Carla echols

 “With every decision you make, there is a consequence, be it good or bad.”

This profound statement is the mantra I live by and speak it often to my children, family, and friends. As a small town girl from Itta Bena, MS and the oldest of four children, education and giving our best was instilled in us by our parents, John and Nola Johnson.

So, I am Carla Echols, former Ms. LCHS and Salutatorian of the 1982 Class of Leflore County High School (Go Tigers!). In 1986, I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). It was at this Oasis of the Delta, where I joined the illustrious sisterhood of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and achieved the 2020 New Soror of the Year. Currently, I serve as Treasurer for DeSoto County (MS) Alumnae Chapter. My education matriculated to a Master of Arts in Procurement and Acquisition Management from Webster University in 2004. Over the course of my federal career, I received several meritorious citation awards, supervisory awards, and Leader of the Quarter. As a retiree of the Federal Government, my professional career encompasses 34 years of contracting spanning across the US Army, Air Force, and the Intelligence Agency as a Supervisor, Team Lead, and Specialist. 

A life of service is who I am and what I do. From serving as Sunday School secretary at Tabernacle M. B. Church to the appointment of Vacation Bible School Director for over 10 years in St. Louis, MO, I believe there is some good in everyone and it takes the right people, at the right time, in the right place to encourage a person to be the best version of themselves. As Co-Founder of EmpowHERing Minds, Inc., I am dedicated to the mission and vision of empowering young ladies to a level of excellence.