Noted Inspirational Author, Speaker & Veteran Deborah L. Parker Keynotes Leesburg Virginia's Martin Luther King March & Program, "Moving the Dream Forward For All of Us" January 21

LEESBURG, VA, January 16, 2013 (Press-News.org) Deborah L. Parker remembers the evening of April 4, 1968. In her rural Waverly Virginia home with no indoor plumbing, on the way to the laundromat with her mother, it seemed as if the world stopped. The headline of the evening news: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has been assassinated. What happens to the dream? Deborah wondered. She was poor, black, and a good student in a segregated Sussex County. Her mother was a single parent of four and they lived with her maternal grandparents in a shotgun style house on a wooded back road. But her mother was determined and her grandparents wise, plus they all emphasized how important it was to 'git your lessin'. With Dr. King's work and these three elements along with her Baptist upbringing, Deborah pushed onward and dreamed anyway.

She went on to attend The College of William and Mary in 1973, just several years after its doors were opened to black students. The family eventually moved to homes with indoor bathrooms. She became an army officer and pursued other goals in spite of numerous obstacles. Deborah claims victory from these hallmarks!

45 years later, she continues to dream and recognize for this country, community and herself. Thinking of the 150 years since the Emancipation Proclamation was signed and how 50 years ago the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and the March on Washington changed America, Deborah understands the power and impacts of these events. They are foundational.

So now she uses the gifts and wits gained from these historical and personal experiences to be of service to others in the messages of her writing and speaking.

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. Using the tools of 360 feedback and other developmental assessments, 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 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 three 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. Her newest work is For People of Strength, Soul, and Spirit: 7 Guidelines for Life & Career Success which focuses on African American goal achievement. More informaiton on her books and speaking can be found at; http://www.navigatinglifesroadways.com/