Alden J. McDonald, Jr. is President and CEO of Liberty Bank and Trust Company, one of the top  African American owned financial institutions in the United States. McDonald oversees an  expanding network of financial institutions serving urban communities and provides leadership  in community development to a diverse customer base throughout America. He is recognized as  a passionate advocate and dynamic catalyst in providing avenues for economic growth, home  ownership, wealth building and leadership development in the African American community. Mr.  McDonald has gained a national reputation as a creative, insightful, yet practical problem solver  who has developed mortgage and banking products that enhance the opportunities for the  financially underserved, as well as upwardly mobile populations of America’s cities. 

A graduate of the LSU School of Banking and of Columbia University’s Commercial Banking  Management Program, Mr. McDonald has celebrated over 50 years. Under his stewardship,  Liberty has grown from an initial asset base of $2 million to more than $700 million in assets.  Over the past ten (10) years, Liberty has closed over one billion dollars in loans. Liberty now  operates financial institutions in nine (9) states and eleven (11) major urban areas. Liberty is  now the largest African American owned bank in America! 

Following Hurricane Katrina, Mr. McDonald’s extraordinary efforts in rebuilding the bank and  providing guidance in the recovery of New Orleans has been chronicled in the New York Times.  He was recognized as one of the most dynamic African American business leaders in Fortune  Magazine and he has been celebrated on numerous occasions in Black Enterprise magazine and  several local and national publications. 

In addition, Mr. Mc Donald has served on the boards of numerous local, regional, and national  institutions and agencies, including the FDIC Advisory Committee on Economic Inclusion,  Xavier University, Resilient Louisiana Commission, New Orleans Business Council, New Orleans  Business Alliance and LCMC Health. 

Recognized locally and nationally for his many endeavors, Mr. McDonald received an Honorary  Doctorate Degree, Loyola University New Orleans. He is a Times Picayune “Loving Cup” honoree.  He received the 2013 100 Black Men, Inc.’s Trailblazer award, the 2012 National Urban League’s  Business Pioneer Award and was one of Fortune magazine’s 2006 Portraits of Power.

Mrs. Lauretta Hasty Holloway is a retired secondary education instructor and administrator with more  than 35 years of experience in the education profession. She has worked in Missouri, Indiana,  Michigan and North Carolina. Holloway has also served as an adjunct professor at the University of  Missouri-St. Louis.  

A native of Hamlet, North Carolina, Holloway earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary  Education and completed graduates studies at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) where she  also earned a Master of Arts in Special Education, Speech and hearing, and minored in Psychology.  Holloway later completed additional studies at Central Michigan University, Indiana University and  the University of Missouri St. Louis. She began her teaching career with Durham County Public  Schools, before transitioning to teach in the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township in  Indianapolis, Indiana, Midland Public Schools in Midland, Michigan, and the School District of  Lawrence Township, also in Indianapolis. Holloway was appointed as Assistant Principal of Nora  Elementary in the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township and later the Assistant  Principal and Principal of the Parkway Central Middle School in Chesterfield, Missouri. She also  serves as an educational consultant and mentor for new principals in the St. Louis Metropolitan School  District. 

Holloway is engaged in numerous professional, community, civic and social organizations and is also  the recipient of awards and honors with recognition of her outstanding work which include: The Board  of Director for the Guardian Angel Settlement Association-St. Louis, MO, Leadership St. Louis Program,  TOP LADIES OF DISTINCTION, INC., St. Louis Chapter – Unsung Heroine Humanitarian Award,  2008 Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals Walsworth Publishing Company  Consummate Professional Award, 2018 CASE (Council For Advancement And Support Of Education)  District III Bill Franklin Volunteer of the Year Award, and 2016 NCCU Donor of the Year Award.  

Her community outreach includes serving on the NCCU School of Education Advisory Board, NCCU  Department ofAthletics Advisory Council, Chairperson for NCCU Ladies Soaring To Eagle Promise  Mentoring Program (initiated by NCCU First Lady, Mrs. Juanita Akinleye), a member of Assistance  League of the Triangle Area, life membership with the NCCU National Alumni Association and with  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. 

A major donor to NCCU, Holloway established an Endowed Scholarship and another current-use  scholarship, both that provide financial support to students seeking to further their education. Under  her leadership, NCCU Athletics hosted the “Ladies & Gents Night Out” fundraiser in collaboration  with the Director of Athletics Women’s Network (DAWN) aimed at generating student scholarship  support. She also serves as an Ambassador for North Carolina Central University and is Co-Chair for  the Class of 1975 Reunion Committee. 

Holloway is married to Kevin Mason Holloway, also an NCCU alumnus and member of the  university’s Board of Trustees. They are the parents of two adult children, Kevonne Holloway and  Lanetta Holloway Pantiel, and son-in-law, Dr. Derek Pantiel, who are all graduates of NCCU. They  enjoy being grandparents to Hunter Mason Pantiel and Wesley Benjamin Pantiel.

A native of Marshallville, Georgia and a 1943 alumna of Fort Valley State University (FVSU), Dr. Anne Richardson Gayles-Felton has dedicated much of her life to the field of education through both teaching and philanthropy. Born into a family of educators, Dr. Gayles-Felton began her love of learning as a young student in the public school system of Chicago. She would later attend Lamson Richardson, a congregationalist boarding school founded in 1886 in her hometown of Marshville by her grandmother, Anna Wade Richardson.

She would go on to graduate from FVSU with a degree in secondary education and social sciences becoming the first alumnus to make multiple six-figure gifts to the university exceeding a total of $600,000. Today, the FVSU campus includes an academic building named in her honor – the Anne Richardson Gayles-Felton Academic Classroom and Laboratory.

After earning a bachelor’s degree from FVSU, she would continue her passion and pursuit of education at Teachers College, Columbia University graduating with a Master of Arts degree; and a Doctor of Education degree from Indiana University. She also pursued studies at other prestigious institutions including Florida A&M University (FAMU), Oregon State University, Florida State University and Harvard University. 

Dr. Gayles-Felton’s extensive professional background in education spanned 55 years where she taught at all academic levels throughout the country. She retired in 2003 after serving decades at FAMU in a variety of roles including Undergraduate and Graduate Professor of Secondary Education and Foundations, College Supervisor of Interns, Director of Student Teaching, Curriculum Coordinator, and Head of the Department of Secondary Education and Foundations.

Dr. Gayles-Felton is the recipient of numerous high honors including induction as a Distinguished Member of the National Association of Teacher Educators. Her outstanding generosity has been felt across multiple universities through various gifts to scholarships and educational funds that have helped countless students realize their dream of receiving an education. Her life-long commitment to educating others and devotion to nurturing Historically Black Colleges and Institutions will be forever legendary and inspirational.

Dr. Lorene K. Robinson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the then Delaware State College (now, Delaware State University) in 1977.  After graduating, and preceding employment with Delaware State University, Lorene was employed briefly with K-Mart as a manager trainee; the state’s Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs as a records analyst; Delaware’s Division of Parks and Recreation as a clerk typist, and Independent Newspapers, Inc. as a proofreader and ad compositor. 

 In 1980, Lorene accepted a newly created position with Delaware State College as the assistant director/editorial of alumni affairs under the transformational leadership and cultivational tutelage of the director, the late Thelma Mosley Blakey ‘52.  In her role as assistant director, Lorene’s major responsibilities were the production of a monthly mimeo graphic newsletter and a quarterly alumni magazine, The Echo. Within a brief period, Lorene’s duties were quickly expanded to include managing alumni events and activities, organizing multiple-year class reunions, and managing the maintenance and rental of the University’s alumni house. 

Under the subsequent leadership of Alumni Director Dr. Bobby C. Jones ‘69, Lorene was ultimately promoted to the position of associate director, and her duties were further expanded to include overseeing a student alumni group, later converted to a student ambassadors association. She served for six months at the Associate level before leaving Delaware State University, in 1990,  to accept a position with Wesley College.  At the time of her move, Lorene had served a total of 10 years in the alumni office at Del State. 

At Wesley College, Lorene served as Director of Alumni Relations and the Annual Fund where she enjoyed managing all aspects of alumni programming and alumni fundraising, including managing successful reunion programs, phone-a-thon fundraisers, working with the alumni association’s board of directors, and overseeing a parents’ association.  Furthermore,  she successfully chaired Homecoming, Families Day, and a diversity-centric International Festival. She also produced an alumni magazine, Wesley Today. 

In 1995, on the heels of an extraordinarily successful tenure at Wesley, Lorene responded to a need to galvanize the alumni program at her alma mater and returned to Delaware State to fill the Director of Alumni Affairs position. She revisited many of her former duties, including managing alumni events, guiding the student ambassadors association, coordinating alumni publications, meetings, reunions, and special expanded initiatives, such as organizing fan centers for away games, chairing the University’s homecoming committee (3 years); class reunion fund drives, reunion events, and other fundraising activities. Additionally, she implemented career and recruitment networks, student philanthropy programs, worked with the national alumni association, and coordinated alumni engagement. Lorene had served in this capacity for 18 years.  

In 2014, Lorene transitioned to Director of Donor Relations where she experienced new and heightened levels of service in the Division of Institutional Advancement.  At this point, drawing upon 39 years of experience in higher education advancement, Lorene focused on donor engagement, donor acknowledgment through special events, activities, and outreach designed to celebrate and cultivate philanthropic goodwill and donor stewardship.  She also assumed ancillary roles and responsibilities as assigned until her retirement on December 1, 2020. 

In addition to being a proud DSU alumna, Lorene has a master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Wilmington University (1988). In 2019, she also earned the Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from Delaware State University, bringing her full circle academically, earning both a bachelor’s and a doctorate from her alma mater.  Lorene considers these accomplishments to be testaments to God’s Grace, the support of family and friends, and the unique nature and nurture characteristic of the HBCU experience.

Lorene’s awards and recognitions include being named to Outstanding Young Women of America (1988); Who’s Who of Women Executives (1989-90); and Delaware Outstanding Afro-Americans (1992). She is the recipient of Delaware State University’s Vice President’s Choice Award (2014), and additional service awards presented by alumni and community groups.  She is a member of Whatcoat United Methodist Church, Dover, Del.; Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Theta Zeta Zeta Chapter; and a Life Member of the Delaware State University Alumni Association.

About serving her alma mater, Lorene says: “I spent four of the best years of my life as an undergraduate at Delaware State. It is for this reason that I was twice compelled to work there. I was blessed to have been employed at my alma mater for a cumulative total of 35 years, which enabled me to serve in an environment amongst people that I loved and appreciated. I have enjoyed lifelong friendships with colleagues, alumni, and professors who touched my life as a student and as a professional; individuals who continue to enrich my life today. I treasure the times and the years that I spent at my beloved alma mater.  I pray that any contributions I have been blessed to make have helped to advance an honored mission that enables and empowers students to live their best lives.”

Dr. Valerie L. Thomas is a graduate of Morgan State College as a physics major and was hired by the National  Aeronautics & Space Administration (NASA)/Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Greenbelt, MD as a  Mathematician/Data Analyst a week after graduating. A major requirement for her job was writing programs for  computers; however, she had never seen a computer before in her life except in science fiction movies. She  decided to learn everything that she could about computers, inside and out, and she did it with graduate school,  seminars, demonstrations, and hands on experience.  

With the challenges associated with being a physics major, required higher level mathematics (calculus &  trigonometry) that she was not aware of before college, and the computer programming challenge, Valerie had  already developed the necessary confidence when she was growing up in the Cherry Hill housing projects in  Baltimore, MD. The Cherry Hill projects were laid out like a park with large open spaces, wooded areas, rolling  hills, plenty of grass, wild Cherry Trees, wildly growing berries, apple trees, and coed friends to play with in a  variety of activities that she learned by trial and error like how skate, play sports, shoot marbles, etc. Valerie  absolutely loved growing up in Cherry Hill and she lived there from age three to the end of her senior year in  college.  

As Valerie’s computer skills were created, she developed or managed the development of challenging NASA  projects that were done for the first time such as developing Quick Look Processors in 1964 for the Orbiting  Geophysical Observatory (OGO) scientist to access OGO data on the satellite to study the space environment  before the 1st astronaut landed on the moon; in 1970, managing the development of Landsat (1st Earth Resources  

Technology Satellite) data systems that produced digital images so that scientists around the world could study  the Earth’s resources and becoming the international expert for Landsat digital products; in 1975, headed GSFC ‘s  team of approximately 50 people for the Large Area Crop Inventory Experiment (LACIE), a multi-NASA Centers  (GSFC, Johnson Space Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center) and multi-Agency (NASA, National Oceanic &  Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and U.S. Department of Agriculture) in an overwhelmingly successful  feasibility study to determine if Landsat test sites could be automatically used during the growing system to  predict wheat yield internationally; 1975-1976, worked at NASA Headquarters as Assistant Program Manager for  Landsat/Nimbus; 1981-1983, lead the team that created the early access system (nicknamed Scrounge) for  Landsat-D’s then new Thematic Mapper sensor and then served as Operations Manager; in 1985, was the NSSDC  Computer Facility manager responsible for a major consolidation and reconfiguration of two previously  independent computer facilities and infused it with new technology; 1986-1990, served as Project Manager for the  Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN), NASA’s 1st wide area network, during a period of the reconfiguration  when it grew from about 100 computer nodes to a network directly connecting about 2,700 computer nodes  worldwide and became a major part of NASA’s science networking and today’s Internet; and using the SPAN  experiences and concern for inclusion of the minority community on the information super highway, lead an  effort in 1990 called the Minority University – Space Interdisciplinary Network (MU-SPIN) that started with  Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges  obtaining training, network connectivity, collaborations with NASA scientists and then expanding to inclusion of  K12 schools.  

Because of Valerie’s unique career and commitment to giving something back to the community, Valerie has  spent a lot of her time over the years speaking to groups of students from elementary school through college- /university-age and adult groups. As an exceptional role model for potential young black engineers and scientists,  she made literally hundreds of visits to schools and national meetings over the years. She has served as a mentor  for a countless number of students working at GSFC during the summer in addition to serving as a science fair  judge, working with organizations such as the National Technical Association (NTA), Women in Science and  Engineering (WISE), Science, Mathematics, Aerospace, Research, and Technology (S.M.A.R.T.), and SHADES  OF BLUE. These latter organizations encourage minority and female students to pursue science and technology  careers. Valerie has received numerous NASA awards, including the GSFC Award of Merit, the highest award  given by GSFC, and the NASA Equal Opportunity Medal.  

Valerie has also become highly regarded for the 1980 patent for her invention of the Illusion Transmitter. It has  especially caught the attention of young people and is an inspiration to them.

Dr. Alvin Vincent Blount, Jr was a successful surgeon, humanitarian, notable citizen, and a  supporter of his alma mater. Born in Raleigh, NC in 1922, he was the only son and the   eldest of four children of Alvin and Annie (Kearney) Blount.  Reared during the Great Depression in Raleigh, Franklinton  (NC), and Westchester County (NY), Blount enrolled at A & T  College in 1939.A Chemistry and math major, Blount was an honor student  and elected to several student leadership positions, including President of the Student Council. In 1940, Blount was  initiated into the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity at its Alpha Nu Chapter. Although a neophyte, Blount was elected the Chapter Polemarch (president) in 1941, and reelected in 1942. He was  a supporter of his fraternity for more than 70 years. 

While matriculating at A & T College, Blount registered for the draft in June 1942. A June 1943 magna cum laude graduate,  He was selected for a military program that trained black  physicians at the Howard University School of Medicine.  After earning his MD degree (1947), Blount interned for a year at the Freedmen’s Hospital, and was exposed to the legendary Dr. Charles Drew, Professor of  Surgery. It was during his exposure to Dr.Drew that Blount developed a love for surgery. He then  completed a two-year residency in general surgery at the Kate Bitting Reynolds Memorial Hospital  in Winston Salem, NC. Blount was commissioned an officer in the US Army Medical Corp and  assigned to Fort Bragg (NC). 

When the Korean War broke out in 1950, Blount was assigned to the 8225th Mobile Army Surgical  Hospital (MASH) unit in Korea. During his two-year tour, the 8225th was located close to the 38th parallel, which divided North and South Korea, and its operating room was constantly in use. In  a 2013 interview with a local television station, Blount recalled it was not unusual to work  around the clock for three days. He also commented about the absence of any racial disparity.  Although he was the only black surgeon in his unit, race was never an issue in the operating  room. Instead, the goal was to save lives. 

During his tour, an illness sidelined the Chief of Surgery; the unit commander appointed Blount  to serve in his absence. His meritorious service as a battlefield surgeon earned Blount the  Incident Participation (Korean War Service) Medal. In the 2013 interview, Blount recalled a  conversation that led to a career changing decision. Instead of remaining in the military, he chose  to become a civilian and moved to Greensboro following his discharge in 1952. 

His first office was located above a pharmacy on Gorrell Street. Within a few years, his practice  had grown, and he relocated to a building on Benbow Road, within a mile of the L. Richardson  Memorial hospital. Built in 1927, it was the only hospital that served black patients of black  physicians in the city. Blount, the first black board certified surgeon in the state, was Chief of  Surgery at L. Richardson for more than 49 years. 

In 1962, notwithstanding an announcement by the hospital board of trustees of a planned  renovation of the hospital at an estimated cost of $2.262 Million, Blount joined a group of  physicians, dentists, and their patients in a lawsuit against the two white hospitals in the city. 

The lawsuit alleged the hospitals had denied privileges to the physicians and dentists, and  services to their patients because of their race. The two hospitals had received federal  construction funds under the 1946 Hill-Burton. The lawsuit alleged the hospital practices  violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment, and that the separate but equal  provisions of Hill-Burton and Public Health Service regulations violated the Fifth and 14th Amendments to the Constitution.

On December 5, 1962, the US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina ruled in  favor of the hospitals. The plaintiffs appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit;  in November 1963, it reversed the ruling of the lower court. The hospitals appealed to the US  Supreme Court, which declined to hear the appeal.  

Although the ruling was only applicable to hospitals within the jurisdiction of the Fourth Circuit,  in 1964, the US Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title VI of the legislation prohibits  discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving  federal financial assistance. In 1965, the Congress amended the Medicare and Medicaid  provisions of the Social Security Act. To be certified as a Medicare or Medicaid provider, a hospital  was required to adhere to Title VI of the Civil Right Act of 1964. Many legal scholars consider the  1963 Simkins decision on par with the 1954 Brown decision, which found segregation in public  school systems unconstitutional. Blount was the first black physician to perform surgery at the  Moses Cone Hospital.  

In September 2016, the Cone Health Center publicly apologized to Blount, the only living plaintiff  involved in a lawsuit. Cone also announced a $250,000 contribution to support blacks seeking  health careers. It will be administered by the Greensboro Medical Society, one of many local  black medical societies across the country that played a key role in the hospital desegregation  struggle. There is also a highway marker on North Elm Street, adjacent to the Cone Hospital that  acknowledges the plantiffs and their role in changing the practices of hospitals throughout the  nation. In his last public appearance, his only comment was a simple thank you for righting an  injustice that was long overdue. 

Blount was a proud supporter of his alma mater. He had a personal relationship with each  president dating to Dr. F. D. Bluford, who was president when Blount was a student and upon  his return to Greensboro. He was particularly close to Dr. Samuel Proctor, who served as  president in 1960-64, dating back to their college years, and to Dr. Lewis Dowdy, who was  president and the 1st chancellor in 1964-80, who was his neighbor when he returned to  Greensboro in 1952. 

When the A & T Foundation was reactivated in 1966, Blount was one its first board members.  During his tenure as Board chairman (1974-94), the Fondation raised more than $26 Million. In  1983, North Carolina A & T State University awarded him a Doctor of Humanities degree  acknowldging his support for the general welfare of the citizens of Greeensboro. Following his  retirement in 1994, Blount was desginated Chairman Emeritus. In 2000, the Foundation  established the Dr. Alvin V. Blount Scholarship Fund. 

Blount was actively involved in the community throughout his lifetime, and was the recipient of  numerous awards, including the Order of Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian award of the state.  He was a member of the Greensboro Men’s Club, North Carolina Chapter of the National  Association of Guardsmen, and a charter member of the Beta Epsilon of the Sigma Pi Phi  Fraterntiy. The Evans-Blount Health Care Center, located on Martin Luther King Drive, is a  legacy to two civil rights pioneers: Dr. George Evans and Blount. 

In one of his last public appearances, he spoke to a group of students in the cafeteria on the  campus of his alma mater. He began his comments with a simple phrase – Aggie Pride – that  raised a response from the crowd. In describing “Aggie Pride” he reflected upon the humble  beginnings of the university and how it has evovled into a university that takes a back seat to no  institution in the world. To Him, “Aggie Pride” was about continuing to raise the bar for the next  generation of students. 

Alvin Vincent Blount, Jr. died January 6, 2017 at the Moses Cone Hospital. To comply with his  wishes, there was a quiet private ceremony at his church. He once remarked to his practice  manager, – “My life is my memorial; no big casket or cemetery plot either; cremation; just be sure  I’m dead befor you burn me.” His seven children honored his wishes.

Mrs. Dorothy Brown Cook, was elected as the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Illinois, in 2000, and was re-elected to four additional terms of Office, making her the longest serving Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, and the longest serving African American serving in a county-wide, Cook County, Illinois, executive elected office.  Dorothy retired from elected office on November 30, 2020.  As the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County, Dorothy was the official keeper of records for all judicial matters brought into one of the largest unified court systems in the world, and she was responsible for managing an annual operating budget of more than $100 million and a workforce of 1,700 employees.

Dorothy brought revolutionary changes to the operations of the Circuit Court Clerk’s Office through her focus on improving services within five strategic areas: 21st Century Technology, Operational Efficiency, Customer Service, Employee Training and Development, and Financial Accountability.  Dorothy implemented a host of innovative programs, which streamlined processes, enhanced customer service, saved millions of dollars for taxpayers, and increased revenue for Cook County administration.  During Dorothy’s final year in office, she replaced the 40-year case management system, with a 21st century state of the arts court case management system.

Mrs. Dorothy Brown Cook is an Attorney, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), and she holds a Masters’ Degree in Business Administration (MBA).  Dorothy is one of eight children, born to a staunch unionist father and a deeply religious mother.  Dorothy and her seven siblings all attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Dorothy grew up in the small, southern town of Minden, Louisiana.  Although her parents were poor and uneducated, they instilled in Dorothy and her seven siblings, the values of sacrifice, self- discipline, and the importance of obtaining a good education.

Dorothy’s humble upbringing fueled her efforts in high school, college and throughout her professional and elected official careers.  Dorothy first distinguished herself as captain of the Webster High School girls’ varsity basketball team and continued by graduating in the top ten percent of her high school class. Throughout high school, Dorothy helped with her high school expenses by working as a housekeeper during the evenings. During the summer months after her junior year of high school, Dorothy worked in a government-funded nutritional program for welfare mothers.

When Dorothy entered college in 1971 at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she continued her quest for educational and professional excellence.  While at Southern, Dorothy honed her civil rights roots, participating in the boycott of classes, and actually, came face to face with the national guard, as she exited the Administration building that had been taken over by students to demand the President address student demands of underfunding and others.  Dorothy found out later that the national guard had killed two Southern University students that were standing outside of the Administration building, trying to protect the students inside of the building.  Dorothy demonstrated her leadership skills that day, by leading a group of girls out of the Administration building, who were hiding in the restroom, after unsuccessfully leaving the building with Dorothy, to retrieve supplies from the University medical center as the national guard approached, and then re-entering the building just as the national guard shot out the windows with tear gas cannisters.  This was an experience that shaped Dorothy’s few of wanting to make a difference for African Americans. 

Dorothy worked on a paint assembly line in a factory, Pathfinder, Inc., in Niles, Illinois. The income from that job helped to defray her college expenses.  Dorothy graduated Magna Cum Laude from Southern University in 1975.  Dorothy graduated number one in the College of Business, and number four (4) in her entire Southern University graduating class.

In 1975, Dorothy was recruited and bought to Chicago by Commonwealth Edison Company, the electric utility company.  In 1978, Dorothy received her license as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).   As a CPA, Dorothy worked for Arthur Anderson & Company, at the time, the largest accounting firm in the world.  In 1981, she received her Masters’ in Business Administration (MBA) with honors from DePaul University in Chicago.  She worked for First National Bank of Chicago from 1981 to 1984, and then from 1984 to 1991 for Odell Hicks & Company, an African American CPA firm as a Senior Manager. Fifteen years after receiving her MBA, Dorothy received her law degree (Jurist Doctorate), in 1996 with honors from Chicago-Kent College of Law. Dorothy attended law school at night while successfully managing a full-time career during the day and raising her daughter.  Dorothy received a multitude of awards and recognitions during her career.

Dorothy lives in Chicago with her husband Dr. Benton Cook III, and she has a daughter, Detris, a graduate of Howard University in Washington, DC, London Metropolitan University, London, England, and also graduated with a Masters’ in Business Administration from American International University, London, England.

John Phillips is a retired Major General USAF and the former Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics) in the Clinton Administration. He was Vice President of Honeywell International and Vice President of The Home Depot Government Solutions Group, which he formed. The organization propelled Home Depot into the federal business, growing to over $100M in the first 12 months of operations. He is now president of Phillips Aviation and Logistics Group. His activities have a global reach to include China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Kenya, Dubai and Somalia.

John brings more than 30 years of comprehensive acquisition, aviation, IT, logistics and leadership experience to the organization. He served as Vice President of Government Services for Honeywell,. Prior to joining Honeywell, John served as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics), overseeing an organization of 850,000 military and civilian personnel with a budget of $114B where he established an outsourcing and privatization program for the federal government. He led the 1994 Quadrennial Defense Review. The recipient of over 250 awards and decorations, John was honored with Vice President Al Gore’s Hammer Award in 1999.

John served for more than 27 years in the United States Air Force, retiring with the rank of Major General. His last assignment was Commander, McClellen AFB, California. The military depot was responsible for aircraft, satellites and microelectronic technology. John earned the highest Department of Defense certifications (level III) in Program Management, Acquisitions Logistics, and Computer Systems Development (DOD Black Belt equivalent). He is a fighter pilot with over 3,000 flying hours, 300 hours in combat. He earned wings as a navigator and pilot and was awarded German pilot wings. He has flown the F-15, F-111, T-38, KC-135 and T-37 aircraft.

John holds a B.S. degree in biology and chemistry from Jarvis Christian College, Hawkins, Texas, and a Masters of Science degree in Logistics Management from the Air Force Institute of Technology. He was awarded the Degree (Honorary) Doctor of Laws, from Jarvis Christian College. In addition, he is a graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; the National War College; Defense Systems Management College; Industrial College of the Armed Forces; and the University of Southern California, School for Safety Engineering. He is an internationally known speaker and consultant on National Defense.

Active in civic and professional affairs, John is a member of the following boards:  International Society of Logistics Engineers ; Association for Enterprise Integration; US China Policy Foundation;  Defense Acquisition University; Shades of Blue (Aviation Mentoring), Americorps National Civilian Community Corps, Board of the Air Force Association; and is a former chairman of the Board of Advisors of the Tuskegee Airman, Inc and formerly served on the Board of Boys and Girls Club of America and The Army Science Board. His other accomplishments include authoring the book, “Navigating the Pentagon” and co- authoring the book, “Military Project Management,” as well as numerous articles and lectures on leadership and management.  .He was the 2010 recipient of the DOD Acker award. He was a 2012 recipient of the President Obama’s Call To Service award.  He and his wife Blanche have three daughters, one son and six grand children.

Dr. Adena Williams Loston possesses more than 40 years of professional leadership experience including spearheading a national agenda for education, engaging communities in addressing economic development issues, providing organizational and institutional leadership towards workforce readiness and academic preparation.    

Current Position:

Dr. Loston serves as the 14th President of St. Philip’s College our nation’s only Historically Black College and Hispanic Serving Institution with three military base sites and four early college high schools serving more than 13,000 students. Through her strategic leadership and management oversight in 2018 St. Philip’s College received the Governor’s Award for Performance Excellence and the national Malcolm Baldrige Award as one of the Alamo Colleges.  She has instituted the Planning Budget and Assessment Cycle, Resource Allocation Processes, President’s Academy, Department Chair Academy, Good to Great Strategic Planning Process, three Centers of Excellence; and provides oversight for $400 Million in new and renovated facilities construction.  

Previous Positions: 

• Director of Education and Special Assistant for Suborbital and Special Orbital Projects Directorate for the Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Facility and Chief Education Officer for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at its Headquarters in Washington, DC where she directed policy for $1.3 Billion and was responsible for the roll out of the Educator Astronaut Program, the NASA Explorer Schools and the NASA Explorer Institutes.  
• Academically:  President of San Jacinto College South, Executive Dean Valle Verde Campus and Transmountain Campus in the El Paso County Community College District;  Dean Professional Programs and Dean Vocational Education, Budgets and Facilities at Santa Monica College, Associate Professor at Georgia State University and instructor and supervisor at Houston Community College.  She has also taught as an adjunct instructor at Texas Southern University and University of Houston-Downtown.

Service and Commitment:  Appointee to the President’s Advisory Board for Title III Administrators; three-time appointee by U. S. Secretaries of Education to the HBCU Capital Finance Advisory Committee; serves as an Advisory Trustee for the Southwest Research Institute; member of the Presidents’ Round Table; serves on the Boards of Directors for the San Antonio Area Foundation, the Quality Texas Foundation, and the East Point Promise Zone Coordinating Council.  

HBCU Support:

Member of Alcorn State University National Alumni Association

Established Tommie Lee Williams Sr. Scholarship in honor of her father at Alcorn State University

Established Dr. Adena Williams Loston Endowed Presidential Scholarship at St. Philip’s College a two-year HBCU

Established Dr. Adena Williams Loston Discretionary Scholarship Fund at St. Philip’s College

LIFE TIME MEMBERSHIPS:

Life Member of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People

Life Member of the Alcorn State University National Alumni Association

Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Recent Publication:   The Ark of My Leadership Experiences.

Awards and Recognitions:  She is a member of the San Antonio Women’s Hall of Fame; some of her recognitions include: 2021 UNCF Excellence in Education Award, Educational Trailblazer, Named One of the Top 10 Most Dominant HBCU Leaders of 2021, Alcorn’s Women of Courage Award.    2020 After School All Star Award, Higher Education Legacy Award and Leadership Legends Award.  2019 Les Dames d’Escoffier Legacy Award, Heart of Care Award, Euretta K. Fairchild Lifetime Community Leadership Award and Essential Leader Award. 2018 Dr. Loston received the NAACP Silver Lifetime Membership Award, Audrey Lawson Impact Women’s Guild Award and the Healthy Futures’ Dr. Janet Realini Trailblazer Award.   2017 the “Holy Woman:  Celebrating a Saint” Award from the Artemisia Bowden Chapter of the Union of Black Episcopalians; the Community Builder Award from the Masons of Alamo Lodge #44; the Emerging Leader Award, the Trusted Leader Award and the ALAS Leadership Excellence Award. In 2016 the Sankofa Institute for African American Pastoral Leadership Excellence in Education Award; the Verna Lee Booker Hightower Award from the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Black Heritage Committee; the Brotherhood/Sisterhood Humanitarian Award from the United Communities of San Antonio and the Unsung SHEro by the New Creation Christian Fellowship Church.  

2014 the Texas Diversity Council DiversityFIRST ™ Award; the Alamo City Chamber of Commerce Euretta K Fairchild Community Leadership Award (2019 and 2014) and the Community Legend in Higher Education Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.  2013 she received the San Antonio Women’s Chamber of Commerce Comet Award, the YWCA Women of Influence Award and the MLK Distinguished Achievement Award. In 2012, the Top Ladies of Distinction National Humanitarian Award. She is twice the recipient of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society’s Shirley B. Gordon International Presidential Award of Distinction (2011 & 1999); a 2008 inductee into the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Inc., Educator’s Hall of Fame.   She is the recipient of the 2007 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Exceptional Achievement Award, the 2005 NASA Headquarters’ Exceptional Achievement Award, Group Achievement Awards for the Educator Astronaut Program, Centennial of Flight Team and NASA Explorer Schools Program and NASA’s 2004 Outstanding Leadership Award.

Academic Preparation:  Bachelor’s Degree from Alcorn State University 1973 and received her masters and doctoral degrees from Bowling Green State University 1974 and 1979.  Attended the Leadership Journey at Wharton Business School 2005; and received certificates from the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard 1996; the Oxford Round Table, Oxford University 2001; Masters Leadership Program 2009 and received an honorary Doctorate of Science Degree from Wiley University 2005.

She is the mother of one son, Gilbert Williams Loston, III