Ms. Boone, a native of Cleveland, is a proud graduate of the Cleveland Public Schools. She also holds a Master’s Degree from the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Organization Development and Analysis; Certificates from the Advanced Minority Business Management Program at the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College (1987-1991); and was a 1997 National Fellow in the Boston University School of Public Health’s Join Together Program. Ms. Boone was also a member of the prestigious Leadership Cleveland Class of 1987-88. Prior to founding GAP Communications Group, Ms. Boone was a Senior Vice President at a Cleveland-based P-R firm and was a Senior Public Information Officer for the Federal government for five years. She was also the founder of the Marcus Garvey Academy, an innovative community school with an African-centered curriculum, serving grades K-8, based in Cleveland, Ohio for ten years.
In 1994, Ms. Boone was named Black Professional of the Year, the most prestigious award that an African-American living in Greater Cleveland can receive; in 1995, she was named the Girls Scouts’ Woman of the Year; and in 1997, Crain’s Cleveland Business named her one of the Most Influential Women in Northeast Ohio. In September 2008, she was named one of Cleveland’s most powerful and influential citizens; and in December 2009, she was named Cleveland’s Power Networker of the Year, by Frasernet, Inc., a national networking organization. Most recently, Ms. Boone received the 2011 Phenomenal Woman Award from SuccessNet, Inc., commemorating its 25th Anniversary. Currently, her primary volunteer community involvement includes serving as a member of the Board of Directors of Sankofa Fine Arts Plus; the Board of Governors at The Club at Key Center; and the Board of Directors at the Greater Cleveland Partnership, all located in Cleveland, Ohio; and the Urquhart Memorial Foundation located in Phoenix, Arizona. Throughout her career, Ms. Boone has received several awards for her business and professional achievements and has been recognized for a number of communications industry accomplishments.