Page 2 - Florida Sentinel 12-10-21

Features
‘Community Mom’ Dies Following Brief Illness
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
On December 2, 2021,
Mother Mary Hannah Hall Mitchell slipped into eternal sleep following a brief illness. She was 95- years-old.
Mother Mitchell was the wearer of many hats. She was a widow, mother, active church member, and com- munity activist. But her most cherished role was being a “Mother” to many members of the community.
Her daughter, Mrs. Chloe Coney said, “Mother lived to be 95-years-old and she was in pain at the end. I know she is shouting up in heaven now.”
Although she was the bi- ological mother of Mrs. Chloe Coney and Mrs. Jacquelyn Chaney Wil- son, she served the role of mother, aunt, and grand- mother to many others too numerous to name.
A native of Tarpon Springs, Mother Mitchell was the 2nd oldest daughter of Rev. and Mrs. James E. (Chlorietta) Hall, Sr. At an early age, she joined Bethel AME Church in Punta Gorda, Florida, under her fa- ther’s ministry. She was their last surviving child.
Mother Mitchell grad- uated from Albany State High School in Albany, GA in 1945 and completed a year at Albany State College. She re- located to Tampa, where she lived throughout her adult life.
As a Tampa resident, she first became a faithful mem- ber of Bethel AME Church, serving as a choir member, and President of the Ethel Jones Missionary Society. Later, she continued her faithfulness at Mt. Olive AME Church.
She remained active by joining the Chancellor Choir and the Ola Mae Gonzalez Stewardess Board. Her time there ended because of her faithfulness and loyalty to
MOTHER MARY HANNAH HALL MITCHELL 8/26/1926 --- 12/2/2021
She actively served as Mother of the Church and Queen of the Kitchen. Upon the retirement of Pastor Ernest Coney, Sr., Mother Mitchell returned home to Mount Olive AME Church, where she served faithfully until she gained her Heavenly wings.
After more than 20 years of service, Mother Mitchell retired from the Hillsborough County School District as a Special Needs Teacher’s Assistant in 1995. She remained a vibrant member of society long after her retirement.
Mother Mitchell di- vided her time as a member of the Carver City/ Lincoln Gardens Civic and Home- owners Association, Inc., Senior Adult Ministries (SAM) at Allen Temple AME Church, Loretta Ingraham Complex Super Golden Sen- iors, and Mount Olive Senior Teenagers (MOST). She also served for many years as the President of the Noveletts Social Club.
Funeral Services for Mother Mitchell will take place Saturday, December 11th, at 11 a. m., at Mount Olive AME Church, 1902 W. LaSalle St., Tampa, Florida, 33607.
Ray Williams Funeral Home is in charge of han- dling arrangements.
son-in-law, Pastor
her
Ernest Coney, Sr.’s upris- ing Church, Spirit of Truth Ministries.
Mayor Appoints New Housing And Community Development Manager
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
The City of Tampa has appointed Ms. Kayon Henderson to a new posi- tion. She is replacing Ms. Vanessa McCreary as the Manager of Housing and Development.
Ms. Henderson has been serving as Interim Manager of Housing and Community Development. Her official title became ef- fective December 1, 2021.
Ms. Henderson said, “I truly feel it is my calling to assist those who are unable to sufficiently help them- selves.
"Rather than a career, this is a calling for me, and I am eager to continue im- proving the lives of those less fortunate."
Originally from Jamaica, Ms. Henderson is a grad- uate of the University of South Florida and is cur- rently pursuing a Master of Arts in Public Administra- tion.
Her promotion follows a series of accomplishments and dedicated service, which over the years has helped thousands of struggling
MS. KAYON HENDERSON New Housing and Community Development Manager
families and vulnerable in- dividuals secure a safe place to live.
Sharply monitoring the distribution of more than 80 million dollars in federal and state grant fund- ing, Ms. Henderson has helped carve the path to meet Mayor Jane Cas- tor's ambitious housing af- fordability goals and in her new role, will only strengthen and catapult this effort.
Mayor Castor said, "We are so very fortunate to have Kayon on our team, as she has proven to be deeply
invested in uplifting our community through her work.
"She has displayed un- wavering dedication and helped my administration make strides toward our ambitious housing afford- ability goals. Kayon is truly making a difference each and every day, and we are proud to see her take the reins of one of the most im- portant divisions within city government and are eager to see it flourish under her leadership."
Ms. Henderson joined the City of Tampa in 2013 as a Project Monitor, ensuring all sub-recipients, who held agreements with the City, were in compliance with funding source regulations and their grant agreements.
She was promoted to Community Development Specialist II, a year later.
She has also worked closely with agencies to help develop policies and proce- dures for housing programs. Among those were the Emergency Solutions Grants Program and the Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS Pro- gram.
Ms. Henderson led the effort to develop HOPWA in the City of Tampa, an effort that has since touched the lives of hundreds of low-income in- dividuals living with HIV/AIDS, and their fami- lies.
Ms. Carole Post, Ad- ministrator of Development and Economic Opportunity, said, “Team members like Kayon define the essence of public service.
“Talented and deter- mined, Kayon is a problem solver and has excelled as she navigates and motivates her team through the com- plexities of housing pro- grams and funding. She leads by example and is a pillar within the Develop- ment and Economic Oppor- tunity portfolio.”
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