Dr. Martin Armstrong is the Vice President of Payroll Shared Services for Charter Communications, a Fortune 100 telecommunications and mass media company with services branded as Spectrum TV, Internet, and Mobile. Charter Communications is a $54.6B cable operator with 32 million customers and over 102,000 employees in 44 states.

Dr. Armstrong is a former Vice President, Board of Advisor, and current member of the American Payroll Association (APA). Additional appointments include the APA’s National Speakers Bureau, Advisory Board Member for the Workforce Institute, Chair of the Payroll Advisory Board for Bloomberg Tax & Accounting, and Past Chair (2023) of the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC).

Professional accolades include the APA’s 2021 and 2012 Prism Award for Overall Best Practices, 2018 Shared Services Prism Award, 2010 Prism Award for Management Best Practices, 2008 Payroll Man of the Year, 2006 Special Recognition Award, and the 2002 Meritorious Service Award. He is also the author of an Institute of Management and Administration (IOMA) book entitled “Leading and Managing Payroll” and co-author of a Workforce Institute book entitled “Being Present”.

Dr. Armstrong has written for, or been covered by, the APA’s PAYTECH magazine, the Bloomberg Tax & Accounting Payroll Administration Guide, Human Resource Executive, The Paycard Advisor, Accountant’s World, The Institute of Management & Administration, Training Magazine, The Workforce Institute, Business Finance, and The Wall Street Journal.

He has given lectures and keynote presentations on Strategic Leadership, Management Practices, Employment Taxation, Effective Communication, Change Management, Emotional Intelligence, Lean Labor, Disciplined Decision-Making, Payroll Best Practices, Technology (RPA, AI, Blockchain), and Mergers & Acquisitions at national and statewide conferences, and at numerous cities around the country.

 A Chester native, Martin is a retired US Navy Officer, and holds a MBA degree from the University of Maryland University College, and a Doctorate of Business Administration (DBA) degree from Argosy University.  

Marvin Armstrong is a Vice President, Health & Wellness Product Solutions - Client Support & Enablement for Synchrony,  a Fortune 250 premier consumer financial services company.  Synchrony is the largest provider of private-label credit cards in the U.S  with over 17,000 employees. 

In his current role,  Marvin leads integration and enablement efforts for H&W Installment loan products within the CareCredit platform. Prior to his current role, he earned critical experience working in acquisition and digital marketing, leading portfolio client campaigns on the retail side of the business.  His extensive background and achievements in sales management led to him exceeding account sales and application growth, earning the coveted Annual Pacesetter designation.  He is an active member within  the Black Experiences + and Veteran's Network.

His expertise spans over 25 years across multiple functional roles to include engineering, technology, operations, agile project and program management, sales and marketing. 

Outside of his principle responsibilities, Marvin volunteers his time and resources developing  and maintaining  websites for profit and non-profit organizations.  Marvin never misses an opportunity to mentor and help others whenever and wherever he is needed.   

A Chester native, Marvin is a veteran of the United States Air Force and holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering.  He is a Certified Scrum Master and has completed the Data Science certificate program at the University of  California, Irvine.   

Derrick Billups, Sr., is the CEO of the Boys & Girls of Chester, PA.  The Boys & Girls Club of Chester is a chartered member of the national Boys & Girls Clubs of America serving school-age youth through a variety of programs including tutoring and homework assistance, technology center, teen center, career readiness & exploration, sports & recreation, gardening & nutrition, art programs, trauma-informed support groups, drug free education & training, mentoring, and leadership development. 

His professional expertise is deeply centered around community programming, budgeting, fundraising, leadership and development for Non-profit organizations.  

Derrick  has spent the past 30+ years in the insurance and financial services field working with some of the largest and most successful companies such as New York Life, Allianz Life, ING and Great American Life. He is also president of Foundation for Financial Fitness, Inc a NJ non-profit which specializes in providing college planning and financial fitness workshops and seminars. 

Prior to his current role, Derrick spent over a decade as a teacher, coach, supervisor and  Sr. Director of Community Development and Programs for the Legacy Youth Tennis and Education in Philadephia. 

He  oversaw and managed all aspects of the Community Outreach Programs including but not limited to After-school programs, Out-of-School Time, School Day Programs, Summer camps, Budgeting, Development and Marketing. 

Derrick is the author of two books;  Are You Making a Living or Making a Life and Changing Your Condition not Your Position.

A native of Philadephia,  Derrick is a graduate of Mansfield University of Pennsylvania where he earned  a Bachelor of Science degree in Education. He is married  with 3 adult children. 

Dr. Robert Chambers, Jr., serves as the Director of Audit Readiness and Risk for the U.S. Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Government Contracting Services. In this role, he leads the evaluation of organizational vulnerabilities by integrating internal control assessments with continuous risk evaluations and thorough audit preparedness activities. These efforts focus on identifying, mitigating, and eliminating vulnerabilities to maintain operational excellence. Prior to this, Robert dedicated over 24 years to managing sensitive compliance, financial, and performance audits across various government entities including the U.S. Army Contracting Command, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development—Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Army Audit Agency.

Beyond his professional duties, Robert is deeply committed to community service. He has led initiatives such as feeding the homeless, Toys for Tots, college scholarships, clothing drives, and adopt-a-family programs, impacting over 1,500 people each year in the Greater Wilmington, Delaware area. Additionally, he has provided tutoring services for the State of Maryland’s Freestate Mentoring/Tutoring program, aiding at-risk young men aged 16-18 in acquiring their GED.

Robert also holds a Doctor of Business Administration from Temple University, where he researched the impact of voluntary board risk committees within nonfinancial firms. He also obtained a Master of Science in Administration from Central Michigan University and holds two bachelor's degrees—one in Accounting from Cheyney University and another in Management from Lincoln University, both of which, are from the nation’s oldest HBCUs. Additionally, Robert is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE).

Terri Coleman is the Assistant District Manager for one of the largest independent agencies of the federal government. During an illustrious 28-year career, Terri has held roles with increasing responsibilities to include Claims Representative, Operations Manager, and acting District Manager. 

Known for her focus and motivation, Terri is an accomplished, analytical practitioner with a solid history of streamlining processes and maximizing results through strategic planning, interpersonal skills, and effective operations management. 

Outside of her professional endeavors, Terri has an unwavering commitment to her faith and community, and is an active member, trustee, and minister for Bethel Pentecostal Church. Her passion for helping others was ignited early on through volunteering and working closely with her grandmother at The Mission of Care. Under the tutelage of the late Rev. Dr. Margaret L. Wortham, Terri fostered a deep love for servant leadership and for the underserved Chester community.

Terri is the second of nine siblings to Overseer Rev. Dr. Catherine Jacobs and the late Stanley Jacobs Sr. She holds a Business Administration degree from Cheyney University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in Global Management from the University of Phoenix.

A proud native of Chester and avid classic cars enthusiast, Terri's personal life is enriched by her marriage to Elder Paul Coleman of 19 years, with whom she shares four amazing children. Together, they navigate the joys of family life while remaining actively engaged in their community and church.

Bertram L. Lawson II serves as the President & CEO of the YMCA of Greater Brandywine (YGBW), impacting more than 50,000 residents of Chester County through services offered at nine branches and program centers. Prior to joining YGBW in July 2023, Bertram served as the President & CEO of the YMCA of Central New York – and has been devoted to the YMCA mission for nearly 25 years.

Bertram has served in leadership positions with the YMCA of Central Maryland, as well as the YMCA of Greater Philadelphia where he streamlined operations and improved member and staff experience through his visionary leadership, operational excellence, fiscal responsibility and philanthropic expertise – combined with his passion for education; youth development; diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and community service.

Bertram’s passion for education and youth development extends beyond his career with the YMCA as he served as the Chief Operating Officer for Mastery Charter Schools Network. In this role, he led all aspects of school operations – financial planning, facilities, real estate, athletics, extra-curricular programming, health and safety, food service and enrollment – for twenty-four campuses across Philadelphia, PA and Camden, NJ.

Bertram serves on numerous boards including Community Rec Magazine-National Advisory Board, Core Health & Fitness-National Advisory Board, YMCA of the USA-National Membership Standards Advisory Committee and Lincoln University (PA) Board of Trustees. Bertram is the Immediate Past National Chair for YMCA of the USA’s African American Employee Resource Network (AARN) and is an active member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University (PA) and is currently working towards an MBA from Wilmington University. Bertram holds multiple Y-USA certifications, including Organizational Leader. Bertram is a graduate of Y-USA’s Multicultural Executive Development Institute, C-Suite Next Level Coaching Program and CEO Institute.

Bertram is the proud father of four and husband to Melissa.

Ieasa A. Nichols, a Chester native, has dedicated over 25 years to youth development, public health, and public policy administration. Formerly serving as the Public Health Commissioner for the city of Chester, Ieasa led the Chester Youth Council for over 8 years. She has spearheaded the design, implementation, and evaluation of numerous social interventions and public health campaigns aimed at combating juvenile crime and delinquency, enhancing social determinants of health, expanding community access to human and mental health services, and mitigating the long-term impacts of poverty among disenfranchised urban populations.

As a grant writer and policymaker, she leverages resources and shapes local legislation to enhance the quality of life for those she serves. Ieasa is a graduate of Lincoln University, where she earned her Masters of Human Services degree after studying Child Psychology at Delaware County Community College. Additionally, she is a distinguished graduate fellow of the National Association of County and City Health Officials and holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from LaSalle University School of Business.

With a rich history of service, Ieasa has served as a former School Board Director for both the Chester Upland School District and the Widener Partnership Charter School. Currently, she holds board membership with DELCORA, where she chairs the Human Resource and Administration Committee.

Outside her professional endeavors, Ieasa takes pride in her roles as a mother and grandmother. She is also an active member of Faith Tabernacle Church, where she leads the Seeds of Faith Youth Praise Dance Team.

On May 15, 2024, Ieasa was recognized with a Community Appreciation Award at the 3rd Annual Chester Day, honoring Chester's Hometown Heroes.