Friendship is Essential to the Soul
BROTHER SPOTLIGHT
The Mighty MIGHTY Chi Theta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated is home to many notable men who have excelled greatly in their industry. Below you will find short biographies showing the accomplishments of a few of our most notable members.
JOHN MARKS
2-67-Chi Theta
John Robert Marks III was born July 25, 1947. He is the former Mayor of Tallahassee from 2003-2014 and is currently the managing principal in the law firm of Marks and Marks, LLC. The firm focuses its practice on inter-governmental relations, utility regulation, telecommunications, internet and media technology. Marks was among the first African Americans to attend Florida State University where he received his B.S. degree in 1969 for Business Administration, and his J.D. degree for law in 1972. Marks has been recognized as one of FU’s 100 Distinguished Graduates, inducted in the FSU Alumni Circle of Gold, the FSU Presidents Club, and the Florida A&M University’s College of Education Gallery of Distinction. Marks was a board member, Vice Chairman and general counsel for FBMC benefits Management Company for 35 years and is also currently on the Board of Trustees for the Collins Institute at FS.
He is a US Air Force Vietnam era veteran serving as a Judge Advocate (Captain).
He is also a member of the Sigma Pi Phi Boule’, and a life member of NAACP, the National Bar Association, and Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated where he was a member of the Chi Theta chapter charter line at FSU. Marks professional memberships include the American, National, Florida, Tallahassee Bar and Barristers Associations, and the American Law Institute. He is married to Jane A. Marks, a psychotherapist, local television personality and certified Zumba instructor. His son, John IV, and daughter-in-law Cristina are parents of his grandchildren Elsa Julianna and John Robert Marks, V.
FRED FLOWERS
5-67-Chi Theta
Fred Flowers was born January 12th, 1948 in Tallahassee, Florida. His only sibling is his sister, Doby Lee Flowers, who was born two years after him. Being Tallahassee natives, both of these individuals are first-hand witness to the social transition that took place after the advent of the civil rights movement. They both are extremely prominent figures within the history of Florida State University and serve as the embodiment of perseverance though times in which a predominantly white institution first started to even consider admitting students of our stature (African Americans).
Without their efforts and commitment to being scholars of the utmost integrity, it is hard to say what position the black community within the student body at FSU would be in today. Mr. Flowers first enrolled at Florida State University in the fall of 1965 shortly after graduating from Old Lincoln High School (the first all-black school in Leon County). This was shortly after FSU first started admitting black students into the school, so tensions were high at the time. This did not deter Fred in pursuing his passion and shortly after his freshman year he joined the baseball team as the first African American to do so.
Additionally, he was instrumental in the process of establishing and chartering the first black Greek letter organization at FSU (the Mighty Mighty Chi Theta chapter of Omega Psi Phi). His assistance in the creation of a long lineage of upstanding black men at FSU still resonates to this day and is a testament to the perseverance of the black community through racial division during the time. On top of this, he was also a key part of the creation of the Black Student Union on FSU campus. All of these contributions to the school serve as an indication of his enormous efforts to help set a path for future black students who attend FSU, a path that many still walk into this very day.
HANSEL TOOKES II
8-67-Chi Theta
Hansel E. Tookes II, retired from Raytheon Company in December 2002. He joined Raytheon in September 1999 as President and Chief Operating Officer of its Raytheon Aircraft Company subsidiary, a commercial, military and regional aircraft manufacturing company. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon Aircraft Company in January 2000 and Chairman in August 2000. He became President of Raytheon International in May 2001. Prior to joining Raytheon in 1999, he served United Technologies Corporation as President of its Pratt & Whitney Large Military Engines Group since 1996. He joined United Technologies Corporation in 1980 and held a variety of senior leadership positions. Mr. Tookes is a former Naval Aviator and pilot for United Airlines.
Hansel is a director of Corning Inc., Ryder System, Inc., Nextera Energy, Inc., and the Harris Corporation, and is a former member of the National Academies Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board. He is also a former member of the boards of BBA Aviation, plc, the Florida State University Foundation and the Florida Education Fund.
Hansel is married to Paula Wyche Tookes and they have two children, Heather and Hansel III and one grandson, Ryann. Hansel graduated from FSU in 1969 where he majored in physics and was a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He has a MS in aeronautical systems from the University of West Florida, studied quantitative methods of business at Louisiana State University and completed the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School.
LEONARD HALL (OMEGA CHAPTER)
9-67-Chi Theta
The Late Leonard Hall was a Florida State University undergraduate student who also played on the Florida State University Basketball team. He grew up and was raised in Camden, New Jersey. He went to Camden High School. He was Florida State University’s first black basketball player. Not only was he the first at Florida State University but he was among the first to play in the deep south.
People described Leonard Hall as an outgoing person who made friends easily. One of his closest friends is John Marks. John Marks described Leonard Hall as always being positive and never really being upset.
He played one basketball game which his game time was only 4 minutes. During his game he scored two baskets and two rebounds. His jersey number was 14. During the game he slipped and twisted his knee. This forced him to leave the game and he had to undergo surgery which ended his basketball career. Despite this the team still won the game by four points. The game was against Valdosta State in December of 1966.
His wife’s name is Sandra (married for 38 years) and they have six children. In 1969 he joined the New Jersey police department where he worked for 29 years as a senior investigator. In 1992 he was inducted into the Al Carino Hall of Fame. He was also a Charter Member of the Mighty Mighty Chi Theta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated (Fall 1967, Superfine 9, #9). He passed away on a Wednesday morning due to respiratory failure.
BENJAMIN CRUMP
3-88-Chi Theta
Benjamin Crump represents clients in some of the most important and contentious cases of our time, taking a place in legal history with his pursuit of justice.
His role in the Trayvon Martin, Martin Lee Anderson Boot Camp, Jannie Ligons (State of Oklahoma vs. Daniel Holtzclaw) and Robbie Tolan cases shows a legacy built around the idea that the Constitution applies to everyone, at every level of society.
Mr. Crump’s passion for advocacy has given him the privilege to fight for justice on behalf of the marginalized in our country, a calling to which he remains dedicated.
Mr. Crump has broken barriers in several legal organizations, serving as the first African-American President of the Federal Bar Association for the Northern District of Florida and the first African-American Chairman of the Florida State University College of Law Board of Directors. He is a member of the American Bar Association, American Association for Justice, The Florida Justice Association, and many other groups dedicated to the law and the pursuit of justice.
Mr. Crump is a frequent speaker and author, having been featured in documentaries like NPR’s “How Lawyer Got Nation Talking About Trayvon Martin,” and BET’s “I Am Trayvon Martin: A Family’s Fight for Justice.” Mr. Crump is also a frequent contributor to Time magazine, discussing many of the civil rights and criminal justice issues African-Americans face today. Mr. Crump will also appear on a television show called “Evidence of Innocence,” which will feature stories about individuals who were wrongfully imprisoned.
He’s received significant recognition for his service in pursuit of civil rights and justice for minorities, being included on prestigious lists like The National Trial Lawyers’ Top 100 Lawyers and Ebony Magazine’s Power 100 Most Influential African Americans. He has also received the National Urban League’s Whitney Young Award, AKA’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award, the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award, and the SCLC’s Martin Luther King Servant Leader Award.
Mr. Crump is heavily involved in his community, having previously endowed scholarships to Florida A&M University, Livingston College, Florida State University, and Bethune Cookman University for minority law students. He also serves as the president and co-founder of MyDad360, a mentoring program for fathers endorsed by Colin Powell and recognized by President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative. He is a Life Member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, the NAACP, and the Urban League.
He previously served as the inaugural Board Chairman of Florida’s Big Bend Fair Housing Center, and also served as General Counsel to the Florida State Conference of the NAACP and sat on the boards of the Innocence Project and the Equal Justice Institute.
Mr. Crump was born and raised in Lumberton, North Carolina, and is the oldest of nine siblings and step-siblings. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Florida State University. He is a congregation member and serves on the Board of Trustees for the Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. He is married to Dr. Genae Angelique Crump, is the proud father of Brooklyn Zeta Crump, and the guardian of two adopted cousins, Marcus and Chancellor
AHLI MOORE
1-91-Chi Theta
Brother Ahli Moore is an Atlanta-based business consultant, leadership coach, and strategist with over 25 years of organizational development, training, change management and business readiness experience. As the CEO and founder of X-Factor Solutions, Mr. Moore is passionate about helping people from all walks of life identify and grow their unique leadership talents. Since 1993, Bro. Moore has worked with senior executives, training organizations, and human resources departments to increase organizational efficiency and employee performance across a multitude of industries. He has consulted for several Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations to develop customized performance improvement programs that span an array of interventions, including training, employee performance assessments, organizational needs assessments, leadership development, succession planning, communication planning, strategic planning, employee conflict management and stress management.
Bro. Moore holds a Master of Science degree in Marketing Communications & Information Technologies and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political & Public Affairs Communication, both from the Florida State University. His other professional training includes Human Performance Architecture study at Loughborough University, Leicestershire, United Kingdom, and he is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Philosophy in Global Leadership & Change from Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Education and Psychology
ZACHARY CROCKETT
4-93-Chi Theta
A South Florida native, Zack Crockett is a well-recognized professional athlete who enjoyed a very successful career in the NFL. Crockett began his career as a collegiate athlete at Florida State University, where he received a number of accolades, including recognition as the first fullback to rush for 100-plus yards in a game since 1984. He was a part of FSU’s 1993 National Championship Team. Crockett was drafted in the third round of the NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts, where he played for four years. In 1999, he found his true home with the Oakland Raiders, where he spent nine years, totaling a 13-year career in the NFL. Crockett played in 175 games with 61 starts, including a streak of 109 consecutive games played dating back to the fourth game of the 1999 season. During his professional football career, Crockett had 510 carries for 1,701 yards and 36 touchdowns, 35 of which were scored while with the Oakland Raiders.
Crockett has continued his career in football beyond the playing field, currently working as a Southeast Area Scout for the Oakland Raiders. Crockett is the co-founder and vice president of the Crockett Foundation, a South Florida-based non-profit organization that serves youth through educational programs with the mission to help build character, develop leaders and improve the community. Through this organization, he is fulfilling his passion of giving back to the community and working closely with South Florida youth.
Crockett grew up in Pompano Beach and attended Blanche Ely High School, where he also played football. He graduated from Florida State University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology.
HENRI CROCKETT
3-95-Chi Theta
Henri Crockett is the co-founder and president of the Crockett Foundation, a South Florida-based non-profit organization that serves youth through educational programs with the mission to help build character, develop leaders and improve the community, one child at a time.
A native of Pompano Beach, Florida, Crockett earned an athletic scholarship to Florida State University where he joined his older brother Zack as a member of the Seminoles, (the 1993 National Champions and the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship team from 1993 to 1997). In 1997, Crockett was selected in the 4th round of the National Football League (NFL) draft. He played for seven years, five seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He was a starting player with the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII in 1999.
Shortly after being drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, Crockett founded Team 94, a non-profit organization that assisted at-risk youth with after-school tutoring and mentoring in the metropolitan Atlanta area. Through his individual effort with Team 94, Mr. Crockett was able to help several young adults in the Atlanta area achieve their dream of attending college, which seemed out of reach for them at the time. Crockett was so inspired by the progress and achievements of the youth enrolled in Team 94 that he sought to expand his philanthropic reach.
After relocating to Minnesota when he was traded to the Vikings, Crockett co-founded the Crockett Foundation with his brother Zack. The brothers returned to their hometown of Pompano Beach, Florida during the 2002 off-season and began hosting the annual Crockett Foundation Weekend, which included a black-tie gala, a golf tournament, and a football camp for youth to raise money for educational tutoring and mentoring programs in the City of Pompano Beach.
Since its inception, the Crockett Foundation has been strongly committed to its mission of helping build character, develop leaders and improve the community, one child at a time. In 2009, Crockett created the annual Crockett Foundation Community Health Festival for the residents of Broward County. Through this initiative, the Crockett Foundation brings the community together as families prepare for the back-to-school season. The goal of the festival is to educate families on the importance of maintaining good health and to promote positive lifestyle choices.
In the community, Crockett is a member of the non-profit Executive Alliance of Broward and the Orange Bowl Committee, and serves as chair of the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance. Crockett also serves as the Orange Bowl Liaison for the NCAA Sun Belt Conference. He recently was accepted into Leadership Florida Class XXXV where he will participate in an eight-month educational program that consists of a series of sessions held in cities throughout Florida.
In 2015, Crockett was honored at the Greater Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce Annual Shining Star Awards Luncheon for he Crockett Foundation’s impact on our community. In October of this year, he will be inducted into the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame for positively affecting Broward County through sports and athletic involvement.
Also a successful businessman and entrepreneur, Crockett is the president and CEO of South Florida Development & Investment Company, president and CEO of Guaranteed Enterprise Trucking Services and owner and operator of Vanity Salon. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in criminology from Florida State University and is an active alumni member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.
NICHOLAS MADDOX
2-01-Chi Theta
Commissioner Nicholas J. Maddox is one of two At-Large Commissioners for Leon County. He was elected to the Board of County Commissioners in 2010 with the goal of bringing diversity, increased transparency and a competitive edge to a county he has grown to love. Recruited to play football in 1999 for Florida State University, Nick left North Carolina for Tallahassee and found the place he would call home. As a running back with FSU, Nick was a part of the 1999 National Championship Team and left in 2001 to play at the highest level, the National Football League.
After spending three years in the NFL playing with the Browns, Chargers and Panthers, Nick returned home to Tallahassee and the Florida State Seminoles graduating with dual degrees in business & real estate while working with the Seminole Boosters.
Nick’s passion for football and winning has translated quickly to success for Leon County. He has committed his time in office to focusing on building up Tallahassee’s youth, bringing in new businesses to Tallahassee and growing local businesses. Nick continues to serve as County Commissioner through 2022 as he plans to continue his tenacious support of redevelopment areas, quality of life and environmental preservation is ensuring it remains that way for years to come.