Jarrah Marsalis Hamer
Nominated Position: Region IV Chair
Nominated by: Lisa Curtis
Degree Earned: Bachelor of Business Administration, BBA Management | Year Awarded: 2007, 2024
Current HUAA Role: HUAA Region IV Representative
For nearly a decade, Jarrah has been a devoted member of the Howard University Alumni Club of Indianapolis (HUAC Indy). Staying connected to Howard University has become one of the most meaningful constants in his life. His long-standing involvement reflects not only loyalty to Howard University but also a deep commitment to strengthening the alumni presence and fostering connection in Indianapolis. That same commitment to community is evident throughout Jarrah’s professional life. A licensed psychotherapist and certified mediator, he has built a career around helping people feel seen, safe, and valued.
Through The Ottice Group, the organization he founded, he created peer-support spaces where individuals can share their stories without shame and begin healing in community—an approach that mirrors the very ethos of HUAA: collective uplift, dignity, and belonging. Jarrah’s professional journey is marked by an uncommon ability to bridge complex systems with real human needs. His path—from the automotive and aerospace defense industry to healthcare roles at Dallas Presbyterian Hospital, Eskenazi Health, and the Regenstrief Institute—demonstrates both versatility and purpose. In his current role as a Senior Consultant at Indiana University Health, he partners with leadership to advance equity and inclusion in tangible, meaningful ways. One example: his work to secure inclusive haircare products for patients with natural and textured hair undergoing cancer treatment, ensuring that cultural identity and dignity are honored even in moments of profound vulnerability.
As an adjunct professor at Marian University, Jarrah extends his impact to the next generation of clinicians. He challenges graduate students to consider culture, systems, and empathy in every therapeutic interaction, shaping practitioners who will carry forward the values he embodies. Across every role—alumni leader, clinician, consultant, educator—Jarrah consistently uses his influence to build spaces where people feel valued and connected.
His decade of service to HUAC Indy is not separate from his professional achievements; it is part of a larger pattern of leadership rooted in dignity, belonging, and healing. Service is not a side project for Jarrah; it is the thread that runs through his life. He is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, as well as the Indiana Mediators Association and the American Counseling Association, contributing his insight to communities that shape practice and policy. In Indianapolis, he partners with Fathers and Families Center to offer mental wellness workshops that support men—especially fathers—as they navigate stress, identity, and responsibility. In every space, Jarrah shows up with humility, patience, and a genuine desire to help people feel less alone. He measures success by whether people leave feeling heard, respected, and better equipped to move forward.
Within HUAA, Jarrah has been trusted with several leadership roles that he holds dear. He served as HUAC Indy’s Senior Sendoff Committee Chair in 2017, celebrating and encouraging students as they prepared to attend Howard. From 2022 to 2024, he served as President of the Howard University Alumni Club of Indianapolis and, during that same period, as Constituent Unit President (CUP) Lead. He is currently the Region IV Representative for the 2025–2026 term, representing alumni across the region. Each role has deepened his commitment to serving the HUAA family with integrity and care.
What makes Jarrah’s candidacy so compelling is that he leads with both heart and intellect. He understands governance, structure, and strategy, yet he never loses sight of the fact that HUAA is a living community of Bison who want to stay connected to each other and to Howard. Region IV is wide and diverse, and it requires a Chair who can listen deeply, honor local realities, and still weave clubs together around a shared vision. Through his leadership in Indianapolis, his time as CUP Lead, and his service as Region IV Representative, Jarrah has shown he can be steady in conflict, thoughtful in change, and creative in engagement. Most importantly, he consistently shows up with humility and genuine care—and that is exactly the spirit Region IV deserves.
Jarrah is, first and foremost, a devoted husband and father. Traveling with his wife and daughters is one of his greatest joys and a constant reminder of why community, legacy, and opportunity matter. Those experiences fuel his commitment to strengthening HUAA for future generations of Bison. He also enjoys comedy shows, suspense-thriller novels, and the New York Times mini-crossword puzzles—simple joys that keep him grounded. They reflect the balance he brings to leadership: serious about the work, yet approachable, light-hearted, and easy to connect with.
Jarrah’s HUAA journey began as a student employee in the Department of Alumni Relations from 2004 to 2007, where he supported alumni engagement and helped prepare the In Memoriam section of Howard Magazine. That early experience taught him how sacred our alumni stories are and how vital HUAA is to be honoring them.