Advisory Board
LaKesha “onyx” hicks
LaKesha “Onyx” Hicks is serial entrepreneur and the visionary, founder and CEO of Belissima Love Inc., a natural skin care company and Vital Ventures Partners, a Real Estate Investment company. Onyx served on the ASTS Board of Directors from 2019-2022 and currently serves as an Advisory Board Member. She also serves as the Vice-President of Icon Music Group, an independent record label. LaKesha is not only a motivational, inspirational and instructional speaker, she is also a media personality and the co-creator and co-host of, Unapologetically Black, a Podcast that delivers information, news and updates from the perspective of the culture. As a social activist, advocate and strategist, LaKesha has served in the capacity of campaign manager, strategist and consultant on several campaigns. She is not only the Vice President of the Portsmouth Chapter of the NAACP, she also serves on the Board of Directors for United for Haiti and volunteers for with multiple community-based organizations, like the Abu Unity Foundation: A Youth, Teen and Young Adult focused community outreach organization. LaKesha believes that every woman should be the kind of woman that surrounds themselves with the kind of women that make them want to step their game up.
lt. rodger h. ollis, jr.
Lt. Rodger H. Ollis, Jr. is a graduate of West Chester University with bachelor and master degrees in criminal justice. He is also a graduate of the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Academy. Rodger served on the ASTS Board of Directors from 2019-2022 and currently serves as an Advisory Board Member. Rodger has been serving in the City of Coatesville Police Department since 2009 and began as a member of the patrol division. He was asked to build a community policing program with positive impact. Rodger worked to establish impactful relationships between community members, organizations, businesses and the police department. Rodger has partnered and collaborated with a variety of individuals, coalitions and organizations. Rodger currently sits on the Governance Board for Chester County Decade to Doorways with the goal of ending chronic homelessness and the Board of Directors for the Domestic Violence Center of Chester County and serves as the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) law enforcement trainer for the organization. Rodger can also be seen volunteering as a coach and mentor for the Coatesville Area athletics, soup kitchens and fundraising events, such as the annual Strawberry Festival. He lives in the Coatesville area with his wonderful wife, Michele, and their four fabulous children.
leslie weygandt barnes
Leslie Weygandt Barnes has worked as Co-General Counsel for the Indiana Election Division and has helped guide candidates, nonprofits, and local election officials through more than 30 election cycles. Leslie served on the ASTS Board of Directors from 2019-2022 and currently serves as an Advisory Board Member. She has served as a resource for judges and lawmakers, often testifying as a subject matter expert on election law and policy. Leslie has worked as a civil rights attorney and helps nonprofits shape policy, engage voters, and improve the lives of the communities they serve. A graduate of Purdue and Indiana Universities, she is new to the D.C. area and welcomes recommendations for restaurants, theaters, or inside tips for the museums.