Waverly Native, Author & Veteran Deborah L. Parker Women's Day Speaker at First Baptist Church

PETERSBURG, Va. - May 27, 2013 - PRLog -- Deborah began by acknowledging her family and former teachers that were present at the historic First Baptist Church Women's Day Program.

Growing up on Waverly’s Rte 606 Beaver Dam Road, she then recounted how she learned about chores and discipline, especially from determined women who got up and did what they needed to do.  Her mother, the late Mary Parker Brown, was a focused single mother of four and they all resided in the home of her late maternal grandparents, Joseph and Pearl Parker.  In their shotgun style house with no indoor plumbing, this was not an easy life but a necessary one. The centerpiece of that small community of 3 other homes back then was a shared well with a pump on top. So everyone journeyed to the well to fill their buckets in order to sustain their daily needs for nourishment and hygiene. Everyone had to contribute and through those experiences, she learned from them that things would get better.

Lest we forget, Deborah said that it’s important to pause and remember the women in our lives, the culture and the love they laid before us. Momma, Grandmamma, Auntie, Cousin, Miss so and so. Indeed these women here in Waverly have been the help in every aspect of family, community, religion, education, and civil rights.

So the five lessons Deborah gleaned from Women, the Well and Waverly are:

Lesson I  Have a Strong work ethic

Lesson II  Know how to Weather the storms

Lesson III We are worthy of love and adornment

Lesson IV Honor the wisdom of the ages

Lesson V Worship fully and often

In taking in these lessons, Deborah implored those assembled to think about the power of this legacy and gain strength as well as share the stories with the next generation.

Through her company, The DPJ Training Group, Deborah has been providing motivational speaking, leadership, diversity and personal development learning programs for private and public sector clients for over 15 years. She has also coached all levels of employees through periods of significant change in their career and personal lives. To solidify her work, Deborah blends an academic background of an M.A. in Human Resource Development from George Mason University and  B.A. Sociology, College of William and Mary, with career stops as an Army reserve officer and corporate manager, to ensure best result outcomes for her customers. She is a member of the Metro DC Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development, Loudoun County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and other community groups. Deborah has penned four books, Navigating Life's Roadways: Stories of Insight from My Odyssey and Inspiration for Your Journey and Life is A Review: Observations and Collection of My Passages Through the Times. Both chronicle highlights of her life's setbacks and successes with the themes of career, family, and choices in a motivating format with relatable takeaways for readers. Another book, For People of Strength, Soul, and Spirit: 7 Guidelines for Life & Career Success which focuses on African American goal achievement. Her most recent publication is Hardcore Leadership: 11 Master Lessons from My Airborne Ranger Uncle’s “Final Jump”, part biography of her late uncle, the Honorable Harris L. Parker, a retired Army Command Sergeant Major and Chair of the Sussex County Board of Supervisors.