Meet the founder
Armond J. Farrar
Armond J. Farrar was born on September 8, 1941 in the District of Columbia. As the child of a successful businessman, he began work in his father’s businesses at the age of eight, so business has always been in his blood. After graduating from high school in 1959, Armond received a football scholarship to Albany State College in Georgia. During his time there, he helped the 1960 football team accomplish an undefeated, un-scored upon season, a record that still stands today. At the same time, he finished second in his academic class. The beginning of desegregation riots in the town of Albany, GA kept him from returning to finish his degree. At home, he enrolled part-time in DC Teacher’s College and began working at the post office.
In 1962, Armond met and married Hazel, the love of his life, and shortly thereafter he founded Farrar & Associates in the basement of his home. Always thinking ahead, Armond soon added a construction company called Kingdom Builders to generate the extra income that he knew he would need to support a wife and children. A son was born to the couple in 1963 and a daughter was born in 1965. All the while, Armond kept Farrar & Associates and Kingdom Builders “on the grow” while working full-time at the post office.
In the early years, Farrar & Associates specialized in income tax preparation and bookkeeping. Initially, Armond completed taxes for close friends for supplemental income. As word spread about the quality of his work, the business began to grow. Always the visionary, Armond added accounting and insurance services to the company in 1975. He maintained his job at the post office until 1979 when Farrar & Associates became his full-time job. The office moved out of his basement in 1989 and later moved into its current offices in 1994. Farrar & Associates has evolved tremendously from its humble beginnings. Fifty-three years later, the business has clients from all over the United States, a testament to the high standards set by the company’s founder back in 1963. Over the years, Armond observed that student loans had become a serious topic of discussion for families. Student loan debt had escalated to problematic levels. He witnessed firsthand the financial struggles that many of his clients and other families experienced trying to educate their children beyond high school. As an increasingly successful businessman, Armond also saw his tax burden grow and wondered how he could reduce it. In early 2016, the answer came to him – use some of his profits to start a scholarship fund for financially strapped high achieving post-secondary students, instead of giving it to Uncle Sam!
There it was – a great way to do something positive for others while reducing his tax liability at the same time. Thus, the AJF Scholarship and Achievement Foundation Inc. was born. As he worked on launching the nonprofit foundation, Armond felt the personal satisfaction of knowing that deserving students would prosper from his gifts. He also wanted to share the excitement of helping with others, so he contacted family, friends, and clients asking for contributions to the AJF Scholarship and Achievement Foundation, Inc. To date, many people have responded by investing in the future of students who excel in academics and community service, but need a financial boost to begin or complete a college or professional education.
Meet The Board
Dr. Leslie A. Mobray
Dr. Les Mobray was born in Annapolis and now resides in Bowie, Maryland. He is a retired educator who spends his time as an educational consultant and mentor. Dr. Mobray earned his bachelor’s degree in Social Science at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore; his Master of Education degree in guidance and counseling and administration at Bowie State University; and his Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. While pursuing his doctoral degree, Dr. Mobray was privileged to study at the University of Uppsala in Uppsala, Sweden. For 30 plus years Dr. Mobray worked as a social studies teacher, guidance counselor, middle school principal and central office administrator for the Anne Arundel County Public Schools. In retirement, he has remained active in educational activities and has served in various capacities. He has held adjunct professor positions at both Johns Hopkins and George Washington Universities in their colleges of education. He has also been an instructional monitor for the Maryland State Department of Education and an advisor for the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence. Dr. Mobray has also served as a Dissertation External Reader for Neumann University in Aston Township, Pennsylvania.
In addition to his work with the AJF (Armond J. Farrar) Scholarship and Achievement Foundation, Inc., Dr. Mobray, serves as a member of the Scholarship Committee for the Anne Arundel Retired School Personnel Association (AARSPA), the Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center Board of Directors and is a member of the Advisory Board for the College of Education at Bowie State University. He also holds memberships in: the National Alliance of Black School Educators, National Association of Pupil Services Administrators, Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development and is a life member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. Dr. Mobray attends Asbury United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C. where he is a member of the United Methodist Men. He served as a lay member of the Greater Washington District Committee on Ordained Ministry.
Dr. Marcia Muirhead-Melvin
Dr. Marcia Muirhead-Melvin is a professional with a passion for teaching, education, and research. A decorated military combat veteran and visionary leader, she is experienced in leadership, multiculturalism, performance management, coaching, and mentoring. She is an Army Officer, an educator, and consultant. Dr. Muirhead-Melvin holds a PhD in human and organization development, a master's in human and organizations development, a master's in adult education and human resource, and a bachelor's in psychology. She has completed research in the areas of leader theory, social welfare policy and procedures, and multi-generationalism- work and family issues. In addition to her research experience, Dr. Muirhead-Melvin works in the areas of leadership, adult education, culture, training and development, performance improvement as well as organizational and program development. She teaches graduate courses and co-developed the Master's of Art in adult education for the University of the District of Columbia. She is a highly focused visionary leader with experiential knowledge necessary to oversee and direct multilevel, cross-functional initiatives through to successful completion.
Dr. April Copes
Dr. April Copes is a performance-based educator with over 25 years of experience in the classroom. She transitioned to higher education after 16 years of service as a teacher, scholarship chairperson, and service learning liaison at a high school in the District of Columbia Public Schools. She is an Associate Professor of Communication at Anne Arundel Community College (AACC) and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Strategic, Legal, and Management Communication at Howard University. Her expertise includes intercultural, interpersonal, and organizational communication, persuasion, communication theory, and public speaking. Her research highlights social justice concerns, including news coverage of labor unions, education, and issues important to African American voters.
Dr. Copes is passionate about expanding the diversity of the curriculum and preparing students to communicate competently across cultures. She serves on a college-wide Social Justice Collaborative to ensure that social justice issues are integrated into curricular and co-curricular endeavors. Her belief is the strength of partnerships is evidenced in the two thematic learning communities she co-founded. One, a partnership with the sociology department, has a social justice theme. The other, a collaboration with the history department, teaches students about African American communication and culture. Dr. Copes earned a PhD in communication and culture and master’s in curriculum and instruction from Howard University, and bachelor’s in speech communication from Syracuse University.
Anthony T. Farrar Sr.
Mr. Anthony Farrar, following in the footsteps of his father, is the owner and founder of Farrar Financial Group, an insurance, income tax, and financial and estate planning agency with offices in Maryland, Alabama, and Georgia. Mr. Farrar is a results-driven senior executive with 26 years experience in leading and inspiring teams. He excels at building loyal client relationships and optimizing diverse skills to increase profitability in demanding environments.Mr. Farrar is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and spends his free time sponsoring Amateur Athletic Union basketball tournaments, Little League, and various community youth programs.
Tracey L. (Farrar) Ligon, Esq.
Ms. Ligon has been an attorney for over 25 years and specializes in federal campaign finance and ethics law. She earned her J.D. from George Washington University, and holds a B.S. from Hampton University in business management. Ms. Ligon also actively serves as a minister in the local church, where she spent several years organizing college fairs and college life weekends to expose and inspire young people to pursue higher education.
Jordan Ligon
Jordan Ligon is the Manager for AJF Scholarship and Achievement Foundation, Inc. In the Spring of 2023, he received his Bachelor of Science with a major in Risk management: Real Estate Option, from the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University. He now is a licensed Realtor in Maryland with Long and Foster and takes pride in serving his clients to the fullest, and ensuring a seamless and successful experience.