CEO Michael Baldwin is a firm believer that we must use our gifts and talents to make a difference in the world. For a couple of years now, Michael Baldwin and John Johnson partner in facilitating Diversity Awareness Training for the Community Services Board’s Crisis Intervention Team. This team is created as a part of the Department of Criminal Justice Services with a purpose of assisting law enforcement officers as they respond to crisis situations involving persons with mental illness, substance abuse or both. This program has been recognized Nationally and the December 2010 session is being videotaped as a model for other cities throughout the country.
Michael Baldwin & John Johnson have assisted in the development of and currently facilitate Diversity and Inclusion modules for the Thomas Nelson Community College Institute for Diversity and Inclusion. This is a six-week, interactive course on diversity education concentrating on diversity in the contemporary workplace and community.
Michael also teaches Youth and Adult Bible Study at his church home, Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Temple (SMZBT), in Hampton, VA. He also facilitates New Members Class for recent converts and new members of SMZBT. This is a 4000 member church which originated in 1911 and has a history of positively impacting the community and the world through its outreach ministries.
Michael has served the community as chairperson of the Hampton Citizen’s Unity Commission a proactive component of the city’s program to ensure racial and cultural harmony in the city of Hampton. The commission is charged with identifying diversity issues and facilitating positive interaction among citizens. In this role Michael assisted in the accomplishment of the mission coordinating with the city council, citizens, local businesses, and non-profit organizations, to provide diverse programs and services to the community.
Michael has also served as chairperson for the Children’s Village section of the annual AFR’ AM festival held on Memorial Day weekend at Waterside in Norfolk, VA. This event has been in existence for 25 years and is the largest African American Festival on the east coast being attended by over 200,000 people in recent years.
Michael is also co-founder of Solomon’s Fountain, a non-profit organization with a mission to provide mentoring to the city’s youth, home ownership education, financial management, and employment consulting to the disadvantaged citizens of the community.
