EXECUTIVE ONE

<p><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>EXECUTIVE ONE</strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> is the unfiltered unforgettable memoir of Dr. Ernest E. Middleton-a man who rose from being expelled in high school to becoming one of the most credentialed and trusted executive leaders in American education.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Born in a crowded public housing project in Mount Vernon New York and shaped by poverty exclusion and systemic racism Dr. Middleton's story defies every stereotype. He was labeled early overlooked by educators and punished for his curiosity. He was kicked out of school twice denied opportunity and told in both subtle and overt ways that success was not meant for him.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>And still-he rose.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Through relentless faith strategic adjustment and unshakable resolve Dr. Middleton turned barriers into benchmarks. He earned seven academic degrees including a Ph.D. in Student Personnel and Leadership from Ohio University and served at the highest levels of leadership-university vice president school principal licensed professional counselor national education voice. In every role he brought clarity conviction and change.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>In a world that often makes Black men prove themselves twice he proved himself every time-and still refused to settle for less than excellence.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>At every level of education and leadership Dr. Middleton had to navigate resistance bias and isolation. Whether he was integrating a white labor union standing as the only Black administrator in a boardroom or confronting institutional sabotage he never gave in. Instead he studied the system mastered the space and continued to lead-without apology.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Readers will experience:</span></p><ul><li><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>What it looks like to rise from academic expulsion to C-suite leadership</span></li><li><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>The mental shifts required to move from survival to executive-level strategy</span></li><li><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>How to maintain self-respect in systems designed to shrink your influence</span></li><li><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>The cost and courage of being the only one in rooms of power</span></li><li><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>Why titles don't make leaders-resilience clarity and purpose do</span></li></ul><p></p><p><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>EXECUTIVE ONE</strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)> is not just a memoir-it's a roadmap for overcoming excelling and leading with integrity when the odds are stacked against you. For aspiring leaders seasoned professionals young Black men and anyone climbing despite the weight-they will see themselves in these pages.</span></p><p></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>This is the story of a man who didn't let the world define him.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>This is the story of what it really takes to rise.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>This is </span><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>EXECUTIVE ONE</strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1)>.</span></p><p></p><p></p>