Black Alumni & Friends Chapter | Alumni Chapters | Northwest Missouri State University

About Us

Black Alumni & Friends Chapter

Welcome from Alumni Relations

Greetings, Bearcats,

From one Bearcat to another, I welcome you home to Northwest Missouri State University and your Northwest Alumni Association. Alumni and friends of Northwest make up a large and impressive network of over 80,000 strong. One thing that connects us all is our strong affinity toward all things that are associated with Bearcat Nation. I thank each of you for your support and hope you will help Northwest continue to mentor, connect, promote and inform thousands of Bearcats new and old.

You may be wondering how you can stay connected with such a large network of Bearcats. Look through our website to learn about all the exciting events and opportunities developed to help you stay engaged and involved with Northwest. You can volunteer at your favorite alumni event, or attend a Northwest chapter watch party or social. The possibilities are endless.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you will be connecting soon with other Bearcats through a variety of options and your Alumni Association. I encourage you to stop in and see us at the Alumni House anytime you find yourself in Maryville.

Remember. “Once a Bearcat, always a Bearcat.”

Chapter Leaders

Abdul Kaba Abdullah '02 President	Abdul-Kaba Abdullah, c/o 02, is a native of St. Louis, MO and currently serves as the Executive Director of Park Central Development in St. Louis, MO. Abdul attended Northwest from 1997 to 2002 and was named the Distinguished Young Alumni in 2018. He holds dual master’s degrees in Total Quality Management and Management from Webster University and has over 13 years of municipal and governmental affairs, executive administration, as well as Total Quality Management experience in the nonprofit sector. A husband and father of 3, Abdul is a premier civic leader in the St. Louis Region and was named a 40 under 40 honoree by the St. Louis Business Journal for his outstanding work in the St. Louis region. Abdul is a former President of Rho Theta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated at Northwest Missouri State University and has remained an active supporter of the chapter since graduating. Abdul maintains active membership in the fraternity as a member of Epsilon Lambda graduate chapter (St. Louis, MO).
Tory Tucker '90 Vice President	Tory S. Tucker, c/o 90, a native of Columbia, MO, currently works for QBE Insurance Corporation as a Catastrophe Manager and is a Real Estate Broker in the Atlanta, GA area. Tory attended Northwest Missouri State University from 1986 to 1990, where he earned a bachelor's degree in Marketing. Tory is the principle charter member and first President of Rho Theta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated at Northwest and has remained an active supporter of the chapter and its members since chartering in 1988. Since leaving Northwest, Tory has worked with several community organizations and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Atlanta United Way Chapter. Tory has maintained active membership in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated and is a current member of the NU MU Lambda Chapter (Atlanta GA).
Chalandra Woods-Walker '94 Secretary	Chalanda Woods-Walker, c/o 94 is a native of St. Louis, MO and attended Northwest Missouri State University from 1989-1994, earning a bachelor’s degree in Marketing. She later earned a Master of Human Resources Management (MHRM) degree from Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri. Chalanda is a certified HR professional with an active SHRM (Society of Human Resources Management) membership both locally and nationally. In her free time, she advocates for Tennessee’s abused and neglected children as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteer in Rutherford County. Chalanda is also an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated-Rutherford County Alumnae Chapter (RCAC), Murfreesboro TN.
Kimberly Massey Heslop '93 Treasurer	Kimberly Massey Heslop, c/o 93, currently resides in Overland Park, KS. She is the Director of Marketing Alliance Programs for an industry leading financial services company headquartered in Minneapolis, MN. Over the years, she has used her strong technical and business background to build a successful career in various roles within the financial services industry. Kimberly attended Northwest Missouri State University from 1988 to 1993, earning a bachelor’s degree in Accounting. She earned a Master of Business Administration from Webster University in Kansas City, MO. Kimberly currently sits on the Board of Directors for Ray’s Awareness Foundation and supports her community via various volunteer activities such as Veronica’s Voice, Meals on Wheels and Harvesters. She realized early in her career the importance of having a good mentor and because of that, she has made it her life’s mission to give back.
OT Newman '75 Immediate Past President	Otealet (OT) Newman graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 1975, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology/Sociology. While attending Northwest, she was president of and the "B&ST", the Black Student Organization. She worked in management for the State of Missouri and also in various positions for the United States Postal Service. "OT" always enjoyed working with young people, and took leadership in establishing the children’s ministry at her local church, which has now expanded with a vibrant teen ministry. She has volunteered with the Girl Scouts of America, High Aspirations -a faith based program that focuses on young African-American men. She has also volunteered to get members of the Kansas City, Missouri community registered to vote. As a cancer-survivor, she has recruited a group of family and friends who participate each year in a 5k walk and contribute money to help find a cure for breast cancer. Now that she has retired she is currently enjoying this opportunity to spend quality time with family and special friends.
Anthony T. Ealy, Jr. ' 17 Board Member	Anthony Ealy Jr., c/o 17, is a native of Kansas City, MO (Grandview) and a 3rd Year Law Student (3L) at Mizzou School of Law. Anthony is a member of the National Black Law Students Association’s (NBLSA) 52nd Board of Directors while also serving as the National Convention Coordinator. At Mizzou he serves as a 3L-representative for the Student Bar Association (SBA) and is the Mediation Competition Director for the Board of Advocates (BOA). During the fall semester of his 3L-year, Anthony was chosen to be on BOA’s competitive Labor and Employment Litigation Mock-Trial Team. He is also a part of the Innocence Project Clinic and the Middleton Fellowship Program. During the summer of 2019 he was awarded a Peggy Browning Fellowship to work at the International Painters of Allied Trades Union in Washington DC, and Hanover, MD. Anthony is an alumni member of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, has worked for Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver, and has also interned for the Minority Floor Leader in the Missouri State Capitol. After law school, Anthony hopes to begin his career in Washington DC, as a labor and employment attorney and aspires to eventually serve in the U.S. Congress or Senate to protect workers’ rights. Anthony is also a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated.
Jarvis Redmond '90 Board Member	Jarvis Redmond, c/o 90, is a native of Rockford, IL and currently resides in Dallas, Texas where he has served as a Field Officer for the Dallas County Juvenile Probation Department for over 25 years. Jarvis attended Northwest Missouri State University from 1985 to 1990 and earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. While a student at Northwest, Jarvis was also an accomplished track athlete and a member of the football team Immediately following graduation, Jarvis served as an Adolescent Drug Counselor and a Drug Prevention Coordinator for the City of Rockford. Jarvis maintains an active civic service life and is a 25-year member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated- Alpha Iota Iota Graduate Chapter.
Savion Robinson '23 Student Representative	Savion M. Robinson, c/o 23, is a native of Kansas City, MO and in his first year of studies at Northwest Missouri State University. Savion's current studies are in English Education and he aspires to become an elementary school teacher and give back to his hometown.
Destinee Wesley '24 Student Representative	Destinee Jabriyah Wesley, c/o 24 is a native of Kansas City, MO and in her first year of studies Northwest Missouri State University. Destinee is a Mass Media major (Broadcast Production, emphasis in Video Editing) and won second place in Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated’s Miss Black & Gold Pageant in 2019.

Mission & By-Laws

Black Alumni &Friends Chapter Mission Statement & By-Laws

The mission of the Northwest Missouri State University Black Alumni & Friends Chapter shall be to: promote the interests, needs, and relationships of African American alumni and students at Northwest Missouri State University and to serve as a source of ideas, recommendations, and information to the Board of Directors of the Northwest Missouri State University Alumni Association and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion relative to the well-being and progress of African American alumni and students at Northwest Missouri State University.

Black Alumni & Friends Chapter By-Laws

Northwest Alumni Association Mission Statement

The Northwest Alumni Association fosters lifelong relationships through the giving of time, talent and funds to initiatives and opportunities that advance the University, its alumni, future alumni and friends.

Chapter Guidelines

Chapter Meeting Minutes

Chapter Meeting Minutes

1.19.2020 Northwest Black Alumni General Body Chapter Meeting Minutes

Executive Meeting Minutes

Executive Meeting Minutes

Member Registration

*First Name:

Maiden Name: (if applicable)

*Last Name:

*Class Year:

*Major:

*Address:

*City:

*State:

*ZIP Code:

*Phone:

*Email Address:

Occupation:

Get Involved

For those alumni and friends who have time to dedicate to assisting with the growth and ongoing support of the Black Alumni and Friends Chapter, please select an area of interest. Committee responsibilities are listed below.

*I am interested in: Committee: Student Engagement
Committee: Board Development/Nominating
Committee: Development/Scholarship
Committee: Bi-Annual Reunion
Committee: Membership
Committee: Archives/History
Speaking Opportunities at Northwest

The Black Alumni Chapter has many different ways alumni and friends can get involved with the chapter.

Connect: Provide engagement opportunities for alumni, friends, parents and students to connect with each other and with the University.
Mentor: Provide opportunities for alumni and students to connect or benefit from each other in a professional setting.
Promote: Promoting the Alumni Association and University by providing information and opportunities on all things Northwest.
Leadership: Currently the chapter has the following committees.

Student Engagement Committee

The duties of this committee will be to work jointly with the Office of Admissions, the Northwest Alumni Association and the Office of Diversity and Inclusion on the recruitment and retention of Black Students, to plan and implement activities to allow Black Alumni to provide support, mentoring, networking opportunities for undergraduate black students and recent black alum and to maintain close working relationships deemed vital by the Black Alumni with other pertinent university departments. This committee will also be responsible for assisting the Chapter in securing active communications with current students and keeping the Chapter connected to recent black graduates of Northwest.

Board Development/Nominating Committee

The President shall name a Board Development/Nominating Committee from the Board of Directors to submit nominations for officers and appropriate Directors for the ensuing year. The Vice President of the Chapter shall chair the Board Development/Nominating Committee and said committee shall be active year-round. Solicitation for nominations of Board members may be sought through electronic and print communications. Nominations may be submitted throughout the year to the Nominating Committee through electronic and print communications.

Development/Scholarship Committee

The duties of this committee will be to seek contributions from the membership and friends to further the aims of the chapter and to fund scholarships for current African American students. This committee will be in charge of the annual African American Scholarship Fundraising campaign and responsible for maintaining a close working relationship with the Northwest Foundation. Any money raised by the chapter shall be contributed to support programming, scholarship, students, or to contribute to the preservation and/or recognition of the contributions of former African American students, staff or faculty.

Bi-Annual Reunion Committee

The duties of this committee will be to plan and implement activities for the bi-annual Black Alumni Reunions held over homecoming weekend. This committee will also be responsible for assisting the chapter in the management of communications with the black alumni chapter membership. This committee will also serve as a resource to black alumni consistency groups that wish to hold reunions on campus.

Membership Committee

The duties of this committee will be to monitor all aspects of membership, including invitations, retention and education—bringing in new members, teaching them about the chapter and then ensuring that the member experience meets everyone’s expectations. The membership chairman shall facilitate the annual development and execution of the membership engagement and retention strategic plan. The membership committee shall work closely with the president and secretary to plan alumni engagement events, assist the office of Diversity and Inclusion in the recruitment of alumni to serve as MLK Day Speakers and identify alumni candidates for the Joe Bell Distinguished Black Alumni Award.

Archives/History Committee

The duties of this committee will be to inventory and document the history of the Northwest Missouri State University Black student experience and the chapter. The Archives/History committee shall work closely with the membership committee, the Northwest Alumni Association, current Black student organizations, the Office of Diversity & Inclusion and the University to identify and document black student (current and former) contributions to the creation and ongoing operation of significant campus activities, organizations and initiatives.

3 Year Plan

Northwest Black Alumni Chapter 3 Year Strategic Plan

Ways to Give

The Northwest Alumni Association’s Alumni and Friends Chapters invest their time, talent and treasure with fundraising dollars to be used toward chapter scholarship for current Northwest students.

The Black Alumni & Friends Chapter has the following chapter funds established: