Benedict Alumna, Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson, to be Installed as International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
July 15, 2014
COLUMBIA, SC—Mrs. Dorothy Buckhanan Wilson of Milwaukee, Wisconsin will be sworn in as the 29th International President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. during the 66th Biennial International Convention of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. in Charlotte, NC, July 12-18, 2014. The swearing-in ceremony will be held on Thursday, July 17, 2014.
Dr. David H. Swinton, President and CEO of Benedict College, will make a toast to the honoree during the event. “It is with great TIGER pride that I will be part of this event to celebrate a Benedict alumna who has without a doubt become a “Power for Good” in the world community,” said Dr. Swinton. “Your focus and dedication as you serve as the 29th President of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. will surely make the world a better place.”
As international president, Mrs. Buckhanan Wilson will serve a four-year term from 2014-2018. She will guide policy, develop programs, and set the leadership tone for Alpha Kappa Alpha, which was founded in 1908 at Howard University, and is the largest and oldest organization of primarily African-American college-educated women in the world.She comes to the positionwith 36 years ofcommitted service tothe 106 year old organization of over265,000 members, and has thedistinction of being the only member to serve four consecutive terms on its international board. She is the first Wisconsin resident to be elected to the position.
Professionally, Mrs. BuckhananWilsonisa Senior Vice PresidentatGoodwillIndustries, with responsibilityfora $25 millionenterprise insoutheasternWisconsin and metropolitan Chicago,more than60,000people servedand 400employees. This makes herone of the mostseniorofficials atthe largestGoodwill affiliateinthe world. Prior toher career atGoodwill, Mrs. BuckhananWilson was aMarketingExecutive atS.C.Johnson Wax, where she became thefirstAfrican American andoneof the youngestwomen to be promoted to BrandManageratthe firm.She holds anMBA degree fromClarkAtlanta Universityand a Bachelor’s degreein businessadministrationandeconomics fromBenedictCollege.She graduatedfrombothinstitutions with high honors.
For her outstandingsororityservice, Mrs. BuckhananWilson hasreceived proclamations and keysto over20cities as wellas recognition as Soror of theYear (chapter andCentralRegion), OutstandingChapterPresident(chapter andCentralRegion), Soror Through the Years, OutstandingChapter Leadership, Spiritof AKA Award, AKAVolunteerismAward, OutstandingUndergraduate Soror (South Atlantic Region), andtheFoundersVolunteer Service Award(International). She willreceive one of AlphaKappa Alpha’s highesthonorsfor distinguishedcommunityservice atthe 66th InternationalConvention – theCareyB. Preston Leadership Award.
Mrs. Buckhanan Wilson’s civic involvementincludes active membershipin severalotherdistinguished organizations, where she has alsoheld leadership positions, includingTopLadies ofDistinction, Inc. where sheis a pastnational officer;the NationalCouncilof Negro Women,and The Links, Inc.
