Board of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees and Fund Fellows provide leadership, experience, and insight into the operations and vision of our National Education Fund, fostering a collaborative environment that propels our mission forward through strategic decisions and hands-on engagement. Their collective efforts ensure the Fund's initiatives effectively align with our core objectives, driving meaningful impact in the communities we serve.
Founder & CEO Emerita
Evelyn H. Hood, M.A.
Our visionary. Our sister. Our friend.
Omega Rho.
President & CEO
Juanita S. Love, M.S.
Current President & CEO, Juanita Sneed Love, a member of ΣΓΡ for over 60 years, holds master’s degrees in clinical laboratory science and laboratory administration. She has served the Sorority in various capacities and documented twelve generations of her family’s lineage as a historian. She is a retired microbiologist, health educator, and chief operating officer at a 150-bed hospital.
Vice President & Board Life Member
Nadine Dillanado, M.A.
Nadine Dillanado, a founding board member since 1981, holds the position of Life Board member and currently serves as Vice President. With a background as a retired Chicago Public Schools Principal and a Certified Financial Planner, she brings over 50 years of dedication to ΣΓΡ.
Secretary & Southeast Region Trustee
Tamesha Favors, M.A.
Tamesha Favors has devoted over 30 years to ΣΓΡ, holding diverse leadership positions at local, regional, and international levels. Currently, she serves as a Regional Family Engagement Specialist for the Georgia DeKalb County School District Office of Federal Programs, alongside her role as a GED math instructor. Committed to empowering individuals through education, she tirelessly uplifts and supports those striving for self-improvement.
Northeastern Region Trustee
Chandrai Jackson-Saunders
Appointed by the Notable Northeastern Region of SGRho as their regional representative in November 2023, Trustee Jackson-Saunders is a Legacy-Life Member of the Sorority and currently serves as chair of the NEF’s PR. Marketing and Branding Committee.
Trustee Jackson-Saunders and her family sponsor the Inez Thomas Colson Scholarship through NEF biennially they recognize the importance of removing barriers to higher education opportunities for scholars of all ages.
Trustee Jackson-Saunders is a School Psychologist and holds the position of Chief Operating Officer of a Behavioral Health Care Firm located in Hyattsville, Maryland.
Board Life Member
Annie L. Brown, Ed.D.
Past International Grand Basileus of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Dr. Annie M. Lawrence Brown, is a treasured member of the SGR-NEF and has served in the role of Trustee, Founder, and Lifetime Board Member of NEF.
On February 13, 2024, Dr. Annie Lawrence Brown celebrated 100 years of life with a rich legacy spanning nursing, education and sorority leadership.
Dr. Brown stands as a beacon of light for her dedication to education and stewardship.
Fund Fellow
Jimmie C. Jackson, Ph.D.
Dr. Jimmie Jackson has been a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority since 1956. Designated as a Cultured Pearl, Life Member, and Past Northeastern Region Syntakes, Dr. Jackson has been a member of the NEF Board since 1991. Serving as Northeastern Region Trustee and NEF Scholarship Chair, before completing her NEF tenure, Fund Fellow Jimmie Jackson established the NEF Power Luncheon-a signature event of the NEF for several years and is the primary sponsor of a scholarship award which is presented to a scholar biennially.
Fund Fellow Jackson is a retired mathematics teacher and professional development coordinator who served the DC Public Schools for more than 50 years.
Treasurer & At Large Trustee
Theresa Armistead, B.S.
Theresa Armistead, a 40+ year member of ΣΓΡ, is a Senior Right of Way Professional and licensed real estate broker who owns a real estate consulting firm. Her firm specializes in providing services to public transportation agencies undertaking large-scale infrastructure projects.
Western Region Trustee
Tadzia Dennis, Ed.D.
Dr. Tadzia Dennis, the NEF Scholarship Chair, ΣΓΡ member, and holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration. With over 18 years of experience in student affairs and academic affairs, she earned the Faculty of the Year award in 2016. Dr. T's ultimate aspiration is to "change the world one student at a time."
At Large Trustee
Carnetta Blakley, M.A.
Carnetta W. Blakely boasts over 50 years of membership in ΣΓΡ. Since 2007, she has contributed to the board of SGR-NEF. Carnetta, a retired public-school administrator, and educational consultant from North Carolina, also oversees the OCWEB Foundation in the nonprofit sector.
Board Life Member
Lora J. Vann, Ed.D.
Fund Fellow
Karen Y. Williams, PH.D.
Dr. Karen Y. Williams, a retired executive and philanthropist, has dedicated over 20 years to supporting higher education for deserving students through SGR-NEF fundraising efforts. She and her husband, Dr. Santana Williams, who is a former SGR-NEF scholar, have been proud donors since 2004.
Financial Secretary &
Southwest Region Trustee
Tyshara Lawson, M.S.
Tyshara Lawson, a member of ΣΓΡ for over 20 years, is a certified DEIB (Diversity, Equity Inclusion, & Belonging) program manager and change management professional. With over 15 years of experience in the technology industry, she has worked for companies like AT&T, Apple, & Microsoft.
Central Region Trustee
Patricia Daniels, Ph.D.
Dr. Patricia Daniels, a ΣΓΡ member for over 50 years, served the organization in various local and regional capacities, culminating in her tenure as Central Region President from 1985-1989. With a Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Psychology, she established the New Outlook Foundation to offer mentoring and mental health services to underprivileged youth and their families.
At Large Trustee
Georgia L. Johnson, M.Ed.
Trustee Georgia L. Johnson has been a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. since 1985.
She is a Life and Ruby Member who was elected in 1996 from the Southwestern Region as it NEF Trustee.
Trustee Johnson was appointed Scholarship Chairperson in1998 where she served as Scholarship Chairperson for fourteen years. Other roles include Financial Secretary and Fund Fellow.
Trustee Johnson is a Retired Public-School Administrator with over 40 years of experience. She was elected to the Austin Area Teachers Credit Union-now A+Federal Credit Union in 2001. She served a member of the Board of Directors for 20 years, retiring in 2020; and remains the only African-American to ever be elected Chair of the Board of Directors.
Trustee Johnson shares, “it has been most rewarding to serve on the NEF Board of Trustee because we touch the future through the scholarships that we award deserving students across the nation annually”.
Fund Fellow
Katie K. White, Ph.D.
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority's 17th Grand Basileus Katie K. White is a retired professor in Biological Sciences for Tennessee State University (TSU) located in Nashville, Tennessee.
Her contributions to the NEF include the position of past Trustee of the Southeastern Region. She currently serves as a Fund Fellow to the NEF Board
She is the author of "Bits and Pieces, a memoir by Dr. Katie K. White."