The Pulse of Entertainment: Broadcast Veteran Vera Jones' Perseverance Speakers
Academy Graduates its Students with Presentation from Keith Edmonds
by Dr. Eunice
Moseley
(March 25, 2025) - "I founded the Perseverance Speakers Academy (PSA) in 2020," said veteran sports analysis Vera Jones (ESPN, Fox Sports) about the 2025 PSA Graduation Presentation event, which I was covering for this column. "It's
to help ordinary people share their extraordinary stories to educate and inspire the world."
Jones, who
hosted my Los Angeles ‘Uplifting Minds II' Entertainment Conference for two years, founded PSA during
the COVID pandemic which forces her into a break from a very busy career as a women's basketball sports analysis. Through
her PS Academy she has groomed a list of "ordinary" people into professional speakers and on the day that I was
in attendance one of her students, Keith Edmonds, was graduating with a speaking presentation he titled
"The Next Seat Over."
"I...enthusiastically coach aspiring professional speakers," she emphasized.
Keith is
a high school basketball coach and educator in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Before he received his Perseverance Speakers Academy certificate
as a professional speaker, he had to give a presentation about his life struggles and how he overcame them. The presentation
was given before a live audience who afterwards provided feedback.
The PSA teacher's confidence
and its required presentations help to tell the stories of perseverance. The style and delivery of Edmonds's presentation
used what he learned at the academy. His visuals and storytelling was successful in drawing the audience's attention to what
he was saying.
Vera Jones has over 30 years in broadcasting. A San Bernadino, California native, her brother pushed her into
professional sports. Vera had picked up the basketball at the young age of five. By high school she was a very popular player
at Friendly High School in Fort Washington, MD. She earned a four-year basketball scholarship at Syracuse University during
her Bachelor of Science in Broadcast Journalism (1984 - 1988) and she played on the team while earning her Master of Science
in Television, Radio and Film (1989 - 1991). While playing in college she was known for her three-point shots - the first
in Syracuse history.
While still in college Vera Jones started her broadcasting career working in radio first at the college's
radio station WJPZ, then WBUX, and others. Relocating to Myrtle Beach, SC she joined a radio station as an on-air radio personality
( WNMB), then went on to work at WGTR (107.9FM). From 1997 -2020 the Syracuse University Hall of Fame Athlete joined ESPN's
NCAA and WNBA broadcasting as a women's basketball analysis. In 2001 she started freelancing as a women's basketball analysis
working for Fox Sports, NBA-TV, Madison Square Garden Network and Big Ten Network in Chicago (2001 - 2020). www.VerasVoiceWorks.com
SYNDICATED COLUMN: Dr.
Eunice Moseley has an estimated weekly readership of over one million with The Pulse of Entertainment. She is
also a Business Management/Public Relations Strategist and Consultant at Freelance Associates and is Promotions Director (at-large)
for The Baltimore Times. www.ThePulseofEntertainment.com. EVENTS: "Uplifting
Minds II" Entertainment Conference (ULMII), founded by Eunice in 1999, is into its 26th year. Next events are coming
to Baltimore via Zoom Saturday April 19, 2025, presented by Security Square Mall and The Baltimore
Times, and Los Angeles via Zoom Saturday, November 8, 2025. The ULMII event is a free entertainment
conference offering a Professional Panel Q&A Session, a Professional Talent Showcase and National Talent Competition (vocal,
songwriting, dance and acting) where aspiring artists have a chance to receive over $20,000 valued in prizes/product/services.
Log onto www.UpliftingMinds2.com RSVP for Zoom Access at EventBrite.com or email info@thepulseofentertainment.com.
