LettingHerLigHtsHine : KemiogunteBi
Diversity , Equity & Inclusion Committee Chairs : AntinaMobley — PublicDefender ' sOffice , ThirteenthCircuit & AmyCasanova-Ward — FLDept . ofFinancialServices
Diversity has many faces . This month , the HCBA ’ s Diversity , Equity and Inclusion Committee is pleased to focus the spotlight on member Fehintola Folasade Oguntebi , better known to us by her nickname , “ Kemi .” Kemi was not born and raised in Tampa Bay . Her decision to practice law here came at the end of a long and fascinating journey which began in Nigeria , her birthplace and early home . She is the child of an educator and medical school administrator , and grandchild of religious leaders , all of whom valued education . Her secondary education began at Nigerian boarding schools ,
continued with graduation from the University of Ibadan , the oldest university in Nigeria , and culminated with her graduation from the University of Florida ’ s College of Law . During a gap year prior to attending university , she met her future husband , Dr . Bamiduro “ Duro ” Oguntebi , who was attending dental school . They continued their longdistance relationship through university and a year of public service prior to marrying in 1978 . Kemi then joined Duro as he completed his training to become
Kemicamefromanothercountry , onanothercontinent , toestablish acareerthathasmadetampa abetterplacetolive , makingarealdifferencetopeoplewhoneed helpnavigatingourlegalsystem .
an endodontist . Their journey together took Kemi to Connecticut , Missouri and Saudi Arabia , before eventually moving to Florida , where Dr . Oguntebi was a professor at the UF College of Dentistry .
While in Gainesville , Kemi opened Kokomama , a store specializing in African goods . As a child , she had watched Perry Mason and formed an impression of what it meant to be an attorney . While in Gainesville , she decided to become an attorney to continue
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