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A Bit About Gavàta
Gavata Smith is an Author, Mime, Notary, Program & Project Manager, GovCon Professional, Teacher, Motivational Speaker, Licensed Evangelist, Scrum Master, the Daughter of a Recovering Addict of 24 years, Survivor of both Domestic Violence and Sexual Abuse, Granddaughter of nationally known deceased Bishop Walter "Sweet Daddy" McCollough, Encourager of the Broken and Depressed, ReEntry Mentor/Volunteer, Mother of 4 and Grandmother of 14.
As a leader formed by discipline, faith, education, and lived experience. Her life reflects a rare convergence of spiritual devotion, unwavering commitment to community transformation, and professional excellence. She is a woman who bridges the worlds of high level government consulting, project management, and deeply heartfelt ministry with a singular purpose to serve. Every role she carries is connected by this purpose. Every credential she earns is anchored in service. Every scar she carries has become a source of strength for someone else. Her personal mission is to love, empower, mentor, teach, disciple, and train others to become healthy mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. She believes that healthy individuals become effective leaders and disciples capable of building families and communities that reflect wholeness.
Her journey is one of profound resilience and restoration. Growing up under the care of her grandparents, Bishop Walter Sweet Daddy McCollough and her grandmother St. Madam Clara McCollough, Gavata experienced the stability of a structured home while grappling with the painful absence of her mother, Regina, who battled a twenty four year crack addiction before becoming clean and sober in 1999. The cycles of hope and heartbreak that marked her mother’s attempts at sobriety over the years left deep emotional wounds. As a child caught in this turbulence, Gavata endured sexual abuse, made devastating choices, and by the age of fifteen became a mother herself. The trajectory of her life appeared set toward destruction, but God had other plans. Today, both mother and daughter stand as living testimonies to the power of healing, forgiveness, and divine restoration.
This shared journey from the depths of addiction and trauma to lives of purpose and peace forms the heart of Gavata’s published memoir titled Get Yourself Together First Events from the Diary of a Child of a Crack Addict. Writing this book was an act of obedience, and publishing it opened doors to speak in spaces where honesty is required and hope is desperately needed. The book is not simply a story of survival. It is a declaration that generational cycles can be broken and that healing is possible even after years of pain. Gavata has shared her story in prisons, churches, rehabilitation centers, conferences, and media platforms, including appearances on Fox 5 News DC The Good Word, WUSA9 Great Day Washington, WHUR FM The Daily Drum broadcast on SiriusXM 141, WHUR Digital TV, AWIC TV Podcast, Forgiveness Friday Facebook TV, What’s The Deal Podcast, and All Things Baltimore. She is open because she understands that transparency creates permission for others to confront their own truth.
Gavata’s ministry flows directly from that deep understanding. She is an ordained Evangelist licensed by Mount Calvary Holy Church of America, the parent organization of her local church, Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church in Washington DC. She completed a four year degree program in Leadership in Ministry through Evangelical Training Association, equipping her with a strong theological foundation rooted in service, teaching, and spiritual leadership. She serves with the spiritual gifts of Evangelism, Serving, Faith, and Leadership. At Greater Mount Calvary Holy Church, she leads as President of the Domestic Violence Ministry and previously served as President of the Mime Ministry for four years. In 2013, God birthed the gift of mime through her, leading to the creation of her own ministry known as Mym4Christ. For Gavata, ministry is not performance but presence and service. It is walking with people through their darkest seasons and reminding them that their lives still carry purpose. She also serves on the Ministerial Alliance and the Singles Ministry core team and, through the Connectors Ministry, personally mentors new members during their first ninety days of membership.
In addition, Gavata serves as a Project Leader for the Growth and Development Team of Mount Calvary Holy Church of America. In this capacity, she focuses on teaching and training in the area of Community Impact, with a specific emphasis on cultivating outreach, evangelism, and service initiatives designed to expand both local and global influence. This role allows her to merge strategic leadership with spiritual stewardship, equipping ministries to move beyond intention into sustained and measurable impact within communities.
Her service extends far beyond church walls and into the lives of those often forgotten by society. As a reentry volunteer since 2019, Gavata has served with Catholic Charities and several other institutions throughout the DC Metro Area. As a prison religious volunteer, she speaks, teaches, and walks alongside women navigating the treacherous path from incarceration back to society. She understands their fears. She knows their shame because she has carried some herself. She offers them what she herself received during the hardest times in her life, which is unconditional love, practical guidance, and hope that transformation is not only possible but promised. For four consecutive years, she served on the Women’s Moving Forward Committee, partnering with retired judges to organize annual conferences for women returning from incarceration.
Workforce empowerment is another core expression of Gavata’s calling. After experiencing an unexpected layoff at a critical moment in her life, she chose not to retreat but to redirect that disruption into service. As the Professional Development Chair and Vice President of Community Service for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars at the University of Maryland Global Campus, she prepares and facilitates online webinars, instruction, and informational sessions for UMGC students and transitioning military members. She organizes virtual and in person community service initiatives, researches and distributes information on industry recognized free courses and certifications, and provides free one-on-one resume review and career counseling. Her YouTube series, Employment Tips, Trends, and Tricks, offers practical strategies for navigating today’s AI driven job market. The videos go beyond conventional job readiness advice by exploring the realities of talent management systems and digital hiring platforms. For Gavata, knowledge is not just power. It is a beacon of hope.
Gavata maintains active professional and civic affiliations that align with her commitment to leadership, equity, and service, including the NAACP, the Project Management Institute (PMI), the National Notary Association, and Dress for Success. Through these affiliations, she remains engaged in advocacy, professional standards, workforce empowerment, and initiatives that promote economic independence and opportunity for underserved communities.
Education has been another critical pillar in her journey, not as a formality but as a tool for deeper impact. Gavata is completing her Bachelor of Science in Applied Technology with a minor in Management Information Systems, along with multiple undergraduate certificates in data analytics, project management, and information systems. She is completing a four year UMGC Degree in under three years while maintaining academic excellence, demonstrated through consistent Dean’s List recognition since 2023. She has also been honored with membership in multiple honor societies, including the National Association of Collegiate Scholars, Alpha Sigma Lambda, Upsilon Pi Epsilon, and the National Society of Leadership and Success. Returning to higher education later in life was not about proving capability, but about modeling perseverance, especially for her children and grandchildren. Education has become her declaration that growth is always possible.
Gavata’s professional credentials are formidable and rooted in this same spirit of excellence. She currently serves as a Knowledge Manager and Program Support Specialist for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency Commercial Operations division, bringing over twenty eight years of government contracting experience to support national security missions. She has served in leadership roles across agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where she led multidisciplinary teams, supported executive leadership, improved operational performance, and delivered measurable outcomes through disciplined program management and Lean Six Sigma practices. She holds certifications as a Project Management Professional, Certified Scrum Master, Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and Certified Agile Leader, among twenty three active industry certifications. She maintains a 3.9 GPA while preparing for ITILv4 certification and plans to return to UMGC in January 2027 to pursue a Master of Science in Cybersecurity Management and Policy. Yet these accomplishments serve a deeper purpose. Every skill sharpened, every certification earned, and every process improved equips her to serve more effectively in the arenas where her true passion burns brightest.
In addition to her ministry and professional work, Gavata is the owner of Maryland Mobile Notary and Consulting Service, providing trusted professional services while building meaningful relationships within her community. This work reflects her belief that excellence and integrity should be present in every area of service, no matter the scale.
Her personal mission and vision remain clear. She seeks to love, empower, mentor, teach, disciple, and train others to become healthy mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. She believes that as healthy individuals first, people can then become effective disciples and leaders according to the Word of God, contributing to the upbuilding of the Kingdom through mime, witnessing, speaking, preaching, teaching, and writing.
Her life scripture, Acts 1:8, declares: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth". This is not a quote she recites. It is a mandate she lives. It is the blueprint for a life lived in service, powered by faith, and reaching as far as influence extends.
This is Gavata Smith. And her story is still unfolding.
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