Deacon Jermaine A. Collins

Meeting Planner, Life Center Fellowship
Charlotte, North Carolina
Age: 39

A hairstylist. An architect. A computer science engineer. Starting out, Deacon Jermaine Collins had widely varied career interests. He never expected to end up as an event planner. While singing in the choir for and recording with a gospel artist, Collins proposed to the artist that he should plan a live event rather than just record an album. The performer loved his idea and Collins took charge, effectively launching his hospitality career. Collins’ role evolved to administrator for the performer—working with the record company and arranging road trips and flights for a group of 20—which led to his current role with Life Center Fellowship managing events of up to 8,000 attendees. Now they’re singing his praises. When a mentor recommended him for the LifeCenter meeting planner role, Collins had to learn quickly—his first meeting was two weeks away. Continuous and quick learning is his trademark; he’s now setting his sights on certification and expanding his professional affiliations. And he’s looking to do more: Citywides of 15,000 to 20,000 attendees and corporate meetings are next for this hardworking singer turned planner extraordinaire. —Katherine Manfredi