Our
Leadership
Heyward
Dortch, CEO/Founder
Heyward
Dortch is the Founder and CEO of The Diversa Group, Inc, a
firm that specializes in career, entrepreneurship, leadership
and organization consulting, development and training. The
firm was established in 1995 and its services are provided
to clients nationwide. Mr. Dortch provides visionary leadership
for the firm and work directly with business owners and prospective
business owners providing training and consulting services
on how to start, operate and manage their business. In addition,
he consults and provides training for faith based and non-profit
organization in developing and implementing sound management,
accounting, budgeting, customer service and risk management
practices.
In addition to serving as CEO of The Diversa Group, Inc, Mr.
Dortch is the Vice President of Ebenezer A.M.E. Church Non-Profit
Housing Corp and Vice President of Robert Thomas Limited Dividend
HALP, where he provided leadership in developing and rehabilitating
a five million dollar apartment building for seniors and other
qualified applicants. In addition, he is a Trustee and Chief
Financial Officer for Ebenezer A.M.E. Church.
Prior
to founding The Diversa Group, Heyward Dortch was Executive
Vice President of Michigan Consolidated Homes Limited Dividend
Housing Corp, a subsidiary of Michigan Consolidated Gas Company.
There he was responsible for the operation and management
of all of the company’s housing development functions.
At MichCon, Mr. Dortch rose from the rank of being a Senior
Auditor, Administrator, and other positions before being appointed
Executive Vice President of the subsidiary. While at MichCon,
Mr. Dortch founded and served as Chairperson of the company’s
Annual Jobs & Career Seminar. For 15 years, this program
brought together more than 800 high school students and over
125 professional persons who shared with the students the
importance of getting a good education, preparing for college,
getting a job or starting a business.
Mr.
Dortch entire professional career has been in the field of
business. He has broad and extensive knowledge of business
and management having supervised and developed staffs; contracted
and supervised outside management companies; contracted to
provide property management services; developed tenant screening
and rent collection policies and procedures; negotiated and
written contracts, leases and management agreements; lead
teams in developing and implementing quality management programs;
set up accounting systems and developed, implemented and monitored
capital budgets.
Mr.
Dortch has a long history of community involvement having
served as the president of the Detroit chapter of Building
Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) for two and one-half
years; chaired the Eastern Michigan University’s Facility
Management Program Advisory Committee; volunteered for thirty
years as a Junior Achievement Advisor and instructor; taught
economics and entrepreneurship in middle and high schools
for twenty seven years; served for several years as a Consultant
for the University of Michigan School of Business (Dearborn,
Michigan campus) entrepreneurship program; developed the business
plan for Northern High School, Detroit, Michigan, to start
a franchise sign operation named Sign-A-Rama; developed and
implemented mentoring programs, a tutorial program and other
career related programs.
He
has written three books: “A Guide to Getting A Good
Elementary Education”, “Planning For Your Career,
A Resource Guide”, and “Fundamental of Entrepreneurship”,
and presented numerous seminars on property management, entrepreneurship
and career planning.
Mr.
Dortch has been recognized and given numerous awards including:
the “Spirit of Detroit” award from the Detroit
City Council, “Minority Achiever In Industry”
presented by the YMCA of Metropolitan Detroit, “Door
Opener” award from Payne-Pulliam School of Commerce
and Trade, “Strong Achiever” award from radio
station WJLB, Budweiser, and Inacomp, and has been selected
to Marquis Who’s Who in Business in the Midwest. Mr.
Dortch has served on numerous boards and held leadership positions
in the private and non-profit sector.
Mr. Dortch holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business
Administration from Tennessee State University, A Cambridge
Certificate in Risk Management for Churches and Schools from
The University of Cambridge and has done additional graduate
level courses at Wayne State University.
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