Carletta S. Hurt, a unique blend of innovative thinking, strategic networking, and passionate advocacy, has dedicated over two decades to community service and forging robust partnerships.

A graduate of Oglethorpe University and Georgia State University, Carletta has worked in education for over 20 years as a teacher, administrator, school counselor, and contractor.  She works as a school counselor with the District of Columbia Public Schools. The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) named Carletta the 2016 DC School Counselor of the Year (SCOY), including a White House reception hosted by then-First Lady Michelle Obama. She was also honored with the Bell Award (Education) from the Oglethorpe University Alumni Association.

She has been involved with the National Black MBA Association for nearly two decades, first in Atlanta for almost a decade and now in DC for the past five years. Carletta has served as the Vice President of Administration, Corresponding Secretary, and LOT Chair, where she supported the DC Chapter in exposing young people to business and entrepreneurship and bringing diverse organizations and individuals to the table, including Urban One (TV One), Chick-fil-A, and Richard Wright Public Charter School. Carletta was the 2019 Mentor of the Year and 2022 Distinguished Service Award for the DC Chapter.

As the active President of the DC Chapter, Carletta has elevated the level of engagement, secured numerous corporate sponsors, and fostered a spirit of community involvement. She introduced two visionary awards – the Catherine W. LeBlanc Legacy Award and the Lanta Evans-Motte Youth Advocate Award. Under her guidance, the DC chapter is set to host the 46th annual national conference from September 17 – 21, 2024. 

Carletta’s commitment to community service extends beyond her role in the DC Chapter. She volunteers for several organizations, including Science, Engineering, Mathematics (SEM) Link, S.A.S.S.I.E., and Women in Film and Video (WIFV), where she served as a Past Board President. As the education social impact founder of Coaching Connections, she spearheads an initiative that empowers Black girls through a rigorous two-year leadership program and regular coaching calls.

A native of Georgia with over a decade of DC living under her belt, Carletta earned her doctorate in Urban Leadership and Entrepreneurship from The University of the District of Columbia (UDC). She is the first PhD graduate from UDC, along with four other doctoral students—affectionately called The Fabulous Five. Carletta also earned her second doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Southern Mississippi.

Aside from education and business, Carletta is a creative – producer and director. Her award-winning documentary, Clothed Minds, highlights the impact of dress code policies on black girls in DC schools. In 2022, American University named her a Humanities Truck Fellow and a Docs In Progress Fellow. Some of her most recent projects include Lee and Liza’s Family Tree, a PBS/NOVA documentary about her family that premiered nationwide in November 2023; Forgetting Christmas, a feature film about dementia featuring Victoria Rowell; and The Route, a short film series about living Black women history makers in media (Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Barbara Brandon Croft, and Yvette Lee Bowser).

In her downtime, Carletta loves a good game of Scrabble, enjoys numbers with SUDUKO, and tackling a good jigsaw puzzle (1000 pieces or more).