Meet Our Board Members

Charlisa R. Thomas, MHSA

Founder, NiaImani CHOICES • Founder & CEO, VECRA, Inc.

Charlisa Thomas is the Founder of NiaImani CHOICES, Inc. and Founder & CEO of VECRA, Inc., a service-disabled veteran-owned, woman-owned, and minority-owned management consulting firm delivering health management consulting, program management, and technology-enabled solutions to government, nonprofit, and corporate clients.

Charlisa is an award-winning senior leader with more than 30 years of management and healthcare consulting experience, analyzing, developing, and implementing high-level solutions for government and commercial clients alike. As a former U.S. Army nurse, she has dedicated the majority of her career to serving disadvantaged and vulnerable women and children, and is a recognized leader in both the healthcare and nonprofit sectors for her vision and management skill.

Prior to founding VECRA, Inc., Charlisa served for more than seven years as Founder, President, and CEO of CRW & Associates, an award-winning, CVE-verified, service-disabled veteran-owned, woman-owned management consulting firm specializing in health management consulting, outreach and education, organizational development, and information technology, certified under the SBA 8(a), MDOT MBE/DBE, and Virginia SWaM small business programs.

Charlisa founded NiaImani CHOICES, Inc. to bring healthcare resources and, more recently, technology-driven solutions to underserved women, children, and families across Maryland and beyond — work that now includes the organization’s flagship HIV Access Network platform serving Prince George’s County and Baltimore City.

Charlisa holds a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from Central Michigan University.

Latecia Walters Lampkin, CISSP, PMP

Executive Director, NiaImani CHOICES

Latecia Walters Lampkin is the Executive Director of NiaImani CHOICES, Inc., where she leads the organization’s technology-driven approach to HIV care access, family support, and community wellness. Under her leadership, NiaImani CHOICES built and launched the HIV Access Network — a free, anonymous, privacy-first platform connecting Prince George’s County and Baltimore City residents to HIV testing, prevention, treatment, support, and Medicaid navigation, with zero data collection at every step.

Latecia leads NiaImani CHOICES with a technology-first operating model, building automated, scalable systems that allow the organization to deliver real impact to underserved communities without the overhead of a traditional nonprofit structure. Her focus spans program strategy, board development, grant and partnership development, and the day-to-day execution that has moved NiaImani CHOICES from concept to an active, operating organization serving Prince George’s County and Baltimore City, with a national scaling vision to reach the next highest HIV-burden communities.

Latecia brings over a decade of experience in technology program leadership and information security, having worked across multiple companies and roles within the Big Tech sector, holding both CISSP and PMP certifications. She is also a Certified Ethical Hacking Instructor and Master School Instructor, reflecting a career-long commitment to technical education and mentorship alongside her security leadership work.

Beyond NiaImani CHOICES, Latecia has served on the Board of Directors for Seeds of Courage (2023–2025), supporting financial assistance for survivors of domestic violence, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for G{Code} House, an organization supporting women and non-binary people of color in technology. She has also mentored first-generation college students and immigrants entering the tech sector through Streetwise Partners (2023–2024).

Lisa Askew, MBA, LSSBB

Director, Board of Directors, NiaImani CHOICES • President, VECRA, Inc.

Lisa Askew is a Director on the Board of NiaImani CHOICES, Inc. and President of VECRA, Inc., a management consulting firm delivering tailored solutions to government, nonprofit, and corporate clients.

A consummate professional with over 30 years of experience in the human resources field, Lisa brings deep expertise in leadership, business development, human capital analysis, strategic planning, staffing, government contracting, operations, and public speaking. Her business development work has supported the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, and other federal, state, and local agencies.

Prior to joining VECRA, Inc., Lisa spent 19 years in the government contracting industry, directly supporting proposals across the defense, commercial, energy, and healthcare sectors that realized more than $20 billion in awards. She previously led strategic talent initiatives at Lockheed Martin, including the HR New Business Model instituted across the corporate enterprise to accelerate the role of human resources in business development.

Lisa is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Distinguished Lockheed Martin Celebration of Excellence Award and the Hyatt Regency Bethesda Hotel Manager of the Year Award. She is Certified in Organizational Communications from Bowie State University, a Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt from Rutgers University, and a recognized Kenexa Brassring expert.

Beyond NiaImani CHOICES, Lisa serves as HR Committee Chair on the Board of Directors for the Housing and Urban Development Federal Credit Union (HUDFCU). Her volunteer experience includes Upward Bound at North Carolina State University and service as PTA Vice President at the Thomas Pullen School of Performing Arts.

Lisa holds an MBA in Global Technology Management from American InterContinental University and a BS in Business Management with a focus in Law & Public Policy from the University of Maryland University College.

David M. Simpkins, MS

Chair, Vice President Strategic Planning and Marketing, Colorblind Marketing Group

David Simpkins is the founder and president of Colorblind Marketing Group, LLC. He is a seasoned marketing executive with more than 21 years of progressive senior management and leadership experience working with national non-profit organizations, community-based health systems, public health agencies and Fortune 100 corporations. His achievements include an extensive background and expertise in strategic and business planning, branding, marketing, communications, community relations, and wellness program development.

He was worked with organizations to successfully implement broad, multi-channel strategies that build constituent relationships and drive revenue growth. Mr. Simpkins has developed full scale marketing plans for a diverse set of clients that include the Reginald F. Lewis Museum for African American Culture and History and United HealthCare. He led the development of two, highly successful, consumer-focused advertising campaigns which received the Alfred J. Knight and Aster Awards by the Society of Healthcare Strategy and Market Development.

Mr. Simpkins is a strong advocate for the elimination of health care disparities and has developed innovative coalitions of community-based organization to affect sustainable change and improve health status in communities of color. In 2011, he chaired Baltimore’s first African American Men’s health Conference with more than 20 community-based organizations and physicians. The Health Conference attracted more than 700 participants and provided health screening to more than 400 men across Baltimore. In 2007, he developed a comprehensive faith-based initiative to address heart disease disparities among minority women. Within five years, the program had expanded into a state-wide network of more than 100 churches, health providers and partnered community organizations.

Simpkins is a graduate of Towson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Health Management and a Master’s Degree from Johns Hopkins University in Management. He also received a certificate from Johns Hopkins Leadership Program for Minority Managers. He is an active member of The 100 Black Men of Greater Washington.