Rhonda Fleming
Founder/C.E.O of VelJane
An imaginative and innovative individual that earned a Master’s in Fine Arts in Film at Howard University. Rhonda Fleming is a visionary, writer, producer, and director. Her area of expertise includes strategic visioning, creativity, and innovation. Fleming has created two American companies, The VelJane Company and VelJane Publishing, which are responsible for film production, book and music publishing, and the creation of works in the realm of performing arts to include stage plays, and event/dance productions. She is also Co-Founder and Host of Mecca’s Gateway to Entertainment which highlights people of color and women in film, music, and other forms of entertainment.
As the Chief Executive Officer and seasoned professional, Rhonda Fleming brings expertise derived from years of military and civilian experience gained through accomplishing diverse organizational objectives. She has been repeatedly successful at streamlining processes, team building, and creating and executing complex programs and projects to meet organizational goals. She is a United States veteran and has served her country in the United States Coast Guard.
Rhonda Fleming is the author of “People Watchers and The Treasure Trove,” scheduled to debut in 2022. Fleming has also created television series, produced, and directed films that are currently in the developmental stages.
As a student, Fleming previously worked as a freelance journalist for Howard University News Service which screens films, writes film reviews, and writes articles or books on a project basis. She was also selected as a Blackhouse Foundation Fellow for the 2018 Sundance Festival. As a fellow she screened films, assisted with coordinating logistics for events and assisted with hosting over 200 daily visitors with more than 1,200 people visiting the venue throughout the festival. In addition, Rhonda was a member of Flix Premiere Screening Program which is responsible for screening new films to evaluate, score, and rank. They provided critiques on the films reviewed and participated in weekly discussions regarding selecting films appropriate for the platform.
In addition, in 2015 Rhonda Fleming served as the Executive Director and Producer of the Dr. Olivia Hooker Scholarship Fund/Gala, disbursing scholarships to graduating high school seniors currently accepted and enrolled in an accredited college or university and students currently pursuing an undergraduate degree. As Executive Director, she had the ultimate responsibility of making sure the foundation accomplished its goals and objectives.
A promoter of education, Rhonda is a graduate of S.C. State University where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology with a minor in Special Education. In addition, she successfully completed a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Technology Management from the University of Phoenix.
Completing 20 years of military service, on April 9, 2004, LCDR Rhonda Fleming-Makell became the first African American Woman Commissioned Officer to earn a retirement in the history of the United States Coast Guard, nearly 30 years after women first started serving their country in this capacity in 1976.
She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Women in Film & Video of Washington DC (WIFV), Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), and Mid Atlantic Studio Mechanics and Broadcast Technicians (IATSE 487).
A native of the Carolinas, Rhonda Fleming was born in Morganton, NC and raised in Greenville, SC. She is the daughter of William Fleming and Earlene Reed of Greenville, South Carolina. She resides in Maryland with her husband William J. Makell Jr. and their three children; Branden, William, and Selena.