Greg has been the lead facilitator of the African American Response Circle Fund (the AARC Fund), established by the Brotherhood of Elders Network in partnership with the East Bay Community Foundation. The AARC Fund was created as a response to the public health and economic crisis due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on African Americans of Alameda County, a community that was among those hit the hardest during the pandemic. So far, the fund has raised over $1.1 million for local non-profit organizations that serve African American communities.

For the past six years, Greg has been the Chief Network Officer of the Brotherhood of Elders Network, an intergenerational network of African American men who are leveraging resources and relationships in the Black community to foster environments where Black boys and young men of Oakland are empowered to flourish.

A drummer, musician and active member of the local arts and culture community, Greg is a founding member-musician for the Bantaba Dance Ensemble. He has performed opening ceremonies for countless community events, and performed in community festivals like Festival at the Lake, The Africans Are Coming, and the SF Ethnic Dance Festival.

As a healing practitioner, Greg served as a lead minister at the Wo’se Community for 23 years. He has been a circle keeper for The California Endowment’s Sons and Brothers Camps, led Movement Warrior retreats with youth and adults, been a counselor and advisor to community members seeking comfort through baby naming ceremonies, hospital end of life care, and memorial services.

Greg was born and raised in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. His parents were both career educators in the public schools of their town. His mothertaught reading before becoming an elementary school principal. His father taught music and choir. They were members of the vibrant HBCU community at Arkansas AM&N, now the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, during the 1950s through the 1980s. Like most of their generation, they believed in hard work, perseverance, and integrity and they modeled this for Greg and his two siblings every day. Greg attended segregated public schools up until sixth grade, when segregation ended. He holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Northwestern University, and a J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law. Known around The Town by many as “Baba Greg,” Greg has been living in Oakland for the past 40 years, and in West Oakland since 1992.

Greg is the parent of five amazing children, all of whom are either public school graduates of Oakland Unified or still enrolled in an Oakland public school. He is also a proud new grandparent. He enjoys drumming, talking to people, scuba diving and reading great books.

Greg’s leadership roles span four decades and include: