Essie Mae Dennis  was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised by her grandmother and aunt along with her cousins in a home they shared in Fort Valley, Georgia. Fulfilling the roles of nanny, wife, mom, church mother and community advocate have allowed her generosity of inclusion to soar. “Everyone belongs somewhere,” says Dennis. Among her many awards, medals, certificates and degrees, she has special pride in being the first Black woman in Fort Valley, Georgia, to be the CEO and executive director of a company providing supported living services. Those services include training for the developmentally disabled, after-school program support, rental spaces for entrepreneurs, and professional training for college students pursuing careers in human services.