Don West, Jr.'s Application Materials (2022) Starr King

APPLICATION
PACKAGE
2022
APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

TABLE OF 2022
CONTENTS
03 Religious Community Leader Reference
05 Educator/Advisor Reference
07 Personal Reference
09 Personal Essay Statements
14 Autobiographical Statement
20 Curriculum Vitae
32 Biography
34 Misc. Appended Background Materials

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY
LEADER REFERENCE
2022

October 28, 2022
Matthew Waterman
Director of Admissions
Starr King School for the Ministry
414 13th Street, Suite 700
Oakland, CA 94612
Dear Mr. Waterman:
As an active member of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach for over 20 years and the
current president of its Board of Trustees, I am confident that I speak for our entire congregation in
enthusiastically endorsing the application of one of our members, Don West, Jr., for admission to Starr
King School of Ministry.
Throughout the time that Don has been with us he has consistently demonstrated his commitment to UU
values through leading social justice and other programs, participating as a member of our Worship
Committee, and serving as a member of our Board of Trustees, as well as being the person primarily
responsible for coordinating the technical aspects our Sunday services.
In addition to his practical background in the business world and ability to organize and present programs,
his energy, charisma and willingness to serve make him an outstanding candidate for the UU ministry. On
numerous occasions after Don has presented a program I have heard someone spontaneously comment
to him that he should be a minister. We at UUFLB are delighted that he is now pursuing this path.
If anything further or more formal in the way of a recommendation, such as a resolution by the Board,
would be helpful, please let me know.
Thanks for your consideration,
Oakley Frost
UUFLB Board President
EDUCATOR/ADVISOR
REFERENCE
2022

October 31, 2022
Matthew Waterman
Director of Admissions
Starr King School for the Ministry
414 13th Street, Suite 700
Oakland, CA 94612
Dear Sir or Madam:
This letter is written in support of the application of Donald West to the Master of Divinity program at
Starr King School for the Ministry. I have known Don for over 25 years. Don and I met when he was a
first-year law student at University of Miami School of Law. I was an assistant dean at Miami Law and
served as Don’s career and professional development advisor. During that time, I observed and interacted
with Don almost daily. Since that time, I have had an opportunity to follow Don’s career and spend time
with him on numerous occasions in both professional and social settings. Based on my knowledge of Don,
I believe that he will contribute greatly to the Master of Divinity Program.
Don was an exceptional student leader at Miami Law. As the Student Bar Association President, Don
served on behalf of all students at the law school and worked well with all constituencies. He understood
and represented his classmates’ interests, while carefully managing his relationship with the dean, faculty
members and alumni. He considered all points of view and was not afraid to have difficult conversations
across difference. Because of his leadership skills and commitment to the role, Don achieved tangible
results that were meaningful to his classmates.
Over the years, Don has continued his support of Miami Law. He has mentored and coached numerous
law students and young attorneys, conducted informational interviews, spoken on law school panels on
various topics. The time and effort Don has spent supporting and advising law students and recent
graduates is noteworthy. He has made it a personal goal to foster a sense of professionalism and
advancement in students and recent graduates by providing guidance, support and resources that
contribute to the self-awareness and professional growth necessary for successful careers in the field of
law. He is an honest, trustworthy and direct person, and a true role model for students and young people
in the community.
While Don has worked hard to achieve success professionally, he has managed to remain thoughtful and
overwhelmingly generous with his time. He understands the importance of listening to and connecting
with others. Don will be a wonderful addition to your class.
Should you have any questions about Don or his background, please do not hesitate to give me a call.
Sincerely,
Marcelyn R. Cox
PERSONAL
REFERENCE
2022

Kendrick Scott, PhD
400 Capital Circle, SE 18192
Tallahassee, FL
October 31, 2022

To: Whom It May Concern
Re: Letter of Recommendation Don West, Jr.
Dear Committee Member(s),
It is with great pleasure that I recommend Don West, Jr. for entrance into Starr King School for the Ministry
for a MDiv. I first met Don when he was an undergraduate student at Florida State University when I was a
teaching assistant in a course titled, The Theory of Race and the Dynamics of Oppression. Don was a young
bright inquisitive student in that course, and it was my first inkling that he would excel not only as a great
student but in the profession of his choosing. Don went on to law school and later lent his talents to working
with one of the greatest sports agents in the world- representing top-notch clients, which is only one of many
areas of his expertise.
Don has always sought to excel in all his endeavors. I see him as always pushing the limits beyond what is
originally thought possible. While I went on to become a Professor and an Academic Chair of a business
graduate school and have taught many talented students, Don remains one of those students who stands out in
my mind. I have enduring confidence that he will be an asset to your program, and he has my full
recommendation and support going forward.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me in the future.
Kendrick Scott, PhD

PERSONAL ESSAY
STATEMENTS
2022

Donald L. West, Jr. – Personal Essay Statements Page 1 of 4
1) Starr King’s purpose is to educate progressive spiritual leaders. What is your

concept of religious leadership? Assess your abilities and gifts for religious
leadership, noting both your strengths and weaknesses for this work.
Some leaders are made, and some are born. I fall into the latter category. I am the first-born grandchild
on both sides of my family; both my nuclear and extended families are robust and devotedly rooted in
their respective faith traditions. My maternal influences are Southern Baptist and my paternal
influences Seventh Day Adventist. I am the eldest of five children in my nuclear family. It has never
been a secret throughout my recollected life that I am a child of great expectations. To say we were
raised “in” the church would quite literally be an understatement. Leadership is by example. Spiritual
leadership is likewise through a lived example. Words serve only as motivation and conjecture. What
we do establishes our record in my perspective and analysis. I am a proven secular leader with a
detailed record. Throughout my life, I intentionally example a vigorous effort to embody the spirit of
our UU Principles seeking to replicate models such as the Dalai Lama and the Rabbi of Nazareth. In
no way special or unique, I simply choose to adhere to a personal code. My weakness is likely the
same as any who have contemplated this path, I am human.
2) Starr King’s educational philosophy requires self-direction and emphasizes

academic inquiry and experiential learning. Please describe your academic
experience and preparedness for graduate study.
I am a gregarious reader with high levels of intellectual curiosity. My childhood was spent asking the
question, “why?” [A question rarely answered to that child’s satisfaction.] I have developed a deep
fascination with among other things the subjects of factual actual history, folklore and traditions, and
comparative religion. In pursuing my Juris Doctor degree I was recognized by my fellow students
with the Roger Sorino Memorial Award given to the most outstanding graduating student as voted on
by the class. That award was earned through my clear dedication to a vigorous academic pursuit
coupled with complete immersion into and participation in what one would call the law school
experience. Either I do, or I don’t.

3) Starr King embodies a commitment to education to counter oppressions to create

just and sustainable communities. How are these commitments present in your life?
How might they manifest in your vocation?
I am a black man, born in, raised in, and living in the United States of America. By and through
circumstances beyond and within my control I have been immersed in numerous communities across
geographies, socio-economic levels, and cultures. My skin creates a lived experience that opens one
to seek grace in the face of great injustices. The academic process that enlightens one on how their
world works, its legal frameworks, the discussions and mindsets of your Nation's founders, the actual
history of the world's religions, engaging in this process can result in rage and anger. It most certainly
releases energy inside the mind, soul, and heart of one situated as me in the group of the oppressed.
Through the childhood lessons taught to me by my Titans, from the constant loving lived example of
my father and mother, from much deep inner work I have transmuted through grace the energy of rage
and anger to one of compassion and understanding. I set my personal code in such a way that I take
my education, experience, and abilities to create a living field of dreams, a living example of
transmutation and personal evolution. If we build it they will come. As Mahatma Gandhi is attributed
to have said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." In my vocation, I seek to be the change.
4) Name five writings, films, or artistic works that have influenced you and explain how
they have helped shape your life.
1) The film, “The Matrix.” It helped to free my mind of the pre-programmed content driving my mental
operation system(s). The film also inspired one of my tattoos which reads, "Know Thyself" but in
Latin.
2) The book, “Living the Tao” by Dr. Wayne Dryer. Dr. Dyer is a favorite teacher of mine. I believe I
have read all of his published works and Living the Tao connected with me in a deeper way than
anything else in his catalog of works. The energy of the Tao mixed with the energy of Dr. Dyer is an
elixir that charmed my soul.
3) The painting, "Blue Boy" by Thomas Gainsborough. In elementary school, there was a unit on
paintings in one of our school textbooks. I recall the unit was extraordinarily detailed in discussing
the color palette of the painting. Years later, after law school, as a young man visiting the Huntington
Library in Pasadena, CA I stood before the real painting, the same subject I read about all those years
ago as a kid. Something clicked inside my mind and a cascade of possibilities erupted at that moment.
4) Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant’s entire professional careers. I am a sports aficionado. More than a
fan because it is also my business. Sports have been my greatest personal teacher. On some level, all
professional athlete’s methods are worthy of examination. I see their careers as artistic works. The
embodied commitment to excellence and the will to excel at one's task, these two men's basketball
bodies of work are monuments to showing up and giving something all you have to give with laser-
focused intention and purposeful effort AND achieving the desired results against all obstacles and
competition.
5) The Seven UU Principles. My first time in a UU church I grabbed a bulletin and sat in the back of the
sanctuary at the Fellowship in Laguna Beach. I flipped the bulletin over and read the first principle.
I was hooked. I read the remaining six. In an instant, after digesting the intentions behind the
exclamations, I decided to jump in the boat.
5) Name two historical events, either in your lifetime or before you were born, that
have been pivotal in your decision to pursue spiritual leadership – and describe their
importance to you.
A. The televised murder of George Floyd. The personal trauma and witnessed societal pressures created
by Floyd’s murder forced me to do something. The pressure of the pain inside myself was channeled
by Rev. Lee Marie Sanchez into an idea that instigated our 2020 UUFLB Racial Justice Film &
Discussion Series 1. The impact those weeks in community together had on me and our participants
exampled what I could do and should do more of.
B. Pope Alexander VI issued the Inter Caetera (Doctrine of Discovery) on May 4, 1493, one year after
the Columbus expedition got lost on their way to India and bumped into the “West Indies.” This
1
UUFLB Social Justice Movie Night DIY Follow-Along Syllabus https://uulagunabeach.org/blog/uuflb-social-justice-
movie-night-diy-follow-along-syllabus
becomes a demarcation point in time that ultimately leads to the subjugation of the African continent
and her people. We live in systems of oppression and white supremacy built specifically as tools to
uphold the ideas behind the Doctrine of Discovery. I desire to live the proposed 8th UU Principle with
my voice echoing like that of Moses in the Torah and Old Testament, “Let My People Go!”
6) What do you do for physical, psychological, and spiritual renewal? What are your
selfcare practices?
I have developed a well-being support group that meets weekly. I have a routine built upon my time
in the United States Navy. Popular author David Goggins, a former Navy SEAL, observes that most
ex-SEALs, stop doing the hard physical stuff when they leave the SEALS. Goggins never stopped,
rather, he became more extreme in how he trained his body after leaving the SEALS. His Motto, “Stay
Hard!” Ohhh Rhaaa! My routine includes regular physical fitness, yoga, meditation, and mindful
walking.
7) Do you have any concerns, whether physical, psychological or educational, that

you would like us to know about? Is there anything else you would like to tell us?
Nothing at this time comes up. But I reserve the right to share anything that does come up at the
appropriate time in the future, if necessary.

AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL
STATEMENT
2022

Donald L. West, Jr. – Autobiographical Statement Page 1 of 5
Please describe your development as a person. Be sure to include: your religious background, spiritual practices, and
religious community involvement; any leadership responsibilities you may have assumed in your community; any
involvement in community service, arts and/or social activism; and if you have been convicted of a felony, please include
and explain that in your autobiographical statement.
“History is not everything, but it is a starting point. History is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural
time of day. It is also a compass that people use to find themselves on the map of human geography. History tells a
people where they have been and what they have been, where they are and what they are. Most important, history tells a
people where they still must go and what they still must be. The relationship of history to the people is the same as the
relationship of a mother to her child.”
-Dr. John Henrik Clarke
On my mother’s side, I am the great great great grandson of the Reverend Abram Murry Lee 1.
Abram Lee was born a slave in 1847 in Virginia and was an eyewitness to the Civil War while a young
man. Before his emancipation, Abram saw Abraham Lincoln deliver a speech in person near his
plantation. Abram moved to Conshohocken, Pennsylvania in 1889 as a free man and settled into a row
house located at 352 East Sixth Avenue. The house was part of a line of Victorian Gothic Revival
houses from 334-360 East Sixth Avenue all built around 1870. Abram lived to be 104 years old passing
away in 1951. Abram was the father of 13 children including Reverend Marshall W. Lee, the former
Pastor and founder of St. Paul’s Baptist Church in Conshohocken where he served in that capacity for
over 50 years. Marshall Lee received his elementary and secondary education in Conshohocken’s public
schools. He studied theology and English at Temple University in Philadelphia. In 1973, Rev. Marshall
Lee acting as the wedding officiant married my parents Donald and Debra West. In 1974, Rev. Lee
Christened me in front of my family in the church he had built.
According to a family history compiled in a book 2 written by my uncle, Gary A. West, on my
father's side, I am the great great great grandson of James West a free man from Orange County, Virginia
who was born circa 1820. One of James’ sons was Coleman R. West, my great-great-grandfather, who
according to 1850 U.S. Census records also resided in rural Virginia as a free man years before the
Emancipation Proclamation, living a modest life as a farmer and ultimately as a landowner with a small
farm. Coleman's son Stoughton W. West migrated from Virginia to the suburbs of Philadelphia where
1
History of a House -352 East 6th Avenue. An Extraordinary Man Lived Here – Reverend Abram Lee
https://conshystuff.com/history-of-a-house-352-east-6th-avenue-an-extraordinary-man-lived-here-reverend-abram-lee/
2
The West Family History 1820 – 2019: A Book of Life, The Journey To Finding My Family. By Gary A. West, 2019.
https://www.bookemon.com/book-profile/the-west-family-history/774661
he married and had twelve children. Among Stoughton’s twelve children was my grandfather, Joseph
P. West, Sr. Joseph married a lady named Anne Brock who was my paternal grandmother and one of
the greatest influences upon my thought and development. My grandmother was a devoted Seventh
Day Adventist (“SDA”) and in addition to her modest business as a renowned caterer, she also worked
in the inner-city neighborhoods of Philadelphia as an SDA Literature Evangelist visiting and witnessing
in places many would not.
At around the age of 6 years old, my grandmother and I began a game where I would pretend to
be a lawyer. She would ask me repeatedly, “what kind of lawyer are you going to be?” I would respond,
“An honest and ethical lawyer.” In a teachable twist of irony, this statement would be the central figure
in the greatest challenge I would face in my professional journey 3. This “lawyer” ritual would repeat
for the next 20 years up to and through my graduation from law school at the age of 26. On both sides
of my family, I am the oldest male grandchild. This alone developed great expectations and drove me
to always seek to be the best I could be as these expectations were always clearly communicated as my
responsibility to myself and my family.
When I was born in 1974 my father had converted to become a member of the Nation of Islam
after exposure to their message while a student at Pennsylvania State University. My mother was a
member of her great-grandfather's church which she had attended her entire life. My parents’ faith
practices were split and caused tensions as the story is told. In a compromise, the couple set out to find
something that they could agree upon. By way of a dynamic evangelical SDA preacher from North
Philadelphia named Rev. Steve Patterson, my parents were swayed to convert to become Seventh-Day
Adventists, much to the delight of my father's mother and the horror of my mother's family. As a child,
my parents' spiritual journey in part became my own. My father was moved to leave his position in
management with the telephone company and we all moved to a strict Seventh-Day Adventist commune
in Connecticut, called Bethany Homestead. We returned to the suburbs of Philadelphia after six winter
3
Untethered in 2012 https://donwestjr.wordpress.com/2012/01/13/untethered-in-2012/
months at the commune. My father found he could not return to the phone company. After time and
deliberation, our family set off for the black Seventh Day Adventist College in Huntsville, Alabama for
my father to pursue a theology degree and my mother to complete her coursework for a degree in
accounting.
The transition from “Philly” to northern Alabama was extreme and is most marked by my
engrained subconscious use of “no mam/sir” and “yes mam/sir." With my parents, both students at the
College my siblings and I enrolled at Oakwood Academy where I was to attend 2nd through 7th grade.
At Oakwood Academy, at the time grades, four through eight were held in the physical church building
complex in multi-purpose rooms used for Sabbath school on Saturdays and many other functions
throughout the week. This resulted in a reality where quite literally I spent every day of my week in the
church for the years that comprised grades 4 thru 7. Pastor Eric C. Ward was the leader of Oakwood
College SDA Church in those years and his office was in our complex. Many of my childhood fantasies
included images inside of my great-great grandfather’s church in Conshohocken, PA, the Willow Grove
SDA Church in Willow Grove, PA, and the Oakwood College SDA Church.
Today, I am intensely captivated by all things comic books and their associated lore. As a child,
I never read comic books. My 'fantasy' heroes were the characters in the stories of my bible class during
the week and Sabbath school on Saturday. My real-world heroes were in my family and always the
leader who occupied the pulpit of Worship in the churches where I was raised. It was so cool to me that
I could bump into Pastor Ward in the halls as I used a hall pass to go to the restroom in the middle of a
Tuesday. It was lost on me that we would witness my great-great grandfather preach and then wander
into his office after the service and the receiving line and other duties were finished. These leaders set
gleaming examples and seemed Titans to that young man.
In a most unintentionally intentional way, my path to writing this statement was set by the
examples of the Titans in my life. These Titans constantly informed and shaped my aspirations;
calibrating my subconscious dreams of being like them one day, suppressed by my drive to live the
“lawyer game” I played with my grandmother. I grew to be an all-state high school athlete in the state
of Alabama. I enlisted in the U.S. Navy in a unique officer selection program which landed me an
R.O.T.C. scholarship to Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. I ran track at Florida State
alongside dozens of All-Americans, and NCAA National Champions, and regularly trained able to
witness pro track athlete Kim Batten, who in 1995 set a world record in the 400m hurdles 4. Watching
every workout for two years leading up to a world record is instructional. This immersion amongst a
competitive group seeking to maximize their excellence informed and calibrated my standards while
always pushing me to higher highs.
In my personal statement 5 for my law school applications drafted in 1996, I emphasized my role as
I saw as the eldest of my siblings and the commitment I felt. I approached law school like only someone
who dreamed of the opportunity their whole life would. The focused efforts of my law school years and
the connections in my network allowed me to become the Director of Football Operations to Leigh
Steinberg who served as the inspiration for the movie, “Jerry Maguire. 6" My associations in the sports
world led me to meet a man named Cedrick Hardman while we both were vacationing in Palm Springs,
CA. We learned we both lived close to one another in Laguna Beach, CA. Cedrick and I became
amazing friends. He was a tremendous football player who spent 10 years with the San Francisco 49ers 7.
In retirement, he settled into a nice home with a partial ocean view on Myrtle Street in Laguna. For the
next 15 years when I was in town, I would visit his home regularly. The location requires a drive down
Cypress to leave Cedrick’s and access the main transit artery out through the canyon.
For approximately 15 years I drove past the building on Cypress drive which is a small church
nestled among a residential beach community's most prime real estate. I always wondered what that
little building was all about. After a life-changing circumstance, I found myself staying with my friend
Cedrick on Myrtle in the spring of 2018. One Sunday morning I was sitting on my bike in the alley
4
Kim Batten – USATF Hall of Fame https://www.usatf.org/athlete-bios/kim-batten
5
Don West, Jr.’s Law School Application Personal Statement ( c. 1996).
https://www.scribd.com/document/604012582/Law-School-Application-Personal-Statement-c-1996
6
25 Years Later, The Agent Who Inspired “Jerry Maguire” Is Still Going Strong
https://www.insidehook.com/article/sports/25-years-jerry-maguire-leigh-steinberg-sports-agent
7
Cedrick Hardman: 10-Year Club (1970-79) https://www.49ers.com/news/cedrick-hardman-10-year-club-1970-79-551929
behind the house sending a text message before heading to Starbucks for a coffee. As I texted on my
bike, the neighbor from across the alley came out of his house and I casually noted he was carrying a
cup of coffee. I finished my text and started to ride my bike down the street. I made a left onto Cypress
and just as I approached the little church building the neighbor with the coffee walked inside. I said,
"you can take coffee in there?" I altered my plan on the fly and grabbed my coffee from the Starbucks
in downtown Laguna. I locked up my bike and walked back to the little church. I walked into the
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach ("UUFLB") and enjoyed a sermon from the
Reverend Lee Marie Sanchez and made some meaningful connections on that first day.
I continued to attend the UUFLB regularly since following whom I learned was our Fellowship’s
Board Member and Treasurer, Tom McGrew. After a short time of regular attendance, I was invited by
then Board Member Mike Radcliffe to join the choir. I did. It was amazing to sing as a part of worship.
Some point later I was elected to a term on the Board of Trustees. Sometime later I joined the Worship
Committee almost by accident being around when a meeting was happening at the building. I served
for the two-years and helped the Fellowship transition to virtual services during Covid pandemic
shutdowns. My life caused me to move to Henderson, Nevada in April 2020. Technology has kept me
connected to the UUFLB. Again, I find myself serving as a Board Member and Zoom service technician
for the Fellowship even from Henderson.
In my personal mission statement 8 I express a desire to "inspire those around me to produce their
best work at all times." This application to Star King School for the Ministry is the next step in my life-
long ambition to live my personal mission statement as a role model and example. I seek to learn more
and inspire our community to live the principles that unite us. It is my deepest hope that you agree and
concur. Blessed be. Namaste. Onwards.
~ Respectfully submitted.
8
Don West, Jr.'s Personal Mission Statement - (c. 2009) https://www.scribd.com/document/604013437/Don-West-Jr-s-
Personal-Mission-Statement-c-2009
CURRICULUM
VITAE
2022

More about Don
Donald L. West, Jr., J.D.

2229 Ramsgate Drive, Henderson, Nevada 89074
EMAIL: dlw@donwestjr.com ♦ PHONE: (949) 463-6946
SKILLS & ABILITIES

♦ Superior public speaking, oral presentation & written communication skills.
♦ Strong management, organizational skills, and the ability to handle multiple and sensitive priorities.
♦ Seasoned leadership and interpersonal skills including the ability to lead teams, motivate subordinates, and mobilize partnerships.
♦ Familiar with sophisticated financial, tax, banking, legacy and estate planning solutions and their inter-related relationship to the
overall satisfaction of clients as well as their direct impact on the growth and profitability of a book of business.
♦ Extensive experience in negotiating, drafting, researching, and reviewing standard and non-standard company contracts, trust
documents, estate plans, powers of attorney; developing, implementing and monitoring policies and procedures designed to ensure
legal compliance.
SUMMARY
Don has built a brand exemplifying leadership, diligence, and the pursuit of excellence; an accomplished and dynamic professional
with an accomplished record of building teams, increasing revenues, and transforming individuals, organizations, and families. A
practiced and proven negotiator and planner with a demonstrated ability to develop new business opportunities and build strong client
relationships.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
♦ FRITZ MARTIN MANAGEMENT, Las Vegas, NV

Director of Advancement, August 2022 to present
Mentor and guide personnel in their professional development; create programming and opportunities to grow brand value
and influencer profitability in a role modeling fashion.
♦ THE LEGENDZZ COLLECTIVE, INC., Las Vegas, NV
Chief Executive Officer, May 2021 to present
Strategically providing vision and guidance to a dynamic Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DOA) based
community.
♦ JPW EDUCATION INNOVATIONS, INC, Fort Pierce, FL
Principal, January 2022 to present
Strategically providing vision and guidance in the development of a series of education courses, certifications, and models
for delivery in live, hybrid, and virtual on-demand formats.
♦ SHOTS & ART BY DUBBS GALLERY, Laguna Beach, CA
Creative Director, March 2019 to present
Oversee all aspects of the creative and monetization process for a catalog of fine art , digital and physical paintings, and
commercial images focused on lifestyle, editorial and travel subjects.
♦ KNOCK OUT THE STIGMA, INC. (KOTS) /DBA/ THE WELL-BEING TOOLBOX, Los Angeles, CA
Founder and President, April 2018 to present
Responsible for ongoing strategic development and oversight of all mental health advocacy, outreach, and education
services provided by the organization and managing the infrastructure and capacity building capital campaign.
♦ THE LEGACY CENTER (FORMERLY REVOLUTION SPORTS MANAGEMENT), Las Vegas, NV
Director of Development, August 2022 to present
Oversee all aspects of the creative and monetization process for a catalog of fine art and commercial images focused on
lifestyle, editorial and travel subjects.
♦ AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF LEGACY & ESTATE PLANNING (THE LEGACY INSTITUTE), Las Vegas, NV
Director of Education, April 2010 to present
Attorney/Associate Director of Education, March 2008 to March 2010
Responsible for developing courses and materials in the primary areas of family legacy development; wealth creation,
preservation and generational transfer; estate planning and trusts creation.
♦ NUTRITION ZONE, USA, Foothill Ranch, CA
Chief Operations Officer, January 2017 to January 2018
Oversaw all aspects of product production and wholesale distribution of 120+ nutraceutical products across 5 different brands
within a franchise system of 28 stores developing a certified vendor approval system and managing over a dozen outside
contract manufacturers managing logistics with numerous international vendors.
Don West, Jr. - Page 2 of 11
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, CONT.

♦ ERICA W. STUMP, P.A., Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Regulatory & Compliance Specialist, February 2015 to December 2016
Assisted the lead attorney with legal research and writing primarily in trademark prosecution and litigation with a focus on
nutritional supplements and nutritional supplement manufacturers.
♦ STEINBERG SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT, Newport Beach, California
Senior Vice President of Sports Operations, March 2014 to July 2014
Coordinated the re-organization of the sports management practice of legendary sports agent Leigh Steinberg handling all
day-to-day operations, including establishing strategic partnerships and alliances to aid in the athlete recruiting process.
♦ CELEBRATE LYFE, Newport Beach, California
Business Consultant & VP Operations, May 2012 to February 2014
Conducted training seminars on entrepreneurship, legacy planning, and estate planning principles. Evaluated clients’ asset
portfolios, including social media properties, ensuring assets protection and generational transfer mechanisms were in line
with clients’ overall legacy plan.
♦ MACY’S, INC., Costa Mesa, California
Sales Manager, Macy’s South Coast Plaza, March 2010 to April 2012
Led a team of 24+ sales associates and 70+ holiday seasonal associates while driving an 11% increase on a sales volume in
excess of $2.4 million while fostering internal career development among my team and successfully promoting or advancing
over 20% of my direct reports.
♦ THE PITTMAN LAW GROUP, P.L., Tallahassee, Florida
Registered Lobbyist/Government Relations Consultant & Of Counsel, January 2003 to February 2008
♦ REVOLUTION SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT, LLC, Tampa, Florida
Director of Football Operations & NFLPA Certified Contracts Advisor, July 2002 to September 2006
♦ STEINBERG, MOORAD & DUNN, LLC Newport Beach, California
Director of Football Operations & NFLPA Certified Contracts Advisor, June 2001 to July 2002
♦ THE FLORIDA SENATE, Miami, Florida
Chief of Staff & Staff Counsel, The Honorable Daryl L. Jones, Senator District 40 - August 2000 to June 2001
♦ SHUTTS & BOWEN, LLP, Miami, Florida
Summer Associate, August 1999; May 1998 to July 1998
♦ LAW OFFICES OF LEIGH STEINBERG & JEFFREY MOORAD, Newport Beach, California
Summer Associate, June 1999 to August 1999; July 1998 to August 1998
♦ THE UNITED STATES BANKRUPTCY COURT FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF FLORIDA, Miami, Florida
Judicial Intern, The Honorable A. Jay Cristol, Chief Judge – January 1999 to April 1999
PAST ACADEMIC POSITIONS

♦ THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF LAW, Coral Gables, Florida
Adjunct Professor, Athletics and the Law- Spring 2003
♦ THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON SPORTS IN SOCIETY, Coral Gables, Florida
Steering Committee Member, Spring 2003
PHILANTHROPY/VOLUNTEER WORK
♦ THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP OF LAGUNA BEACH, Laguna Beach, CA
Trustee, Board of Trustees, October 2022 to present
Trustee, Board of Trustees, June 2019 to June 2021
♦ TRI-COUNTY MEMORIAL FUNERAL SOCIETY, Irvine, CA
Member-At-Large, Board of Directors, December 2019 to July 2021
♦ LOS ANGELES COUNTY - DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH, Los Angeles. CA
West Central Mental Health Center (WCMHC) Peer Volunteer, April 2016 to April 2019
Serve as a peer volunteer co-facilitator with Marilyn Jhung, ACSW, MSW focused on delivering to peers applicable life
skills, tools, and techniques rooted in the Post Modern Coaching (PMC) model clinically developed by former DMH
clinical psychologist, Dr. Michael T. Walker, PhD that aide in the path to balanced well-being and functional contribution
to the family, community and society.
MILITARY EXPERIENCE
♦ THE UNITED STATES NAVY RESERVE OFFICER TRAINING CORPS (R.O.T.C.), Tallahassee, Florida
Midshipman, Florida A&M University Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) - August 1993 to December 1994
 Released from future active-duty obligations to pursue Juris Doctor Degree.
♦ THE UNITED STATES NAVY, San Diego, California
Seaman (E-3), Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training (B.O.O.S.T.) - June 1992 to August 1993
 Recipient of the Armed Forces service medal.
 Received two Naval Letters of Achievement, a meritorious promotion, and an honorable discharge to join USN ROTC.
PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS
♦ Certified Peer Support Specialist - PRPSN
♦ Certified Core Peer Specialist - DBSA
♦ American Institute of Legacy & Estate Planning – Chartered Legacy & Trusts Planner, CLTPTM
♦ American Institute of Legacy & Estate Planning – Personne De Confiancé, PDCTM
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
♦ PROJECT RETURN PEER SUPPORT NETWORK (PRPSN), Los Angeles, CA
Certified Peer Support Specialist, Nov 2018
Peer Professional Training & Placement Program (PPTP)
♦ DEPRESSION BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE (DBSA) TRAINING & CONSULTATION, Los Angeles, CA
Certified Core Peer Specialist, June 2018
Core Peer Specialist Training Course
♦ THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF LAW, Coral Gables, Florida

Juris Doctor, May 2000
Honors Activities
♦ Moot Court Board ♦ President Emeritus, Student Bar Association
- Winner, 1L Moot Court Competition - President, (1999-2000)
- Semi-Finalist, 1999 Negotiation Competition - Treasurer, (1998-1999)
- Quarter-Finalist, 1998 Negotiation Competition - 1L Senator, (1997-1998)
- Quarter-Finalist, Advanced Moot Court Competition ♦ University of Miami Board of Trustees
♦ Dean's Honor Scholarship - Student Trustee, (1999-2000)
♦ Dean's Certificate of Achievement in Property ♦ Law Activity Fee Allocation Committee
♦ Florida Education Fund – M.P.L.E. Scholar - SBA Representative, (1999-2000)
♦ Omicron Delta Kappa National Honor Society - Vice Chair, (1998-1999)
♦ Alpha Epsilon Lambda Graduate Honor Fraternity ♦ Black Law Students Association
♦ Bar and Gavel Leadership Honor Society ♦ Entertainment and Sports Law Society
♦ 2000 Bar and Gavel ‘Golden Star Award’ ♦ Phi Delta Phi International Legal Fraternity
♦ 2000 Roger Sorino Memorial Award ♦ Eugene P. Spellman American Inn of Court
*Awarded to the most outstanding graduating 3L ♦ Ambassador, Law School Recruiting Office
♦ Iron Arrow Honor Society
*The Highest Honor Attained at the University of Miami
- Son-of-Chief (Vice President), (1999-2000)
♦ THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, Tallahassee, Florida

Bachelor of Science, December 1996
Major: Psychology Minor: African-American Studies
Honors Activities
♦ Dean's List, 5 semesters ♦ 3-Year Letterman, Varsity Track Team
♦ Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll, 6 Semesters ♦ 1994 Atlantic Coast Conference Champion Track Team
♦ THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW, Tallahassee, Florida

Summer Law Program for Undergraduate Students, Summer 1995
Honors
♦ Best Overall Oral Advocate
♦ Best Moot Court Presentation
EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, CONT.
♦ THE SAMFORD UNIVERSITY, Birmingham, Alabama

Alabama Boys State Delegate, Summer 1991
Honors
♦ Elected Mayor of Boys State City
♦ Received 1991 Boys State Leadership Award
♦THE WILLIAM PENN CHARTER SCHOOL, Philadelphia, PA

Summer Camp Jr.-Counselor, Summer 1988
Sports & Reading Camp Attendee, Summer 1987
Summer Camp Attendee, Summer 1985, 1986
PAST PROFESSIONAL & SERVICE AFFILIATIONS

♦ American Bar Association Section of Real Property Trust & Estate Law
♦ 2008-2010 Trust & Estate Fellow, American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Trust & Estate Law
♦ Florida Bar
♦ Florida Bar Real Property, Probate & Trust Law Section Charitable Planning Committee
♦ Moral Champions, Inc., Board Member
♦ Seminole Track & Field Alumni Association
♦ National Bar Association
♦ Florida State Varsity Club
♦ Warrick Dunn Foundation, Founding Member Board of Directors
♦ Host Committee Ambassador, South Florida Super Bowl XXXIII Host Committee, 1999.
♦ Anti-Defamation League, Orange County/Long Beach Jurisprudence Awards Dinner Chair, April 2002.
♦ National Multiple Sclerosis Society Leadership Award, 2000.
♦ Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, 1998 to 2002.
♦ Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists
PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS
♦ “Introducing Personal Legacy Statements,” University of Miami School of Law.

October 2008.
♦ “United We Stand, Divided We Fall: An examination of the collective bargaining process and key events and
issues impacting entertainment and sports unions today,” University of Miami School of Law.
(9th Annual Symposium on Entertainment and Sports Law.) February 2006.
♦ “Practicing Law in the Sports Industry: Getting Started without Crossing the Lines,” University of Miami School of Law.
(6th Annual Symposium on Entertainment and Sports Law.) 2003.
♦ “Sports Law: New Challenges and Issues,” Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad Law Center. 2003.
♦ “Athletes’ Roles in the Classroom and on the College Campus,” University of Miami Athletic Department. 2003.
♦ “Spring 2000 Student Graduation Keynote Leadership Address” University of Miami School of Law. May 2000.
PUBLICATION HIGHLIGHTS
♦ A Step-By-Step Guide to Crafting Personal Legacy Statements- An Ancient Tool of the Thoughtful, Wealthy &
Wise by Don West, Jr. and Tim Morrison
(Axis Publishing & Distribution Company, LLC – 2008.) 160 pages. ISBN 978-09822479-0-7
♦ “Giving the Gift of Legacy”
(PLG Chronicle. Volume VII, Issue I, Winter 2007.)
♦ “The 2006 Florida Land Trust Act – Florida’s Best Kept Property Secret”
(PLG Chronicle. Volume VI, Issue I, Fall 2006.)
LAY-LED PROGRAMS, HOMILIES & SERMONS

♦ “2022 Summer U[nique]. P[rogramming]. Series” – July 10 thru Aug. 7, 2022: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach
No Recording or Replay Available. See Page 11.
♦ “Juneteenth and Our 1st Principle” – June 19, 2022: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach
Service Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhXfO6-C2fk
♦ “Homegrown Blessings” – May 30, 2021: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach
Service Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOUfpbUXSj8
♦ “U Can Analog Ur Spring In A Digital World” – April 4, 2021: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach
Service Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMMzqnq2V_E
♦ “2020: A Pandemic, Calls for Social Justice & Why I Am A UU” – Aug 23, 2020: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach
Service Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2_UrBVkfaA
♦ “2020 RACE-FOCUSED SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM SCREENING & DISCUSSION SERIES” –
June 10 thru Sep. 9, 2020: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach
No Recording or Replay Available. See Page 6.
♦ “What is Your Spiritual Legacy?” - Feb. 16, 2020: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach
Service Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aywO4YFWX-o
♦ “Easter Celebrations – The Roots Run Deep” – April 24, 2019: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Laguna Beach
Service Replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3UEwMnFm-o
MASS MEDIA | APPEARANCES & REFERENCES
♦ “South LA Mental Health Community Huddle” K.O.T.S., Los Angeles, CA. September 2018.
♦ “Knock Out The Stigma – May Is Mental Health Month Event” Los Angeles County Mental Health Department. May 2018.
♦ “They Said, I Say” African American Mental Health Conference, Los Angeles, California. February 2017.
♦ “With Mental Illness, Your Demographics Don't Matter” House Call With Dr. Mac Podcast – Episode 89. September 6. 2017.
♦ ESPN 1400-Miami, The Afternoon Drive with Carl Foster & Anita Marks, July 22, 2005.
♦ WAMR 1320, The Hayes & Black Show, July 20, 2005.
♦ St. Petersburg Times, Chase Squires, Wave of Reality, ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, July 4, 2005 at 2B.
♦ The National Jurist, Jim Dunlap, Different Strokes for Your J.D., THE NATIONAL JURIST, January 2002, at 23, 27.
MEDIA PRODUCTION CREDITS
CONSULTANT ♦ “The Villain’s Code” SkyNet Media, Brooklyn, New York. [In Production] 2023.
[SELF]♦ Super Agent, Spike TV Documentary Style Reality TV Show based on 9 NFL Agents recruiting a prospective 2005 1st
Round Draft Pick. (Co-Starring Reality Contestant), 2005.
[SELF]♦ The Oprah Winfrey Show, Facilitated and participated in a surprise appearance by Warrick Dunn. Warrick was
recognized for his selfless philanthropic efforts and his “Homes for the Holidays Program” founded in 1997 while he was
an NFL rookie to help single mothers realize the American Dream of home ownership. Aired April 1st, 2002.
The 2020 UUFLB Race-Focused Social Justice Film Screening & Discussion Series | Don West, Jr. - Page 6 of 11
THE 2020 UUFLB

RACE-FOCUSED SOCIAL JUSTICE FILM
SCREENING & DISCUSSION SERIES
In Our own ongoing effort to honor all the martyrs and victims of police violence, we here at the UUFLB sought a way to live
the change we desire to see in the world. Following the murder of George Floyd; a national flashpoint in an ongoing string of
police brutality and injustice specifically against blacks and other peoples of color; in the spirit and for the very reason former
NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the 2017 season, this film series was born in June 2020.
L.O.V.E.
LEARN about each other.
OPEN our hearts to each other.
VOLUNTEER to be a part of the solution in each other's life.
EMPOWER each other to do the same.
(Adopted from our third feature, WALKING WHILE BLACK: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer and its Creator, A.J. Ali.)
Learning about the issue(s) at hand is the first step we saw as a path to impactful citizenship as UU's. To this end, we began a
film and discussion series on June 10th curated and moderated by UUFLB Board Member, Don West, Jr. The post-screening
discussions of these films have been moving and emotional experiences causing shifts and growth for all in attendance.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This film series has concluded. When running it occured on Wednesday evenings at 6:30pm. Each film was followed by a
discussion moderated by UUFLB board member, Don West, Jr. The series was been well-attended from many congregations in
our Orange County Cluster, and may be rerun in the near future if there is adequate audience interest.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The following feature list represents our best effort to embark on an earnest journey and conversation together seeking truth and
better understanding of ourselves. We invite you to leave us comments and thoughts so you can join in this virtual conversation
and growth experience.
(Week 1) June 10, 2020 - "Just Mercy" (2019) Director Destin Daniel Cretton’s film tells the true story of lawyer and social
activist Bryan Stevenson's (Michael B. Jordan) mission to free Walter McMillan (Jamie Foxx), an Alabama death row inmate
wrongfully convicted of murdering a white woman.
(Week 2) June 17, 2020 - "A Great And Mighty Walk - John Henrik Clarke" (1996) A documentary narrated by Wesley
Snipes, chronicling the life and work of Dr. John Henrik Clarke, PhD. IMDB says: “A young African American's quest to learn
his place in world history." Dr, Clarke is attributed with bringing Black Studies Programs into university curriculum.
(Week 3) June 24, 2020 - "WALKING WHILE BLACK: L.O.V.E. Is The Answer" (2017) Directed & Produced by A.J. Ali.
The documentary features interviews with police officers, faith leaders, educators, activists and others."L.O.V.E." is Ali's
acronym for: Learn about the community and the people in it. Open your heart to the humanity of people in the community;
Volunteer yourself to be part of the solution; and, Empower others to do the same.
(Week 4) July 1, 2020 - "13th" (2016) A documentary directed by Ava DuVernay, director of “Selma”. The 13th Amendment
abolished slavery, but also included a provision that justifies the use of forced labor by convicts. The film makes the case that
this inclusion is one explanation for rising prison numbers and continuing domination of people of color. (See Original Post on
Facebook)
***BONUS Supplemental Material*** Prior to the start of our Week 6 Feature, former criminology professor and regular
weekly series participant, Steve Bloch shares his own independent research in response to the films from Weeks 3 & 4 looking
at crime and policing in the USA.
https://youtu.be/c3LGPhi11Vo
(Week 5) July 8, 2020 - "I Am Not Your Negro" (2016) Raoul Peck, director. A powerful, probing, and career-spanning
synthesis of James Baldwin’s ideas and activities. Baldwin wrote that "not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing
can be changed if it is not faced." The film is based on an unfinished manuscript by Baldwin titled, “Remember This House”,
as read by actor Samuel L. Jackson. It was to be a radical narration about race in America, told through his own account of the
lives and assassinations of his friends: Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. The film draws on the completed
pages of the novel and rich archival material, to explore and bring a fresh, radical perspective to the current racial narrative in
America. Join us Wednesday, as we face truths about our nation's history of racial inequality and its relevancy in today’s world.
(Week 6) July 15, 2020 - "Take This Hammer" (1964) Director Richard O. Moore was inspired by ’the sense of moral
urgency’ of James Baldwin’s essay, “Letter from a Region in My Mind,” in The New Yorker. Made during the Birmingham
campaign led by Martin Luther King, Jr. and S.C.L.C., the film follows Baldwin as he interviews black residents in San
Francisco. Whereas Raoul Peck's film offered a powerful, probing, and career-spanning synthesis of Baldwin’s ideas and
activities, Moore's is "local, immersive, and immediate".
(Week 7) ***Syllabus Adjustment*** (Upcoming) July 22, 2020 - Video Tribute to the Lives and Legacies of C.T. Vivian
and John Lewis
Part I - Rev. C.T. Vivian's Spiritual Journey Learn more about C.T. Vivian on Wikipedia
Part II - John Lewis Full Interview - King In The Wilderness Learn more about John Lewis on Wikipedia
(Week 8) July 29, 2020 - "A Conversation of Race & Privilege with Angela Davis and Jane Elliott" (2018) A Conversation
on Race and Privilege with Angela Davis and Jane Elliott is the latest installment of the student-led Social Justice Solutions
series. Each year, we invite activists, thought leaders, and the community to explore action-oriented strategies to affect social
change. This year we are honored to host two luminaries who have long been on the front lines of pushing the national
conversation on race and racial justice forward.
***BONUS Supplemental Material*** Prior to the start of our Week 8 Feature, former criminology professor and regular
weekly series participant, Steve Bloch returned to share his additional independent research in response to discussion questions
following his Part 1 presentations of findings following the films from Weeks 3 & 4 looking at crime and policing in the USA.
https://youtu.be/pw9BEno3uI0
*** BONUS Supplement Material *** On August 2, 2020, Dr. Glenna Matthews, PhD, spoke to the UUFLB on "The
Confederacy in California." The information shared by Dr. Matthews on California's history is a timely and informative
supplement to the detailed account by Attorney Jeffrey Robinson in our Week 9 feature.
https://youtu.be/XPmGhlGTBfg
(Week 9) August 05, 2020 "The Truth About The Confederacy In America" (2017) Originally a live stream, Jeffery
Robinson, the ACLU’s top racial justice expert, discusses the dark history of Confederate symbols across the country and
outlines what we can do to learn from our past and combat systemic racism.
*** BONUS Supplement Material *** Following up on some of the comments of Attorney Jeffrey Robinson in our Week 9
feature, our minister, Rev. Lee Marie Sanchez located and shared a link to an excellent article, "This is what reparations could
actually look like in America" written June 23, 2017 by Chuck Collins.
*** BONUS Supplement Material *** Following our week 9 feature noted historian, Dr. Glenna Matthews, PhD, spoke to
UUFLB Series Host Don West, Jr. in a one-on-one interview and expanded on the information shared in the preceding week 9
feature covering the Confederacy in America.
https://youtu.be/OB3R1L3rPiU
(Week 10) (Upcoming) August 12, 2020 The Moral Challenge of Slavery and Confederate Emancipation by Don
Livingston Dr. Donald Livingston discusses "The Moral Challenge of Slavery and Confederate Emancipation" at the 2015
Abbeville Institute Summer School.
(Bye Week) August 19, 2020 - No Feature
(Week 11) August 26, 2020 James Baldwin v. William F. Buckley: A Lengendary Debate From 1965 In 1965 at the University
of Cambridge, two of the foremost American intellectuals were challenged with the question: ‘Has the American Dream been
achieved at the expense of the American Negro?’
(Week 11 REPLAY) September 2, 2020 James Baldwin v. William F. Buckley: A Lengendary Debate From 1965 (Due to
technical difficulties on 8/26 our community decided to replay this feature for the benefit of those unable to connect on 8/26.)
(Week 11 BONUS FEATURE) September 2, 2020 The Segregation Myth: Richard Rothstein Debunks an American Lie |
NowThis ‘The racial segregation in every metropolitan area in this country was created by racially explicit government policy,
designed to create racial boundaries.’ — Segregation expert Richard Rothstein has spent his life debunking the American myth
that white and Black people live separately by choice.
(Week 12) September 9, 2020 American Experience: Indians, Outlaws, and Angie Debo (1988-TV) [Guest Host, Dr. Glenna
Matthews, PhD shared her personal knowledge and research regarding Angie Debo as our discussion leader.] A profile of
historian Angie Debo and her exposure of the governmental conspiracy to steal mineral-rich lands from their tribal owners.
Series 1 Episode 3 ; Airing Date: Oct. 18, 1988 (PBS)
SUPPLEMENTAL READING LIST

THE FOLLOWING TITLES HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED BY OUR REGULAR ATTENDEES TO THE WEDNESDAY NIGHT SERIES. EACH HAS A
VALUABLE PIECE OF AN INFINITE PUZZLE OF KNOWLEDGE IN OUR QUEST TO BUILD A BELOVED COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
1. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

2. Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson
3. Denmark Vesey’s Garden: Slavery and Memory in the Cradle of the Confederacy by Ethan J. Kytle, Blain Roberts
4. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein
5. “L.O.V.E. Is The Answer: How You Can Put Principles Of Love Into Action To Build A Stronger Police-Community
Marriage” by A.J. Ali
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE 2022 UUFLB

SUMMER U.P.
(“UNIQUE PROGRAMING”)
Five (5) Week Reading & Discussion Series

“After The Good News – Progressive Faith Beyond Optimism”
By: Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd
Progressive faith is at a crossroads. Liberal pulpits ring with grand sermons about the arc that bends toward justice, and about
progress "onward and upward forever." Meanwhile, the people in the pews struggle to attend to the suffering of their souls and
the tragic aspects of life. In this engaging polemic, using stories and metaphor, Nancy McDonald Ladd issues a call for change.
Speaking from a rising generation of clergy and lay leaders who formed their commitments to liberal religion at the end of the
optimistic modernist age, she shows how the religious life is not characterized by endless human advancement, but by lurching
movement, crisis-management, and pain.
With humor and humanity, Ladd calls religious progressives to greater authenticity and truth-telling rather than blind optimism.
She charts a course forward that includes reclaiming rituals of atonement and lament, and becoming more vulnerable and
accountable in our relationships. She shows how, together, we might build a necessary and greater resilience among ourselves
and for the generations to come.
2022 Discussion Series Schedule

July 10th - Introduction & Chapter 1
July 17th - Chapter 2 & Chapter 3
July 24th - Chapter 4 & Chapter 5
July 31st- Chapter 6 & Chapter 7
Aug. 7th - Chapter 8 & Chapter 9
BIOGRAPHY
2022

DON WEST, JR. is a living African-American polymath; the name repping both a brand and an individual.
Don dreams big, and his passion is to assist others in realizing their own dreams as he has learned
to do. The "Brand" exemplifies happy and healthy living, prosperity, positive leadership,
creativity, strategic action-based planning and the pursuit of excellence.

Don is a self-trained multimedia artist and photographer known for his illustrated series of legendary
athletes & performers each rendered in a bold cartoon style reminiscent of a popular comic book
from yesteryear.

He is the founder and CEO of The Legacy Center (formerly, Revolution Sports Management) and is the world’s first-ever certified "Personne De
Confiance" or "PDC," which translates to “a trusted and reliable person” or in layman’s nomenclature a “Business Agent."
Don recently organized Knock Out The Stigma, Inc. (KOTS), /dba/ The Well-Being Toolbox a peer led Mental Health Awareness organization with a
primary purpose of eradicating the stigmas surrounding mental health and providing accessible tools and resources for those facing mental health
challenges. The Well-Being Toolbox seeks to engage, educate, connect, and empower.
Don specializes in legacy, well-being and self-development and regularly writes articles and gives speeches and presentations on generational
transfer, well-being, lived mental health experience, and self-development. He is often asked to keynote events and gatherings around the
globe.
Don is the creator of 'The Legacy Pyramid' a 22-part system that integrates the teachings of former UCLA Basketball Coach John Wooden and his
Pyramid of Success and aims to establish that "Every Life Is A Legacy."
If your life or business can use a powerful infusion of positive energy, strategic-planning, and enthusiastic creativity, then you should associate
with Don West, Jr.
MISC. APPENDED
BACKGROUND MATRIALS
2022

Featured on ‘s “SUPER AGENT”
Legacy & Estate Planning
Corporate & Small Business Consulting
Dynamic Speaker & Trainer
Creator, The Legacy Pyramid
Former NFL Super Agent and current advisor and business

manager to high net worth and high visibility clients, Don West, Jr.
is known around the world as The Legacy Specialist.
Don uses his story and shares his personal challenges with mental health and bi-polar disorder advocating
to #EmpowerYourOwnWellBeing and working to help others become self-sustaining neighbors.
Don West, Jr.
Ambassador of Well-Being
Certified Peer Specialist

• Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)
• Project Return Peer Support Network (PRPSN)
Mental Health Community Organizer
Dynamic Speaker & Trainer
Founder, The Well-Being Toolbox, Inc.

formerly, Knock Out The Stigma, Inc.
Former NFL Super Agent and current advisor and business

manager to high net worth and high visibility clients, Don West, Jr.
is known around the world as The Legacy Specialist.
Don uses his story and shares his personal challenges with mental health and bi-polar disorder
advocating to #empoweryourownwellbeing and working to help others become functioning
neighbors. www.wellbeingtoolbox.org

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APPLICATION

APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

03 Religious Community Leader Reference

09 Personal Essay Statements

34 Misc. Appended Background Materials

APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

Dear Mr. Waterman:

Thanks for your consideration,

APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

Dear Sir or Madam:

APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

October 31, 2022

Dear Committee Member(s),

Kendrick Scott, PhD

APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

1) Starr King’s purpose is to educate progressive spiritual leaders. What is your

same as any who have contemplated this path, I am human.

2) Starr King’s educational philosophy requires self-direction and emphasizes

experience. Either I do, or I don’t.

3) Starr King embodies a commitment to education to counter oppressions to create

elixir that charmed my soul.

exclamations, I decided to jump in the boat.

exampled what I could do and should do more of.

7) Do you have any concerns, whether physical, psychological or educational, that

appropriate time in the future, if necessary.

APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

Christened me in front of my family in the church he had built.

According to a family history compiled in a book 2 written by my uncle, Gary A. West, on my

in places many would not.

responsibility to myself and my family.

gleaming examples and seemed Titans to that young man.

always pushing me to higher highs.

for the Fellowship even from Henderson.

concur. Blessed be. Namaste. Onwards.

APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

Donald L. West, Jr., J.D.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

♦ FRITZ MARTIN MANAGEMENT, Las Vegas, NV

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, CONT.

PAST ACADEMIC POSITIONS

♦ THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF LAW, Coral Gables, Florida

♦ THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY, Tallahassee, Florida

♦ THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW, Tallahassee, Florida

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, CONT.

♦ THE SAMFORD UNIVERSITY, Birmingham, Alabama

♦THE WILLIAM PENN CHARTER SCHOOL, Philadelphia, PA

PAST PROFESSIONAL & SERVICE AFFILIATIONS

♦ “Introducing Personal Legacy Statements,” University of Miami School of Law.

LAY-LED PROGRAMS, HOMILIES & SERMONS

MEDIA PRODUCTION CREDITS

THE 2020 UUFLB

(Bye Week) August 19, 2020 - No Feature

SUPPLEMENTAL READING LIST

1. How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

THE 2022 UUFLB

Five (5) Week Reading & Discussion Series

2022 Discussion Series Schedule

APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

APPLICATION MATERIALS DONALD L. WEST, JR., JD

Legacy & Estate Planning

Corporate & Small Business Consulting

Dynamic Speaker & Trainer

Creator, The Legacy Pyramid