Educational Administrative Leadership from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona. Alana E. Holloway is currently the Principal of a South Area elementary school. She believes in a culture of positivity and high expectations of all stakeholders involved in the education of our youth. She is passionate about literacy and creating opportunities for children to have access to a wide variety of books to increase their desire and love for reading. Principal Holloway believes that student culture and student achievement are synonymous, and one cannot exist without the other. She welcomes partnerships and stakeholders that will further the vision of community service and student achievement while maintaining a positive, rigorous, and nurturing learning environment.
GE'JUAN COLE
Treasurer and Board Member
Ge’Juan Cole is the Director of Projects for the Transmission Gulf of Mexico Operating Area at Williams Companies. In this role, he leads the engineering and project management efforts for maintenance capital, expense, and interconnect projects for natural gas pipeline infrastructure. He is also a former member of the Williams Diversity & Inclusion Council, 2020 Houston Williams United Way Campaign Vice Chair, United Way Young Leaders Councilmember, Texas Lyceum Director, National Hispanic Corporate Council Board Member, Acres Homes Chamber of Commerce & Economic Development Board Member, Juneteenth USA Board Member, and a member of Leadership Houston Class XXXVIII. After graduating with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech and a B.S. in Mathematics from Morehouse College, Ge’Juan joined Williams Companies in 2002. He also holds an M.B.A. in Global Leadership from the University of Houston and is a licensed Professional Engineer by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers.
Throughout his career Ge’Juan has held positions in Operations, Engineering, Project Development, Project Management and Construction. In these roles, he has led multifunctional teams in developing, engineering, and constructing critical natural gas infrastructure to serve demand in growing markets. Additionally, GeJuan is a real estate investor and a is a founding member of The Maroon Alliance which invests in passionate entrepreneurs, strong management teams and innovative businesses in their growth and start up phases. Ge’Juan is married to Lorraine Cole with whom he has 2 daughters and a son. He is also committed to giving back to the community by volunteering at his children’s schools, chaperoning events for Jack & Jill of America, supporting the UNCF, mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters Inc., and serving on the scholarship committee for the Alpha Eta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
PROF. JOYCE MCEWING
Board Member
ADVISORY BOARD
MS. JOSEPHINE LYES
Former JUSA Board Member
MS. JIMMIE RUTH JOHNSON
Former JUSA Board Member
MS. LANA EDWARDS
Houston Independent School District - Retired Principal
MS. NICOLE MERMANS
Director of Strategy, Merancas Foundation