About Vernon

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Vernon Rawls—widely known by his African name Chuma Lumumba—is a dynamic leader who blends corporate financial expertise with deep-rooted cultural activism and global Pan-Afrikan engagement. As the Chief Financial Officer and co-founder of eXclusive Services Inc., Chuma leads the strategic financial management team of a non-profit integrated healthcare organization. He is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, with degrees in Marketing and Business Management.

Beyond finance, Chuma holds certifications as a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA), Qualified Mental Health Specialist and a Prevention Professional from the Ohio Chemical Dependency Professionals Board. He applies Reality Therapy and psychoeducational models in working with at-risk youth and individuals navigating substance use recovery, offering a holistic approach to behavioral health and community healing.

Chuma’s impact, however, transcends boardrooms and budgets. In 2014, he underwent a traditional African naming ceremony, reclaiming the name Chuma Lumumba, which reflects his ancestral identity and lifelong commitment to the empowerment of Afrikan people. In 2023, he was formally enstooled and given the title “Chief Omere Oha I” in the village of Ngor/Okpala in Imo State, Owerri, Nigeria, where he is also a citizen, business owner, and landholder. This traditional honor affirms his role as a cultural leader and bridge-builder between African nations and the diaspora.

Chuma also has deep familial and economic ties to the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he is a landowner and active supporter of economic development initiatives. His Pan-Afrikan outlook is grounded in both heritage and action, as seen in his leadership role as Chairman of the Cincinnati Pan-Afrikan Coalition (CPAC). Under his direction, CPAC has expanded its international reach, building strategic alliances with African nations such as Tanzania, Ghana, Gambia, Nigeria, Zambia, and the Congo, and fostering engagement with the African Union and Sahel States. CPAC works to strengthen diasporic unity and advocate for the sovereignty and self-determination of African peoples worldwide.

Locally, Chuma is the founder and Chair of the Conscious Mind Study Group, established in 2011. This grassroots collective is dedicated to promoting Afrikan-centered education, history, and consciousness. His cultural advocacy has led to meaningful institutional recognition, including a 2017 proclamation from the City of Cincinnati, honoring his work in cultural education and leadership.

Chuma has also been a tireless youth advocate, mentoring justice-involved Black males ages 13–18 through the Hamilton County Youth Advocate Program, and providing culturally affirming mentorship focused on accountability, identity, and leadership. In recognition of this work, he received the “Youth Service” award from the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission in 2014.

A prolific organizer and cultural facilitator, Chuma has spearheaded events across the city and region, including Afrikan Liberation Day, Juneteenth, Kwanzaa, Marcus Garvey Day, and Black History Month programs within correctional institutions. He was instrumental in the raising of the Red, Black, and Green Liberation Flag at Cincinnati City Hall beginning in 2022 to the present, a symbolic milestone in the recognition of Afrikan contributions and continued resistance.

Whether as a financial strategist, youth advocate, cultural ambassador, or international liaison, Chief Omere Oha I, Chuma Lumumba stands as a visionary leader who continues to bridge worlds—corporate and cultural, ancestral and contemporary, local and global. His life’s work is a testament to the belief that economic power, cultural dignity, and Pan-Afrikan unity are inseparable tools in the pursuit of liberation and legacy.