A Glance Glance INSIDE
lead 2gether basileus News-pg. 1 first anti-basileus news-pg. 2-3 second anti-basileus news-pg. 4 serve 2gether 5th Annual Bling & Jean Scholarship fundraiser- pg.5 build 2gether Soror Spotlight-pg.6 Unsung Soror Award-pg.7 Spotlight on Innovative Excellence-pg.8
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BASILEUS NEWS WS Welcome back Sorors!
The Gamma Theta Omega Chapter will enter the fall season energized, inspired, and deeply rooted in sisterhood. After a powerful summer of service, celebration, and connection, we now move forward together under our new international program direction, Championing Service — a call that aligns perfectly with who we are and how we lead in Tampa Bay. Our chapter made an extraordinary showing at the Boule in Las Vegas, joining thousands of Sorors from around the globe in a week of leadership, learning, and historic achievement. From witnessing the installation of our new International President, Soror Charletta Wilson Jacks to celebrating Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Guinness World Record service milestone, Gamma Theta Omega stood proudly in the spirit of Championing Service. This summer, we also shined right here at home. The Bling & Jeans Scholarship Fundraiser brought together Sorors, supporters, and community partners for an evening of sparkle, sisterhood, and purpose. Funds raised will directly support deserving students which reflects our chapter’s long-standing dedication to scholarship and educational empowerment. Our summer concluded with a deeply meaningful chapter retreat, themed Rooted in Sisterhood, Growing Together. We reflected, reconnected, and recommitted ourselves to the work ahead. Through workshops, bonding activities, and intentional planning, Sorors strengthened the foundation that will carry us through this program year. The retreat affirmed what we already know: we are strongest when we stand 2gether. As we finish the year our focus is clear: we will champion service with purpose, passion, and unity. Let’s continue elevating our community through education, health, economic empowerment, family support and the signature initiatives that define Alpha Kappa Alpha. We will do this together; rooted, growing, and thriving as one sisterhood. With Sisterly love and service, Soror Deidre R. Jones Basileus
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FIRST ANTI-BASILEUS WS NEWS CHAMPIONING SERVICE: ALL HANDS ON DECK!
Gamma Theta Omega is excited to embark on the 2026–2030 Community Service Programs under the banner: Championing Service. Empowering Sisterhood. Transforming the World. On August 14, 2026, Madam Supreme Basileus shared a powerful video message encouraging Champions across the Sorority to prepare for this next chapter of service. The Champion Administration has afforded chapters 180 days of strategic planning, with the new administration’s programs slated to begin in January 2027. This is our opportunity to build upon the work we have done well, reimagine how we serve, and identify new opportunities to make an even greater impact in our community. A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT’S AHEAD Our Signature Program, AKA Foster the Future – From Here to Hope, will support children and families experiencing foster and kinship care. Planned activities include a career workshop and employment fair, with opportunities to engage our youth through the Ivy AKAdemy and a potential career fair in May. Duffle Bags of Dignity, in partnership with the Children’s Network of Hillsborough and the Family Enrichment Center, is another exciting opportunity for collaboration. Our eight program targets provide Gamma Theta Omega with a broad platform for meaningful service: Target 1 – Educational Support & Advocacy: Educator Support, HBCU Champions, College Readiness & Career Alternatives, These Pearls Will Read, and Young Authors. Many of these activities are already making an impact through our Emerging Young Leaders and Precious Pearls programs. Target 2 – AKA Family Matters: Juneteenth Jubilee, AKA Safety & Preparedness, and Nourish to Flourish. Target 3 – Health Awareness & Wellbeing: Mental health awareness and emotional wellbeing, with opportunities to expand our reach to children and men. Target 4 – Economic Growth & Success: Pink Wall Street, access to funding and business development resources, and the continuation of the Ivy Pitch Challenge. Target 5 – Environmental & Sustainability Action: Environmental stewardship, waste reduction, food security, and urban agriculture.
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First anti-Basileus News
Target 6 – Arts Advocacy & Cultural Awareness: Art & Literacy Labs, Future Creators Showcase, and Elder Expression Exhibits. Target 7 – The Global Community: Strategic global partnerships and resource mobilization, including opportunities to collaborate with the Haitian Education Project, Inc. Target 8 – Undergraduate Impact: Supporting our undergraduate chapters as they implement programming aligned with their chosen tract. With our strong Graduate Advisor Council, Gamma Theta Omega is poised to support Zeta Upsilon and Sigma Nu. CHAMPIONS, WE NEED YOU! The Champion Administration gives us a wonderful opportunity to revisit initiatives in which Gamma Theta Omega has thrived while exploring new ways to serve. But programs do not come to life on paper—they come to life because Sorors step forward, share their talents, build partnerships, and serve. My Gamma Theta Omega Sorors, we need ALL HANDS ON DECK! Please visit ConnectHer to sign up for new and existing committees. If you are interested in serving as a Chairman, please contact me as soon as possible. Your ideas. Your leadership. Your passion. Your service matters. Thank you for continuing to fight for our community and for answering the call to serve. YOU ARE CHAMPIONS! Let’s Champion Service together.
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Seco anti-Basileus Second News We Need Each Other: Sisterhood, Service, and Strength
As women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, we understand that service does not belong to a particular season; service is always in season. As we reflect on the summer months, one message continues to resonate: we need each other to survive, thrive, and serve. Throughout the summer, our Sorors were present across our community and sisterhood; from the NAACP Candidate Forum, DPGS Celebration, and 2026 Boule to the Back-to-School Drive, Bling and Jeans, Black and White Ball, Chapter Retreat, NAACP Mental Health Symposium highlighting menopause, and our Chapter meetings. Each gathering had a different purpose, yet collectively they demonstrated the power of collaboration and the importance of showing up for one another. As September brings greater awareness to mental health and suicide prevention, we must remember to extend to ourselves the same care we so generously give to others. As women who lead, serve, nurture, mentor, and advocate, it can be easy to place our own well-being last. Yet mental wellness is essential to sustaining our service and strengthening our sisterhood. This summer, we greeted one another with smiles, hugs, encouragement, and congratulations. We celebrated Sorors welcoming children and grandchildren, traveling, beginning new careers, opening businesses, and accepting new leadership roles within Alpha Kappa Alpha. These moments remind us that sisterhood is more than gathering, it is being present for one another in both the milestones and the moments in between. That same spirit strengthens our commitment to scholarship and our youth. Every scholarship awarded, every young person mentored, and every opportunity created is an investment in the future. Our youth are depending on us to advocate for them, encourage them, and create pathways for their dreams. As we move forward, let us continue to champion one another with intention. Let us check on the sister who is always checking on everyone else. Let us protect our mental wellness, strengthen our collaborations, invest in scholarships, and remain steadfast in service. There is important work ahead, and I am proud to know we are doing it together; with sisterhood in our hearts, scholarship as our investment in the future, service as our commitment, and collaboration as our strength. In sisterhood and service, Soror Ty Codner
Serve2gether 5 Annual 5 Aual bling & Jean th
schorship fundraiser scholarship furaiser On August 8, 2026, the Gamma Theta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® partnered with the Ivy Enrichment Foundation of Tampa Bay, Incorporated to host the 5th Annual Bling & Jeans Scholarship Fundraiser. The evening was filled with sisterhood, fellowship, fun, and a shared commitment to supporting higher education. Members, friends, community partners, and guests arrived in their finest bling and denim, adding plenty of sparkle and style to the celebration. Thanks to the generous support of attendees and contributors, the organizations raised $7,400 in scholarship funds for area undergraduate students attending Florida not-for-profit colleges and universities. The funds raised will help deserving students continue pursuing their educational goals and serve as another example of the chapter’s ongoing commitment to service and educational advancement. Guests enjoyed an evening of lively fellowship, creative table decorations, fashionable bling and jeans attire, and friendly competition. From beautifully decorated tables to dazzling outfits, participants fully embraced the spirit of the event while keeping its important purpose at the forefront. The 5th Annual Bling & Jeans Scholarship Fundraiser was a wonderful demonstration of what can be accomplished through sisterhood, service, and community support. Gamma Theta Omega Chapter and the Ivy Enrichment Foundation of Tampa Bay remain committed to investing in students and creating opportunities that strengthen the Tampa Bay community. It was truly an evening of style, service, scholarship, and sisterhood! Amy Jackson, EAF Captain
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september september Soror in the Spotlight
She serves, she shines, shis, she inspires
Soror Jean Collins
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September unsung soror award ard quietly serving, constantly shining & making an unforgettable unforgeable impact
Soror Fontaine Marion
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Soror in the Spotlight on on iovative Exceence innovative Soror SaLisa Berrien
Congratulations to Soror SaLisa Berrien for earning recognition on the prestigious First 200 list, a national platform celebrating entrepreneurs who have raised more than $1 million in venture capital funding. Soror SaLisa is not only featured—she is blazing trails as one of the first 50 individuals highlighted. As the Founder and CEO of COI Energy, SaLisa leads a cutting-edge digital energy management company that detects and eliminates energy waste in buildings, helping organizations operate more efficiently and sustainably. The First 200 documents founders from diverse backgrounds through in-depth podcast interviews, index reports, and curated events, examining the patterns, mindset, and strategic decisions behind companies scaling their vision with institutional capital. Over the summer, Soror SaLisa hosted her 13th Annual Founders and Funders Retreat at Martha’s Vineyard. This three-day event connected like-minded individuals to network, exchange playbooks, and elevate one another, cementing its status as a premier event on the Vineyard.
SaLisa's achievements reflect excellence, innovation, and leadership—values deeply aligned with the mission of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. We proudly celebrate her continued impact and applaud her for representing the Gamma Theta Omega Chapter with distinction.
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