Women of CAAC Impacting the Community
Dr. Zelphine Smith-Dixon
Dr. Zelphine Smith-Dixon was installed as the President of the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE) on September 24, 2020. Soror Smith-Dixon is the third State Director to serve in this capacity from Georgia, She is also the first person of color to ever hold this position.
Soror Smith-Dixon is truly a servant leader, committed to educational excellence. She has a longstanding history of improving achievement for schools in South Carolina and Georgia. Throughout her career in education she has received several accolades, some to include: Tri-County Special Educator of the Year, Vance-Providence Elementary Teacher of the Year, and Orangeburg Consolidated School District Three Alternate District Teacher of the Year. In April 2018, Columbia College presented her with the Wil Lou Gray Outstanding Educator Award.
Dr. Smith-Dixon is currently employed as the State Director for the Division for Special Education at the Georgia Department of Education. She serves in ministry at the dReam Center Church of Atlanta in Decatur, Georgia. Soror Smith-Dixon was initiated at Gamma Pi (Allen University) Spring 1994 and is a current member of the Covington Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated in Georgia.
Dr. Laquita Blockson
Soror Laquita Blockson, PhD. serves as the newly installed founding Faculty Director of Social Innovation at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. Soror Blockson was initially hired as a consultant to develop a graduate program in Social Innovation. As a result of her dynamic contributions to the university, the curriculum that she developed was adopted by the university and she was later asked to be the founding Director of Social Innovation. Agnes Scott College was recognized in the 2018 U.S. News and World Report rankings for being the most innovative school in the nation among liberal arts colleges.
Soror Blockson’s hardwork and dedication to the areas of entrepreneurial ethics, social venturing, corporate-community relations, urban economic development and minority women entrepreneurs has enabled her to receive grants and awards for her research and her pedagogical approaches from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, the National Science Foundation, VentureWell, and the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, among other entities.
Soror Laquita Blockson was initiated at Waterloo Alumnae Chapter in Iowa in April of 2005 and is currently a member of Covington Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated in Georgia where she has severed on several committees and held various leadership roles, some to include: Audit Chair, Risk Management Chair, Collegiate Advisor Team.
Soror Alana Sanders
Soror Alana Sanders is the Newton County, Georgia Commissioner Elect for District 3. Soror Sander is the first African-American and the first African-American woman on the Board of Commissioners in Newton County. She succeeded over a 12-year incumbent for this position in Covington, Georgia.
Soror Sanders is a former College Business Chair and is currently a University Professor teaching the art of Business and Marketing. She is an author of a college textbook on “Social Media Marketing” through Pearson Education, which included workbooks to help business professionals utilize the networks. Alana consults businesses on the most effective ways to engage their current and future customers. Recently, she wrote the 2nd edition of the textbook for Amazon University and TopHat.
Soror Sanders also happens to be a phenomenal vocalist who sings professionally with corporate bands and has her own band performing throughout Atlanta, Georgia. She also holds over 25 crowns as a beauty pageant queen winner. Although pageants paid for the majority of her college education., Soror Sanders was a classically trained pianist.
Soror Sanders received her undergraduate degree from Grambling State University and was initiated at Delta Iota Chapter, Spring 97 and is a current member of the Covington Area Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, in Georgia.
Soror Melissa Teemer Mims
The women of the Covington Area Alumnae Chapter took Political Awareness and Involvement to a whole new level during this year’s campaign season. Soror Melissa Teemer Mims accepted the charge to lead and champion the reelection campaign of Rockdale County’s CEO. She utilized her program planning, fundraising, and networking experience to lead a victorious campaign for Chairman Oz Nesbitt. According to Chairman Nesbitt, “There are countless numbers of qualities that Melissa possesses, one essential quality is fundraising. Although Melissa was not the campaign treasurer, she knows how and when to ask for the money.” He also referred to Soror Mims as “a natural-born leader with effective communication skills and strong leadership that galvanize people into action. She leads in every aspect of her life. Melissa is an independent thinker who challenges me on issues and community concerns. Tactfully, strategically and respectfully, she sets my compass to help navigate my direction and monitors my time to keep me on task. Melissa’s faith serves as the fuel that ignites her energetic system of making good things happen.”
Soror Mims utilizes the aforementioned qualities to serve the community and the Covington Area Alumnae Chapter. Throughout her tenure in Delta she has held countless leadership roles; some to include: 2nd Vice President of the Covington Area Alumnae Chapter, Economic Development Chair and Regional Leadership Team. Soror Mims was initiated at Savannah State University through the Delta Nu Chapter in April 1997.