Dr. Renata Hedrington-Jones was born in Chicago and raised in Washington, DC. She retired from Richmond Public Schools after 30 years of service. She currently serves as Core faculty at Walden University. Dr. Hedrington-Jones received the Nia Lifetime Achievement Award from NABSW. Her goals are to make life better for others through education, mentoring and life experiences. She loves teaching  on the collegiate level. She also believes God has blessed her to share through education. She has had an abundance of experiences that are valuable to the social work profession. She aspires to conduct the wishes of the ancestors, founders, and African American communities and the world through purposefulness and the Principles of Ma’at.