Founder
The Birth and Creation of a Vision
In keeping with the belief not only to help someone in need but also to serve our entire community as well as to help educate the whole child, E.D. Cubed, Inc. was created from Earnestine Dennis Pittman’s vision. Her vision was to form a non-profit organization in order to help societal needs. To make the non-profit an incorporated organization and a 501 (c) 3 corporation, Mrs. Pittman began the long and arduous process to make her vision a reality.
Earnestine Dennis Pittman worked tirelessly with several attorneys, specifically, Attorney E. Fitzgerald Viera, an attorney with the firm Troutman and Sanders LLP Law Firm. Troutman and Sanders LLP Law Firm provided pro bono work for certain community outreach activities. After an interviews, in which she had to convince the attorney to lobby his firm to support her request, Earnestine D. Pittman had to provide not only evidence that her request for a new start-up organization was viable but also present personal references and documentation of the following:
- Participation, as well as, holding an office in civil groups and organizations.
- Community engagement that was beneficial to the community.
- Leadership role with financial responsibilities.
- Network opportunities based on personal and professional contacts.
- No complaints or ethics violations concerning favoritism for family members or friends while serving as an elected official or any other leadership role in an organization.
- Qualified charter board members to implement the goals of the non-profit.
After the interview, Attorney E. Fitzgerald Viera’s law firm agreed to allow him to work with Mrs. Pittman in obtaining a Certificate of Incorporation from the State.
Since one of the required criteria, in implementing the goals of the non-profit, was to have in place qualified charter board members, Mrs. Pittman asked retired educators, Delories Epps Horton and Ernestine Dearing Hogan to help support her vision in 2007.
In 2008, Sarah Merritt Finley, who had retired from a career in social services, joined the organization.
Mrs. Pittman set up a meeting with Attorney E. Fitzgerald Viera to discuss creating a non-profit. Later, Mrs. Pittman began working with Attorney E. Fitzgerald Viera on the required documentations needed for submission to the State. After review and acceptance by Delories Epps Horton, Ernestine Dearing Hogan, and Sarah Merritt Finley, the document was submitted to the State. On March 6, 2008, the State certified E. D. Cubed as a Domestic Non-profit Corporation.
Mrs. Pittman contacted the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta that helped new Non-Profits to acquire 501(c) 3 status. She submitted a proposal because the Pro Bono Partnership no longer accepted applications. The Proposal accepted by Attorney April R. Robinson of Kings & Spaulding LLP in Houston, Texas and Attorneys
Daniel Rollman and Matt Servies of DLA Piper LLP of Atlanta. After contacting Attorney Robins, Mrs. Pittman was asked to provide Financial Reports that would be needed for submission along with the application for the 501(c) 3 status. Our
accountant and Ernestine Dearing Hogan had the necessary documentation for submission along with our application. Attorney Robinson sent the Financial Documents to Attorney Rollman and Servies to file our final application. In January, 2010, Attorney Rollman and Servies notified Ernestine Dennis Pittman that not only had they accepted our application but also paid the Application Fee. Therefore, E.D. Cubed was approved for 501(c) 3 status.
Additionally, Mrs. Earnestine Dennis Pittman was the creator of the organization’s name, E.D. Cubed. The first and/or maiden names of Earnestine Dennis Pittman, Delories Epps Horton, and Ernestine Dearing Hogan begin with the alphabets, “E” or “D”. The organization’s slogan: Everlasting Educational Experiences was also derived from the three E’s in their first and/or last maiden names.
Today, E. D. Cubed, Inc. has been in existence for over 14 years. The Board of Directors and Auxiliary Members are true keepers of Earnestine Dennis Pittman’s vision and the mission of E. D. Cubed, Inc. We continue to serve the greater community and the Achievers, a group of high school students, who are the “heart” of our non-profit organization.