Kappa Spotlight

Susan Allred, Pi Chapter, Rho State/NC

Who knows what friendships contribute to the future of Kappa locally, statewide, and nationally?

Susan Hendrick of Pi Chapter, Rho State, NC was a hardworking, dedicated member who always set goals for the promotion of education in Pi Chapter.  Before we lost her to cancer in November, 2020, she served as a member, president, secretary, treasurer and committee chair of Kappa Kappa Iota from 1974-2020.  In 2019, Susan was inducted into the Rutherford County Schools Hall of Fame. 

Susan was a very passionate, selfless person when it came to serving others. She was a lifelong member of Rutherfordton Presbyterian Church serving as a deacon, church treasurer, moderator of Presbyterian Women, a circle member and Sunday school teacher. Susan was awarded the Presbyterian Women Life Membership.  She was instrumental in raising funds and leading others of the church to build a new fellowship complex where others could praise and serve the Lord.

Susan H. invited Susan Allred to join Kappa Kappa Iota when Susan A. moved to Rutherford County. A Forever Friendship began. She inspired Susan A. to become more involved in Kappa activities, knowing that Susan A’s love for education would begin a legacy for Rho State.  

Susan Allred is the daughter of a Presbyterian Minister, one who shares the love of God wherever and whenever the opportunity arises.  At 6 years old, she had to stay home from Sunday Worship on Christmas Day because of illness.  Her parents found her preaching from Luke 2 from memory and ending by telling the dolls they didn’t have to worry.  Her dollhouse, received as a Christmas Gift, would be their inn forever and there would always be a place for them in God’s house.  Sharing these memories serve to inspire us to find our place in God’s House also.

Susan Allred is serving as State President this year and asks us to Promote Kappa “For the Good of the Cause”.  As the founder of Susan Allred Consulting, LLC, she travels constantly assisting schools, districts, and states in strategic decision making.  She is Former Chief Academic Officer at Iredell-Statesville Schools and Former Interim Associate Commissioner at the Kentucky Department of Education. She has served in many capacities in her church.

The best part of knowing Susan is that she is a true friend, ready and willing to do whatever is needed to assist when asked and promote Kappa.  Rho State cherishes our Forever Friends, Susan Allred and Susan Hendrick.

Susan Hendrick (left) and Susan Allred (right), Pi Chapter, Rho State/NC

Maria Inzerella, Mu Chapter, Eta State/LA

Maria Inzerella has been a member of the Mu Chapter and Eta State for 20 years. She has held many offices in her local chapter and presently serves as Mu’s Treasurer. This year, Maria has agreed to serve as the Treasurer for the 2023 National Kappa Kappa Iota Convention.

Maria taught various grade levels for 23 years in the Lafayette Parish School System and worked as an adjunct professor for 17 years at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Since her retirement, she has been teaching ballet to ages 3 through adult and truly loves tying the educational part of dance to the creative part. At the same time Maria began working for a lawyer part-time and just recently started doing development work with Catholic Vitality 360 (serving schools, parishes, and dioceses). Maria loves to network with people and enjoys volunteering for local festivals that promote the uniqueness of Acadiana and Louisiana.

Maria Inzerella, Mu Chapter, Eta State/LA

Lynn McNeilly, Omicron Chapter, Rho State/NC

Lynn McNeilly is a leader, an organizer and one who gets things done. I met Lynn at church and invited her to join Kappa. She is a retired principal from McDowell County Schools of North Carolina and served as a classroom teacher for many years. In her Church she is an active leader serving in areas of personnel, finance and children’s ministry. Lynn has used these experiences and dedication to serve Kappa on all levels. Lynn does not hesitate to volunteer to serve on National, State and Local committees. But what I want to talk about is her service to Rho State in their time of need. On March 12, 2020, we received the news of Covid during a Kappa meeting of our local chapter. Immediately, we began to realize that our lives were about to change. During Lynn’s presidency Covid became a grave issue. As Kappas we were no longer allowed to meet in person or perform our service projects. But being the person she is, this did not stop Lynn from her service and dedication to Kappa. At the time, Lynn was Rho State President. We worried about our meetings, our service projects and our connections with our Kappa sisters. Lynn stepped up. Instead of putting everything on hold, she established Zoom meetings with Rho State. Through this act we were able to carry on the business of Kappa and have contact with our Kappa sisters. In Omicron Chapter, along with others, she orchestrated ways to carry on the service projects that had been established over the years. Sadly, Covid was and is still with us. In Rho State, our State Presidents serves a one or two-year term. Lynn stepped up and served an extra year. Assuming all the responsibilities of the office. She is the only Rho State President to serve a three-year term. Happily, we have returned to semi normality. In North Carolina we have elected a new Rho State President and have returned to normal Kappa business. But we will always be grateful to the Kappa who stepped up during an exceedingly difficult time, Lynn McNeilly.

Lynn McNeilly, Omicron Chapter, Rho State/NC

Sherry Read, Epsilon Chapter, Alpha State/OK

Sherry Read is a GREAT Kappa! She has been a Kappa for 34 years. Sherry joined the Epsilon chapter in 1989 in Weatherford, OK. She is also a Kappa legacy! Sherry’s mom joined Kappa’s Beta Nu chapter in 1959 in Oklahoma City. Sherry is a retired math teacher. She taught math at Emerson High School, an alternative school in Oklahoma. One reason Sherry is a notable Kappa is her recent mission to revitalize the Campus/Collegiate Kappas at Oklahoma State University. She works closely with the advisor from the university as well as the members of the group. She models all the qualities that make a Kappa a Kappa. She believes in education as a pathway for students to reach their life goals. She is empathetic to Kappas and others, often reaching out to check in on those who were affected by inclement weather or other curveballs thrown by life. She is philanthropic as she supports and leads activities to give back to her community. Sherry is very involved in her local Kappa chapter, the Tulsa Council, and on the national level. She served as committee chair for Campus/Collegiate Kappas and president of the Past State Presidents. Sherry loves to have a great time with other Kappa members and especially the Young Violets. Sherry, we see you! You are a wonderful Kappa and we’re thrilled to put you in the spotlight. 

Sherry Read

Charlotte Sicard, Mu Chapter, Eta State/LA

Charlotte lives in Lafayette, Louisiana, and is very active in Kappa at the local and state levels. Her love of Kappa began when she was a charter member of Mu Chapter in 1995. During the past 28 years, she has served her local chapter as empathy chair, treasurer, secretary, president-elect and president several times each. Charlotte has served Eta State in the offices of first vice president and second vice president. Her organizational skills and being such a people person have served her well as the chair of three state conventions across the years.

After losing her father to Alzheimer’s disease in 2017, Charlotte organized the Kappa Chicks team in 2018, in honor of her father, for the local Alzheimer’s Walk. She and members of Mu Chapter have continued to participate in that walk every year since.

She is now a Sustainer of Jr. League of Lafayette. When she was an active member, she chaired the Homework Hotline and Provisionals. She also served as a Provisional Advisor as well as serving on various other committees.

Charlotte’s enjoyment of reading has led her to a book club where she enjoys discussing books with friends and looks forward to it on a monthly basis.

Charlotte’s church activities at Asbury United Methodist Church are a major part of her life. She has served on the Administrative Board, as trustee, on the Pastor Parish Relations Board, the Nominations Committee, and as chair of the Garden Committee. She has also been an adult Sunday school teacher, vacation bible school director and leader, Eucharistic Minister and on the ACE Team (Adult Activities Planning).

With all these activities Charlotte still finds time for hobbies including gardening, decorating, flower arranging and machine embroidery.

After 30 great years as a Speech Language Pathologist, Charlotte’s greatest love in retirement is spending time at her lake house with husband, Dwight, and her 2 sons, their wives and 5 grandchildren!!!!!

Be sure to look for this active Kappa member at the 2023 Kappa Convention in Louisiana!

Charlotte Sicard, Mu Chapter, Eta State/Louisiana

PNP Lenora Mahan

On Aug 14th our oldest living Past National President, Lenora Mahan, celebrated her 100th birthday. She was our National President in 1982-83.
During her time as president upgrades were needed to be made to the house. Clara Slack, from Kansas, and she started the tradition of selling jewelry at conventions which led to our use of raffle tickets for jewelry donations to raise money. Using donations they were able to purchase new appliances to include a stove, a microwave, a washer and dryer as well as new flooring. Xi State, Florida, donated a new television.
If you have been to the Kappa Headquarters, you may have sat on the lovely dining room chairs. Mrs. Mahan’s niece, Peggy McDowell, was a designer and had created a violets design for Designer Laura Ashley. Ms. McDowell had this design stamped on needlepoint fabric and sent several pieces to our Headquarters which some of the Past National President completed to be used as the covers for the dining room chairs.
During Mrs. Mahan’s term rain water was washing soil over the back property. To prevent this a fundraiser was held and members purchased cement blocks at $5.00 each to help build the back wall to prevent this erosion problem. Mrs. Mahan recalls purchasing several blocks, even one in honor of her beloved little dog.
As Mrs. Mahan was working on her counselor degree she saw abused children who needed help. This spiked her interest in the Kempe Foundation. She and Vita McKinty went to visit the original Kempe Foundation, an old square house. Thus began the drive by Kappa to donate to Kempe Foundation in Denver, Colorado, as its national philanthropic donation. Later she and Jane Treat were invited to tour their new facilities which now assists battered children and abused women.
When Jean Terrell was our Executive Director, Iva Dugan’s husband was a car salesman. He assisted the National Executive Board with a purchase of a new car. There were several rules regarding the use of the car. Only the president was allowed to drive the car. There were several interesting tales of trips made with this car- one late night trip was taken to go pick up Mrs. Mahan’s mother.
Before her term as president, Lenora Mahan and the Colorado Kappas had the first Kappa flag designed which she took to President Nanny Whitman as a gift at an NEC meeting. The NEC refused to accept the flag because they had not sanctioned this purchase. A motion was made and passed saying that they would accept it at the next board meeting. So, Mrs. Mahan took the flag home and brought it back to the next meeting.
The idea of post trips began when Jean Terrell would lead a tour at the end of conventions to overseas countries which included Ireland, Scotland, and England. Part of the money from these trips went back into the scholarship funds.
During these years to receive a life membership, the member had to be at least sixty (60) years old. When Mrs. Mahan was close to that age, Jean Terrell and Sara Sunderlin gave this to her as a gift.
At the KKI Convention in Little Rock where she was to be installed as President the fire alarms went off in the middle of the night. A knock at the door brought a hotel representative with orders to evacuate immediately which had Kappas scrambling out of bed. They hurried down the nearest stairs and joined the large group of people quietly waiting for the firemen. You can’t imagine things people wear to bed. Everyone was clutching their purse or Kappa bag. Students on Spring Break had set off the alarms. That was unplanned entertainment!

One of her fondest memories was being a part of a small group of Kappas whose mothers were also Kappas. There were six mother/daughter members which included Dotty Shippy, Jane Treat, and Jean Adams.
When asked what she credits to her longevity, she credits God keeping her safe, always keeping busy, and doing what you love to do. And she loves to do things to benefit Kappa.

PNP Lenora Mahan

Joie Lovelace, Omicron Chapter, Rho State/NC

Joie Lovelace became a member of Omicron Chapter, Rho/NC on December 31, 1999. Joie is active in all areas of her life. Whether working for her church, family, or Kappa, she gives it her all. From the very beginning she became an active member of Kappa; Joie immediately went to work for Kappa. She has performed duties in many areas of Kappa. She has willingly accepted officers’ duties in her Omicron Chapter, Rho State committees, and National Committees. Joie and her husband, Joe, attend and participate in National Conventions. She loves to sing with the Kappa Choir and Joe is a Kappa Guy who is dependable and always willing to help.
The real story about Joie is how she helped our local chapter continue to grow and stay strong. In 1999 she was invited to become a new member of Omicron Chapter by her own fifth grade teacher and co-worker at Casar Elementary School a devoted Kappa member, Blanche Warlick. Joie worked at Casar Elementary School as a teacher. After she became a member of Kappa, she began telling her fellow teachers about Kappa. As a result, Peggy Earl and Brenda Hope became Kappa members! Following that, twenty-two more teachers and former students from the Casar area were invited to join and became active members.
Joie continues to be active in Kappa. Joie knows something that we all should know and remember. Kappas should take to heart a Girl Scout song. “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver and the other gold.” We need to remember to cherish our present Kappa sisters but always be open to new Kappa members. Remember one is “silver” and the other “gold.” Both are precious to Kappa Kappa Iota.

Joie Lovelace, Omicron Chapter, Rho/NC