Good News + Accomplishments

GOOD NEWS +

Soror Stacy Anderson

UPSILON KAPPA OMEGA Fayetteville, NC

Soror Stacy Anderson retired with a combined 30 Years of service from the United States Army and the Fayetteville Police Department. Officer Anderson worked closely with the homeless and demonstrated exceptional public service to a community that most people would turn a blind eye. She has witnessed the worst conditions and elements of humanity within the homeless community but with her professional approach, a determined mind and concerned heart, Offi cer Anderson encouraged, motivated, and shared resources that inspired those men and women to have hope and strive for a better future.

Soror LaShanda Cobbs

ALPHA BETA ALPHA OMEGA Springfi eld and Lorton, VA

LaShanda Cobbs, President and CEO of Optum Serve Preparedness & Emergency Response (OSPER) was selected by G2Xchange and FedHealthIT.com as 2022 Leading for Impact, Women in Leadership Award winner. Building upon Optum Serve’s exceptional response to the COVID-19 pandemic, LaShanda leads a business unit to help customers prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from public health emergencies and other contingencies by leveraging organizational capabilities and technical solutions from across the UnitedHealth Group enterprise. LaShanda’s business provides a strategic and operational end-to-end process for COVID-19 testing and vaccine administration program management with contracts totaling approximately $1.7 billion.

Soror Chrystal Fray Davis

ALPHA PSI OMEGA Wilmington, NC

Alpha Psi Omega Chapter Basileus Chrystal Fray Davis was recognized as a changemaker during the North Carolina Project Lead’s luncheon for 2022’s Honorees. The recognition was in the category of Lifetime Achievement in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Soror Fray Davis has spent more than 30 years developing her business and serving the community with her State Farm Insurance Agency. She has received numerous national accolades. The Lifetime member was initiated into Theta Alpha Chapter (East Carolina University). She is working on a second master’s degree. The two-day summit included workshops, speakers, a luncheon, and a gala in the Historic Wilmington District.

Soror Regina G. Earp

GENERAL MEMBER

On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, The Raleigh City Council appointed Soror Regina G. Earp, Silver Star, General Life member, to a two-year term on the Fair Housing Hearing Board. This term commenced Wednesday, October 19, 2022, and will run through Thursday, October 17, 2024. Meetings are held each month and are open to the public.

The Fair Housing Hearing Board works to improve

ac mpli m ts

public awareness of the City’s Fair Housing Ordinance, which prohibits discrimination in housing opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, family status, disability, national origin, or sex.

Soror Krishauna Hines-Gaither

KAPPA DELTA OMEGA Martinsville, VA

We celebrate Dr. Krishauna Hines-Gaither, of Kappa Delta Omega Chapter for publishing her new book, The Antiracist World Language Classroom. This foundational and vanguard work, co-authored with Cecile Accilien, Ph.D., serves as a guide to provide world language educators with the strategies and resources necessary to develop an antiracist teaching pedagogy and environment. Dr. Hines-Gaither explained why this work is important to the educational fi eld, she stated, “Our nation is shifting, it’s becoming more and more diverse and complex. To meet the needs of our times, we need to ensure our students are fluent in the language of antiracism.”

Soror Valerie Johnson

ZETA CHI OMEGA Arlington, VA

Soror Valerie Johnson, author, educator, and speaker published her children’s book 1 2 3 Count with Me on Granddad’s Farm, combining her two loves: teaching math and publishing children’s books. She launched her publishing imprint, West Oak Lane Kids, LLC. Since its August 2022 release, her book was ranked in Amazon Kindle children’s categories: Baby & Toddler Counting Books and Children’s Nonfiction Animal Books. The book won the Literary Titan Gold Book Award, BookFest Award, and Firebird Book Award and highlighted online in Black Enterprise Magazine. Soror Valerie Johnson is the niece of NASA Mathematician and Soror Katherine Johnson.

Soror Yushonda Midgette

ALPHA PSI OMEGA Wilmington, NC

Soror Yushonda Midgette co-stars in the newly released movie, “The Christmas Spirit.” The Silver Star plays the character Deborah Johnson, a church First Lady, and mother. The 1990 Delta Alpha Chapter initiate landed her first acting role in the 1992 film “Stompin at the Savoy.” She has also appeared in short films, other movies, and commercials. The former Alpha Psi Omega debutante has been an educator and school safety advocate. She has degrees from Fayetteville State University, the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and is pursuing a doctorate from Liberty University. The movie can be viewed on AmazonPrime.

Soror Tahrington (Tahri) Phillips

TAU ZETA Washington and Lee University

Soror Tahrington (Tahri) Phillips, a cognitive and behavioral science and English double major, is Washington and Lee University’s 18th Rhodes Scholar for 2023. She will begin graduate studies next fall at the University of

Oxford in England. The scholarship, which averages approximately $75,000 per year, and up to $250,000, fully funds two to four years of study at Oxford. At Oxford, Soror Tahri plans to pursue a master’s degree in evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation.

Soror Tahri, a member of Tau Zeta Chapterm is the first black woman to hold this honor at Washington and Lee University.

Soror MiKayla Raines

LAMBDA OMEGA Newport News, VA

Twenty-three-year-old graduate Soror MiKayla Raines made history as the youngest person ever to earn a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA) from UNC Charlotte. For Soror Raines, a DBA is just the latest of her already impressive curriculum vitae. She earned her bachelor’s degree as an 18-year-old and MBA at age 19, both from Fayetteville State University. Raines says earning her DBA was more than about adding “Dr.” to her name – she feels empowered. As a proud legacy, Soror MiKayla recognizes her mother for being her biggest supporter.

Soror Deloris Hassell Rhodes

ALPHA PSI OMEGA Wilmington, NC

Golden Soror Deloris Hassell Rhodes was recognized as a Lifetime Achievement Honoree during the White Lotus Leadership Awards Gala in Wilmington, a part of N.C. Project LEAD. Soror Rhodes has spent decades promoting and supporting educational opportunities for students. She has also served the community in various leadership roles with the Democratic Party. She was initiated into Alpha Xi Chapter (Livingstone College).

N.C. Project LEAD, a nonprofi t organization dedicated to growing community-based coalitions and bridging socioeconomic gaps, annually honors community, regional, and national leaders on the frontline. The gala culminated with a performance by American Idol winner Ruben Studdard.

Soror Bea Smith

THETA BETA OMEGA New Bern, NC

Soror Bea Smith was sworn in as the first African American woman elected to serve on the Craven County Board of Commissioners. Soror Bea is a member of Theta Beta Omega Chapter. Congratulations Soror Bea, we are proud of you!

Pictured {left to right} Sorors Jamiee Mosley, Beatrice Smith, Earline Williams and Gazelia Carter

Soror Donna Phelps Thomas

LAMBDA OMEGA

Soror Donna Thomas, a Biology teacher at Denbigh High School, was recognized as a model teacher. In a recent interview, Soror Donna conveyed her passion for teaching – “I am passionate about supporting fellow teachers. The Denbigh High School’s motto states, we are Stronger Together. I come from a military background, and teamwork was instilled in me throughout AFROTC, Professional Military Educational courses, and my Air Force officer career. This motto holds true in the military and the educational field. If one fails, then we all fail! If one succeeds, then we all succeed! It doesn’t matter who gets the credit.”