leadership detail

Leadership

Leadership

Sorority National Council

Ann O'Connell Adams

Ann O'Connell Adams
National President

Ann O'Connell Adams, Theta, University of Illinois, is the national president. She provides direction and leadership toward the sorority’s purpose, strategic plan and various goals and objectives of the organization and partners with the Sorority executive director to oversee operations of the organization. Ann has been a Foundation trustee for 14 years and previously served as national vice president for alumnae, executive vice president of the Sigma Kappa Foundation, director of collegiate alumnae relations, advisory board supervisor, recruitment supervisor, and leadership consultant. Ann is a member of the National Capital Region Alumnae Chapter. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication and political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School. Professionally, Ann is an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Criminal Division. She has argued 21 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and regularly represents the United States in criminal cases before the federal appellate courts. Ann received the John Marshall Award, the Justice Department’s highest award for attorneys, for her Supreme Court advocacy in defense of sovereignty for Indian tribes. In her spare time, Ann teaches yoga at CorePower Yoga and enjoys spending time with her husband, Doug.
Karen Peterson Parnell

Karen Peterson Parnell
National Vice President for Finance

Karen Peterson Parnell, Lambda, is a volunteer professional, using her professional training and experience in a volunteer capacity, serving on the boards of various non-profits. She is currently the President of the Board of Directors of Harbor House Ministries in Oakland, Calif. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley; a Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law; and a Master of Law in Taxation from Golden Gate University. She is licensed as an attorney and a CPA in California. In addition to her position as President of the Board of Harbor House Ministries, she has also served as an Elder, Trustee and Finance Leader at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church. She has held multiple finance-related Sigma Kappa volunteer positions including specialized chapter finance coordinator, collegiate finance coordinator, and Lambda Chapter finance advisor and corporation board member. Karen has been married to her college sweetheart, Eric, for 37 years, and has three children, Rebecca, 28, Michael, 24, and Steven, 20. She enjoys hiking with her dog Annie, wine tasting and reading. She hopes to help frame a vision of the future for Sigma Kappa, and then to develop the means we will take to get there.
Angie Naniot Ahrens

Angie Naniot Ahrens
National Vice President

Angie Naniot Ahrens, Beta Eta, is the Director of Marketing, Events for MRI Software. She oversees the global strategy of marketing events and leads the team in execution. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Sociology from the University of Massachusetts. She serves on the US Council of the Meeting Planners International (MPI) Foundation and has been a member of the MPI Global Women’s Advisory Council for three years as part of the DEI strategy and industry advocacy. She is also the director of membership for the MPI Georgia Chapter and served on the Knowledge Committee for the Events Industry Council (EIC). She volunteers at Ronald McDonald House with Junior League of Atlanta. She has served Sigma Kappa as national vice president for alumnae, director of alumnae chapter management, director of alumnae experience, alumnae district director, Sigma Kappa Foundation trustee, chapter advisor, and several alumnae chapter and Atlanta Alumnae Panhellenic leadership positions. Angie has been married to Tim for 15 years and they have two dogs, Nala and Remy. She loves to travel and connect with people through new experiences. She hopes to lead Sigma Kappa with an empathetic lens and an open mind of adaptability.
Michelle Fleer

Michelle Fleer
National Vice President

Michelle Fleer, Theta Mu,  is Principal Programmer for a small clinical research organization, where she manages clinical study design and implementation of applications; coordinates and works with multi-functional roles and processes to deliver projects on time and within budget; mentors junior level team members, and creates departmental training content. She has a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her volunteer experience includes the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Alumni Board of Directors, Parent Teacher Student Organization, Eastern North Carolina Alzheimer’s Association, Triangle Walk to End Alzheimer’s, local HOA board, and Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. She has served Sigma Kappa on the NHC board of directors, director of online communities, collegiate district director, risk management team member, collegiate province officer, recruitment supervisor, advisory board chair, collegiate chapter advisor, corporation board member and alumnae chapter officer. Michelle enjoys traveling (pre-Covid!), going to brunch, spending time with friends and family, including her husband, Mike, one child who is a high school senior, and their dog, Pippa. Michelle hopes to drive informed decisions which directly support our mission by using past experiences as a learning tool to help move the organization forward.
Kathleen Brangan Held

Kathleen Brangan Held
National Vice President

Kathleen Brangan Held, Xi, is the Thought Leader Liaison for Sanofi Genzyme, where she works cross-functionally to optimize brand strategy, brand advocacy, and communication through thought leader relationship development. She has a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from the University of Kansas. Kat has served the National Panhellenic Conference as RFM specialist, fully structured recruitment reform task force, total consultant, measurable outcomes committee, and recruitment & expanded membership think tank. She has served as Sigma Kappa’s national vice president for membership, RFM coordinator, Panhellenic district coordinator, recruitment supervisor and Panhellenic delegate advisor. She helps welcome families of Afghan refugees to the Chicago area, started an annual block party in 2012 to bring her neighborhood together, which she still organizes, and is active in politics. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Steve, and their rescue dog, Zoey, and enjoys cooking, reading, and golf. Kat wants Sigma Kappa to push ourselves to be even more nimble adapting to the interests and needs of our collegiate members, to showcase the benefits of lifelong membership, and to be the DEIA leader in the fraternal community.
Stacy Lona Hicks

Stacy Lona Hicks
National Vice President

Stacy Lona Hicks, Zeta Mu,  is the lead Social Worker at Desiderata Alternative Program, a public day school specifically for special education students. She works with students, families and staff members to examine personal and systemic barriers to success and strategize holistic team approaches to address identified barriers and inequities. She also served several years as a district trainer in restorative practices, working to examine systemic DEIA concerns as well as develop and facilitate learning opportunities in the principals and mindsets of restorative practices and implicit biases. Stacy serves as the Wellness coordinator for her campus, co-chair of the participatory budgeting committee, and the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports chair. She has served Sigma Kappa as the director of risk management, new chapter coordinator, collegiate province officer, recruitment supervisor, finance advisor and vice president of communication advisor. Stacy and her husband, Bobby, love to travel and spend time with extended family and friends and their cat, Pumpkin McLovin. Her vision for Sigma Kappa is for our Sorority to be a premier organization across the nation known for its values, the accomplishments of its membership, its leadership on campus and in the community, and its appeal and accessibility to a wide variety of collegiate members.
Susan Fong Polizzotto

Susan Fong Polizzotto
National Vice President

Susan Fong Polizzotto, Theta Kappa, is Global Lead for IoT Marketing for Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., developing marketing programs/campaigns and leading cross-functional teams for growing thought leadership and product or program awareness. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Southern California. Her volunteer experience includes President-Elect of the National Charity League, Inc., San Dieguito Chapter; Grade Level Advisor - Torrey Pines High School; Sigma Kappa Foundation - VP Development, board member; USC Trojan League Associates of San Diego - general board member, VP of Membership, newsletter editor; National Panhellenic Conference Foundation - secretary, scholarship chairman, marketing chairman. She has served Sigma Kappa and the Sigma Kappa Foundation on numerous committees and as a collegiate province officer and national trainer. Susan has been married 21 years to her husband, Jeff, and has two daughters, Lauren, 17, and Rachel, 15. She is a “dance mom” as her daughters are competition dancers. Her family loves to travel and find good restaurants to eat at while traveling. She hopes to strategically lead Sigma Kappa forward by supporting a collaborative partnership between the Sorority, Foundation, and Housing Corporation to support a unified Sigma Kappa and setting long-term goals and strategic plan that will provide a meaningful and relevant experience for our members and a valued contributor to the communities we are a part of.
Jessica Roswell

Jessica Roswell
National Vice President

Jessica Roswell, Epsilon Lambda, is the Assistant Athletic Director - Marketing for the University of California, San Diego, where she is responsible for developing and implementing a marketing and promotional plan for the athletics department and its 23 intercollegiate sports with a focus on driving student and campus awareness and engagement. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Communications, emphasis in Public Relations and a Master in Business Administration, emphasis in Marketing, both from California State University, Fullerton. Jessica has been a volunteer for NACMA (National Association for Collegiate Athletics Administrators) for the past six years across various committees, including Strategic Communications, Small Schools, and Marketing Leadership. She has served as Sigma Kappa’s director of public relations, collegiate public relations coordinator, Foundation scholarship committee, and many advisory board positions for Kappa Rho, University of California, Irvine. Jessica loves all things sports, especially the Dodgers, reading, cooking, baking, spending time with her orange tabby, Daisy, and visiting the San Diego Zoo. She hopes to lead Sigma Kappa with a strategic mindset focusing on learning from a variety of sources and voices to bring our purpose to fruition.


Foundation Board of Trustees

Tawny Mekeel James

Tawny Mekeel James
Foundation President

Tawny Mekeel James, Epsilon Omega, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, has more than 30 years of experience in public accounting and several years volunteering with Sigma Kappa Sorority as the director of chapter finance, financial advisor and corporation board treasurer for Delta Iota, and a member of the Sigma Kappa Foundation scholarship selection committee. Her career is focused on tax compliance, consulting and accounting support with all entity types including corporations, partnerships, S Corporations, trusts, estates and individuals. She works with many industries but has extensive experience with agriculture, real estate, professional firms and service industries. Tawny is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants. She is involved with several non-profit organizations including the Cal Poly Alumni Association where she serves as Chief Financial Officer. Prior board positions include The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America – Leadership Board of Sacramento and the Cal Poly Parent Advisory Council. Tawny received her Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Accounting from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California. Tawny has been married to her husband, Buzz, for more than 30 years, and they have two sons. When they are not in Northern California they spend as much time as possible in Morro Bay on the central coast.
Teresa Gray John

Teresa Gray John
Foundation Vice President Administration

Teresa Gray John, Tau, Indiana University, has served as a Foundation Trustee since 2016. She has served as the chairman of the scholarships and grants committee since 2016 She has served as an advisor to the Kappa Zeta Chapter for more than 20 years, 12 of those as the advisory board chairman. She has also served as an ABS for Epsilon Alpha, a collegiate province officer, a foundation ambassador and scholarship evaluator. She has also served as a facilitator at RLC for the past two years. Teresa received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Indiana University, but currently does not practice. She is a member of the Triangle Alumnae Chapter. Teresa has served on several local and state non-profit boards. Teresa has been married for 30 years to her husband, Jim, with whom she has three sons and two daughters-in-law. She enjoys traveling, reading, Pilates and running.

Laura Dragoo Mickler

Laura Dragoo Mickler
Foundation Vice President Finance

Laura Dragoo Mickler, Gamma Eta,  is a senior loan officer with Ruoff Mortgage. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education and a master’s degree in Student Affairs Administration and Higher Education from Ball State University. Laura has previously worked as the director of development for the Foundation, extension educator for Purdue University and as a leadership consultant for Sigma Kappa Sorority.

Laura is active with the Central Indiana Board of Realtors and volunteers with several community organizations. Laura has been a long-time Sigma Kappa volunteer. Her previous roles have included: alumnae district director, alumnae recruitment coordinator, advisory board chair, collegiate province officer, recruitment advisor/supervisor and co-chair of the Personnel Committee. In her free time, Laura enjoys spending time with her husband, Alex, sons Rowan and Milo, and their two dogs. She is a yoga teacher and travels as much as possible.

Ann O'Connell Adams

Ann O'Connell Adams
National President

Ann O'Connell Adams, Theta, University of Illinois, is the national president. She provides direction and leadership toward the sorority’s purpose, strategic plan and various goals and objectives of the organization and partners with the Sorority executive director to oversee operations of the organization. Ann has been a Foundation trustee for 14 years and previously served as national vice president for alumnae, executive vice president of the Sigma Kappa Foundation, director of collegiate alumnae relations, advisory board supervisor, recruitment supervisor, and leadership consultant. Ann is a member of the National Capital Region Alumnae Chapter. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in speech communication and political science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School. Professionally, Ann is an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice in the Criminal Division. She has argued 21 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States and regularly represents the United States in criminal cases before the federal appellate courts. Ann received the John Marshall Award, the Justice Department’s highest award for attorneys, for her Supreme Court advocacy in defense of sovereignty for Indian tribes. In her spare time, Ann teaches yoga at CorePower Yoga and enjoys spending time with her husband, Doug.
Angie Naniot Ahrens

Angie Naniot Ahrens
National Vice President

Angie Naniot Ahrens, Beta Eta, is the Director of Marketing, Events for MRI Software. She oversees the global strategy of marketing events and leads the team in execution. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Sociology from the University of Massachusetts. She serves on the US Council of the Meeting Planners International (MPI) Foundation and has been a member of the MPI Global Women’s Advisory Council for three years as part of the DEI strategy and industry advocacy. She is also the director of membership for the MPI Georgia Chapter and served on the Knowledge Committee for the Events Industry Council (EIC). She volunteers at Ronald McDonald House with Junior League of Atlanta. She has served Sigma Kappa as national vice president for alumnae, director of alumnae chapter management, director of alumnae experience, alumnae district director, Sigma Kappa Foundation trustee, chapter advisor, and several alumnae chapter and Atlanta Alumnae Panhellenic leadership positions. Angie has been married to Tim for 15 years and they have two dogs, Nala and Remy. She loves to travel and connect with people through new experiences. She hopes to lead Sigma Kappa with an empathetic lens and an open mind of adaptability.
Kellie Renee Bray

Kellie Renee Bray

Foundation Trustee

Kellie Renee Bray, Epsilon Mu, is chief of staff at CropLife America in Washington, D.C. CropLife America is the nation’s largest trade organization for agriculture and pest management, representing more than 100 developers, manufacturers, formulators and distributors of virtually all the crop protection products used by American farmers and growers. As chief of staff planning, staff structural review and alignment of the budgeting process with strategic plan priorities. For a decade, she was a senior director of government affairs at CropLife America where she led government relations outreach on federal issues concerning endangered species, stewardship and homeland security. She also worked on state issues for CropLife in the Midwest region of the country.

Kellie has also served in various roles with the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association.

Kellie is a native of Cameron, Mo. and received a bachelor’s degree in General Agriculture and Political Science from the University of Missouri.

Within Sigma Kappa, she served as national vice president for communication from 2016-2018. She has volunteered as a programming content coordinator, national trainer, collegiate province officer, advisory board chairman, and chapter advisor. Kellie is proud to call her twin sister, Kristie, and her sister-in-law, Minnie, sisters in Sigma Kappa as well!

Amber Singleton Soergel

Amber Singleton Soergel

Foundation Trustee

Amber Singleton Soergel, Gamma Gamma, Indiana State University, is bringing a 20-year career in higher education to the Foundation board. She currently serves as a Senior Academic Advisor in the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences at the University of Arizona. In addition to her professional role, Amber has been an active alumnae chapter member with the Phoenix and Tucson Alumnae chapters; served the National Housing Corporation as a housing coordinator and as a member of the corporation board for the Zeta Omicron Chapter; and was a member of the major gifts team for the first-ever capital campaign of Sigma Kappa Foundation. Amber has received a number of volunteer and professional honors and awards. She loves to travel, is married to Ed, and currently lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Lynne Utter Walter

Lynne Utter Walter
Foundation Trustee

Lynne Utter Walter, Lambda, University of California, Berkeley, comes to the board with more than 40 years of experience in finance and business and most recently wrapped up her career after serving as the Chief Financial Officer at Exadel, a position she held for nearly 20 years. Lynne served as the corporation board president for the Lambda Chapter of Sigma Kappa for eight years. She has continued to be involved with the chapter for many years since graduation. Lynne has been a member of the Junior League Chapter of Oakland East Bay, serving as a director; president of the National Charity League, Acalanes Chapter; active committee member at her children’s schools; and is a current finance committee member at the Orinda Country Club. Lynne is interested in competitive bridge, traveling and golf. Lynne was married for 34 years to her late husband, Carl, and is a proud mom to two children.

Kate Hall

Kate Hall
Foundation Trustee

Kate Hall, Theta Psi, joins the Foundation Board of Trustees with over eight years of volunteer experience in collegiate and alumnae management serving as the vice president of programming
and Panhellenic delegate for her alumnae chapter, Philadelphia, and the advisory board supervisor and vice president of standards and values advisor for multiple chapters. She has over nine years of experience in equity compensation consulting at Aon PLC as well as leading her business unit’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Recruiting Committee. In addition to her Sigma Kappa volunteer roles, Kate has been a member of the Junior League of Philadelphia, Inc. for over six years sitting on their Management Council, Board of Directors and most recently, developed and was chair of their first ever shopping fundraising event. Kate earned her undergraduate degree in Actuarial Science and has Associate of the Society of Actuaries and Certified Equity Professional designations. Kate also volunteers as a member of the curriculum committee for Santa Clara University’s Certified Equity Professional designation. Kate enjoys training for marathons, water sports, and traveling.

Lynne Utter Walter

Jennifer Maxwell Rass
Foundation Trustee

Jennifer Maxwell Rass, Delta Alpha, brings more than 25 years of experience to her role as chief of staff of AaDya Security. Headquartered in Detroit, AaDya provides smart, simple, effective cybersecurity software solutions for small and medium-sized businesses. Jennifer previously held leadership roles at FireEye, Duo Security, Cisco and Quicken Loans and their family of companies.

Jennifer previously served Sigma Kappa as an advisor, collegiate province officer, corporation board member, collegiate district director and most recently as national vice president for the National Housing Corporation. Jennifer serves as secretary of the Birmingham Public Schools’ Board of Trustees, is a Birmingham Education Foundation trustee, a board member and walk chair for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and a board member for Birmingham Youth Assistance. She graduated from Eastern Michigan University and lives in Beverly Hills, Mich., with her husband, Eric, and two children, Ethan and Hannah.

Lynne Utter Walter

Marisa Wilkes
Foundation Trustee

Marisa Wilkes, Theta Iota, is an event manager in New York. She worked at the Open Society Foundations as their internal event manager for over 16 years. She also serves on the board of Meeting Professional International as the director of Corporate Social Responsibility.

Marisa has served as vice president on the Sound Business Incorporated board, which benefited young students of her high school alma mater, A. Philip Randolph Campus High School. She currently serves as a Foundation district director for district 1 and sits on the Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Access Committee. Her previous Sigma Kappa roles have included: Foundation ambassador, vice president of philanthropy and vice president of membership for the New York City Alumnae Chapter, and alumnae extension coordinator.

She earned her undergraduate degree in communications from the State University of New York at Fredonia and her master’s degree in teaching of writing from Long Island University in Brooklyn. In her spare time, Marisa enjoys traveling, reading, running, paper planning and making vinyl projects and stickers. She lives in Elmont, New York, with her partner of over 20 years.

NHC Board of Directors

Susan Willis

Susan Willis
NHC President

Susan Willis, Epsilon Epsilon, the University of Georgia, is currently serving as president. She chairs the board of directors and serves as its primary representative, oversees strategic planning and implementation, and leads collaborative efforts with the Sorority and the Sigma Kappa Foundation. She has previously served as the NHC vice president of property management, president and treasurer of the Epsilon Epsilon corporation board, and as a corporation liaison and corporation coordinator on the Sorority housing team and NHC, respectively. She has a bachelor’s degree in family and consumer science with an emphasis in hotel/restaurant management and is the general manager of a local restaurant in the Atlanta area, as well as a realtor. Susan volunteers for Angels Among Us Pet Rescue, is an avid league bowler and loves college football, especially cheering on her Dawgs.
Lisa Humenik

Lisa Humenik 
Vice President of Communications

Lisa Humenik, Gamma Mu, was elected as vice president of communications in March of 2023.

Roxanne Evans

Roxanne Evans
Vice President of Housing Operations

Roxanne Evans, Delta Tau, was elected as the vice president of housing operations June 29. She has previously served on the NHC board of directors in this role and most recently as a housing coordinator. Roxanne has been actively involved with the alumnae chapter of Memphis and facilities committee for Beta Xi. Professionally, she is the operations director for a boutique financial services firm. When not spending time on Sigma Kappa, Roxanne volunteers on passion projects; students and dogs. She serves as a mentor for non-traditional college-bound students and fosters dogs with a local rescue agency.

Ann-Marie Lagoy Fontaine

Ann-Marie Lagoy Fontaine
Vice President of Finance

Ann-Marie Fontaine, Phi, University of Rhode Island, was elected as the vice president of finance June 29, and was most recently serving as vice president of property management. Her previous volunteer roles for Sigma Kappa include president of the Phi corporation board, corporation coordinator, and finance coordinator for Districts 2 and 3. Ann-Marie returns to the position having as the vice president of finance from 2010-2014. She holds a bachelor of science in Business Administration concentrating in accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. Having retired from full-time work in 2015, Ann-Marie currently provides financial support services for a small base of business customers. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband, David, following the professional sports teams that call New England home, as well as spending time with their adult children, Amanda and Dan.  

Mary Ann Lattimore

Mary Ann Lattimore
Vice President of HOMES & Property Management

Mary Ann Lattimore, Gamma Phi,  was elected as the vice president of property management and HOMES June 29. Her responsibilities include overseeing and advising local renovation and design projects, monitoring student housing trends, and guiding volunteers responsible for the management of NHC HOMES corporations. Mary Ann is an active member of the Gamma Phi housing corporation board and serves as the current treasurer. Previously, Mary Ann served as a project coordinator, on the NHC board of directors and is a past president of the NHC. When not advising the NHC on large construction projects or managing the finances of Gamma Phi, Mary Ann enjoys the local brewery scene with her husband. 

Kaci Brown Bellenie

Kaci Brown Bellenie
Vice President of Programming

Kaci Brown Bellenie, Beta Upsilon, was elected as the vice president of programming June 29. Her responsibilities include creating and facilitating educational content for housing volunteers. Before joining the NHC board, Kaci served on the Beta Upsilon housing corporation board as president and vice president where she was responsible for the installation of the fire-suppression system for the chapter house. Most recently, Kaci has served as an NHC housing coordinator. As a professional real estate broker, Kaci has developed the leadership skills of fellow realtors in Ohio through her contributions to academy content. When not working or volunteering, Kaci enjoys traveling, being outside and spending time with her Sigma Kappa chapter sisters. 

Kathleen Brangan Held

Kathleen Brangan Held
National Vice President

Kathleen Brangan Held, Xi, is the Thought Leader Liaison for Sanofi Genzyme, where she works cross-functionally to optimize brand strategy, brand advocacy, and communication through thought leader relationship development. She has a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from the University of Kansas. Kat has served the National Panhellenic Conference as RFM specialist, fully structured recruitment reform task force, total consultant, measurable outcomes committee, and recruitment & expanded membership think tank. She has served as Sigma Kappa’s national vice president for membership, RFM coordinator, Panhellenic district coordinator, recruitment supervisor and Panhellenic delegate advisor. She helps welcome families of Afghan refugees to the Chicago area, started an annual block party in 2012 to bring her neighborhood together, which she still organizes, and is active in politics. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Steve, and their rescue dog, Zoey, and enjoys cooking, reading, and golf. Kat wants Sigma Kappa to push ourselves to be even more nimble adapting to the interests and needs of our collegiate members, to showcase the benefits of lifelong membership, and to be the DEIA leader in the fraternal community.