Clifton Taulbert, a Pulitzer nominated author for Once Upon a Time When We Were Colored (1989) and the president and founder of the Building Community Institute, speaks worldwide on the critical issue of building community. His books Eight Habits of the Heart and Eight Habits of the Heart for Educators advance the theory that "unselfish leadership...ensures student success." Before he became an author (including of the Little Cliff children's series) and professional speaker, Taulbert worked in the banking industry. After a stint as a sergeant in the US Air Force, Taulbert earned his B.A. at Oral Roberts University, and earned continuing professional education credits (toward an MBA) from Southwest Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University. Recipient of the 17th annual National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Image Award for literature, Taulbert was one of the first African American writers to win the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for nonfiction, and was named by Time magazine one of America's outstanding black entrepreneurs.