Education
for L IF E
FR IE NDS HIP for a Lifetim e
Darrell K. Williams
Lieutenant General (USA Retired)
13th President of Hampton University
Greetings to my fellow Hampton Alumni:
As the 13th president of Hampton University, it is with great pleasure that I welcome each of you to our Home by the Sea for the 153rd Commencement and 107th Annual Reunion Weekend of the National Hampton Alumni Association (NHAA), Inc. I hope this weekend will provide you with new and exciting memories.
Since July, when I began my presidency, I have been consistently impressed and invigorated by meeting with alumni around the country. You continue to be a source of inspiration as the University strategically plans to expand its intellectual footprint and “Deliver the #1 Student Experience in America.” With these ideals at our core, we recently released a new strategic plan, “Elevating Hampton Excellence.” The plan is a living document that is the culmination of a focused, deliberate, and transparent effort to engage all of our stakeholders, especially our alumni.
Each of you is an important part of Hampton’s history and its future. You will be instrumental in helping the University reach the goals of the strategic plan over the next ten years. As we emerge from an era of great accomplishments that has set the foundation for elevating Hampton, we are poised to reach even greater heights. Together, we can continue to build a premier and vibrant ‘Home by the Sea’ that provides the world with exceptional graduates who will have a positive impact on their communities, the nation and the globe.
We have planned an exciting weekend of events for the 107th Annual Alumni Reunion Weekend, culminating with the 153rd Commencement. I look forward to meeting you during this special time on campus. Welcome back to your Home by the Sea and enjoy your visit.
Sincerely,
Darrell K. Williams PresidentOFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT May 12, 2023
DINNER Program
PRESIDING ..............................................................................................
Ms. April M. Broadway, ‘88
First Vice President, NHAA, Inc.
GREETINGS .............................................................................................
Ms. Corlease Sills, ‘71 President, Hampton Chapter
INTRODUCTION OF DAIS
SPECIAL SELECTION .......................................................................
Ms. April M. Broadway, ‘88
First Vice President, NHAA, Inc.
Ms. Richayla Stallings, Department of Music & Performing Arts
INVOCATION.........................................................................................
Ms. Diamond Gantt, ‘18 Chaplain, NHAA, Inc.
DINNER ................................................................................................. Music for your entertainment provided by The HU Little Band
INTRODUCTION OF SPEAKER ................................................
Ms. April M. Broadway, ‘88
First Vice President, NHAA, Inc.
DINNER ADDRESS ............................................................................. President Darrell K. Williams, ‘83 President, Hampton University
SPECIAL PERFORMANCE .............................................................
PRESENTATION OF MERIT AWARDS ...................................
Hampton University Terpsichorean Dance Company
Ms. April M. Broadway, ‘88
First Vice President, NHAA, Inc. & Mr. Willie Williams, Jr., ‘83 President, NHAA, Inc.
REUNION CLASS LEADERS REPORTS ..................................
Mr. Jeffrey Silverthorne, ‘85 & Mr. Tiyale Hayes, ‘98
ALUMNI GIVING CO-CHAIRS, NHAA, INC. ..................... All years ending in 3’s and 8’s, Golden Anniversary Class of 1973 and Emeritus Class
PRESENTATION OF CLASS AWARDS ....................................
Ms. Brint M. Martin, ‘99 ‘07 Assistant Vice President for Alumni
EMERITUS CLASS INDUCTION ...............................................
Ms. April M. Broadway, ‘88
First Vice President, NHAA, Inc.
ALMA MATER .......................................................................................
Felipe Gonzalez
Department of Music & Performing Arts
Mission Statement
The NHAA, Inc. mission is to be inclusive and to include alumni, students, parents, faculty, administration, staff, friends, partners, significant others and pre-alumni. It is also our mission to raise funds for the University, help with the recruitment of students, develop alumni chapters and to enhance the Hampton Legacy.
National Officers And Board Of Directors Of The National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc.
JULY 1, 2022 – JUNE 30, 2024
President ..................................................................................
Mr. Willie Williams, Jr.
First Vice President ...............................................................
Ms. April M. Broadway
Vice President Eastern Regions .........................................
Vice President Western Regions........................................
Recording Secretary .............................................................
Corresponding Secretary ....................................................
Treasurer ..................................................................................
Chaplain ...................................................................................
Mrs. Kelli Boyer
Ms. Kathlyn Land
Ms. Sianni J. Cabello
Ms. Raquel Watson
Mr. Wayne Greene
Ms. Diamond Gantt
2022 -2024 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Presented by Mr. Willie Williams, Jr., National President
• Increase Alumni Giving (including participation rates) through sensitizing alumni to small donor options, conducting Presidential City Tours oriented on larger donors, and capitalizing on alumni corporate connections.
• Increase Chapter Engagement and Giving through increasing the number of functioning chapters and increase the direct engagement with chapter leaders.
• Increase Young Alumni Engagement and Development through increasing the presence of young alumni on the board and developing more career & networking to develop programs.
NHAA, INC. Alumni Merit Award
The Alumni Merit Award is given to alumni who demonstrate a loyalty to Hampton University and the National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc. Awardees serve on the chapter, regional and/or national level of the NHAA, Inc. The persons selected for this award give back to the University financially as well as participate in the life of the campus.
National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc. Annual Awards
Alumni Merit Award Recipients
Raleigh Chapter (North Carolina Region)
Jekisha Elliott
Greensboro Chapter (North Carolina Region)
Jeffrey Silverthorne
Chapter Award Recipients
Prince George’s County Chapter
Seyth McCoy-Lefall – President
Atlanta Chapter
George White – President
Regional Award Recipient
North Carolina Region
Lisa J. Fair – President
Recent Graduate Award
Siani Cabello Gillus
Northern Virginia Chapter
“TOGETHER... We make a difference”
Alumni Merit Award:
Jekisha Michelle Elliott, Class of 2004 - Jekisha Elliott became VP of the Raleigh Chapter NHAA effective July 1, 2020 and accepted leadership for a consecutive second term on July 1, 2022. She is co-chair of Student Recruitment/Retention and is a mentor of a current Raleigh Hampton student and assisted with the Raleigh area Student Smoothie Sendoff.
She also was on the 2021 Raleigh Hampton Graduation committee, and was an integral part on one of the most successful events that the Raleigh chapter has ever sponsored; she assisted with Raleigh Chapter NHAA Graduate Gifts, event set-up and the graduation ceremony. The Raleigh Chapter held this event on June 13th, 2021 due to the absence of the May 2020 & 2021 in-person graduations.
She also participated in monthly virtual Pirate Conversations with Raleigh area Hampton students and chapter meetings. She covered for the Chapter President in any absence and participated in regional and national meetings.
Jeffrey Silverthorne, Class of 1985 - Jeff Silverthorne is a 1985 graduate of Hampton University School of Business from Long Island, NY. He currently resides in the Piedmont Triad, North Carolina. Jeff is a Supply Chain professional and educator in North Carolina at the Guilford County Schools Transportation, Distribution and Logistics Academy. He teaches students in the “Ultimate Classroom to Career Experience,” preparing them for high skill, high wage and in-demand careers. Jeff is also an Adjunct Professor at High Point University the “Premier Life Skill” University where he educates students in Consumer Behavior and Social Media Marketing Strategies. Jeff currently serves Hampton University as the Co-Chair Alumni Giving for the National Hampton Alumni Association (NHAA) since 2018. He’s also the Co-Class Leader Class of 1985 and a member of the Greensboro Chapter NHAA.
Jeff’s career in education was preceded by 28 years of corporate experience in the Supply Chain with three Fortune 500 companies Exxon/Mobil, Black & Decker and Hanesbrands. In his role as the Manager of Global Transportation for Hanesbrands, Jeff managed all product movement globally from the ports, airports and rail hubs to retail chains in North America.
After graduation from Hampton University in 1985, Jeff, a distinguished military graduate, served three years on active duty in the United States Army. Transitioning from the military to corporate America, Jeff continued his military career in the US Army Reserve, culminating with combat service in Operation Iraqi Freedom 20032004, where he was awarded two Bronze Star Awards.
Chapter Award:
Prince George’s County Chapter - The Prince George’s County Chapter of the National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc. is the recipient of the Chapter Merit Award. The chapter board, Seythe J. McCoy-Leffall, President; Courtland James, Vice President; Steven Williams, Jr., Treasurer; Andrea Payne, Recording Secretary; Erica Hiler, Corresponding Secretary; Courtney Thornton, Parliamentarian; and Jacqueline Ray-Morris, Chaplain, has led the chapter by increasing membership and providing scholarships and advocacy for students. During the past year, the chapter hosted virtual events to support chapter activities and raise funds for its local scholarship efforts. These events include a curated Valentine’s Day playlist for fellow Pirates, the distribution of book scholarships during the annual Pirates in the Park event where the chapter hosts current students, incoming freshmen, and friends of Hampton, supporting Hampton University’s recruitment efforts at the Alfred Street Baptist Church HBCU Festival at the University of the District of Columbia, and promotion of the #1868 and #GivingTuesday campaigns to increase and inspire alumni giving. Also, this past year the chapter held a holiday brunch to collect toys to donate to the St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth, & Families.
Atlanta Chapter - The Metro Atlanta Chapter of the National Hampton Alumni Association is the recipient of this year’s Chapter merit award. Under the leadership of its President George White, Vice President Karla Booker, Treasurer Tamara Ewing, Corresponding Secretary Toi Carter and Recording Secretary Alyssa Barber, the chapter has grown our paid number of members from over 75 members to over 270 members this past fiscal year, with a goal of increasing the membership to over 500 for the next fiscal. During the past year, the metro Atlanta chapter has hosted a number of fundraising events, including its inaugural Blueteenth Gala, which raised close to $50k in scholarships for deserving students. In addition to our signature event, the Atlanta chapter has hosted numerous events including community service events by providing toiletries and other sundry items to the needy and a can food drive. The Metro Atlanta Chapter will be working with Children’s Hospital of Atlanta (CHOA) to provide goods and services to those children in need as well. The chapter also hosted a number of social events, including a bus trip from Atlanta to Athens to support our basketball team as they played the University Of Georgia. The head coach and athletic director from Hampton University expressed their gratitude for the alumni support. The chapter also participated in another fundraising event with the Howard Alumni chapter by hosting a Go-Go Event, where the proceeds were shared between the two again for scholarships. Many thanks Sigele Winbush for making this happen. The Metro Atlanta Chapter continued its collaboration with a number of other HBCU Alumni chapters to host watch parties with Howard University and NC A&T University. These events both provided an opportunity to recruit new members and also allowed us to raise scholarship dollars for our respective students.
Our chapter was one of the first chapters to receive recruitment training from Hampton University, which allowed us to participate in a number of recruitment fairs while serving as true ambassadors and recruiters for Hampton University. It is our goal to take that learning and package it as a training module which can then be used by other chapters upon approval of the University.
During this fiscal year the Metro Atlanta Chapter hosted its family day event, which was a huge success as we were able to reclaim a number of alumni to help grow our numbers. Our Founders Day event, led by Dr. Karla Booker and Sigele Winbush was also a tremendous success as we paid homage to our beginnings while fellowshipping and worshiping with our alumni during Sunday service.
The Metro Atlanta Chapter has over a dozen working committees dedicated to raising funds for our students and university. This year we have rolled out a new committee, led by Dr. Anitra Manning, focusing on mentorship. We anticipate our mentorship program can serve as a model for Hampton University. We believe our mentorship will be a catalyst to entice our younger alumni to get more involved in our alumni affairs. As President of the Alumni chapter, I am placing a huge emphasis on getting our younger alumni involved while stressing the importance of giving back to our alma mater.
Lastly, we invite all to participate and support our annual Blueteenth Gala, which will be held on June 17th at the Georgia Aquarium. We anticipate raising close to $100K for our students and the university. We are working very hard to curate sponsors whom we would like to develop strategic partnerships which will include providing internships and job opportunities for our students in the Metro Atlanta area. Our gala chair this year, Dr. Reanee Ivy Ellis and her team are working feverishly to put on a memorable event along with our fundraising chair Mr. Kenneth Jackson to raise as much money as we can for our students.
Region Award:
North Carolina Region - The North Carolina Region (NCR) is led by Lisa J. Fair, Class of 1990 and a Charlotte native. Student Recruitment is paramount in the NCR. For more than 25 years, we have been the only Region to host Early Admissions Onsites conducted by Director of Admissions, Angela Boyd in Charlotte, Greensboro and Raleigh. Our stats for this year are 50 students accepted, 48 scholarships awarded and 5 FULL RIDES presented – totaling almost $1 million in scholarships to NC students for the 2023 Academic School Year!
As the 2022-2023 incoming President, Lisa set to accomplish three (3) goals:
REPLENISH our depleted NC Endowed Scholarship by admonishing Chapters to pay all delinquent Region Dues from the past four years which funds that scholarship and our operating budget. Lisa also successfully acquired corporate sponsors to offset the deficit. Our students depend on us to raise funds that supplement their tuition.
REACTIVATE dormant chapters. The Fayetteville Chapter was recently reactivated to include a full slate of officers and almost 30 members. Bermuda, Greenville, Asheville, Coastal Plains (Rocky Mount) and others are in the NCR Reactivation pipeline.
RESTORE order to align and comply with the By-laws and Standard Operating Procedures to conduct chapter business. Lisa instituted a “President’s Mentorship” for all Chapter Presidents to obtain hands-on assistance to navigate through the Do’s and Don’ts of leading a chapter. Lisa tasked her NCR 1st Vice President to lead this charge.
The NCR also incorporates entertaining activities around the state to include card party fundraisers, an 1868 Alumni Mixer/Student Relief fundraiser while game viewing, High School Day Bus Trips, Vision Board Parties to lift the Mental Health of our current students, a Freshman Sendoff, support to the Lacrosse Team while in the NCR, a spring fling with food, drinks and networking tips, Battle of the Band competitions to garner HU Band members and an HBCU Showcase for outreach to school age children.
If you reside in or near the NCR and not engaged with us, please get looped in through the NHAA, Inc website for more information.
Recent Graduate Award:
Sianni Cabello Gillus, Class of 2017 - Sianni Cabello is a 2017 graduate of Hampton University of the School of Liberal Arts where she majored in Political Science and wrote several research papers on policy and understanding the link between juvenile delinquency and education. Sianni currently resides in Northern Virginia, where she works in the Executive Office of the Bureau of Overseas Buildings and Operations within the Department of State. Outside of her government career, she runs a 501c3 non-profit, called SocialSocietyU, Inc. SSU is an organization that mentors high school students by providing them with a glimpse of the college & career world experience, scholarships, mentorship, and internships.
Sianni is a part of the Northern Virginia Chapter and has served on the Executive Board of the National Hampton Alumni Association for 2+ years. Within that role, she serves as Recording Secretary and has helped to foster fundraising initiatives within the Board such as Pirate Perks. Sianni’s passion for higher education and drive to ensure that every student has the opportunity to do something impactful with their lives is what keeps her going. She understands that every student is different and that there is a path for everyone.
In her free time, Sianni enjoys adventuring to places she’s never been, learning life with her new husband Willie G. , and hanging out with her family.
REUNION
Class Leaders & Giving Reports
Emeritus Class Leaders $
Wallace Arnold & Joseph Briggs
Golden Class of 1973 $
Norma J. Hatot-King & Shawne Carroll
Class of 1978 $ _____________________
Joan Wickham & Tanya A. Mckoy
Class of 1983 $
Tanya Rayford-Hunter & Wayne Greene & Phyllis Baker
Class of 1988 $
Javondlynn Dunagan & Kimberly Barnes
Class of 1993 $
Shelva Nobles
Class of 1998 $ _____________________
Mawiyah Husbands
Class of 2003 $
Kanasha Trent & Sophia Harrison
Class of 2008 $
Maurice Kuykendall & Teddy Reeves
Class of 2013 $
Jasmin Morris Robinson & Dalentina Castello
Class of 2018 $ _____________________
Kristopher Johnson & Jamal Jackson
Total Alumni Giving as of May 13, 2023 $ _____________________
GOLDEN CLASS Congratulations
CLASS OF 1973
In Celebration of 50 Years as a Hampton Graduate
Emeritus Class Oath
We, the members of Hampton University’s Class of 1973 in celebration of our Golden Anniversary as Hamptonians, pledge to remain constant to the ideals and traditions of our ‘Home by the Sea.’ We are conscious of the EDGE in life which we received through “The Hampton Experience.” With dignity and fortitude, we have given fifty years of loyal service to the “Hampton Spirit.” As we join the ranks of the Emeritus Class, we will continue to “let our lives do the singing.”
REUNION WEEKEND Volunteers
Wallace Arnold
Vera Arnold
Marsha Bailey
Michelle Bailey
Mary Briley
Alice Capehart
Amoya Donaldson
Vinae Edwards
Gertrude Henry
Ann Leonce
Hubert Logan
Jewel Long
Allen Marshburn
Virginia Owens
Gloria Pressley
Edgar T. Rawles, III
Rosa Shelton
Corlease Sills
Brenda Spruell
Desmond Steele
DeVon Steele
Vivian Washington
Kayla Waddler
Ethel Woolfolk
Kyndall Johnson
Sherman Boyd
Carlyle Fulton
Rabbie Matamba-Maviry
Rohanna O’Hara
Joshua King
The Department of Development
The Theta Phi Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma
National Honorary Band Sorority, Inc.
The Nu Omega Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi
Honorary Band Fraternity, Inc.
Hampton University Marching F.O.R.C.E.
Volunteer Members
Student Activities Student Volunteers
Hampton University Endowed Scholars
Hampton University Pre-Alumni Council
ALMA MATER
O Hampton, a thought sent from Heaven above, To be a great soul’s inspiration; We sing thee the earnest of broad human love, The shrine of our heart’s adoration. Thy foundations firm and thy roof trees outspread, And thy sacred altar-fires burning, The sea circling ‘round thee, soft skies overhead, Dear Hampton, the goal of our yearning!
Refrain
O Hampton, we never can make thee a song Except as our lives do the singing, In service that will thy great spirit prolong, And send it through centuries ringing!
Kind mother; we’ll treasure the dear happy days We’ve spent here in life’s preparation, Yet go with brave hearts upon our chosen ways, Of service to God and our nation.
Still wearing thy colors, the blue and the white, As pledge that our fond hearts will cherish A love which for thee ever shines true and bright, A loyalty that ne’er can perish!
Words by: Sarah Collins Fernandis, 1882
Our Home by the Sea
