This episode is a replay from Season 2. Dr. Adrianne Swinney, former Athletic Administrator for UConn, now Assistant Professor at Jackson State University, joins Monique A. J. Smith for A Chat in the Garden.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Kiara Wyche is a purpose-driven entrepreneur, creative visionary, and the CEO and Founder of
Kiara Kreates—a brand built on passion, resilience, and meaningful connection. Her journey is a
testament to perseverance, having overcome personal hardships, including homelessness and
life transitions, while rising into leadership and entrepreneurship with unwavering faith and
determination.

Fueled by a deep passion for creativity and service, Kiara has transformed her natural artistic
talent into a thriving business that specializes in customized keepsakes, sports memorabilia,
and memorial pieces. Her work goes beyond products—she creates experiences that honor
life’s milestones, celebrate achievements, and provide comfort in times of loss.

With a strong strategic mindset and an innate ability to connect with others, Kiara has grown
Kiara Kreates into a trusted and impactful brand. Her background working with individuals with
autism and developmental needs reflects her compassion, adaptability, and people-first
approach—qualities that are woven into every aspect of her business.

Rooted in faith and driven by purpose, Kiara Wyche continues to turn adversity into impact,
building not just a business, but a legacy centered on creativity, healing, and empowerment.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Sheri Riley is a sought-after global speaker, Founder and President of Exponential Living and
serves on the Advisory Board for the Women’s Premier Basketball Association (WPBA). She is
the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate and the Presidential Lifetime Achievement award. She is
a founding member of John Maxwell’s global Maxwell Leadership Certified Team and member
of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

With over three decades of experience, Sheri's clients include The Coca-Cola Company, JP
Morgan Chase, NBA, Seattle Storm, Texas A&M Women’s Basketball, and the Chicago Bears.
She is an award-winning author of Exponential Living® - Stop Spending 100% of Your Time on
10% of Who You Are, which was nominated for an NAACP Image Awards and won several
global book awards. Her expertise has been featured in NPR, Essence, and Newsweek.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Danielle N. Johnson, known as “Coach Danielle,” is a leadership strategist, author, speaker, and
former women’s basketball coach and athletic administrator with over three decades of experience in education and athletics. Originally from Detroit, Michigan, and currently based in Dallas, Texas, she has served in high-level coaching, athletic administration, and educational leadership roles.

As the founder of Coach Danielle Wins LLC, she delivers impactful coaching, training, and speaking experiences that help individuals and organizations build momentum and lead with purpose. In December 2024, she added “author” to her accomplishments with the release of Power Forward, a book that embodies her signature philosophy of purpose, resilience, and leadership.

Building on a foundation of excellence, Coach Danielle’s career spans nearly 30 years across
classroom instruction, varsity high school athletics, collegiate basketball, and athletic administration. A former collegiate athlete, she understands leadership from the inside out, both as a competitor and as a coach. Her career is marked by championship success at every level, including a High School State Championship as a basketball player and a College National Championship as an athletic administrator, along with numerous professional honors such as Coach of the Year and other leadership awards. Known for her ability to motivate, develop, and inspire high-performing teams, Coach Danielle instills discipline, confidence, and resilience in those she leads. Her success is rooted in grit, determination, and an unwavering commitment to growth.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids,
Michigan, and a master’s degree in educational leadership and administration from Concordia
University in Ann Arbor, Michigan, while proudly crediting her Detroit roots and pedigree as her
greatest preparation, earning her a Ph.D. in the School of Life.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

This episode is a replay from season 3. Alexxis Hutchinson, Owner of Simply Sporty Chic, joined Monique A. J. Smith for A Chat in the Garden.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Dr. Mercedes Himmons begins her third with the Southern Sports Medicine staff in the 2025-26 academic year. She will serve as the primary contact for gymnastics, volleyball and women's track & field. 

Prior to arriving at Southern, Dr. Mercedes was an assistant athletic trainer at California University of PA (Cal U). She provided healthcare to the women’s basketball and women’s soccer teams.  Dr. Mercedes was the athletic trainer for the 2022-23 Women’s Basketball PSAC Champion team.  Himmons earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cal U in 2010 and 2011, respectively. While at Cal U, she worked with the volleyball team in 2008 that advanced to the national quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament. The previous year, she completed an internship with Thomas Jefferson High School (PA) when the Jaguars won the PIAA football state championship.
 
Before returning to Cal U, Himmons spent time at Arcadia and Gwynedd Mercy, which are both NCAA Division III schools outside of Philadelphia. At Gwynedd Mercy, she served as the primary contact for the women’s soccer, cross country, track & field, women’s lacrosse, and cheerleading teams. Himmons was the head athletic trainer at Arcadia after spending time with the men’s soccer, swimming, and women’s lacrosse teams. She worked with the women’s lacrosse team in 2014 when it captured the conference title to earn its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
 
Himmons is a Corrective Exercise Specialist and a Performance Enhancement Specialist through NASM. Himmons has been certified since 2011, is a member of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA), serves as the District 2 Ethnic Diversity Advisory Committee Representative, and volunteers with the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers’ Society (PATS). She also serves on the NCAA Committee on Access, Opportunities, and Impact. Dr. Himmons is in the 2025 Cohort for the NCAA Division II Athletic Directors Association Mentoring Program.
 
She completed her doctorate degree from Robert Morris in Instructional Management and Leadership. Her research interests include minority student-athlete retention, diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in athletic training and higher education, and higher education retention.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Rolynda Contee is a pillar of the Baltimore sports community, a Hall of Fame athlete, and a trailblazing administrator. Her commitment to the youth of Baltimore began in 2002, when she started her tenure as a Physical Education teacher for Baltimore City Public Schools (BCPSS). For over two decades, she has been a consistent force in the lives of thousands of students, fostering a culture of health and discipline.

A firm believer in professional growth, Contee earned the prestigious Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA) national credential in 2023. She further solidified her expertise by completing her Master’s degree in Sports Administration in 2024, standing as one of the most qualified athletic leaders in the region.

Contee’s journey is rooted at Baltimore City College ("The Castle on the Hill"), where she first rose to prominence as an elite student-athlete. Her talent earned her a scholarship to Virginia State University (VSU), where she became a defining figure for the Trojans.

During her collegiate career, she had the distinct honor of playing for the late Peggy Davis, a legendary coach and athletic director whose mentorship helped shape Contee’s own path in leadership. Under Coach Davis, Contee led the VSU Trojans to a CIAA Women’s Basketball Championship victory in 2002, an achievement that earned her plenty of athletic awards. Her enduring impact was formally immortalized in 2023 when she was inducted into the Virginia State University Athletics Hall of Fame.

Before moving into the front office, Contee established a legendary coaching pedigree. Leading programs in Basketball, Softball, and Volleyball, she remarkably secured championships in all three sports, proving her ability to develop talent across different competitive arenas.

In 2017, after a long and decorated coaching career, Contee made history at her alma mater by becoming the first Black female Athletic Director in the history of Baltimore City College. Under her leadership, the department has reached unprecedented heights. In 2022, she was named Athletic Director of the Year, a recognition of her masterful management of 24 varsity teams and the prestigious City-Poly rivalry. Her administrative tenure has seen the capture of 5 State Championships and 4 Regional Titles in various sports.

Contee is a visionary for inclusion and organization. She is responsible for establishing the first and only sanctioned Field Hockey team in the Baltimore City, expanding opportunities for young women in Baltimore. Her influence extends further as the District 9 (Baltimore City) Representative for Basketball, where she is responsible for creating schedules and planning major events for the entire district.

In 2024, she successfully "bridged the gap" by bringing together BCPSS and CIAA athletic directors to create a recruitment pipeline for local talent and leadership. This year, she continues that legacy by hosting the First High School Athletic Summit for BCPSS and the CIAA, a premier platform for professional development and scholarship opportunities for the next generation of leaders.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Tabitha Monroe joined Claflin University in February 2026 as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics, bringing extensive experience in athletic administration, compliance, and operational leadership. She plays a key role in advancing Claflin’s athletics programs while supporting institutional compliance and the holistic development of student-athletes.

Monroe most recently served as Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Senior Woman Administrator (SWA) at Shaw University, where she was a member of the department’s senior leadership team. In this role, she provided strategic oversight of NCAA compliance, supported departmental governance, and led initiatives focused on student-athlete welfare across all sports.

Prior to her appointment as Associate Athletic Director, Monroe served as Special Administrative Assistant to the Athletic Director, managing daily departmental operations, including budget coordination, team travel, compliance support, and serving as Director of Operations for all sports.

A native of Jacksonboro, South Carolina, Monroe began her tenure at Shaw University in 2020 as a Graduate Assistant for the men’s basketball program, where she supported team operations, player development, and game preparation while pursuing her graduate studies.

Her career in collegiate athletics began at South Carolina State University, where she served as Head Manager for the men’s basketball program from 2018 to 2020, overseeing team logistics, equipment operations, and facility management.

Monroe holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science (Pre-Law) with a minor in Spanish from South Carolina State University and a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership from Shaw University.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

This episode is a replay from Season 1. At the time of this interview, Danielle was Associate Commissioner of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. She is currently Commissioner of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.

Born and raised in Jackson, MS, Sonja Stamps' passion for sports ignited at the tender age of five, influenced by her close bond with her father and a few years later, for her admiration for pioneering sports broadcaster Jayne Kennedy. As a self-proclaimed "daddy's girl," Sonja was inspired by Jayne's groundbreaking achievements as one of the first female sports broadcasters and the first African American woman in that role.

This inspiration led Sonja to pursue her Masters in Sports Administration, from Belhaven University. Sonja was a part of Belhaven’s Sports Administration charter class (Class of 2014) and from there, she established "She Say, She Say Sports Podcast," a platform offering a unique perspective on sports from a woman's point of view. The platform highlights women and men’s involvement in sports, both as participants and coaches, aiming to provide insightful commentary and coverage.

Some of Sonja's podcast guest have included: Mahmoud Abdul Rauf, AKA Chris Jackson, 2X NBA Champion Lindsey Hunter, 2X WNBA Champion Yolanda Moore, Fred Smoot, Audie Norris, Terry Cummings, Lewis Tillman, Olympians Savante’ Stringfellow and Bianca Knight and the list goes on. Sonja feels that being able to Interview some of her sport heroes, is a deeply rewarding experience that combines personal excitement with professional responsibility. Sonja also feels being able to engage with athletes she’s long admired, offers unique insights into their journeys, challenges, and achievements.

Sonja and She Say, She Say Sports, exemplifies a deep commitment to community engagement through various impactful initiatives. Beyond her sports media platform, she actively contributes to societal well-being by organizing events such as Shelter Beats: A Day Party with a Purpose for the unhoused, book bag giveaways, and voter registration drives.

Beyond her work in sports media, Sonja is a professional singer and has a band called Sonja Stamps, featuring Love’s Groove. Sonja also was a star performer for the 2011 NBA Champions, Dallas Mavericks for 14 seasons, singing the National Anthem. 

Through "She Say, She Say Sports," Sonja continues to break barriers and amplify women's voices in the sports industry, providing a platform that celebrates and discusses women's roles and achievements in sports.

Join us on A Chat in the Garden with Monique A. J. Smith. Listen to our guest’s career path, her advice for others & current initiatives...A Chat in the Garden with Monique A.J. Smith, where Significance Blooms. Listen via Spreaker, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music/Audible, or www.chatinthegarden.com. This is Season 12. Seasons 1 - 11 can be found on 200plus.expert.