LifeStyle & Developmement Inc ~ History

LifeStyle & Development Incorporated

Antoinette (Toni) Harrison is the Founder of the International Finishing School and Executive Director of LifeStyle & Development Inc . Toni has over 18 years in the training / Development / Image Industry. She began her professional life in the Airlines Industry traveling around the continental United States and Europe. She produced and commentated fashion shows, and later found “Toni Butler and Associates”, an Image Development Firm.

During her tenure as President of the Image Consulting Firm, she trained and conducted business seminars for companies, including banks, colleges, and the armed services. She developed and implemented top Image Programs for Ivana Trump , at Trump Castle , and developed workshops for Trump Plaza. Mrs. Harrison accepted a position as Image Programs Manager for Donald Trump's “Taj Mahal”. There she implemented orientation and compliance programs for 6,500 employees. She produced the “Taj Image” video for new employees. In 1995, she opened the International Finishing School for Girls ages 6-13.

She found her true calling after observing the sentencing phase of a young teenager who had been arrested. Her husband W. Fred Harrison Jr. Esq, a defense attorney was defense counsel on that case. While witnessing the sentencing of that teenager, and after researching the increasing statistics on juvenile teenage girls and women offenders, she made the life changing decision to dedicate her life's work to empowering young girls, to make a successful transition as they journey into womanhood. She believes wholeheartedly that this is a mandate on her life. With that directive in mind Mrs. Harrison has endeavored to pursue one of her dreams of starting a non-profit organization. Mrs. Harrison has incorporated Lifestyle and Development Inc. and obtained 501c3 charitable status. She is also Founder and President of the International Finishing School with two locations, Philadelphia and Blue Bell, Pa. Plans are in progress to open three additional Finishing Schools along the east coast by the end of 2006.

In her capacity as Founder of the International Finishing School and Executive Director of Life-Style & Development Inc. Mrs. Harrison oversees the development functions of an organization whose primary mission is to empower girls to fulfill their mission in life. Mrs. Harrison received her undergraduate training at Temple University in Philadelphia. She has also received additional training and certification in diversity, multi-culturalism, for youth and women issues, and received training in non-profit management and public speaking at the Center for Non-Profit Excellence in Washington DC. She is also a member of the Professional Women Speakers Bureau. She currently serves on the Advisory board of Chestnut Hill College, ACT 101. Toni is a National Founding Member of Women Impacting Public Policy/Pennsylvania. American Association of University Women and African American Female Executive Association.