Dr. Darren Gibson
Director, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Dr. Darren Gibson is an organizational development practitioner who has worked in the corporate and education sectors for over 25 years. He joined PGCC in 2022 as the College's chair of the Business and Entrepreneurship Department and was appointed director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in 2023. Prior to coming to PGCC, he was a faculty member at Northern Virginia Community College, Trinity Washington University, Georgetown University, and the University of Arizona’s Global Campus.
Dr. Gibson was a 2020 Fellow at the Center for Social Impact Strategy at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. He has a passion for the betterment of marginalized communities and a love for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. He leverages his many years of public service, volunteerism, and corporate experience to bring positive change to his local community. He has served in various community leadership positions and has sat on the board of directors for multiple corporate and not-for-profit organizations. Dr. Gibson holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration; a master’s degree in law and public policy; a master’s degree in non-profit management; a doctorate in organizational leadership and development; and an education specialist degree in higher education administration.
Shawnell Joyner
Operations Coordinator, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Shawnell Joyner has 22 years of experience in business growth management and educational program development. She began her career in 2001 servicing Comcast, one of the largest media conglomerates. Where she cultivated and maintained relationships with outside organizations in an effort to develop opportunities for strategic partnerships.
In 2014, Mrs. Joyner joined PGCC to continue her work in business growth management. She worked closely with small and minority businesses to establish training and technical assistance programs to help grow their business to the next level.
Mrs. Joyner became the Program Coordinator of the Center for Entrepreneurial Development & Training in 2016. At that time, she was active in the field of training and education, focusing on small business development, corporate support services and capacity-building programs.
Today, Mrs. Joyner serves as Operations Coordinator of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship. Where she manages, coordinates, develops, and implements educational programs resulting in industry-certified skills and credentials.
Mark A. Lawrence
Project Manager, Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Mark Lawrence has over 22 years of professional experience, including 18 years at Big 4 firms in a senior management capacity, where he led and delivered consulting engagements that span across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. He is the founder and managing partner at Inncuvate Consulting LLC, a professional services firm and venture studio that takes a systematic view of innovation and economic development to create innovative solutions for economic equity. Mr. Lawrence has been working with PGCC to infuse an innovation mindset to leverage the College's current assets to enhance their current workforce development and entrepreneur development programs.