Although not a founding member of the association, our personality of focus for this period is a very committed and reliable member. Dr. A. Joel King spent most of his high school years at the Bassa High School, graduating within the upper echelon of the class of 1975. Like many members of his class, he was not contented with a high school diploma and decided to further pursue his academic dreams. He is a noted lifelong learner, having affiliations with many institutions for academic and professional advancements. In Liberia, Dr. King graduated from the Lands and Mines Survey Engineering Institute in Tubmanburg, Bomi County and the University of Liberia in Monrovia. In the United States and beyond, he studied at numerous globally recognized institutions through their open access and distance learning programs. These include: Wharton School of business at the University of Pennsylvania, Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia, Cambridge University, Stanford University Design Institute, University of Geneva, Northwestern University, the University of Chicago, and the University of London. He earned his Masters of Business Administration from St. Peters University in Jersey City, NJ and his Doctor of Management degree from the University of Maryland, University College.

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Dr. A. Joel King has served in various civic and professional capacities over the years and has done extensive research as well. He takes great joy in helping the less fortunate through his affiliation with such organizations as Meals on Wheels of America, United Way, and Data Management Association International. He has also served in leadership roles in The Association of Middle Eastern and North African Heritage (AMENAH) of Johnson & Johnson as well as the African American Leadership Council (AALC) at Johnson & Johnson. Dr. King has also actively affiliated the Institute of Coaching and Professional Association (ICPA) at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Business Review. He also has numerous IT certifications and has held a number of senior IT leadership positions spanning several industries.

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On the research front, Dr. King has done extensive work concerning how organizations can engage their employees and augment their productive capacity through self-efficacy. His Doctorate degree in 2012 was along these lines (know-how in the areas of organizational process management, strategic thinking, leadership theory, organizational change and culture, and, creativity and innovation.

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His love and support for the Bassa high School Association USA cannot be over-emphasized. As the keynote speaker at the 2104 Convention in Landham, MD, Dr. King pledged an annual amount of $250 above and beyond his yearly dues (a commitment he continues to honor).

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He and his lovely wife Margaret live in New Jersey with their three children. We are honored to feature Dr. A. Joel King as our Personality of Focus for this period.