Janell J. Lewis Ford Joins NJCAA National Office Staff

Charlotte, NC - The NJCAA is happy to announce Janell J. Lewis Ford joined the NJCAA as the new Director of Marketing and Multimedia on Monday, March 30th.

Janell has 20 years of experience in managing and overseeing top-rated newsrooms, communications, public affairs, and marketing teams, as well as working in the education field.

Janell's last position was as the Executive Director of Communications and Marketing for the City of Killeen, Texas where she was the spokesperson for the city, managing a team that oversaw the website and all digital / social media platforms, while acting as the Chief of Staff to the Mayor.

Janell has worked as a Public Affairs Officer for the U.S. Military / Government at the National Training Center and Fort Irwin, as Assistant News Director for an ABC/Fox affiliate; and a producer for Emmy-Award winning NBC and CBS news affiliates across the country.

Janell has led campaigns that raised hundreds of thousands for nonprofits and has professionally written speeches for top military commanders and political figures. Janell has interviewed the likes of Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Maya Angelou, among others and has been awarded a "Top 5 Under 40" honor from three, different organizations.

Janell has volunteered and held several positions on national and local boards, including the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the Society of Professional Journalists, the NAACP, the Urban League, Big Brothers Big Sisters, CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocates), the Garinger Education Foundation, the Young Professionals, United Way, the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA), the American Red Cross/Service to Armed Forces, Military and Civilian Spouses' Club, as well as other non-profits organizations.

Janell is a doctoral candidate pursuing a Ph.D. in Strategic Communications from Liberty University, has a master's degree from American University in Washington, D.C., and is an honors graduate of Winston-Salem State University, where she was a member of the WSSU softball and bowling teams. She has certifications from Harvard Business School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Janell is married to Maj. Gregory Ford, a 29-year veteran of the U.S. Army, and has four children, Taitana, Tiana, Gregory, Jr., and Gregroy Jaxon. She loves traveling, exploring, reading, and binge-watching various shows and series. She is also a huge Pittsburgh Steelers and San Antonio Spurs fan and is glad to be back in the city where she attended high school. Janell is ready to hit the ground running in this new position and is excited to work and learn from everyone.

Please help us in welcoming Janell to the NJCAA team!