former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom
A Faith Leader, Entrepreneur, Educator, Author, ,Success strategist, international influencer, Communications expert, and Diplomat, Hon. Suzan Johnson Cook was the first female and African-American to hold the position of U.S. Ambassador for International Religious Freedom. Nominated by Secretary Hillary Clinton, and appointed by President Barack Obama, she was the principal advisor to the President of the United States and Secretary of State, for religious freedom, globally, having all l99 countries in her portfolio. . Additionally, she has been the faith advisor to two U.S. Presidents, three cabinet secretaries, as well as political and celebrity leaders. As NYPD’s first female Chaplain she was on the front lines of 9/ll, and helped New York and our nation through traumatic times, and became known as “America’s Chaplain”. She is an Honorary member of DELTA SIGMA THETA sorority, Inc,
KEYNOTE SPEAKER/BUSINESS OWNER: A third generation Business owner, she owns CHARISMA SPEAKERS, the only global professional speakers bureau owned by a Black woman, and is in demand globally as a moving, inspiring speaker, coach and trainer who takes people from GOOD TO GREAT, with PREPARTION FOR POWERFUL PRESENTATIONS CharismaSpeakers.com
AUTHOR: A bestselling author, she’s authored 17 books, and has expertise and experience in higher education, domestic and foreign policy. Called upon often to be a media commentator, guest lecturer, Visiting Fellow and panel moderator. She served Harvard’s Divinity School as an Associate Dean, and Faculty member for three years, as a President’s Administrative Fellow. Her alma mater, Union theological Seminary, awarded her with the UNITAS and Trailblazing awards, as well as the Activist Scholar Fellowship for two years. She also was a Fellow at Catholic University of America, where she concentrated on women and Peace Building, and in 2023 her portrait was hung in the International Hall of fame at Morehouse U. .
Leadership:Ambassador Johnson Cook held the rank of Inspector, as Chaplain to the New York City Police Department for twenty-one years, the first woman to serve in that role. She was on the front lines of 9/11 as well as the front lines of bridging relations between the NYPD and New York’s diverse communities. She was also the first African American woman to be elected as Senior Pastor in the 200 year history of the American Baptist Churches, USA, and the first and only female President of the historic Hampton U Ministers Conference, in its l02 year history, the largest gathering of African American clergy in the world. She served as pastor for three NYC congregations, including the famous standing room only “Lunch hour of Power”, mid week services and seminars for the business community, and HARLEM HALLELUJAH at the world famous APOLLO Theatre..
Media/Brand: Faith advisor to the Award winning SOUL by Pixar Media, Ambassador Sujay hosts “Live with Sujay”: Focus on Black women Leaders on LTV, and concentrates on Personal and Professional Wellness, as the “Soul Doctor” and as the Founder/CEO of the Global Black Women’s Chamber of Commerce, the first Chamber solely focusing on Black women business owners, the home of the STATE OF BLACK WOMEN™ ANNUAL SUMMIT, GlobalBlackWomen.org and for the past twenty years, an annual retreat, SELAH BY THE SEA, a global faith based wellness retreat, and the Trailblazers and Unsung She-Roes awards honoring Black women in business and faith leaders who’ve been marginalized and not recognized. Often called upon as a media commentator , she has appeared on FOX5, MSNBC, BBC, CNN and GMA.
