In the wake of COVID-19, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, along with many other organizations across the globe, pivoted to virtual platforms to meet the needs of its members. On June 3, 2020, for the first time in the organization's 112-year history, a virtual election was held in which Joya T. Hayes prevailed as the South Central Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. Ms. Hayes was installed in her new role on Wednesday, July 15th at the organization's 69th International Convention held virtually from Philadelphia, PA. Ms. Hayes joins the ranks of many prestigious African American women, serving as change agents, locally, nationally, and internationally.

Ms. Hayes is a cum laude graduate of Huston-Tillotson University, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, and a graduate of Texas State University, where she received her Master's degree in Public Administration. Ms. Hayes has 20 years of experience in human resources, training and organizational development, community-based programming, policy & procedure development, and executive-level planning. Currently, Ms. Hayes is the Director of the Human Resources Department, and Director of Civil Service for the City of Austin, Texas. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM), and the International Public Management Association for Human Resource Professionals (IPMA-HR).

Ms. Hayes has served Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority for over 25 years, as a Life Member, she has humbly aided at the Chapter, Regional, and International levels. In recognition of her service to the Sorority, Ms. Hayes has been presented with five individual-level awards recognizing her outstanding leadership and service to the respected organization.

“We Are South Central” will be the resounding theme under the leadership of Ms. Hayes. “It is not a better day, but a new day!”, said Ms. Hayes. The South Central Region is proud to be the 2nd largest region out of the ten regions of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®. The region is composed of more than 10,000 service oriented members with more than 120 undergraduate and graduate chapters located in the four-state region of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas.

During her term, Ms. Hayes plans to keep members motivated, engaged, and encouraged. “We are faced with so many challenges in the world. Globally we are dealing with two pandemics, COVID-19 and systemic racism. Conjointly, with the sorority’s leadership, I plan to work hard in South Central to promote engagement and advocacy to build on the organization's mission, “Service to ALL Mankind! says Hayes.

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 nearly 300,000 members in more than 1000 graduate and undergraduate chapters in the United States, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Liberia, Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea, South Africa, and the Middle East. Led by International President Glenda Glover PhD., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is often hailed as “America’s premier Greek-letter organization for African American women.”



For more information on Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and its programs, log onto www.aka1908.com.