Officers:
- Founder: George E. Harris, Jr. earned his MPA at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public Affairs, Princeton University. His doctoral dissertation, “Large-Scale Landowners, Local Government, and Rural Development in the Southern Black Belt: A Policy Analysis”, generated his passion to implement a social entrepreneurship plan for fresh produce markets.Before founding CFFD, he worked in economic development at the Southern Regional Council, Inc. and as Associate Professor of Social Work at the Atlanta University.
- CEO/Secretary: Ariel E. W. Harris was elected CEO in June 2014 after her husband's untimely death. She has worked with him in every phase of CFFD's work and has a thorough knowledge and experience in developing the CFFD, Inc. vision. Mrs. Harris earned a B.S. degree in Vocational Home Economics, to provide a strong background in food and nutrition with government sector experience through employment as a US Department of Agriculture Extension Home Agent for Auburn University in rural Alabama. Ariel is a committed non-profit entrepreneur, growing a DeKalb County government sponsored arts organization from a $30,000 a year storefront operation into a cultural facility with a $500,000 annual budget. Ariel also does grant preparation,editing and proposal development for non-profits, specializing in design of arts and at-risk youth proposals.
- Treasurer: Oji Onwudegu, President, The Acme Group, LLC. is President of The Acme Group, LLC, ian architectural firm, and has designed a two-story 52,000 sq. ft. vegetable packing/shipping/retail facility for the BBJR. The Acme Group has designed and constructed 64 church complexes in the Metro Atlanta Area, over the past 22 years. Moreover, Oji has led discussion of trade with farmers in Delta State Nigeria and other West African countries.
- Krista Harris Cheatham, George Harris’s daughter, provides legal business perspective for CFFD. Krista was appointed to the US Naval Academy by Senator Sam Nunn in 1985 and pursued a military career through Naval Post Graduate School at Monterrey, CA then to achieve the rank of Lt. Commander in 1997. Krista merged military engineering with business policy interests at Georgetown University Law School in 2001, leading to her current space law practice with Pillsbury Law, LLC in Washington, DC. While a Georgetown student, Krista prepared a business law analysis to structure the CFFD business model. Moreover, Krista and Tom Watson Brown, attorney-at-law and CFFD counsel until his recent death were the “yin/yang” past/future legal guides to this CFFD business possibility.
- Bob Greer: It is by his mentorship that CFFD, Inc. earned the support of Bob Greer, (retired) President Arista Billing Systems, Inc. Mr. Greer was 2006 Republican Candidate for Georgia Agriculture Commissioner. His campaign adopted the BBJR mission for Black Belt Georgia in 2006. Bob Greer has a family farming background with diverse business experiences in the printing industry.
- Godwin Onohwosa: is owner of Select Seafood, which has created healthy fish burgers and other products for entry into Georgia school lunch and other markets. He is an international businessman with extensive contacts in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
- O’Daniel Outlaw earned his B.A. degree in Accounting from Lane College to anchor a 30 year career as owner of O’Daniel Outlaw Accounting, Inc. in Conyers, Georgia. He is our “Deacon”, securing every taxable exchange in CFFD accounts, since our inception in 1986.
- Glenwood Hill, Agriculture Economist, Fort Valley State University/Extension, (retired) is an agriculture consulting service to farmers. He is BBJR consultant for US Department of Agriculture research resources for product development and to meet regulatory standards, then to integrate these with known production platforms of Pigford Qualified farmers. His continuing affiliation with Fort Valley State University and the University of Georgia Extension service give him current, on the ground knowledge and experience to undergird BBJR product quality control.
- Joe Morris: President JMMA Group, has a Bachelor of Science, Architectural Engineering at Tennessee State University. He is a highly skilled business development specialist with over 30 years experience in management and development of small businesses and major construction projects. He has previously consulted with the South DeKalb Church Federal Credit Union, Winsonic Digital Media Group, Ltd. and Greenforest/McCalep Christian Academy Center as well as R.L. Brown Architectural Firm.