John Bernier: President
As a native of Boston, John is new to the DMV area. In 2007 he
graduated from Boston University’s School of Management with a focus
in marketing. After discovering his passion for gospel music the year
prior, John established Gospel Management Group (GMG) to serve artists
in the Northeast. Almost overnight, the company ballooned and expanded
to include marketing and promotional services for major label artists
as well.
In 2010, John decided to pursue his MBA after realizing the
need for strategic planning and the application of
careful analysis in this niche market. Beyond serving on club boards
here at Smith, John is also an active member of
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
As current president of the BMBAA John’s goals include increasing community engagement and fostering career development. In his spare time John enjoys working out, playing the piano, and paintballing.
Stephanie Cary: Executive Vice-President
Stephanie is a native of College Park, MD and earned a bachelors degree in
Electrical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from the University
of Delaware in 2004. After graduating she accepted a position with the
Department of State where she worked on telecommunications design and
construction projects for US Embassies throughout the world; including Ghana,
Albania, India and Brazil to name a few. In 2007 she became a licensed
Real Estate Salesperson and started her own real estate investment company,
providing basic property management services for a handful of residential units in
Prince Georges County. Needing a change of pace and wanting more out of life,
Stephanie decided to pursue an MBA and joined the Smith School in 2011 where
she is focusing on Finance and Entrepreneurship.
In her spare time Stephanie enjoys reading, traveling, cooking, baking, music, dance and giving back to the community. She is a regular volunteer at Miriam's Kitchen in Washington, DC and also serves as a DC Area Ambassador for The BOSS Network, an online organization dedicated to connecting and empowering professional women.
Bayo Togonu-Bickersteth: Vice-President of Marketing & Communications
Bayo was born in Nigeria and moved to Canada to further his studies. He
earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering
from Lakehead University in Ontario. After graduation, he worked for
Aviya Technologies, a consulting firm in the Aerospace industry
before going on to pursue his MBA where he is focusing on operations
management and strategy. He works at the Office of Human Resources
for the Mechanical Engineering department as a Graduate Assistant
and he is also a Smith ambassador.
Over the summer, he interned as a Management Consultant at the Maryland Small Business Development Center.
He enjoys playing soccer, squash, movies, dancing and singing.
Ugonma Onukwubiri: Vice- President of External Relations
Ugonma is originally from Nigeria. She graduated from UMD Clark School of Engineering with a Bachelors of
Science degree in Aerospace Engineering. She lived in Houston for 2+ years where she worked within the
Aerospace and Defense industry at NASA Johnson Space Center. At JSC, Ugonma trained Astronauts, Cosmonauts, Flight directors and Flight
controllers on the operations and malfunctions of the Space Shuttle Systems specifically on the Electrical Power, Auxiliary Power and
Hydraulics, and the Environmental and Life Support System.
At the Smith School of Business, she is focused on Finance and Strategy, and interned at Air Products and Chemicals under their
Career Development Program during summer 2012.
She loves traveling, adventurous sports, dancing and listening to music.
Cynthia Osueke: Vice- President of Programs and Events
Cynthia is a 2013 MBA/MPP Candidate
from Houston, Texas. She attended Georgetown University, graduating with a BA in Government and certificate in
African Studies. She worked for a few years in the nonprofit
sector and spent a year traveling and interning in South Africa and Nigeria. After working a few years in social
services, she returned to Maryland to further her career in consulting.
She started at the School of Public Policy before enrolling in the joint MBA program. Outside of school, she started a small business selling imported handbags from Nigeria.
Brittany Grimes: Part-Time Students Liaison, Shady Grove
Native to Illinois, Brittany attended
Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA. In 2008 she graduated
Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Minor
in Management. Brittany joined Altria (Philip Morris USA) as a Sales
and Brand Management Intern and continued with the company after
graduation as a Territory Sales Manager in Montgomery County,
Maryland.
She is currently in her 2nd year at Robert H. Smith School of Business.
In her (rare!) spare time, she enjoys baking and playing with her dog, a 1 1/2 year old Lhasa apso named Eva.
To contact the Smith Black MBA Association, please email us at
bmbaa@rhsmith.umd.edu.