Communications Director

Edmond Davis is a 21st century assistant professor, research director and public speaker. Davis advocates for quality education, cultural competence and improved social & emotional IQ for adolescents and young adults (AYA), in particular Black males. Davis changed the dynamics of civil responsibility with law enforcement officers, and social emotional concerns with Black males with the ‘RESPOND-I-BILITY’ resource.

In 2003, Davis earned his Bachelor of Arts in History at Grambling State University (GSU). In 2003, Davis graduated with a Master of Arts in History from Louisiana Technical University (Cum Laude). For nearly 20 years, Davis has taught history and other social sciences courses at Arkansas Baptist College (ABC), University of Arkansas at Little Rock, the University of Arkansas at Pulaski Tech and the University of Phoenix.

Davis is a public and motivational speaker on topics ranging from social justice, Black fratricides, the Tuskegee Airmen, women’s history, law enforcement history and more. Some of his writing have appeared in various media publications nationally.

In a civilian capacity, and with research presentations, Davis has supplemented the minds of military cadets via the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) for the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Army.

As a speaker Davis has reached thousands from state events and at universities, colleges and high schools. He has been featured on Victory Radio 100.9 FM, KABF FM Radio 88.3, Joy net Radio LIBRADIO Network KLEK-LP Currently, Davis is featured on ‘THE FISH’ Christian Radio 93.3.

In 2007-2013, Davis served as the national vice-chairman of the History Committee for Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship Incorporated. In 2007, Davis became a historical contributor to the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame. In 2009, Edmond was appointed Humanities Scholar for the Arkansas Black History Quiz Bowl. In 2014, Davis was selected as an honorary vice-commander of the 314TH Airlift Wing at the Little Rock Air Force Base.

In 2014, Davis and his wife Monica started Aviate Through Knowledge Incorporated’ (ATK, Inc.), a 501 c 3 tax-exempt nonprofit educational entity. ATK is responsible for the ‘Night of Prolific Leaders’ Series that honors community investors locally & nationally.

In 2015, Davis became a facilitator to the Arkansas Education Association (AEA) Professional Development Days. In 2016, Davis was voted as the vice-chair of the Arkansas Baptist College Faculty Senate. Davis authored “Pioneering African American Aviators Featuring the Tuskegee Airmen of Arkansas in 2012, and co-edited “The White Golden Bull” by Chet Grimsley in 2009. In 2018, Davis wrote the foreword to “A Better Me: Taking the Mask Off” by Dr. Shonda Brown-Woods and authored “21st Century African American History Makers: A Millennial Look 2000-2022,” which is slated to be released in late 2022.

In 2019, Davis played a role on the NBC Primetime TV miniseries “Bluff City Law” as a Shelby County Courthouse Deputy. (Click here for a clip.) In 2020, Davis became the director of the Derek Olivier Research Institute (DORI) for the Prevention of Gun Violence. In March 2021, Davis became host/producer of the newest HBCU radio show in the U.S. named “Keeping it Real with DORI” on ABC’s Buffalo Radio every Thursday at 6 p.m. (Click here.) This one-hour radio program is America’s first weekly internet radio broadcast designed to address Black male homicides as the basis for the show as the number 1 killer of Black males ages 1 to 44.

Davis enjoys spending time with his wife, Monica, and serving as deacon at Bountiful Blessings World Fellowship (BBWF) in Little Rock. They have one son named Kalon, who is a graduate of Arkansas Baptist College.

MEET THE SPEAKER: John I. “Don” Kaminar is Arkansas’s compact commissioner for the Military Interstate Children’s Commission and chair of the Arkansas State Council. A member of the commission’s executive, he has previously chaired the rules committee and the training committee. At the 2018 Annual Business Meeting, he was elected to a one-year term as the commission’s national chair. HE was re-elected to two additional terms in 2019 and 2020.

Kaminar served as a teacher and administrator in Arkansas schools for 15 years before joining the Arkansas Department of Education as a curriculum specialist. In his current role as military and veterans’ liaison, he assists with resolving education issues for military families and veterans. He also oversees the department’s emergency preparedness program.

Kaminar began his military service in 1983 upon graduation from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in foreign languages and a commission as a second lieutenant of infantry in the Regular Army. After achieving qualification as a paratrooper and Ranger, he served an initial assignment in Germany, followed by six years with the 101st Airborne Division. He left the Regular Army in 1993 to become an educator, but continued to serve for the next 20 years in the Army Reserve. His reserve assignments included units in North Little Rock, Arkadelphia and Oklahoma City. He last served as state emergency preparedness liaison officer for Arkansas before retiring from the Army in 2013 with the rank of colonel.

During his 30 years in uniform, Kaminar has served with the international peacekeeping mission on the Egyptian-Israeli border and in combat in the Persian Gulf War and the War in Afghanistan. He has commanded units at company, battalion and brigade levels and had served on the general staffs of the 90th Regional Readiness Command, the 95th Division and the 101st Airborne Division. He holds a Master of Education degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and is a graduate of the Army’s Command and General Staff College and the Air Force’s Air Command and Staff College. His military decorations include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal, the Air Force Achievement Medal, the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Arkansas Exceptional Service Medal, as well as awards from Denmark, Germany, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and NATO.

The son, son-in-law and father of combat veterans, Kaminar resides in Maumelle with his wife, Toni.

MEET THE SPEAKER: Terri Williams serves as the Child and Youth Education Services (CYES) School Liaison Program Manager with the 19th Force Support Squadron (19FSS) at Little Rock Air Force Base. She has served at the base since 2002 in the Child and Youth Programs supporting the military families as well as the surrounding community. Having personal experience understanding the military lifestyle, Williams has firsthand knowledge as she was a raised a military child turning military spouse and a mom, raising two very resilient military children while balancing the challenges each role brings.

Understanding the unique needs of the military child led Williams to earn her degree in Early Childhood Education focusing on providing care to military families and community support. After leaving active duty and arriving back in the Little Rock area, she embarked upon her career position with the LRAFB. Williams began serving the families by working with Child and Youth Programs within the Family Childcare office, the Child Development Center, and then the Youth Program, prior to her current position. Serving, educating and becoming a resource to military families has been her passion. In her current position, she fosters that passion by ensuring parents and scholars arrive at their new duty station with a smooth transition into their school district and their time here at Little Rock.

Williams has been focused on promoting partnerships within the base, local communities and families. Her work includes educating families on their resources, working with fostering the communities on military partnerships as well as the base on striving to provide the absolute best for families. While accomplishing these goals, Williams serves as the point of contact for numerous community and base events, along with organizations such as Operation Homefront. She has also been selected to serve on the Arkansas State Council of the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission. She also serves as resiliency instructor and a suicide/sexual assault prevention instructor for the base population. Williams also serves as an advisor for the Patient Family Partnership Council for the Medical Group at the base clinic. Due to her commitment to families, she has been selected as 19 FSS Civilian of the Quarter in 2013, 19 FSS Civilian of the Year in 2013 and Air Force A1 Civilian Program Manager of the Year – Installation Level in 2018.

Along with enjoying being back home and being close to her family, Williams enjoys her time outdoors either kayaking, spending time with grandkids at a park or just enjoying the beauty of Arkansas.