Dr. Helen Gayle and Entrepreneur Sheila C. Johnson to Serve as Honorary Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Members

Dr. Helen D. Gayle, president and CEO of CARE, USA a leading humanitarian organization, and entrepreneur extraordinaire Sheila C. Johnson were recently inducted into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority as Honorary Members during separate members-only induction ceremonies. Presiding over the inductions was Alpha Kappa Alpha’s international president Barbara A. McKinzie. Also in attendance were Mae R. Carr, the international chairman of Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Honorary Members/Awards Committee, Loann Julia Honesty King, AKA’s international program chair, Mary Shy Scott, 23rd International President, Ella Springs Jones, South Atlantic Regional Director and Executive Director Deborah Dangerfield.

Sheila C. Johnson

Immunologist and Balm in Gilead, Inc., founder Pernessa C. Seele will join the Sorority as an honorary member during a private ceremony on Wednesday, July 14 during the Sorority’s Convention that takes place July 9 through 16 in St. Louis, MO.

An Honorary membership is the most prestigious designation the Sorority presents. Those who are inducted represent the highest standards of character, courage and womanhood and are committed to Alpha Kappa Alpha’s mission to serve. Dr. Gayle, Ms. Johnson and Ms. Seele have achieved phenomenal success in their respective fields and command worldwide respect for the strides they have made.

Helene D. Gayle is an expert on health, global development and humanitarian issues and spent 20 years with the Centers for Disease Control, working primarily on HIV/AIDS. Dr. Gayle then worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, directing programs on HIV/AIDS and other global health issues. Dr. Gayle chairs the Obama Administration’s Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, and serves on the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. She has won acclaim for her professional achievements, has published numerous scientific articles and been featured in many media outlets.

Dr. Helene D. Gayle

Sheila C. Johnson is a successful entrepreneur and impassioned philanthropist. As a partner in Lincoln Holdings, Ms. Johnson is the only African-American woman to have ownership in three professional sports teams, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, the NBA’s Washington Wizards and the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Ms. Johnson is also President ad Managing Partner of the Mystics. As CEO of Salamander Hospitality, a company she founded in 2005, Ms. Johnson oversees a growing portfolio of luxury properties, which include Five Diamond-rated properties. In 2006 Ms. Johnson was named global ambassador for CARE, and spearheaded “Sheila’s I Am Powerful Challenge,” which was instrumental in helping raise funds for CARE’s important work. Ms. Johnson is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and was recently appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. She also serves on numerous boards.

“We are filled with pride to have these outstanding women of such great stature join our great sorority,” said McKinzie. “They represent the best in their fields, the most committed to Alpha Kappa Alpha’s noble service mission and the best in character. We look forward to embracing them as members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.”

Posted by The Cotillion Online on Jun 30 2010. Filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.