There is no way I can do a 15 things post on my most interesting friends and not include Valeisha! I always tell her that I (along with a few of our other girlfriends) live vicariously through her. She is one of my closest friends and pretty much anything I have ever done that was fantabulous, was either directly or indirectly because of her. But before I get into how much more fabulous her life tends to be than the average persons, I need to back up. Valeisha and I met at college, and I like to believe that it was luv at first sight, lol. Well it definitely was for me..Back then she rocked the "Halle Berry" cut, and other than Halle, I had never seen a girl that pretty (in person) with hair that short. I keep telling her she needs to cut all of her hair back off and kill these hoes..but I digress, lol...The true beauty of V though has nothing to do with how she physically looks. She is probably the sweetest person that I have ever met. That along with her constant drive to excel at every and anything that she sets her mind to continually makes me strive to want to better myself. She's the ceo of her own company, WEEN (learn more about it at http://www.weenonline.org/), currently works for Obama, use to work for Russell (yes, Simmons), went to law school, dabbled in acting, phew....I'm getting tired just thinking of all she's done. All of that and she is still as down to earth as the day that I first met her :). She has a bio so you guys can learn in depth about all that she has accomplished in a relatively short time. And I'm sure after reading below, that for a lot of you, it will be luv at first sight too, so take a lookie:
Lleya Fields
Bio:
Award-winning marketing and communications strategist Valeisha M. Butterfield is the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the International Trade Administration, Co-founder and Chair of the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), national talk radio host, television personality and recognized expert on global programs designed for minorities and women worldwide. For more than a decade, Butterfield has been recognized as a professional and personal conduit for change.
Butterfield was appointed to the Administration of U.S. President Barack Obama in October 2009 as the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the International Trade Administration (ITA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. Butterfield drives global communications strategies, digital media and public affairs for ITA’s offices in 109 U.S. cities and 77 countries worldwide. In this capacity, Butterfield also advances President Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI) goal to double exports over the next five years to support two million American jobs.
Butterfield is also the Co‐founder and Chair of the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN). WEEN is a worldwide coalition of women and men, all ages and races, committed to supporting, promoting and defending the balanced, positive portrayal of women in entertainment and society. The organization was established in 2007 and has over 43,000 members worldwide. WEEN provides entertainment‐based educational programs on health, financial literacy, career development and personal advancement for young women worldwide.
Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Butterfield served as the Executive Director of the Hip‐Hop Summit Action Network for nearly six years under the leadership of its Founder and Co‐chair, Russell Simmons. Butterfield was recognized for her leadership as one of the youngest executive directors in the United States, developing critically acclaimed financial literacy and voter education programs for young adults 18 – 35 years old throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Butterfield previously served as the Director of Diversity for the national office of the Alzheimer’s Association. The first to serve in this role, Butterfield developed recognized programs targeting underserved communities for the organization’s 77 chapters nationwide, expanding her marketing expertise to senior populations.
In 2000, upon graduating from college with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, from Clark Atlanta University, Butterfield worked as the Field Coordinator for the Campaign to Re‐Elect Chief Justice Henry Frye to the North Carolina Supreme Court. During this experience, Butterfield supported the field operations and get‐out‐the‐vote programs of a statewide campaign for a key state in electoral politics.
Butterfield was recognized by ESSENCE Magazine as a Top 40 executive under 40 (October 2010), has been featured on Black Entertainment Television as a recognized expert on teen issues and honored by Who’s Who in Black Washington, D.C. (second edition), the Boss Network and others. Butterfield is the daughter of United States Congressman G.K. Butterfield and North Carolina State Legislator Jean Farmer Butterfield.
15 Things (well in her case 16, lol):
1. I'm a true Aquarius.
2. I'm super anal and pay way too much attention to detail.
3. The first concert I ever attended was Salt and Pepa in Washington, DC.
4. At ten years old, my next door neighbor came to visit and snuck and played for me the "The Great Adventures of Slick Rick." I've been music obsessed ever since.
5. My first job was as a sales clerk at Foot Locker in Wilson, NC.
6. In 5th grade, our teacher asked each person to pick their favorite NFL team and write a fan letter. I chose the Washington Redskins. Out of the entire class, my letter was the only one to receive a response. I still respect the Redskins for that to this day.
7. I work 15 hours per day - everyday. Focused!
8. I was stood up for my prom junior year (it was GREAT fuel for my fire).
9. My favorite color is coral. Hot pink is a close second.
10. I prefer the beach over cold weather any day.
11. I'm formally trained in classical ballet, point and jazz.
12. If I had unlimited money I would still work each day because I LOVE what I do.
13. At 25 years of age with a degree and a great resume, I worked as an unpaid intern to break into the entertainment business. Ten months later, I had the career of my dreams.
14. I've accomplished all of my dreams - now I'm dreaming new goals and ready to start the next chapter of my life - family!
15. My grandmother and mother are my best friends and the loves of my life.
16. I have over 250 pairs of shoes (not something I'm proud of)
Lleya Fields
Bio:
Award-winning marketing and communications strategist Valeisha M. Butterfield is the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the International Trade Administration, Co-founder and Chair of the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN), national talk radio host, television personality and recognized expert on global programs designed for minorities and women worldwide. For more than a decade, Butterfield has been recognized as a professional and personal conduit for change.
Butterfield was appointed to the Administration of U.S. President Barack Obama in October 2009 as the Deputy Director of Public Affairs for the International Trade Administration (ITA) in the U.S. Department of Commerce. Butterfield drives global communications strategies, digital media and public affairs for ITA’s offices in 109 U.S. cities and 77 countries worldwide. In this capacity, Butterfield also advances President Obama’s National Export Initiative (NEI) goal to double exports over the next five years to support two million American jobs.
Butterfield is also the Co‐founder and Chair of the Women in Entertainment Empowerment Network (WEEN). WEEN is a worldwide coalition of women and men, all ages and races, committed to supporting, promoting and defending the balanced, positive portrayal of women in entertainment and society. The organization was established in 2007 and has over 43,000 members worldwide. WEEN provides entertainment‐based educational programs on health, financial literacy, career development and personal advancement for young women worldwide.
Prior to joining the Obama Administration, Butterfield served as the Executive Director of the Hip‐Hop Summit Action Network for nearly six years under the leadership of its Founder and Co‐chair, Russell Simmons. Butterfield was recognized for her leadership as one of the youngest executive directors in the United States, developing critically acclaimed financial literacy and voter education programs for young adults 18 – 35 years old throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Butterfield previously served as the Director of Diversity for the national office of the Alzheimer’s Association. The first to serve in this role, Butterfield developed recognized programs targeting underserved communities for the organization’s 77 chapters nationwide, expanding her marketing expertise to senior populations.
In 2000, upon graduating from college with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, from Clark Atlanta University, Butterfield worked as the Field Coordinator for the Campaign to Re‐Elect Chief Justice Henry Frye to the North Carolina Supreme Court. During this experience, Butterfield supported the field operations and get‐out‐the‐vote programs of a statewide campaign for a key state in electoral politics.
Butterfield was recognized by ESSENCE Magazine as a Top 40 executive under 40 (October 2010), has been featured on Black Entertainment Television as a recognized expert on teen issues and honored by Who’s Who in Black Washington, D.C. (second edition), the Boss Network and others. Butterfield is the daughter of United States Congressman G.K. Butterfield and North Carolina State Legislator Jean Farmer Butterfield.
15 Things (well in her case 16, lol):
1. I'm a true Aquarius.
2. I'm super anal and pay way too much attention to detail.
3. The first concert I ever attended was Salt and Pepa in Washington, DC.
4. At ten years old, my next door neighbor came to visit and snuck and played for me the "The Great Adventures of Slick Rick." I've been music obsessed ever since.
5. My first job was as a sales clerk at Foot Locker in Wilson, NC.
6. In 5th grade, our teacher asked each person to pick their favorite NFL team and write a fan letter. I chose the Washington Redskins. Out of the entire class, my letter was the only one to receive a response. I still respect the Redskins for that to this day.
7. I work 15 hours per day - everyday. Focused!
8. I was stood up for my prom junior year (it was GREAT fuel for my fire).
9. My favorite color is coral. Hot pink is a close second.
10. I prefer the beach over cold weather any day.
11. I'm formally trained in classical ballet, point and jazz.
12. If I had unlimited money I would still work each day because I LOVE what I do.
13. At 25 years of age with a degree and a great resume, I worked as an unpaid intern to break into the entertainment business. Ten months later, I had the career of my dreams.
14. I've accomplished all of my dreams - now I'm dreaming new goals and ready to start the next chapter of my life - family!
15. My grandmother and mother are my best friends and the loves of my life.
16. I have over 250 pairs of shoes (not something I'm proud of)
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