The name is not a brand decision. It is a tribute — to a man who called everyone Chief because he saw the rank in every person he met. This is the story behind the name.
When people ask about the name, I tell them about my grandfather. Paul Bernard Culpepper served in the United States Army. He spent 26 years with the United States Postal Service. He directed the Elite Youth Center, where he poured himself into young people who needed someone to believe in them. He was a pastor. He was a community anchor. And he had a habit that everyone who knew him remembers.
He called everyone Chief. Not as a casual greeting — as a statement. When Paul Culpepper looked at you and called you Chief, he was telling you something about how he saw you. He saw your rank. He saw your potential. He saw the person you were capable of being, even when you could not see it yourself.
My grandfather passed away before I started this organization, but his legacy continues to shape my work. The Chiefs Palace is a separate future veteran-focused recovery residence planned for Michigan City / La Porte County, Indiana; it is not currently accepting residents. Its name honors Paul’s belief that every person deserves dignity, respect, and the expectation that they are capable of more than their worst moment.
The name also carries a specific meaning for veterans. In the military, Chief is a title of rank and respect — particularly in the Army and Navy. It reflects the dignity and potential Paul saw in every person. The name is intentional.
My aunt Patches — Lacresha Culpepper, a founding member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority's local chapter — named this organization. She saw what I was building and she gave it a name that connected it to the legacy we were both carrying. Three generations. One mission. That is what The Chiefs Palace is.
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