• SIMPLY CJ

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CJ’s a simple lady who loves the Lord and her big family.  She raised an amazing son and is blessed to be a grandmother.  Her life has been no stranger to adversity, but she has overcome it all through the power of prayer!  CJ’s a breast cancer survivor of 14+ years, became a widow after 29+ years of marriage, and survived the devastation of the 2019 Ohio Memorial Day Tornadoes.  She graduated Cum Laude from Park College with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Management.  Prior to retirement, she worked for the federal government for over 33 years and received 33 performance awards and 6 bronze medals for her work as a contracting officer, environmental management specialist, etc.  She’s an inspirational speaker, having given presentations on domestic violence for the 100 Black Men of Greater Washington D.C. and for the federal government’s special emphasis programs such as Black History Program and Women’s Day Program.  Her love of storytelling is evident in her three published novels; Stop the Music, Straw Dreams, and Every Twenty-Four Hours.  Supported by Partners Book Distribution, Inc., she conducted book signings nationally with Walden Books for Stop the Music.  Just when CJ thought God had filled her cup, he gifted her with the love of stage plays.  In 2014, with the Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative she hosted her first staged reading of Family Healing to a sold-out audience at the Cincinnati Aronoff Center for the Arts.  In 2015, she produced her first full production of her play, Home, in Dayton, Ohio.  In 2017, she produced Home for a second time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 2019, she brought Family Healing back to the stage in full production at the Dayton Convention Center, in Dayton, Ohio, where the play received raved testimonials from attendees.  Family Healing was headed to Atlanta, Georgia in August 2020, with headliners such as Bishop Marvin Sapp and Carl Anthony Payne II lending their talents to the production.  Unfortunately, it had to be cancelled due to circumstances beyond the company’s control.

God has been seeding CJ in her purpose from an early age.  In preschool she beat out all the competition for the role of baby bear in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where she received a standing ovation for the vigor in which she delivered the line, “it’s all gone,” referring to the scrumptiously delicious bowl of porridge.  Today, CJ just loves being a playwright and producer and watching talented actors bring her words to life.  She also loves exploring her poetic roots, writing and reciting her inspirational poetry.  She has an appreciation for great poets, and in 2022 recited poetry written by Paul Laurence Dunbar at Dayton’s Victoria Theater.  The event was honoring his life’s work and was hosted by the National Park Service.

She’s incredibly thankful to her mentor, Mrs. Sonia Jackson Myles creator of the DreamWalking Course and the Sister Accord LLC.  CJ is a DreamWalker, and she continues to walk in her purpose of encouraging others to live life to the fullest!

CJ’s a simple lady who loves the Lord and her big family.  She raised an amazing son and is blessed to be a grandmother.  Her life has been no stranger to adversity, but she has overcome it all through the power of prayer!  CJ’s a breast cancer survivor of 14+ years, became a widow after 29+ years of marriage, and survived the devastation of the 2019 Ohio Memorial Day Tornadoes.  She graduated Cum Laude from Park College with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Management.  Prior to retirement, she worked for the federal government for over 33 years and received 33 performance awards and 6 bronze medals for her work as a contracting officer, environmental management specialist, etc.  She’s an inspirational speaker, having given presentations on domestic violence for the 100 Black Men of Greater Washington D.C. and for the federal government’s special emphasis programs such as Black History Program and Women’s Day Program.  Her love of storytelling is evident in her three published novels; Stop the Music, Straw Dreams, and Every Twenty-Four Hours.  Supported by Partners Book Distribution, Inc., she conducted book signings nationally with Walden Books for Stop the Music.  Just when CJ thought God had filled her cup, he gifted her with the love of stage plays.  In 2014, with the Cincinnati Playwrights Initiative she hosted her first staged reading of Family Healing to a sold-out audience at the Cincinnati Aronoff Center for the Arts.  In 2015, she produced her first full production of her play, Home, in Dayton, Ohio.  In 2017, she produced Home for a second time in Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 2019, she brought Family Healing back to the stage in full production at the Dayton Convention Center, in Dayton, Ohio, where the play received raved testimonials from attendees.  Family Healing is now headed to Atlanta, Georgia in August 2020, with headliners such as Bishop Marvin Sapp and Carl Anthony Payne II lending their talents to the production.

God was seeding CJ in her purpose from an early age.  In preschool she beat out all the competition for the role of baby bear in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, where she received a standing ovation for the vigor in which she delivered the line, “it’s all gone,” referring to the scrumptiously delicious bowl of porridge.  Today, CJ just loves being a playwright and producer and watching talented actors bring her words to life.

She’s incredibly thankful to her mentor, Mrs. Sonia Jackson Myles creator of the DreamWalking Course and the Sister Accord LLC.  CJ is a DreamWalker, and she has been walking in her purpose for many years!