Last Year's Parade Ambassadors

Mario Berlanga

Berlanga was born and raised in the Historic Westside and purchased what was then Jimmy’s Westside Market in 1999.

Now, after more than two decades of successfully running Mario’s Westside Market, the newly expanded storefront will make way for the market to offer three times the products it previously could.

“Don’t let someone tell you you can’t accomplish something just because of where you were born and raised, you can do anything you want to do,” Berlanga said.

Rodriguez, Ambar. "Mario's Westside Market expansion opens on the Historic Westside." News3lv, 18 Oct. 2023, news3lv.com/news/local/marios-westside-market-expansion-opens-on-the-historic-westside

Edward Scott

Edward Scott is a graduate of Tensas Rosenwald High School in Saint Joseph, Louisiana. He also attended Straight Business School in New Orleans for two years, majoring in accounting. Edward is a veteran of the Armed Forces, having served in Vietnam, and he now resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

 

Dr. Alice F.

Professional Consultant 

Dr. Alice F. Coner-Edwards and Associates [June 1988 – Present] USA 

Advise individuals and groups in areas of effective staffing patterns, development of winning proposals, program development for psychosocial services, development of social work internships and effective use of students in agency settings, assist in designing curriculum content and use of theoretical models in teaching and in practice, oversee the practice of beginning level social work associates and provide consultation for professional social work practice 

Independent Business Owner [June 2009 – present] 

ALICE’S AFFORDABLE FASHION JEWELRY BY TLFJ 

EXQUISITELY DESIGNED FASHION JEWELRY OF THE FINEST AUSTRIAN CRYSTALS AND ZIRCONIA.  

In House Marketing Coordinator Wyndham Worldwide (WVO)  2000-2015 VA, LA 

Coordination of member services, marketing, sales and administration. – Received the Lifetime Achievement Award upon retirement in December 2015. 

Expert Consultant Executive Office of the Mayor Wash, DC [Sept 1983 – 1995] 

Advised the Mayor’s office on specific strategies and proposed programs designed to meet the needs of families and children in the mental health, educational and criminal justice systems 

Clinical Social Work Consultant/Psychotherapist 

Women’s Comprehensive Health Center Washington, DC [Sept 1979 – 1995] 

Expert clinical social worker among 20 health care specialist in clinical practice receiving referrals from specialist and physicians who determined their clients to need clinical or psycho-social evaluation, short or long term analytically oriented psychotherapy or family intervention.  

Assistant Professor – Research/Psychotherapy 

University of Virginia/Commonwealth Richmond [Sept 1985 - Jan 1988] 

Designed curriculum for and taught Master’s level graduate courses in Research and Psychotherapy 

Forensic Psychiatric Social Worker Washington DC [June 1977 – 1981] 

After a two-year Forensic Social Work Internship from 1975-77, selected by the Forensic Division to provide family history, clinical psychosocial evaluations and consultation in collaboration with Forensic Psychiatrists as related to overall competency and productivity evaluations to determine the relationship between mental illness and the criminal behavior of mentally ill detainees awaiting trial or sentence. [returned to graduate school 9/81 – to pursue doctoral study].  

Education 

Albert Einstein Family Studies Institute, New York [1994-1995] 

Post Doctoral Study Family Analysis and Cross-Parenting 

Baltimore/Washington Institute of Psychoanalysis [1991-1993] 

Post Doctoral Study Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy  

Southeastern University Course of Study – Advanced Marketing Management [1990-1992]  

Howard University School of Social Work [1981-1985] 

Doctor of Social Work (DSW)3.8 Phi Beta Kappa 

Howard University [1975-1977] Master of Social Work (MSW) 

The Catholic University of America [1971-73] Part-time graduate study – Social Work   

University of Oklahoma [1970-71 Graduate Study Social Work 

SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY [1965-1969] Bachelor of Science Psychology 

Activities and Societies: NASW, NABSW, ACSW, CSWE, NATIONAL COUNCIL ON FAMILY RELATIONS, STATE MENTAL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD, STATE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA MENTAL HEALTH ASSOCIATION, ASSEMBLIES OF GOD, WORD OF LIFE INTERNATIONAL CHURCH, NEW HOME MINISTRIES-NEW ORLEANS, SIGMA DELTA UPSILON SORORITY, SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, HOWARD UNIVERSITY ALUMNI TODAY 

  • WORLDWIDE WHO’S WHO [May 2013 – present] 

Included in the World Wide Who’s Who Registry of Executives, Professionals and Entrepreneurs 2013-2014 

Nominated and included by Marquis Who’s Who for notable personal/professional achievements 

Listed in Covington Who’s Who 2015 as representative of the professional community for outstanding achievements 

Received the Wyndham Life Time Achievement Award in 2015  

  • Institutional Organizer 

Together Baton Rouge/Together Louisiana [Jan 2017- present] 

Engage in planning, development and implementation of strategies of these group of civic leaders and clergy working together to build trust across lines, to identify other civic leaders and strengthening their skills to bring about positive change on concrete issues toward improving the lives of the residents of Baton Rouge and the state of Louisiana 

Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator [October 2021 – present] 

Global Technology Training for High School Students of Tensas Parish Louisiana  

 “Toward a Larger Freedom”  

Part of the East Baton Rouge Parish Public Library permanent display of citizen Power by EBR Arts Council including oral history, recordings of quotes, and portraiture. 

Publications 

A published Author with numerous professional journal articles, book and a coming 2024 Anthology “My journey from Pain to Purpose 

 Faith Member- New Home Ministries Family of Churches [2011 – present]