250th Celebration is a Team Effort!
The 250th Celebration will be a yearlong celebration involving alumnae, students, faculty, staff, community partners, and much more. This effort is far-reaching and will take an army of volunteers and leaders to help shine a light on Salem during this milestone year.
National Chairs
Lisa Herron Bankoff C’73
Lisa is a community leader in Atlanta, serving on numerous community boards including ARCS Foundation, Children Healthcare of Atlanta, Rich Mountain Conservancy, Agape Youth & Family Center, and miscellaneous PTAs. Major projects have included the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Atlanta Olympics, fundraising for and construction of the Agape Center in Northwest Atlanta, and Egleston Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees. She also has served on Salem’s Alumnae Board Association, the Board of Trustees, and the Board of Visitors. She is the mother of two children and has served as President of the Class of 1973 since 1972.
Ellen Todd Drew C’81
Ellen worked in development at the Peabody Essex Museum and the Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center and as an administrator at the Jewish Board of Family and Children Services in New York City, before becoming a mother of four children. She has served on the board of her PTA, as a Girl Scout leader, and as a member of the Junior League. In addition to serving on Salem’s Board of Trustees, Ellen currently helps raise funds for Alzheimer’s research though the Part the Cloud Committee and serves on the board of Second Harvest Silicon Valley. She lives in Los Altos Hills, California.
Laila Muhammad C’03
Laila is a journalist and TV host based in Los Angeles. Currently working as a correspondent for “California Live,” a lifestyle show on KNBC, she can also be heard on the iHeartRadio news/talk station KFI AM 640. Previously, Laila hosted a syndicated morning show in Dallas and traveled the world doing red carpet interviews and covering movie premieres. She has worked as a news anchor in Virginia and North Carolina and has taught journalism and communication as an adjunct professor at Hampton University and East Carolina University. Laila earned her MS from the prestigious Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
Rolonda Watts A’77
Rolonda is a journalist, media personality, comedian, and author who lives in Los Angeles and New York. Best known for her internationally syndicated talk show, “Rolonda,” she has excelled as an Emmy-nominated investigative reporter, anchorwoman, and producer for “Inside Edition,” WABCTV Eyewitness News, WNBC, New Jersey Nightly News. She serves as the announcer for “Divorce Court” (FOXTV) and “Judge Joe Brown” (CBS), appears in the new LEGO City Adventures series, and voices the role of Professor Wiseman on “Curious George” (Universal). Rolonda holds degrees from Spelman College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and an Honorary Doctorate from Winston-Salem State University.
North Carolina Chairs
- Niya Fonville C’05
- Jenni Reinhardt Lynch A’77
- Caroline Wannamaker Sink C’79
- Gwynne Stephens Taylor C’72
Winston-Salem Chairs
Ginger Hendricks C’00
Liz Romo Kelly C’20
Annette Perritt Lynch C’75
Natasha Smith A’96
250th Steering Committee
Katherine Knapp Watts C’80, 250th Celebration Chair
Event Chairs
Programming sponsored by the Anna Maria Samuel Project on Race, Remembrance, and Reconciliation (September 13–17, 2021)—Jessi Bowman C’18 and Shayla Herndon-Edmunds
Kick-off Concert—Martha Riggs Lowry A’79, C’91 and Amy Murray Orser C’69
Kick-off Dinner Dance—Brenda Fenton Gerding C’81 and Margaret Driscoll Townsend A’81
Kick-off Dining with Friends— Katie Blixt Cody A’00, Yanadira Mendez-Magana C’15, and Whitney Sierra Strong C’15
Journey from Bethlehem to Salem—Deana Bass Williams C’95
Alumnae Art Show and Sale (April 1-25, 2022; Artists Meet and Greet on April 22 2:30-4:00 pm) - Susan Maley Rash C'80
Health Leadership Forum—Ann Wilson Cramer C’66, Sallie Craig Tuton Huber C’68, and Jennie Smith McLaurin C’81
Founders Day (April 22, 2022) - Aisha Dew C'00 and Katie Holland Ortiz C'00
Reunion (April 22–24, 2022)—Beth Murray C’92 and Spence Brooks O’Neill A’97 and Monica Varandani C'01
Lovefeast (April 23, 2022)—Rev. Victoria Lasley C’14
Cherokee Commemoration (October 2022)—Paula Locklair
Community Day (October 25, 2022)—Shari White Dallas C’83 and Andrea Falden Hulighan C’04
Year-long Project Chairs
History Committee—Michelle Hopkins Lawrence and Cynthia Marvin
Academic and Student Affairs—Collier Lumpkin and Ashley Pearson
Alumnae Events—Abrea Armstrong A’09 and Karla Gort Fisher C’00
Young Alumnae Engagement—Fiona Johnson A’16, C’20 and Ashleigh Nelson C’20
Community Partnerships—BJ Buckland C’90 and Stephan Dragisic
Old Salem/ Moravian Partnerships—Johanna Metzgar Brown C’89
Marketing—Angel Coleman C’98 and Katherine Montgomery White C’02
Commemorative Items—Heather Morgan Zifchak C’93 and Ginger Harris Shuler C’77
Campus liaisons:
Felicia Carey, Lee Ann Manning C’84, Ashley Tomlin C’05
Salem Board of Trustees 250th Subcommittee
Ellen Todd Drew C’81, Chair
Robin Howell A’79
Susan Lundeen Smith C’72
Mary Lou Ford Stott C’69
Staff Chair: Katherine Knapp Watts C’80