Bernie Mac Foundation Board of Directors Members
Rhonda R. McCullough – President/Chief Executive Officer
In 1974, at Chicago Vocational School on the south side of Chicago, a young Rhonda Gore was introduced by a mutual friend to a young man who proudly professed to her, “Girl you better get on this train cause I’m gonna be rich and famous!” Unbeknownst to either, they were both looking at their future spouses and soul mates. A few years later, at the tender age of 19, Rhonda Gore married Bernard McCullough and a short while later; she birthed their only daughter, Je’Niece, and the rest, is as they say, history.
While the world knows Bernie’s story to be that of a success, life was not always easy for Bernard and Rhonda. After Bernie was laid off from his job at General Motors in the early 1980s, Rhonda put herself through nursing school to be able to afford a better lifestyle for her family. She received her nursing degree from Dawson Technical Institute in 1986 and began her career as a nurse and for a time, became the sole breadwinner of the family. Not only did she support her family financially, she went on to become the backbone of the Mac family, supporting and nurturing both Bernard and Je’Niece and keeping a home while Bernie went on to work towards his comedy career, which took him away for extended periods of time.
Once Bernie’s career began to grow, it was Rhonda who served as his accountant, keeping track of the money and keeping the books in excellent condition. Bernie himself would even say that when it came to matters concerning the money, “You have to ask the Boss,” referring to Rhonda. A consummate giver, Rhonda has been involved with many charities, giving donations anonymously throughout the years on behalf of herself and her family. A savvy and sophisticated woman of many talents, Rhonda understands that she has been blessed by the life she has shared with her husband and that the best way to live is to be a blessing to others.
It is Rhonda’s hope to continue the rich legacy her husband left behind and to reach the infinite possibilities that lay ahead for the Bernie Mac Foundation.
Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon, Honorary Chair 
Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon offers a lifetime and legacy of public service. She is a lawyer, teacher and working mother.
Her record includes four years as a Jackson County prosecutor fighting crime, a decade as a Southern Illinois University law professor teaching young legal minds and participation in the Illinois Reform Commission, which aimed to restore ethics and trust in government.
As Lieutenant Governor, Simon is the second highest executive officer in Illinois, and her mission is to make government more accountable, accessible and transparent for the taxpayers of Illinois.
She acts as the Governor’s point person on education reform and is leading efforts to increase college completion, inspire ethical government, protect our military bases from closure, improve services in rural areas and keep our waterways clean and safe.
In her first year in office, Simon is touring each of the state's 48 community colleges to highlight to the role they play in increasing the state's college completion rate. Simon wants 60 percent of working-age adults to hold meaningful college degrees or certificates by 2025, up from about 40 percent today.
Simon is setting a higher standard for ethical leadership by releasing detailed financial profiles of herself and her senior staff each year so the public can see if any potential conflicts of interest exist. To safeguard taxpayer dollars, she requested a 2012 budget that is a fraction of a percent of the state’s overall spending and equal to the lowest appropriation request for the office in the last 15 years.
Public Service
Simon graduated from Georgetown University’s law school in 1987. Instead of choosing to work at a large corporate law firm, she chose to serve clients without financial resources at Land of Lincoln Legal Assistance. She advocated there for people facing domestic violence, discrimination and loss of housing.
Simon then prosecuted DUI and domestic violence cases as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Jackson County. Four years later, she helped launch the Southern Illinois School of Law's domestic violence clinic while also teaching legal writing as part of the faculty. The domestic violence clinic continues to serve clients and train law students today.
Bernie Mac Foundation Honorary Chair
Simon met the Bernie Mac Foundation team at the Democratic Women's Award Banquet in 2010 , where they discovered they had similar goals regarding the disease Sarcoidosis. Simon shared with the Bernie Mac Foundation that her husband is suffering from this disease and asked what she could do to assist the Bernie Mac Foundation's mission to find a cure and raise awareness of this disease. After many personal discussions with the Bernie Mac Team, Simon opted to join forces with the foundation as the Honorary Chair.
Edward A. Williams - Treasurer
Edward A. Williams, CPA/Attorney, began his academic career at DePaul University with a major in accounting. He completed his undergraduate degree in 1962 and obtained his certificate as a Certified Public Accountant in 1963. He is the 84th African American in the United States to become a CPA since 1921. Mr. Williams began DePaul University College of Law School in 1963 and graduated with Honors in 1967. After graduation Mr. Williams was the first African American adjunct professor in Taxation during the year 1976.
After graduating DePaul, Mr. Williams began his legal career at the law firm of McCoy, Ming, and Black. This firm was the legal architect of the historic Brown v. Board of Education and other seminal cases, ensuring African Americans and other minorities protection of fundamental rights provided under the United States Constitution. During his career at McCoy, Ming and Black, Mr. Williams was the Tax Attorney for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Southern Christian Leadership Foundation, Mahalia Jackson, Muhammad Ali, and numerous lawyers and judges.
After leaving the firm of McCoy, Ming, and Black in 1970, Mr. Williams began his own firm, Edward A. Williams & Associates, Ltd., focusing his practice on federal and state taxation, criminal and civil litigation, and administrative audits and appeals. During his legal career, Edward has brought cases involving tax matters before the Supreme Court of the United States, the United States Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit, and the United States District Courts.
Two of Mr. Williams' cases, Nickerson v. Commission of Internal Revenue, noted in The Wall Street Journal, April 27, 1983, and People of the State of Illinois for the Use of Bernardi v. Bethune Plaza, caused significant changes in the law regarding "hobby losses" and federal and state unemployment taxes.
Mr. Williams served for twenty years on the Illinois State Bar Association's Judicial Evaluation Committee. He is also a long-standing member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Cook County Bar Association, and the Illinois State Bar Association.
In addition to Mr. Williams' many pro bono efforts on behalf of his church, civic and community organizations, he is the Founding Member and Treasurer of DePaul Law Black Alumni Foundation, Inc. providing scholarships to women and minority law students who have been accepted at DePaul University College of Law. Mr. Williams, married, is one of eleven children and has a cadre of children and grandchildren of his own.
Charoni H. Smith - Director Finance/Budget
I am Charoni H. Smith. I am the youngest sister of Rhonda and Mary Ann. We are a very close knit family. I was introduced to Bernard Jeffery McCullough, also known as Bernie Mac, when I was a mere twelve years old. Bernard was the brother I always wanted. He was a very strong presence in my life for more than three decades. I watched him grow from a young boy to this great icon. In spite of his affliction and challenges with Sarcoidosis, Bernard moved forward and pursued his dreams. It is important that the family continues to keep his dream and legacy alive via the Bernie Mac Foundation.
I pledge my personal commitment to the foundation in hopes of educating and raising awareness about Sarcoidosis. In heightening awareness, it is our mission to raise monies which will provide funds for research. It is also my mission, as Bernie’s sister, to make a difference in the lives of those who are challenged with Sarcoidosis. The Bernie Mac Foundation’s resolve is to provide hope and renew life for those who are challenged with Sarcoidosis.
I have been employed for twenty years as Manager Bookkeeper for Richards Building Supply Company. For twenty years, I have provided clients professional service and commitment.
Bernie Mac Foundation Administration
Joseph D. Ament, Esq.– Attorney, Secretary to the Board
Joseph Ament oversees the legal activities for the Foundation. He is an accomplished tax and business lawyer, as well as, a certified public accountant. He has extensive experience in financial, estate and income tax planning; business mergers and acquisitions; and entity structures, including corporations and limited liability companies.
Joe is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Illinois Association of Attorneys-CPAs, the American Accounting Association, and the American Society of Certified Public Accountants. He has been named an Illinois Super Lawyer (2005-2008), an honor given to the top 5% of attorneys in the state.
Joe is a longtime leader in civic and charitable causes. He received his JD from John Marshall Law School in 1962; his MBA from Roosevelt University in 1959 and his BS from University of Illinois in 1958.
Mary Ann Grossett - Executive Director
I first met Bernard Jeffery McCullough, when he was sixteen years old. At that time, he was courting my sister, Rhonda. He came to visit Rhonda at our home. I remember liking him from the very beginning. He was confident, yet friendly and engaging. I remember being specifically impressed with his ability to rise above situations and life crisis. Rhonda had shared with us that he had recently lost his mother. Although he had experienced the major loss of a parent, as a young black male, there was a spirit of assuredness. Even then, his strength to persevere was amazing. You could clearly see that he was not going to become a statistic. I think he had a sense that if he could make it through the hardship of losing a parent that he could make something of his life whatever his destiny. As a family, we embraced him wholeheartedly. My parents, my sisters and I became very close with Bernard through the years. To this day, we refer to him as our brother and he regarded us as his family.
Bernard and Rhonda eventually married and remained so for over 30 years. It is through these years, that I have experienced the private, Bernard and the public “Bernie Mac.” I have seen him work, laugh, cry, grieve and enjoy life’s moments. I know that family and friends were the most important factor in his life. I also know how much he loved and respected his fans. He understood that his gift was nothing to be taken for granted. To the day he died, he remained humble and thankful for his blessings. The Bernie Mac Foundation provides a catalyst for me to work on behalf of our dear beloved brother’s legacy. During his last days, he worked tirelessly in establishing the foundation. He wanted to positively affect and change the lives of people who are challenged with sarcoidosis. It is through the foundation that Rhonda and his daughter, Je’Niece, family, friends and countless fans are ensuring his legacy continues. It is because of this journey with him, my sister and family that I am deeply committed to the mission of the Bernie Mac Foundation. It is a labor of love and dedication to his memory that I seek to serve the foundation. “It is all personal” for me.
As Executive Director, my role will involve continuing his legacy. I will also continue to provide a supportive role for my sister and niece, Rhonda and daughter, Je’Niece. My mission and goals for the Bernie Mac Foundation are the following:
- To preserve the legacy and integrity of Bernard Jeffery McCullough
- To provide full support for my sister, Rhonda McCullough and her daughter, Je’Niece McCullough
- To affect a positive influence in the lives of persons who are challenged with sarcoidosis
- To raise monies needed for research and the cure for sarcoidosis
- To establish a community of network and individuals who will support the foundation
- To advocate for the disenfranchised
I look forward with anticipation to the work we will do as an organization. I am honored to work on the Bernie Mac Foundation where my expertise, talents and work ethic can be utilized for a great cause. Together, our involvement and commitment places us in an elite community that makes a difference in the lives of others.
Mary Ann Grossett is not only Rhonda's oldest sister, but also a proven leader. She holds a Master's in Educational Administration and has thirty years of experience with Chicago Public Schools. She began her career in the classroom and eventually moved on to become an educational leader with the Chicago Public Schools. Most recently Mary Ann works at Chicago Vocational Career Academy High School as Director of Culture of Calm, which is her sister and brother-in-law's alma mater
Denise Jordan-Walker - Director of Media and Public & Community Relations
Denise Jordan Walker has been a well-known fixture in the Chicago radio market for over 21 years. From Chicago’s top ten R&B stations to smooth jazz and straight ahead formats in the Windy City, Denise is a sought after voice over talent as well as being featured in hundreds of national documentaries and commercials. In 1994, Denise’s media career took on an additional twist. While working in radio, Denise began moonlighting as a celebrity publicist, a career that would soon introduce her to a new world of entertainment. And who would have guessed that one of her first clients would be the legendary Bernie Mac? Denise and Mac worked together for several years. 14 years later, Denise has worked as a publicist for some of the largest names and companies in the entertainment industry such as Diane Sawyer, Iyanla Vanzant, Les Brown, Jesse Jackson, Jr., The Michael Jordan Foundation, Simon & Schuster, The Walter Payton Foundation, and Showtime Networks, to name a few.
Denise Robinson - Administrative Assistant
Ms. Robinson joined the Bernie Mac Foundation in 2011 as their Administrative Assistant and has known the Bernie Mac Family for over 25 years. She brings over 20 years of administrative experience to the organization and is very excited about working with the foundation and assisting with the mission for Sarcoidosis. Prior to joining the team, she was an Academic Dean. Along with her administrative duties, she facilitated Professional Development and Student Success Courses for incoming freshman and graduating seniors. Prior to her employment in higher education, she taught for Chicago Public Schools, trained administrative personnel at IBM and taught Professional Development Courses for the United States Army. She has her B.A. and M.A. from Governors State University, in Elementary Education and Early Childhood.
