Voice & Viewpoint Newswire
Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a business executive, was installed as the 2014-2018 International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA), an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha is comprised of more than 265,000 members in approximately 986 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Africa.
She was sworn in during a ceremony culminating the Sorority’s weeklong international convention held in Charlotte from July 12 – July 18. The installation took place at the Charlotte Convention Center before thousands of Alpha Kappa Alpha members, dignitaries, and loved ones.
In ascending to the Sorority’s chief leadership position, Buckhanan Wilson makes history as the only member to serve four consecutive terms on its international board of directors.
“I am humbled and excited by the opportunity to lead Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Its membership includes distinguished women who boast excellent academic records, proven leadership skills, and involvement in their local communities through advocacy and service. Over the next four years, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will deliver an unprecedented amount of high impact, hands-on service programs in our local communities,” said Buckhanan Wilson.
As the 29th woman to lead the 106-year-old organization, Buckhanan Wilson will guide policy, develop programs and set the leadership tone for Alpha Kappa Alpha members and chapters worldwide.
Professionally, Buckhanan Wilson is a Senior Vice President at Goodwill Industries, where she is responsible for a $25 million dollar enterprise in southeastern Wisconsin and metropolitan Chicago. With more than 60,000 people served and 400 employees, she is one of the most senior officials at the largest Goodwill affiliate in the world. She has been a corporate leader for more than three decades, enjoying a distinguished career with companies such as the Xerox Corporation and S. C. Johnson Wax, where she was a marketing executive and the first African-American and one of youngest women promoted to brand manager.
Her service in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority began when she was initiated in 1978 at Benedict College, a historically black college and university in Columba, South Carolina. She rose along the ranks from chapter president to Central Regional Director, International Secretary, International First Vice President and now International President. She has also served as Secretary and First Vice President of the Housing Foundation and the Educational Advancement Foundation, which awards more than $100,000 in scholarships and grants annually.
An Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Life Member, she was the chartering president of Upsilon Mu Omega Chapter in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and later organized the chapter’s nonprofit Diamond Jubilee Pearls Foundation.
In addition to her years of service to the sorority, Buckhanan Wilson is a member of The Links, Inc., the National Council of Negro Women and the Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc.
Buckhanan Wilson holds an MBA from Clark Atlanta University and graduated with honors from Benedict College, where she received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics. She has two children: daughter Courtney Renee, a 2014 Spelman College graduate and member of Alpha Kappa Alpha, and son Quinton Charles, a Hampton University senior.
About Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated:
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated (AKA) is an international service organization that was founded on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. in 1908. It is the oldest Greek-letter organization established by African-American college-educated women. Alpha Kappa Alpha is comprised of more than 265,000 members in approximately 986 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea and Africa. Led by International President Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is often hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women.”
