Executive Board 2007-09
Jerrol Z. Miles (National President)
Jerrol Z. "Jerry" Miles is president of Milestone Realty Group, LLC, a real estate company located in New Albany, Ind. He started this business with his daughter, Stacey Mecier, after retiring from the banking industry.
Miles has over 30 years experience in banking. He retired from National City Bank in Louisville, Ky., as a senior vice president and manager of special credits. Nearly his entirecareer was spent on the commercial lending side of the bank, lending money to small businesses, middle market, and Fortune 500 companies. He gained considerable specialized-lending experience by lending to the franchise industry, especially fast food franchises.
In special credits, Miles managed a critical area within the bank and had several direct reports. He personally handled problem loans in the range of $250,000 to $25 million. He negotiated, restructured, and recovered all types of loans in the portfolio, including those to manufacturers, high-tech, steel mills, mortgage, healthcare, coal, transportation, equine, and real estate companies, to name a few. He co-chaired loan committees and chaired committees that monitored loans. He had individual loan authority of up to eight figures.
Miles graduated from IU with a BS in real estate administration. He received a certificate in urban studies and was awarded the F. C. Tucker Scholarship in real estate.
Miles has served on many boards, commissions, and committees in both Indiana and Kentucky. He is currently chairman of the Floyd Memorial Hospital board of trustees. He is a board member and chair-elect for One Southern Indiana, Inc. (an economic development/chamber of commerce organization), and he chairs the Economic Development Council. He has served as chair of the Better Business Bureau. Miles was a long-time member of the board of the Metro United Way where he served as chairman of several committees. Miles has also served on the board of a publicly held company that was sold to the 3M Company.
Miles has been involved with IU in several capacities. He is president of the national board of managers of the IU Neal-Marshall Alumni Club. He was on the IU Presidential Search Committee and served on the IU Athletics Committee and on the board of directors for the IU Kelly School of Business Alumni Association. In addition, Miles served on the IU Southeast Board of Advisors and on the search committee for two IU Southeast chancellors.
Miles has received many awards and been recognized for his civic and philanthropic contributions. He and his family reside in New Albany, Ind.
Kenneth D. Gibson (President Elect)
Kenneth was born and received his formal education through twelfth grade in Brooklyn, New York. While a student at Boys High School in Brooklyn, he became interested in Track and Field. His achievements in Track and Field earned him a scholarship to Indiana University in 1951. In 1955 he received a B.S. degree in Biology from I.U.
After serving two years in the United States Army, Kenneth enrolled in the masters program and received a M.S. degree in Health and Safety from I.U. in 1958. Upon graduation, he returned to Brooklyn and began his teaching and coaching career.
In 1964, Kenneth began his first collegiate teaching and coaching experience at Florida A. & M. University. From there, he went on to Grambling University, Kentucky State University, Old Dominion University and the University of Mississippi as a Head Coach of Track and Field and Associate Professor. He also taught and coached in the Fayette County (Kentucky) system; was a State Consultant in Health and Physical Education (Kentucky); and served as adjunct professor at Georgetown College.
During his coaching career, Kenneth coached many outstanding athletes both on the college level and on the national level. He served as coach/manager on thirteen United States National Track and Field teams (including the 1988 Olympic team). He officiates on the average of fifteen collegiate Track and Field meets each year.
Kenneth has authored eleven articles in the Scholastic Coach Magazine, and articles in Track Technique, Varsity Magazine, and The Athletics Congress Coaches Manual (first edition). His research projects include – "Minority Hypertension", "Women’s Athletic Administration", "Eminent Leaders in Physical Education and Athletics", and "The Crouch Start vs The Standing Start". He has conducted clinics and lectured at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, the Peoples Republic of China and T.A.C./U.S.A.T.F.
He is a member of – United States Track Coaches Association, Indiana University Alumni Association (life member), United States Track and Field Association, Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
During his retirement, Kenneth enjoys substitute teaching, adjunct teaching at Georgetown College, attending athletic events, working with his horses, and traveling with Betty (his wife of 43 years).
Robert L. Lewis (Immediate Past President)
Robert L. Lewis is the current national president of the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club. He is a Gary, Indiana Attorney in the private practice of law. In 1970 he received his undergraduate degree from Indiana University in Political Science and Police Administration, and went on to receive his law degree from these three years later.
He then joined the U.S. Army JAG Corps, and served at Ft. Knox , Kentucky where he received his Masters Degree in Public Administration from Western Kentucky University . He is a Vietnam veteran and a retired U.S. Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel with nearly 38 years of military service
Vernon Williams (Vice President)
Williams is Vice-president of the I.U. Neal-Marshall Alumni Club. And in 2007, he founded an Indianapolis-based not-for-profit children’s literacy initiative called Word of Mouth, Inc.
Vernon A. Williams is an educator, author, playwright and journalist. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from the School of Journalism at Indiana University in Bloomington 1973. He received a Master’s in Communication from Purdue University Calumet Campus and in the spring of 2008 will complete Administrative Licensing and a Master’s in Education from Ball State University.
Since leaving Bloomington, Williams has served as reporter-columnist for the Gary Post-Tribune newspaper; Editor of Gary Info News: Station Manager at WGVE in Gary; President/CEO of Paragon Advertising; morning drive personality on 1370 AM in Gary; Radio-TV Broadcasting Teacher for the Gary Community School Corp. and Marketing Director for the Gary Area Career Center.
Williams currently serves as Career Technical Supervisor for Indianapolis Public Schools, the largest school district in the state. In addition to staff supervision, Williams handles programming and administrative matters of the IPS Career & Technology Center and spearheads marketing of CTE programs as well as student co-curricular activities.
Also a prolific author, Williams has written four books: "That Black Men Might Live," the story of Expo President Charles Williams and his battle with prostate cancer; "The African American’s Guide to Hepatitis C," the first book on the subject exclusively dedicated to the needs of the most severely impacted population, and "sonnets for my sistahs," a poetry collection. A fourth book, "Memoirs of Madison Street" is set for release in the summer of 2008.
Williams has written four plays that were produced: "Anniversary," "Circles," "sonnets for my sistahs" and "puzzle people."
Williams currently serves as Executive Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors for Indiana Black Expo, Inc. He is also a member of the Executive Board of the Indianapolis Association of Black Journalists.
A few of his numerous honors include the Hoosier State Press Association first place award for news writing (1983); Indiana State Teachers Association "School Bell Award" (1984); the Lake County Association of Black Communicators "Man of the Year in Media" (1987); Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers (1992); Rockford, IL Black Healthcare Silver Chalice Award (2004); the coveted I.U. Groups Student Support Services "Covered Bridge Award" (2006) and Who’s Who in Black Indianapolis (2006 & 2007).
Billy R. Powell (Treasurer)
Billy R. Powell has enjoyed professional pursuits as an usher supervisor at Notre Dame University; a director of Youth Services at Division Workforce Development Services (WDS); an educational coordinator with the Job Training Program of St. Joseph County; a program director with the South Bend Youth Services Bureau; a director with LaSalle Park Recreation Center; and Billy worked as a Restaurant and Lounge Manager.
From 1960 to 1965, Billy was a professional athlete. Billy has extensive community involvement and volunteerism with Catholic Charities, United Way, South Bend Madison Center, Olivet A.M.E. Church, and Notre Dame University. He brings to our board unique skills with extensive budgeting and fiscal management experience; award winning program development and marketing; strong organizational skills; and excellent public relations and people skills.
Billy has a B. S. Business Management/Marketing from Indiana University South Bend.
Wife: Alma, IU grad, retired educator.
Son: Brian, an accountant, South Bend.
Daughter: Alicia, an associate producer for ABC World News, New York
Oneita Phillips (Secretary)
I received my M.S. degree in education from IU Southeast, and continued teaching elementary school in New Albany and Indianapolis for a total of 36 years. In the year 2004 I started the Kentuckiana Chapter of the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club with the help of fellow alumni. We have received the Chapter of the Year award two years running. We initiated the "Evening to Remember" dinner event that raises funds for student scholarships. In 2007 we have awarded a total of three student scholarships from our Chapter.
Being active with the IU and Neal-Marshall alumni, I take Membership seriously. I continually promote and engage alumni to stay connected. While serving on the Human Rights Commission, I encouraged the mayor of Louisville, Jerry Abramson, also an IU graduate, to renew his membership with IUAA and the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club. He is now a member. I serve as an officer at the Bethel AME church and hold a seat on the Empowering Board of the Habitat for Humanity organization. I was recently re-appointed to the Human Rights Commission in Louisville, KY. Staying active in my community and with IU Alumni Association has kept my love and dedication to education alive.
Clarence Boone, IUAA Director of Diversity Programmming
From 1993 to 2002, Clarence held a joint appointment with the IU Alumni Association as an affiliate club director and with the IU Foundation as a development officer. In 2000, Clarence added the Office of Community and School Partnerships to his portfolio. In this capacity, he directed a number of early intervention programs with middle and high school students to compel them to strongly consider preparing for matriculation to college.
Since 2002, he began serving as full-time director of the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club (NMAC), the African American Arts Institute Alumni Association (AAAIAA), the Asian Alumni Association (AAA), the Groups Alumni Association (GAA), the Latino Alumni Association (LAA) and he also serves on the IUAA "I" Association.
He coordinates alumni events and programs that specifically target underrepresented alumni, faculty, staff, and students. In his capacity as director of Diversity Programming, Clarence assists the IUAA in increasing minority involvement and participation and identifies and cultivates prospective minority alumni leaders and donors; and serves as a liaison to the Office of Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs (DEMA).