Marva G. Ballard

While running the Math Lab at Westlane, I launched my career as a fashion designer, designing under the label M.G. Ballard Designs.  I was coming into my own and gaining a level of confidence I never had as a child.  I enjoyed designing and making beautiful gowns for some of city's prominent women; however, my passion became working with leathers and creating art that could be worn. I had found a way to meld both of my passions - art and fashion.

Not only was I designing clothes, I was producing fashion shows. Four four years I produced the fashion show for the Indianapolis Black Expo which drew audiences in the thousands. I produced one for a product launch for a cosmetic company in Los Angeles, one in conjunction with the Indianapolis Ballet, and numerous other shows for organizations across the city.  One of the more unique shows was for a National Pork Producers Association convention held in Indianapolis. They wanted to highlight the potential of one of their byproducts - pigskin suede, and contracted me to produce and show garments made from it. I was nominated for the More Fashion Awards in N.Y. and even landed a contract to design costumes for the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders for their first season in Indianapolis.

However, a trip to Tuskegee, AL to visit my sister changed the trajectory of my life in a way I never expected.     

I went to visit my sister who was attending Tuskegee University and was invited to meet with the two women who were instructors with a program called Clothing and Related Arts. They had heard about the work I was doing in Indianapolis and thought I could add value to the program. So they offered me an opportunity to join their faculty and not only teach, but help them transition the program to something more in line with current trends.  

I saw it as the opportunity of a lifetime. So, I went back to Indianapolis, sublet my studio and moved to Tuskegee, AL. It was the best move I had ever made. I joined the faculty for the Fall Semester of 1987, teaching beginning and intermediate clothing construction. I loved it! At the annual Christmas party my Dean congratulated me on a job well done and casually mentioned that they needed to see my credentials. I had taught for a full semester thinking that they knew I did not have a degree. It also occurred to me that they never asked. As it turns out, when the Dean discovered that I did not have the required credentials, he proposed that I continue working with the program as the Industry Liaison helping them with the development of the new program. He also said I could continue to teach but that I would "technically" be a lab assistant in the program. However, the caveat was that I would return to school and finish my degree....which I did, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. degree in Fashion Merchandising. I became an "official" member of the faculty in the Fall of 1992. He then encouraged me to continue on and pursue my Masters degree...which I also did, graduating with a M.S. in Extension and Technical Education in 1995.  

I worked with my fellow instructors to develop an advisory board comprised of faculty from fashion programs at other institutions, as well as people in the fashion and connecting industries. They brought resources to the program and help guide the development of the Fashion Merchandising program. As part of that process, I helped craft a new curriculum which mandated that 25% of the coursework be in business with an emphasis on marketing. I also developed marketing collateral for the new program and wrote the program descriptions that were used in the admissions office. Due to the fact that potential students recognized the name Fashion Merchandising as opposed to Clothing and Related Arts, there was a 70% increase in enrollment in the program the first year it was offered.  

We had been told that the program was being considered for termination and our efforts to change it were really efforts to keep it off of the chopping block.  However, in spite of our efforts and the positive results from it, the decision was made to terminate it. So we were told not to accept new students and we went into a teach out mode so that we could graduate the students already enrolled. The other two instructors moved on to other positions. I continued to teach with the program, and also served as the Program Coordinator, until we matriculated the last student and it closed in 1995.  During my years with the program I was honored with outstanding faculty awards for both teaching and service.

I spent another ten years at the University, writing proposals and receiving grants to work on several projects.  I spent four years as Project Coordinator for a project that addressed the overall declining enrollment and low retention rates in the Food and Agricultural Sciences.  I served as the Communications Specialist for the Southern Food Systems Education Consortium (SOFSEC). Funded by the Kellogg Foundation with a $5,000,000.00 grant, the Consortium was comprised of six Land-Grant, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the Southern Black Belt. Additionally, I served on the grant-writing team that was awarded $150,000.00 from the Consortium to develop curricula and train the trainer programs to increase awareness of food systems in the local school district and community. Lastly, prior to moving to Memphis, Tennessee in 2005, I served as marketing director for a tour designed to increase awareness of HIV/AIDS in the Black Belt. The Tour was a program of Project EXPORT, a CDC-funded project of Tuskegee University and the University of Alabama in Birmingham (UAB).  

I served on several committees and helped to coordinate many events during my time with the University. This including serving as chairperson for the exhibit as part of the 21st Century International Sweet Potato Convention that brought scientists and manufacturers of sweet potato products from across the globe.  I also served on the five-year strategic planning committee for our College as we transitioned from the School of Agriculture and Home Economics to the College of Agricultural, Environment and Natural Sciences. However, what I feel is one of my greatest achievement is the establishment of the George Washington Carver Society Endowment Fund. My overall 18 years at Tuskegee University expanded my horizons, aided immensely in my intellectual growth, and gave me the opportunity fully understand and appreciate the role that creativity plays in problem solving. 

I also served part-time on the faculty at Southern Community College in Tuskegee teaching courses in English grammar and composition. It was my first real experience teaching mostly non-traditional adult students.  

I had gained experience teaching in traditional classrooms; however, I really wanted to gain experience in online teaching. So, in 2009 I pursued and was given the opportunity to teach online for the University of Phoenix. I taught for both the online and the Memphis Campus for eight years. During those eight years I took advantage of the opportunity for professional development and additional training, which included creating course content that was compliant with regulations established by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

• Beginning and Intermediate Clothing Construction
• Advanced Design and Construction
• Fashion Illustration
• Visual Merchandising
• Psychology of Clothing
• Fashion Presentation, Publicity and Promotion

• Electronic Publishing (VCT320)
• Critical Thinking & Creative Problem Solving (HUM114)
• Media Influences on American Culture (HUM186)
• Introduction to Film Studies (HUM150)
• Exploration of Western Classical Music (ARTS340)
• Organizational Communications (COMM350)
• Public Speaking for the IT Professional (COMM218)
• Teamwork, Collaboration and Conflict (SOC110)
• Cultural Diversity (SOC315)

I moved to Memphis, TN in November of 2005 to work as a Creative Consultant for a lifestyle television show that aired on the local ABC affiliate station. I was responsible for establishing the branding (developing logos in all formats for use on screen, on the web and in print) and designing the website, marketing collateral and sponsorship packages. 

I also worked with the producers to plan the show. In that capacity, I held planning meetings with the producers to map out shows by the quarter, selected the themes and topics, and assisted with selecting the guests. On the production side, I designed sets, planned wardrobes, created graphic billboards for show enhancement and sponsor ads, wrote scripts, and created detailed instructions for the post-production editing.   

Memphis is also where I gained my experience working with nonprofits.  I worked with two nonprofits, Dress for Success Memphis, and Women of Style Spirit and Success, Inc.  Both organizations aimed to improve the lives of women and subsequently their children.

In my position with Dress for Success Memphis, I was responsible for marketing the organization to stakeholder and stakeholder partners including potential funders, volunteers and the community-at-large. 

In addition, I created several fundraising initiatives for them and was also responsible for developing the images (logos) and marketing collateral (brochures, postcards, posters, etc.) used to promote the events, programs and initiatives.

• The Upscale Garage Sale

• C.O.I.N.S. (Circle of Influence Networking Soirees)

• Suited for Success – a program, initially funded by Goldstrike Casinos, that provided a mobile suiting program for welfare-to-work clients being served by agencies in Tunica, MS.

• Fashioning your Future – a presentation used to teach women trying to enter the workforce how to dress and act appropriately for an interview.

I also developed and published a quarterly newsletter in both a printed and electronic form, designed and maintained the organization’s website, and wrote and distributed press releases, feature stories, etc.  

Women of Style, Spirit and Success Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit I founded in 2004 while still living in Tuskegee, AL. We started operations with the organization in September of 2007 in Memphis,  TN. The organization’s mission was to help women learn and stay engaged with the technology that will help them gain and retain employment, have more success with their businesses, and prepare for the jobs of the future. 

The organization operated three major programs.  Successful Seeds, was a program that taught women operating small businesses how to use technology to market their products and services. We taught them how to use e-mail marketing and social marketing to expand their customer base and increase sales. 

Girls Getting Wired was a program in conjunction with local Best Buy stores that taught women how to use various technological devices. Under the Girls Getting Wired initiative we also conducted outreach programs to women served by various welfare-to-work agencies. 

Our youth program was The F.F.E.W. (The Future’s Fashion Entrepreneurial Women) which used fashion related activities to keep girls engaged in science, technology and math. Middle and high school girls in the program learned to design and draft patterns via computers and also how to sew and construct actual garments. Activities incorporated discussions and processes that connected to science, technology and math content.