ALONIA “Destiny Diva” JERNIGAN
Principal, Dream to Destiny Enterprises   

    Alonia “Destiny Diva” Jernigan is a woman who wears many hats: Journalist, Author, Preacher/Teacher/Speaker, Entrepreneur, Encourager, Destiny Coach are the most accurate. Alonia is the owner/principal visionary of Dream to Destiny Enterprises, wherein she uses the business skills gained over the past 20 years to help people get from where they are in life to where they want to be. She embodies a wealth of expertise in the areas of written communications, broadcasting (television and radio), public speaking, workshop presentations/training, public relations and ministry. For more than two decades, Alonia has used her awesome gift of communication to garner a distinct reputation as an excellent writer, captivating and witty speaker and challenging teacher/trainer. She is perhaps best known as the President and CEO of The Effective Communicator, a full service corporate communications and professional development company and as the founding publisher of IMANI Magazine. Alonia “Destiny Diva,” Jernigan proudly bears the mantra, “Caring, Communicating and Coaching You to Destiny.”

    A native of Atlanta, Alonia Parks Jernigan is a product of the Atlanta Public Schools system, having graduated salutatorian from Bass High School in the Little Five Points community in 1985. An astute, amiable and well-rounded student, Alonia was voted Most Intellectual and Homecoming Queen by her peers. Capitalizing on her writing skills she was among the first recipients of the Mayor’s Scholar award, an honor that yielded a scholarship for excellence in essay writing. Her college of choice was Spelman College, and she graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

    Upon leaving the gates of Spelman, Alonia launched her career at the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and later gained progressive positions with United Way’s VIP Initiative, Fulton County Housing Authority, The Champion Newspaper, Paragon Public Relations and Clark Atlanta University. Each position allowed her to further develop her communications, people and organizational skills. In 1997, she gathered all the knowledge gained over the years and answered a call from God to begin a Christian magazine called IMANI. The publication ran for seven years and received national acclaim, including a letter of commendation in 2002 from President George W. Bush’s Office of Faith Based Initiatives. The letter came after the edition entitled “911: America Comes Back to God.”

    Alonia ceased publication of IMANI in 2004, but not before gaining even more recognition. She is the 2003 recipient of the Spelman College Alumnae Achievement Award in Media and Communications, and V-103 FM/WAOK AM lauded her with a community service award the same year. Additionally, she was honored by the Atlanta Business League as one of the Top 100 Women of Influence in 2003 and 2004. In 2002, IMANI was awarded the Media Award from the Concerned Black Clergy, and in 2001, the publication was presented with the Journalism Leadership Award by the United States Pastors Association.

    Alonia’s proudest professional moment came in 2008 when she was nominated Most Outstanding Journalist by the Electronic Urban Report. This is an honor she shared with Susan Taylor (formerly of ESSENCE Magazine) and romance novelist Zane. In addition to IMANI Magazine, her writings have been published in Who’s Who in Black Atlanta® (senior writer of features), Who’s Who in Black Birmingham®, Birmingham Woman, Trend to Trend Magazine, among others. Also in 2008, she emerged victorious in the “Success Against the Odds” category from the Atlanta Business League’s signature event, Super Tuesday. Widely acclaimed as an encourager (as exemplified in her writing and speaking), she was recently tapped to present a monthly column on www.preachingwoman.com, wherein she inspires an international audience to “Get Determined With the Destiny Diva.”

    Alonia continues to sit at the helm of The Effective Communicator, where she employs her unique experiences and abilities to help bring out the best in others. In addition to being an outstanding writer, she is also known to bring as much power to the microphone as she does the pen. She is licensed and ordained as a minister of the gospel, has nearly 10 years’ experience as a Christian Education director, and she served as Youth Pastor of Greater Bethany Baptist Church for five years. She has earned credits towards a master’s degree in Biblical Studies and Theology from Luther Rice Seminary.

    An accomplished author, Alonia has penned: Pink Pearls of Power: Daily Gems of Inspiration for the Journey of Life; Pressing, Not Stressing! A Compilation of Spiritually Motivating Articles and Sermonettes; and The Ten Commandments of Effective Business (which has subsequently become renamed as part of her company’s how-to series called The Essentials: Wisdom Nuggets for Victorious Living™.) In 2007, she created The Dream Institute, Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping youth enhance their writing and public speaking skills. She is looking forward to releasing her life’s story, The Pursuit of Destiny: Making “Yes, I Can” a Personal Reality in August 2011.
Alonia is the proud mother of three distinctly different yet wonderful children: James Jernigan, Jr. (18), Kori Alexis (16) and Emmanuel Alonzo (6). Alonia is also credited with helping raise her niece, Laquita Harrison, from ages 11 through 19. You can find Jernigan online at www.AloniaJernigan.com and www.TheEffectiveCommunicator.net.