Tommie L Smith
Founder
Born on August 7, 1971, in Lancaster, California, his early life was shaped by rejection from his maternal mother and the unwavering love of his grandparents, who raised him. Their support, guidance, and discipline became the foundation of his resilience, helping him navigate a childhood marked by instability and a longing for parental connection.
He found purpose and confidence through sports, playing baseball, basketball, track, and football. Backed by his grandparents’ constant encouragement, he excelled—eventually becoming Southern California State Player of the Year and earning a college football scholarship. Despite his success, the absence of consistent support from his mother remained a defining challenge.
After his time in the NFL and CFL, he returned to his community as a paraeducator and coach, determined to give back. Seeing the growing financial barriers in youth sports, he was inspired to create the Tommie L Smith Foundation, focused on providing mentorship, support, and opportunities for young athletes to succeed both on and off the field.
LaTreshia Scott
President
LaTreshia R. Scott, MHA serves as President of the Board of Directors, bringing over a decade of experience in research administration, regulatory compliance, and organizational leadership across higher education, healthcare, and nonprofit environments.
LaTreshia holds a Master of Healthcare Administration and dual bachelor’s degrees in biology and psychology. Her professional background includes senior roles at leading institutions such as Emory University, California State University, Los Angeles, UCLA, and UCSF, where she has overseen complex grant portfolios, ensured federal compliance for human and animal subjects research, and supported mission-driven initiatives that advance education, health equity, and scientific discovery.
In her role as Board President, LaTreshia provides strategic leadership grounded in integrity, transparency, and service. She is deeply committed to ethical stewardship, sound governance, and advancing organizational missions that create meaningful and sustainable community impact. Her leadership style emphasizes collaboration, data-informed decision-making, and empowering boards to operate with clarity, purpose, and effectiveness.
Kim W Gaines
Secretary and V.P.
Kim W. Gaines holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering and is a U.S. military veteran. With nearly a decade of experience as an electrical project engineer in the pulp and paper industry, Kim specialized in automation and process control systems. Currently serving as Department Head of Electrical & Computer Engineering Technology, Kim brings over 23 years of expertise in education and engineering. She is also a dedicated community leader with decades of service in education, the arts, and healthcare.
Jim Larson
Treasurer
Jim Larson was born and raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and later spent 12 years in Lakewood, Colorado. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering from DeVry Institute of Technology in Phoenix, Arizona.
Following graduation, he began a distinguished 39-year career with General Electric Healthcare, serving as a Diagnostic Imaging Field Service Engineer across Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. Throughout his career, he built a reputation for technical excellence, precision, accountability, and dependable service—qualities that translate strongly into financial stewardship and organizational responsibility.
After retiring in 2021, he relocated to Ludington, Michigan in 2024, where he is now dedicating his time and experience to community impact and service. Although the demands of his professional career limited his ability to participate in extracurricular and community activities previously, he is now enthusiastic about contributing his skills, integrity, and disciplined approach to support the mission and financial health of the foundation.
As Treasurer, he brings a strong foundation in systems thinking, attention to detail, long-term accountability, and trusted oversight, helping ensure responsible financial management and sustainability for the organization.
Maurice D Talley
Board Member
Maurice D. Talley is a US Army retired Non-commission Officer, former Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department corrections officer now serving as a Government Contractor with sixteen years of experience working alongside the program management team of a Fortune 1000 company.
Maurice specializes in US and Foreign Allies training aids, devices, simulators and simulations, military training analyst, range operations specialist, and small arms weapons instructor. In addition, he is responsible for three sub-contracting company representatives and their employees on maintaining the US Army Capability Program Executive Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (CPE STRI) statement of work agreement.
Maurice is a powerful force in the workplace and uses his expertise, positive attitude, and interpersonal communications skills to encourage others to work hard and succeed. Maurice is inspired daily from his years of military service and by his wife, three sons, and four grandchildren. In his free time, Maurice likes to read, mentor the youth, and participate in his fraternity initiatives with the community.
