Moving Up

Deborah Ashton

Deborah Ashton was named director of diversity at the Harley-Davidson Co. As part of the company’s human resources team, Ashton is responsible for managing Harley-Davidson’s diversity and inclusion programs and efforts. Her experience includes a focus on executive development through her own company, New Explorations Unlimited. She achieved national recognition for diversity training at Darden Restaurants and for recruiting at Medtronic. Ashton has degrees in psychology from Clarke University in Iowa and in clinical psychology and public practice from Harvard University. She is a recipient of the Centurion of Diversity Award from the Hispanic Engineers & Information Technology and the U.S. Black Engineers & Technology.

Lynn Bonner

Lynn Bonner was named director of market outreach at Harley-Davidson. She is responsible for creating, promoting and implementing programs and targeted actions to ensure Harley-Davidson’s reach into the African-American and Hispanic markets. Bonner has held positions at Ford Motor Co. on Ford, Jaguar and Land Rover brands, with responsibility for cultural, new dealer launch, and owner loyalty program management. She holds a degree in business administration from Columbia Union College, Tacoma Park, MD, and is a member of the National Association of Female Executives, the Black Chamber of Commerce and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc.

Cheryl Monroe

Cheryl Monroe was appointed vice president minority supplier and vendor development for Macy’s Wheaton. Federated Depart-ment Stores Inc. are the owners of Macy’s.

Monroe started her Macy’s career at the White Marsh location in Maryland in 1987. She worked at the Hunt Valley Store, Owings Mills, East Tyson Corner and Springfield stores in Virginia, holding positions as deputy assistant buyer of cold weather and ladies accessories and cosmetics manager before becoming regional merchandise manager for Baltimore and Washington, D.C., stores. In 2004, she was appoin-ted vice president and store manager for Macy’s Wheaton, the only new location for Macy’s East.

Hon. George Bundy Smith
The Hon. George Bundy Smith joined Chadbourne & Parke L.L.P. as a partner in its litigation practice. He will serve as a mediator and arbitrator and will focus on appellate and other matters. Judge Smith’s judicial service began in 1975 with his appointment to the Civil Court of New York City. He served as a New York Supreme Court justice and as an associate judge in the Court of Appeals, and once served as an attorney to the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund. Judge Smith holds degrees from Yale University, Yale Law School, New York University and the University of Virginia School of Law. He has published a textbook on the Bill of Rights for high school students and has written extensively on subjects ranging from the Voting Rights Act to the admission of DNA evidence in court.

Kenneth L. Payne
Kenneth L. Payne assumed the role of chief financial officer with the Population Council. Payne comes to the Council after working with CARE since 2000, first as treasurer then as chief investment officer four years later. As CFO for the Council, his responsibilities include fi-nancial strategy management of the organization’s resources, accounting, budgeting, grant and cash management, as well as investments, audit, compliance, risk management and reporting. In his new position, effectively serving as the Council’s treasurer, he will work closely with staff members in 60 countries to align accounting and finance systems within the organization’s strategic direction. Payne holds degrees in finance and economics from Ohio State University and Governors State University in Illinois.

Kimatni D. Rawlins
Kimatni D. Rawlins, founder and president of the media and marketing company Automotive Rhythms Communications L.L.C., was appointed by Shell Oil Products US as its spokesman to the African-American and Hispanic population. In that role, he will spread the message that while African-American drivers agree that keeping their engines clean and running well is a top priority, more than half of that population unwisely chooses gasoline based on cost rather than on quality. Rawlins received a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. A 2004 recipient of The Network Journal’s 40-Under-Forty Achievement Award, he is the first vice president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and a member of the Motor Press Guild.

Akil Rucker
Akil Rucker was appointed director of marketing for 5W Public Relations, one of the nation’s fastest growing independent public relations firms. Previously, he was general manager at Dirty Soho Productions, where he worked on a number of Sun-dance-related properties and projects, and served as a consultant to celebrities and entertainers. He also was strategic marketing director for Vanguard Media and an executive personal assistant to Sean “Diddy” Combs. 5W, headquartered in New York with offices in Los Angeles, specializes in technology, corporate, consumer, entertainment, crisis communications, in-vestor relations, event management and public affairs.