Yetunde Oyewole

Head Strong | Presenting the winning model (Danielle Oyewole) and designer (Kathleen Balbona) the 2018 Jacksonville Magazine Fashion Project

Yetunde Oyewole, COMTO member and JTA employee, recalls when her daughter, Danielle was born:

Twenty five years ago Danielle was born right in the middle of the day at St. Vincent’s Hospital. At the same time of my delivery, her Godmother, Elsie Shofolu (JTA Bus Operator) was hired at JTA and now one of many passengers on JTA Buses! Who would have thought? Yetunde states that as a child, Danielle has always been fashion conscious so it was no surprise to witness her daughter’s most recent accomplishment as the 2018 JAX Magazine Fashion project.

Growing up in a family with three kids, Danielle was quite adventurous, and the one you would be concerned about if the house was too quiet. You may find her somewhere in the corner dressing up, styling her hair or coloring the wall with paint or hair grease. It took me a long time to finally realize that it was her creative talent that was at work.

Danielle made it known to her Dad and I early in life that she was interested in being a model, which we were not objected to at the time, other than we felt she was too young. However, as time went on we came to realize that we needed to support her in this endeavor as much as possible. She was the kid in the grocery basket you would see waving and smiling at everyone! She never met a stranger, which explains why she had a lot of friends growing. This attribute played an interesting role in many of her activities, such as cheerleading, dance and gymnastics to name a few.

I call her my “out of the box” child because she pushes the boundaries, she’s highly talented, strong and determined. I believe the sky is the limit for her modeling career!

Danielle inspires to one day have her own modeling company. Therefore, as a COMTO member, I frequently share information I have received in our meetings with Danielle about opportunities and benefits of networking through the organization, to help her learn what it takes for a minority to start and run a business. Currently, Danielle is seeking advice from small businesses in Jacksonville, Florida and I am thrilled that she has started the process of joining me as a COMTO Jacksonville member.

Please visit the link below to read more about the 2018 Jax Magazine Fashion Project Winning Model: Danielle Oyewole

http://www.jacksonvillemag.com/2018/11/14/fashion-project-2018-winners/

(From left to right: Sherman Rothwell, Emma Gray, Sherri Barr, Chris Macklin, Edrena Bell, Ida O. Blaylock, Robert “Bob” Prince, Jr.)

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (December 14, 2018) – For the sixth consecutive year, members of the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) Jacksonville Chapter facilitated a community outreach effort to support the local senior community.

Members boarded a Jacksonville Transportation Authority (JTA) trolley to deliver holiday gifts to the residents of Peterson’s Assisted Living facility in Springfield. The gifts largely consisted of basic need items like warm clothing and personal care products. Peterson provides full support and housing to low-income senior citizens. Community champion, Mrs. Mary Peterson, has been providing these resources in the greater Jacksonville community for 47 years.

On November 14, 2018, Bank of America Business Consultant, Krystle Cobb shared vital information about business strategies, cash flow, planning and problem solving during our monthly COMTO meeting.  Cobb also highlighted Bank of America’s partnership with AlphaCode Incubate.  This partnership provides services to help create and grow young businesses by affording financial, technical, legal and marketing support/expertise.

All information given by Cobb was well received by the COMTO Jacksonville members.

The November 2016 general meeting featured Greg Gutkowski,  President, Digital Strategies Training, Corp. He has over 20 years of multidisciplinary business experience spanning marketing, sales, and IT management as well as Internet software development, advanced data analytics, and journalism.

The presentation highlighted the fact that social media is used to drive business by most successful professionals and included tips on  social selling strategies, tactics, and tools that can help grow your business if used properly.

Vincent G. Sams, Employment Placement Manager for Year Up – Jacksonville gives a presentation at the October 19th membership meeting.  Year Up is a job readiness program that empowers low-income young adults ages 18-24 to go from poverty to professional careers in a single year.  Young adults graduate ready to launch a meaningful career and contribute to our economy and community. http://www.yearup.org

Corporate partners are needed. Please contact Vincent G. Sams to learn more about how you can help make a difference. [email protected] O: 904-632-3012 C: 904-570-8165

As follow up, on November 2nd, COMTO Jacksonville members Aisha Eccleston and Edrena Bell participated in mock interview sessions with program participants.

After the event Vincent Sams said, “On behalf of Year Up, I wanted to extend a warm thank you for participating in our intern mock interview session.  Thank you again for paying it forward, providing young adults a pathway to success. ”