GRBBA Board Officers
GRBBA Board Members At-Large
Paula Howard
Program Committee Chair
David Powe
Finance & Development Committee Chair
Denise Batiste
Evelyn Holmes
Kimberly Mitchell
Van Smith
Tyrone Reaves
Audrey Alexander
Dr. dt ogilvie
Amanda Jackson-Jacobs
Marketing & Membership Committee Chair
Dr. Matthew Augustine
Dr. Matthew Augustine is a founding member of GRBBA & the Rochester Black Business Association. He is President and CEO of Biodrill Technical Solutions, Chairman of the Gamma Iota Boulé Foundation, and served over 35 years as President and CEO of Eltrex Industries. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi (Boulé) fraternities. Dr. Augustine holds degrees from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (BS), Harvard University (MBA), and St. John Fisher University (EdD). He taught Finance at St John Fisher University Executive Leadership Doctoral Program and is a Distinguished Minette Professor Emeritus at RIT. He served on the board and executive committee of the Rochester Chamber of Commerce for more than 25 years and is currently a member of the board of the New York State Business Council. He has served on many boards of directors. Among them are United Way, Urban League, YMCA, Buffalo New York Federal Reserve Bank, Rochester Downtown Development Corporation, Junior Achievement, RACF, Small Business Council, Central Trust Company, M & T Bank– Rochester Division, Rochester Community Savings Bank, Excellus, Med America Insurance Company, Workforce Investment Board, HSBC Bank-Rochester Region, Veterans Business Council and MCC Foundation. Dr. Augustine has received numerous recognition awards. Among them are the RACF Philanthropy Award, Small Business Person of the Year from the Small Business Council of Rochester, MBE Executive of the Year from UNYRMPCI, the 71st Annual Rochester Rotary Award, and induction into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame.
Clay Osborne
Clay Osborne is a founding member of GRBBA and President of True Insights Consulting, a coaching and consulting company focused on organization effectiveness and coaching executives to leverage the talents of their workforce to achieve business success. Clay served as Vice President, Human Resources, Bausch + Lomb, a global healthcare company. Prior to that he was Deputy County Executive, County of Monroe and Regional Director for the NY State Division for Youth for Western New York, leading the implementation of NY State strategy for rehabilitating persons adjudicated Juvenile Delinquent by the NYS court system. He served as Asst Professor of Social Work and Counseling at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and at the St John Fisher University School of Education Doctoral Program and is a distinguished Minett professor Emiritus at RIT. He is a member of the Sigma Pi Alpha (Boule) fraternity. He earned a BA and master’s degree from the State University of NY at Albany. He currently serves on the Monroe County Ethics Commission, ESL’s Wealth Forward Advisory board, The Parent Leadership Training Institute & the Children’s Agenda TCA Governance Committee. He also served as Board Chair of the ESL Federal Credit Union, Board Chair of the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) & as a founding member of the Rochester Area Foundation African American Giving Circle. Clay has received many recognitions including the RACF Philanthropy Award, SUNY Albany Alumni of the Year, Career Development Services & several not for profit agencies.
John Breedy, Jr.
John Breedy, Jr. was born and raised in Rochester, NY, as one of six children of John Breedy Sr. and Lauren Breedy. When he was 13, his family moved to Webster, where he grew academically and athletically. He graduated as a Black Scholar with a Regents diploma and played three years of Varsity Football. During his senior year, he was honored to be named team captain and selected for the All-Greater Rochester First Team. John began his college career at Hartwick College as a Computer Science major before transferring to the University of Rochester in the spring of 2000. At U of R, he was fortunate to be recognized as a Garnish Scholar-Athlete during his junior year—an award given to one male and one female student-athlete each academic year. In his final football season in 2003, he was named team captain, and went on to graduate in 2004 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. In 2014, John married his wonderful wife, Tesha Breedy. Together, they have built a beautiful blended family with their three sons: Jacob, John, and Emmanuel. Jacob graduated from McQuaid, John from Aquinas, and Emmanuel is currently attending McQuaid. As a family, they are active members of Faith Church on Elmwood Avenue. Outside of his professional and family life, he enjoys gardening, photography, reading, and spending quality time with loved ones. John’s garden is a passion project where he grows Black Beauty zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, and some of the hottest peppers, including Ghost Peppers and Carolina Reapers. He also loves creating memories with his family, whether through movie nights or backyard cookouts. John currently serves as a Financial Planner with New York Life and NYLife Securities, LLC. His job responsibilities range from life insurance strategies to retirement accumulation and sustenance for individuals, employees and C level employees.
Shemeka Davis
Shemeka Davis is an experienced public administration professional with a strong track record in purchasing, contract management & compliance, specializing in minority- and women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) programs. Currently serving as the Assistant Director of Purchasing for the City of Rochester, Shemeka Davis leads the daily operations of the MWBE, Compliance, and Purchasing teams, ensuring organizational effectiveness and adherence to federal, state & local regulations. With a background in urban planning, project management and public policy, Shemeka Davis has successfully managed high-level public works projects, oversaw zoning and permitting processes and improved MWBE participation in City contracts. A dedicated leader, Shemeka Davis is committed to promoting equity and fostering collaboration among stakeholders across businesses, government agencies and community organizations. Shemeka has a Bachelors in Science in Urban Planning from Alabama A & M University. Prior to working with the City of Rochester, Shemeka was the owner of a computer and electronic repair facility for over a decade. It is those entrepreneurial skills and experience that provide understanding to the constituents she serves every day. Outside of the City of Rochester, Shemeka is a small business owner providing virtual administrative & back-office services. Shemeka is active in the community as a member of Mount Vernon Baptist Church, a member of the City’s Black Heritage Committee & also volunteers for a non-profit that supports families affected by the criminal justice system. Shemeka is a mother to a nine-year-old daughter and enjoys all things nature related including gardening.
Christian Reynolds
Christian Reynolds was born and raised in NYC. He attended Cardinal Spellman High School in the Bronx & graduated as a Music major from the State University of NY, College at Cortland. Christian worked for Citigroup for nearly 15 years – his last position as the Director of Global Acquisitions for Citi International Wealth Management. He moved to Pittsford, NY in late 2020 with his wife, Eram & three daughters – Sonia (12), Zara (8) & Mila (6). Christian is currently a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones, where he helps individuals & families prepare for retirement. Christian is Series 7, 66 & 63 licensed and has a graduate-level certificate in Principals of Finance from the Harvard University Extension School.