Climb: Face Your Past, Own Your Future - Softcover

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Rod Cunningham was born to a 15-year-old mother in the housing projects of Jacksonville, Florida. His father was 19-years-old when he died two weeks before his birth. Rod watched his step-father verbally and physically abuse his mother for 7 years, leading to he and his mother escaping the home in the middle of the night. They eventually divorced, leaving him to grow up without any adult male influence, which led to him having a daughter at 19-years-old, in search of his own manhood. The choice to join the Air Force was the best decision of his life, getting plenty of male influence from men of honor, dignity, and character. Rod retired from the USAF after 29 years of dedicated service to our country in February 2016 as a Chief Master Sergeant (E-9). In his role as Dean of Students, Air Force Technical Training School in Biloxi, MS, he personally counseled, mentored, and coached 2,500 students annually. After retirement, he joined the Pinellas County Urban League as Vice President of Corporate Relations where he successfully developed and managed a weekly poverty reduction program for 23 low-income families. He is currently a transformational speaker, youth empowerment coach, and community leader. He participated in 50+ leadership/community panels, has delivered 300+ speeches and he is humbled by the fact that he has individually counseled, mentored, and empowered 9,000+ teenagers and young adults between the ages of 10 and 30 over the last six years who entrusted him with their innermost secrets. He mentors 40+ young men and women each week. Additionally, he mentors juvenile detainees, works with youth empowerment programs, and developed emotional health programs for job corps, county governments and county school districts. Rod is regarded by many community leaders and young adults around the country as a leader who is passionate about the success of others. Rod speaks about facing your past to own your future. He has a simple, yet impactful way of showing how the events of life can put many of us in an emotional hole of varying degrees. Rod has the ability to, “get in the hole”, because he’s been there. He teaches you how to quickly CLIMB out before life’s next major negative event. His techniques are designed to change a child, a family, a school, a community, a city, and a nation. Rod and his wife Valerie reside in the beautiful, St. Petersburg, Florida. He has three adult children and five grandchildren.