Johnette Ruffner-Ceaser serves as the NAACP's National Director of Policy Training. In this role, Mrs. Ceaser is responsible for increasing the NAACP's advocacy capacity by ensuring effective and efficient training, and information sharing of NAACP units and constituents in Education, Health, Economic Empowerment, Criminal Justice, Civic Engagement and International Affairs.
Prior to being promoted to National Director of Policy Training, Mrs. Ceaser served as the NAACP National Assistant Director of Education for four years. In this role, Mrs. Ceaser assisted in leading the NAACP National Education Advocacy Agenda, which focuses on closing the achievement gap by ensuring resource equity, increasing parental involvement, improving teacher quality, and building state and local collaborative networks. Mrs. Ceaser also provided direct assistance and conducted research to assist NAACP local, state, college and youth units, in their efforts to address these pertinent educational issues.
Before her appointment as the National Assistant Director of Education, Mrs. Ceaser served as the NAACP National Coordinator for the Reginald F. Lewis Youth Entrepreneurial Institute (YEI). YEI, named after Reginald F. Lewis, who created a billion-dollar empire as chairman of TLC Beatrice International Holdings, Inc., is a program designed to prepare youth for economic success by teaching basic business fundamentals through entrepreneurship. Under Mrs. Ceaser's leadership, the number of YEI program sites expanded. Over one hundred youth graduated from the program during her two year tenure. As a result, many of the YEI graduates have started businesses, they have gone to college to major in Business and have been offered excellent employment opportunities. Because of Mrs. Ceaser's success with the program, her passion for youth, and her ability to promote YEI, she was summoned by Black Enterprise Magazine to publish a quarterly column entitled, "Seven Steps To Starting Your Own Business" which outlines the steps to becoming a youth entrepreneur.
Mrs. Ceaser possesses a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a Master of Arts in Telecommunications from George Mason University. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in Education Policy and Leadership at the University of Maryland College Park.
NAACP National Headquarters
4805 Mt. Hope Drive
Baltimore MD 21215
Toll Free:
(877) NAACP-98
Local:
(410) 580-5777
© 2008 NAACP
All Rights Reserved