Jermain is the Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer of T.R.U.T.H. Academies and has extensive corporate, nonprofit, and government experience. He is committed to social justice through education equity and impacting the achievement gap for all children of color while eliminating the school-to-prison pipeline. Jermain is an avid believer in Frederick Douglass’ quote, "It’s easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” It is with this mindset that he leads T.R.U.T.H. Academies towards making the vision and goals of the organization a reality for children of color in Minnesota.
Prior to T.R.U.T.H. Academies, Jermain worked in corporate America, serving as the deputy division director for operations for a privately held financial and asset management firm. In this capacity, he oversaw a multi-million annual division budget, corporate assets totaling over $100 million, and management responsibilities of a couple hundred employees. In addition, Jermain has served as the special assistant to the mayor pro tem of the City of Charlotte and served as a constituent advocate in the office of the United States senator and current governor of Minnesota Mark Dayton.
Jermain is a graduate of a Historically Black College University (HBCU), obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from Johnson C. Smith University. He also holds a Master of Science in Human Behavior degree from Capella University. Currently, Jermain is finishing courses to obtain his Doctor of Education in Leadership (Ed.D) degree from Saint Mary's University of Minnesota, where he also serves as an adjunct in the graduate School of Business and Technology. In the fall of 2015, Jermain was nominated by Mayor Chris Coleman and confirmed by the City Council to serve as a Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commissioner for the City of Saint Paul. In addition, his philanthropic leadership appointments include serving on the Advisory Council for Capella University; Board of Directors for Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (Saint Paul Cable Access); Board of Directors for a NEWBAM; and previously serving as the President for Black Veterans of America, Incorporated and Vice Chairman of Youth Services Community Institute.