Title III Administrators – Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Executive Committee

President	Sylvia Thomasis currently the Director of Title III Administration and Grant Development at Southwestern Christian College of Terrell, Texas. During her nine years in this position, she has brought the college’s Title III program to a higher level in grant management. Prior to her appointment, she served as secretary to the vice president and as assistant to the Director of Title III at Southwestern Christian College. She has been employed by Southwestern Christian College for over 27 years.She received her A.S. degree from Southwestern Christian College and her Bachelors of Business Management and Masters of Business Administration from LeTourneau University of Longview, Texas. Sylvia has served as a member as well as an officer of the executive board of the Kaufman County area American Cancer Society, receiving several commendations for her work with ACS. Mrs. Thomas’ professional affiliations include the National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa, Inc., Epsilon Zeta chapter and the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW) and Council of Resource Development. She serves as vice president of the Ellis County Ministers Wives Auxiliary and as president of the District Ministers Wives Auxiliary. She remains active in both social and political events in her community.
Vice President	Dr. Brenda Shaw; a native of Jackson, TN, Brenda R. Shaw received a B. A. degree in English from Lane College in Jackson, TN, graduating cum laude in 1968. She later earned a master’s degree in English (1971) from Atlanta University and a doctorate degree in English (1975) from Middle Tennessee State University. After 30 years of teaching composition and literature at Lane College in Jackson, TN and North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC, she was appointed the first director of the NCCU Center for University Teaching and Learning (2000), establishing the Center as a catalyst for enhancing faculty and staff members’ skills in teaching and learning and technology. As a result 25 years of experience serving as an evaluator of Title III programs and serving on numerous reaffirmation teams for the Southern Association for Colleges and Schools (SACS), Brenda was appointed director of Title III Programs (2005) at NCCU. She is responsible for administering the HBCU and HBGI grants, and the new SAFRA mandatory grant for North Carolina Central University. In April 2011, she received the Chancellor’s Award for management of grants presented by the University Sponsored Research and Programs Division. She currently serves as a Regional Vice-President of the Lane College National Alumni Association, Inc., a member of The Links, Inc., and the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Secretary	Mrs. Karen Helton is the Title III Program Director at Wiley College, Home of the Great Debaters, located in Marshall, TX. She has 36 years experience in higher education administration, 23 of which have been at Wiley College. She has held several positions during the last 23 years having served as the Director of Sponsored Programs, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and since 2010 as the Assistant to the President. In addition to Wiley College, Mrs. Helton has worked at Texas College, Rust College, and LeMoyne Owen College. She has authored numerous funded grant applications over her 36 year career in higher education, all at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Mrs. Helton hold the Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Sociology and minor in Religion, a Masters of Social Work from the Atlanta University School of Social Work and completed further studies in higher education administration at Texas A & M University, and the University of Michigan. Karen Helton has served on the Board of Directors for numerous community organizations including, the Boys and Girls Club, Marshall Regional Arts Council, and United Way. Mrs. Helton is a member of The Links, Inc. and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
Treasurer	Mrs. Demetria Johnson-Weeks is the Director of Title III and the Sponsored Programs Office at Texas Southern University. Texas Southern receives HBCU, HBGI and SAFRA funds. Prior to the Title III experience, which began in 2002, Mrs. Johnson-Weeks was an auditor for Deloitte and Touche’, specializing in the compliance of governmental agencies; budgeting, strategic planning, operational accounting, grants preparation and audit. Mrs. Johnson-Weeks holds a BBA in accounting from the University of Houston and a MBA from Texas Southern University and is currently working on a doctorate in Educational Administration, specializing in Higher Educations. During her tenure at Texas Southern University, Mrs. Johnson-Weeks co –authored the university’s 2010 Strategic Plan of Excellence and serves as an adjunct instructor in the areas of business administration and communication.
Parliamentarian	Mr. George Uzzle; Title III Director at Coppin State University for 12 years and prior to that served as Assistant for 2 years. Active member of Title III Directors organization since 1997 and assumed the role of Parliamentarian for the National Association of Historically Black Colleges and Universities Title III Administrators in 2010. BA degree in Government & Politics and Public Administration from University of Maryland College Park and a MS degree in Public Administration from University of Baltimore. Held professional positions in the field of accounting, administration and transportation and served on numerous broads. My position at Coppin State University also includes the role as Comptroller for the CSU Development Foundation, Inc. and I serve on the President’s Executive Committee. The CSU Development Foundation raises scholarship dollars for Coppin students from private and public sources and endowed funds. Also I handle the administration of some private grants, student organizations accounts, academic department’s private accounts and the administration of CSU Development Foundation owned property used for Coppin campus expansion. I also administer the budget for the department of Institutional Advancement. Active member of Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Sigma Chapter Baltimore, MD held positions of Treasurer and Parliamentarian. Member of Israel Baptist Church Baltimore, MD served in positions as Financial Secretary, Chairperson of the Finance Committee, Building Committee and Budget Committee.
Member-at-Large	Tendai “Paula” Johnson is currently serving as Associate Vice Chancellor for Institutional Research, Testing and Title III programs at Fayetteville State University. Examples of her former HBCU experiences include Special Assistant to the Chancellor with responsibilities for institutional effectiveness and assessment, Director of Institutional Research at Coppin State University and adjunct professor in the department of history at Morgan State University. Other professional experiences include work in both public and private sectors. For numerous years Ms. Johnson worked as a corporate middle-level manager where she provided services to both vocational education and K-16 academic institutions. She has an extensive grant writing and management background that includes both national and international responsibilities and experiences. She is the former chair of the International Advisory Committee at Fayetteville State University.A graduate student (ABD) from the Morgan State University Department of History, Ms. Johnson’s concentration and area of interest is African and African Diaspora Studies. A graduate of Southern Illinois University and the University of Minnesota respectively, her MA in The History of African People prepared her for the rigors of the various professional positions she has held.Her extensive international travel has provided her with rich and rewarding experiences to live, study and work in other cultures. These experiences encouraged her to continue her studies to obtain a terminal degree. Ms. Johnson is a critical thinker and motivated manager dedicated to the success and growth of historically Black colleges and universities.
Member-at-Large	Mr. Dayle Barry proudly serves as Title III Coordinator and Assistant Director of Sponsored Programs at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), having served in this capacity since 2003. Prior to that time, he worked with the Eastern Caribbean Center—a research unit at the University of the Virgin Islands, and earlier with the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources. He received his BA degree in Social Sciences from the then College of the Virgin Islands, and a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds a Grant Management Certificate from Management Concepts, Inc. Mr. Barry was recently elected to the UVI Senate as a Staff Representative, and also serves as a member of the institution’s Strategic Plan Steering Committee.
Member-at-Large	Ronald E. Range is the Director of the C.A. Fredd Campus of Shelton State Community College, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he also is the Director of Title III. He serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of HBCU Title III Administrators as a Member-at-Large. In his role as the Campus Director, he works in cooperation with the President, the Dean of Instruction, the Dean of Students, the Dean of Business Services, other associate deans, division chairpersons, and the faculty to provide leadership and supervision in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of the C.A. Fredd Campus’ instructional units. Within the academic division, Mr. Range is responsible for the maintenance, improvement, quality, and transformation of instruction and instructional support services, for implementing the academic divisions’ instructional plan, and for advising on budget matters concerning the academic division. Ronald is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stillman College and master’s degree in public administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has over twenty-five years experience in governmental and higher education administration. Mr. Range serves on a various boards of directors and is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, of which he serves as a member of the Grand Board of Directors.
President Emeritus	Samuel T. Rhoades, III, a native of Dunn, North Carolina was unanimously elected to a second term as President of the National Association of HBCU Title III Administrators, Inc. He currently serves as Special Assistant to the President/Title III Administrator at Virginia Union University. Dr. Rhoades has over thirty-five years of experience in higher education in Administration, Cooperative Education and Placement, Sponsored Programs and Research, and Title III Programs.Dr. Rhoades is a 1967 alumnus of North Carolina College at Durham for Negroes, now North Carolina Central University and received his Juris Doctorate from North Carolina Central University in 1973. Also, he is an Honorably Discharge Military Veteran and holds Life Memberships in The North Carolina Central University Alumni Association, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.