2021 SHARP AWARD WINNERS 

Shara shared this about her success, "I contribute my success to strong women who have influenced my life in a positive way. One of the most influential of those was my Mom who was left a widow when I was age 11 and just passed away in November. My Mom was absolutely the strongest woman I know. She was left to raise 3 children on her own when my Dad passed away. She worked hard and despite raising us on a small income she received as a library worker she never let us know that we were poor. She provided the best she could and relied on her faith to see her through. As I think back to people who have made me who I am today they are all strong women who instilled in me that if I work hard, be humble, and trust God I can be successful."

My personal time is devoted to my family. My girls are now 6 and 8 years old and my husband has since retired from his police career after 25 years. Unfortunately for him, I didn’t let him hang out at home though. I made him come work at Phifer which ironically was where he worked prior to entering the Police Academy. We love spending time with our girls and occasionally get to slip away on a weekend for some us time.

"I am active in my church, a place I can grow in faith and learn to be the person God wants me to be. I also co-lead a small group through my church that is centered around praying for the Elementary School our children attend. We as Mama’s encourage one another and ask that God provide guidance and protection over our children."

"Someone asked me at work recently what my passion was and at first it stumped me and I didn’t have an answer. After thinking about it I immediately knew my answer. Collaborating with others, in particular women, that surround me every day to make things better. Whether it be race relations, motherhood, work, or personal struggles in the end we all want to be better people. Love one another, encourage one another and be the friend we want to have."

Dr. Shjuan D. Crockett, DNP, FNP-C, CDP is currently a healthcare provider for the American Veteran population. She has over 18 years of healthcare experience in an array of healthcare settings, including: acute care, inpatient care, outpatient care, geriatric care, family medicine, rural healthcare, and nursing management. She has published evidence-based research aimed at improving healthcare disparities. She was also recognized as one of the finalists for Alabama’s top nurses in 2020. She is committed to educating her patients and her community to empower them to make educated healthcare choices. She is a dedicated healthcare and community advocate and values serving as a mentor to others.

Nikki Taylor is a Tuscaloosa native who graduated from the University of Alabama with a Public Relations degree and a Communications minor in 2019. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs, she always knew at some point in her life she would have her own business.

Since early on in high school and college she has always had a love for all things social media and after college that is how her business conspired. She felt like it was time for her to take the leap of faith and Nikki founded MC Social in April of 2021. She has had no investors along the way, which says a lot about her hard work ethic. Nikki is passionate about working with small to mid-sized businesses on improving or building their overall brand.

MC Social offers a variety of creative services specializing in social media management, public relations services, graphic design, content creation, and more. With MC Social being a remote agency they can service any client in any state. Nikki is looking forward to continuing to serve her community and beyond. 

Shelby shared her journey with us, "I am a graduate of The University of Alabama where I studied accounting. I started my career in Atlanta working for Law Engineering and Environmental Services where I started in Accounts Receivable and Payable working my way up to being a part of my first system conversion. From there I moved to Alabama and worked for Vanity Fair in Monroeville Alabama learning all about cost accounting, and manufacturing. Monroeville was where I joined the women’s leadership group where one project was to work with teaching reading to adults. From Monroeville, I moved back home to Selma and worked at People’s Bank and Trust Company as the Assistant Controller. When People’s Bank was bought by BankTrust I went to Tuscaloosa to help set up Capstone Bank. I left Capstone Bank and spent a few years doing consulting work. Seven years ago I started at Alabama ONE Credit Union as the Controller and recently transitioned into the Senior Director of Operations."

Raquel Garcia is a business and community leader. She is the backbone of her family and an advocate for all women. Raquel and her husband own Pastor’s Kitchen Restaurants, Pastor’s Coffee and Gift Shop, Pastor’s Food Trucks, and are the founders of Kingdom Kitchen Community Outreach. Raquel has used all her business platforms to provide resources for others in need, especially women. Her mission is to make all women aware of their power and remind them of God’s purpose: “Women are suitable, exceptional, and intelligent enough to achieve anything and everything.”