Page 29 - The Voice_Fall 2017

The TTA National Officers arrived in the afternoon and participated in the events. Eight teens were in attendance.
General Session
The Opening General Session was held from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Partners participating were Dr. Juanita Sims Doty for the
A-TEAAM; Dr. Triesta Fowler for NICHD; Kevin Kentish and Mary Williams for UNCF; and Sonja Banks, CEO for Sickle
Cell Disease Association of America (SCDAA).
Dr. Doty thanked the organization for sponsoring the A-TEAAM and providing the Foundation with 10 sites: Houston,
Humble Intercontinental, Sugar Valley, San Antonio Metropolitan, River City, Area III - North Cluster, Ebony, East St. Louis,
Raleigh, and Cincinnati. She also stated that the Foundations (Evers and Doty) will be hosting an A-TEAAM culminating
activity for all sites in Jackson, MS in June, 2018 and a grant has been received to underwrite the event. Included in that grant is
$50,000 that will be provided to TLOD to bring the site coordinators, ambassadors, Lady Audrie Lawton (A-TEAAM
Consultant and Founding President), Lady Peggy Lewis LeCompte (National Coordinator), and the National President, Lady
Drema Lee Woldman, to the event in June. TLOD is proud to be associated with this program. It is in keeping with our
mentorship of youth.
Dr. Fowler continued her update on the Bullying: Don't be a Bystander Initiative. She reiterated that Chapters must do the pre-
survey and the post-survey so that the National Institutes of Health can get the raw data they need for their study. Side
note: Bullying is a part of M.O.M.E.N.T.U.M., therefore, it is mandatory. In order to be a 5 Star Program, you must complete
M.O.M.E.N.T.U.M.
Kevin Kentish is the Northeast Regional Director for Workplace Initiatives for UNCF. He gave an overview of the new
Workplace Initiative that TLOD has been asked to join. This is the way it works: when UNCF has a work site that is willing to
do an employee match, they generally make a presentation to the company/corporation, but because they are short on staff in
certain cities, they have asked us to assist them in the cities where we have a presence. UNCF will train ladies to go to the
company and make presentations regarding UNCF and its programs and focus. This is strictly volunteer and gives us an
opportunity to advocate for UNCF in another way and also gives TLOD exposure. Requests will be made through the Area
Directors. Webinars have been held, but others will be scheduled. For more info, please contact Lady Veronica Nesbitt,
National UNCF Chairman.
Mary Williams is the Director of Outreach & Recruitment for UNCF. In this role, she has responsibility for providing
leadership and strategic recruitment direction for over 400 scholarships, internships and fellowships totaling over $85 million
annually. She gave an overview of the scholarships provided by UNCF and how to apply for them. She was with us all
weekend. She gave a workshop earlier on Friday, presented at the General Session, attended the luncheon on Saturday and
provided a workshop to the TTA National Officers after the luncheon. She is truly a supporter and friend of TLOD. I sent
her the biggest bunch of flowers that I could find. J She is looking forward to coming back in 2019.
Lady Sonja Banks, CEO of SCDAA, provided us with some real time information about clinical trials. Her presentation was
very informative and timely. She was not able to join us at Syn-Lod, so we presented the check that would have been presented
at Syn-Lod during this session. She was very grateful and thankful for the $5,000.00 that will be used for sickle cell research.
Former Teen and freshly minted TTA Ambassador, Josef Sorrells, was in attendance at the General Session.
President's Reception/Welcome to Atlanta
Lady Crystal Pittman, Area IV Director, and her team outdid themselves with their "secretive" mission. I was totally in the dark
about what was going to take place and I was very curious why there were so many color selections for attire. Once I got there,
I understood. It was a social media reception and the colors represented Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. There was a
fashion show with Teen Sheena Dean National 1st Vice President and Teen Ashley Campbell National 2nd Vice President of
Top Teens of America as a models, games, photo booth, dancing, prizes, gifts, food. You name it, this party had it. Thanks to
Lady Crystal and her team for pulling one over on me and planning a great party.

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