Fanchon C Gates Kent is the CEO/President for the Miss Black Oho Pageant. Her overall responsibilities is to ensure the logistics of this non-profit organization. This organization is made up of 4 Board Members and 10 volunteers throughout central Ohio. Our motto is to “Empower Young Minds Through Achievement and Success.” Our objective is to mentor young ladies in particular those who are first generation college bound students. Our dream is to inspire them to achieve academic excellence.

America's Beautiful Role Model Pageant 2008: Charissa Thames

 Pageant Coordinator

Native Ohioan Charissa Thames is laying down some serious pizzazz as MBO's Events Coordinator. She is proud to be a part of an organization celebrating the substance of today's Black woman. Before anything Charissa is a "Diva Wife" and is  "SuperMom" to her little kings, Cameron and Trevor. Making a fierce name for herself in the Diva World, she displays many talents: vocal performance, hair design, makeup artistry, modeling, and pageantry. Her current National Title is America's Ms. Beautiful Role Model. Creative in journalism as well, Charissa has written articles for NextEve.com, Supermodels Unlimited Magazine, Turn For The Judges, and has her own beauty blog (curvqt.blogspot.com). With a very distict concept of beauty (having nothing to do with outward appearance), Charissa cultivates the self esteem of young women with her motivational speaking. Beauty begins inside with health and happiness at every age and size. A presence of confidence and passion for life will never be extinguished by any person or circumstance. It grows within and shines out for everyone to see. When the looks begin to go, what will you have left to show?