Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated ®
Theta Zeta Omega Chapter
Serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast Since 1965
Founders' Day Greetings
Greetings to each of you, and welcome to our 2025 Founders' Day program. This is a time when we celebrate the founding of our beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, and the twenty trailblazing women who paved the way for members of our sorority and all Black Greek-letter sororities.
We are so grateful you decided to join us today as our organization celebrated 116 years of service and sisterhood since its founding on January 15, 1908, on the Howard University campus in Miner Hall. As Women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, we are thankful for our Founders' vision and the mission of service they established.
We use this platform today to honor their rich legacy and recognize members of our community who, through their ideology and work, share in that mission today. It is a privilege and indeed a pleasure to have an opportunity to publicly thank this community for supporting our great sorority over the past 59 years to showcase this year. Theta Zeta Omega Chapter will recognize Norma Caples and Norma Graham Dreamer Recipients.
We will also recognize our 2025 Women of the Year and celebrate a milestone year of service to all mankind. A sister will celebrate 50 years of service to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
We look forward to our continued partnership as we continue to serve and uplift the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Again, thank you for joining us today,
Respectfully,
Dr. Bridgette Parks, President
Theta Zeta Omega Chapter
Founders' Day Guest Speaker
Mrs. Toni Wallace Franklin
Mrs. Toni Wallace Franklin is a Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® initiated into the Zeta Lambda Chapter at the University of Tennessee at Martin, where she served as Undergraduate Chapter President and Membership Chairman. And in 2022, she was one of the first recipients of the UTM Black Alumni Council Excellence Award.
Mrs. Toni is currently a member of Phi Lambda Omega Chapter in Memphis, TN, where she is a charter member and served as the third President of the chapter. She also held other positions in leadership in Phi Lambda Omega to include Vice President, Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, and has served as Chairman of the Program Committee, Standards Committee, President’s Council, Founders’ Day Committee and served on numerous other committees within the chapter. She is an incorporator of the chapter’s foundation, The Pearls of Service, and has held the position of Vice President. Mrs. Toni has been recognized by her chapter as a recipient of the Reva Allman Soror of the Year Award and the Adreinne P K Washington Silver Soror of the Year. Most recently she served as the Co-chair of her chapter’s 25th Chartering Anniversary Celebration and received the inaugural Velma Lois Jones Pearl Award for her exemplary service and leadership in her chapter.
Regionally, Mrs. Toni has served on the Regional Protocol Committee, the Regional Membership Committee, the Evaluation/Investigation Team, General Co-Chairman of the 81st South Eastern Regional Conference, and General Chairman of the 90th South Eastern Regional Conference. Most recently, she served as a member of the International Risk Management Committee during the Excellence Administration; and is currently serving as the Tennessee Statewide Cluster Coordinator, and internationally as the South Eastern EAF Regional Coordinator.
Professionally she retired from the U S Postal Service after 37 years in Operations Management as an Executive Postmaster in Nashville, TN and most recently Louisville, KY appointed as the first African American Female in both metropolitan cities. She is a graduate of the Executive Leadership, Advanced Leadership and Managerial Leadership Programs. Mrs. Toni has a Green Belt certification and has been awarded both the Employee Engagement and Coaching certifications through Gallup.
Mrs. Toni is a member of Brown Missionary Baptist Church and is married to Mr. Gino Franklin. They are the proud parents of two adult sons, Brian and Corey Franklin.
.png)
At our annual Founders Day celebration hosted by the Theta Zeta Omega Chapter, we honor outstanding individuals and organizations for their exemplary service. This year, we're proud to recognize our 2025 Woman of the Year and the recipients of the 2025 Norma Caples and Norma Graham Dreamer Awards, highlighting exceptional contributions in Jackson and Harrison County. Additionally, we'll acknowledge members reaching milestone years in our sorority, this year's sister achieving golden status at 50 years, celebrating her enduring dedication to our sisterhood and community.
2025 Theta Zeta Omega Awards
Mrs. Alita Harmon
Mrs. Alita Harmon was initiated into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Iota Kappa Chapter, in 1992 and has been a dedicated member of Theta Zeta Omega Chapter for over seven years. She is a role model to her daughters, Khalyn & Kinsley, and niece, Tanesha, who are also members of TZO. Alita is the daughter of Elder Eddie L. Jones and Mrs. Merry Jones, also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.
Known as the "correspondence queen," Alita served as TZO's Corresponding Secretary for four years, expertly managing chapter communications. In this capacity, she earned an SER award for the creator of the Ivy & Pearl Connection newsletter.
Alita’s leadership includes her role as co-chair of The Ivy and Pearl Affair (TIPA) for both 2023 and 2024, where she led the planning committee. She co-chaired the TZO Mental Health Awareness Program, the TZO 92nd SER Awards Committee, and the Chapter Anniversary Planning Committee. At the South Eastern Regional level, Alita chaired the President’s Council Retreat Sisterly Relations Activity. She served as lead soloist for the SERC Choir, as well as serving on other committees.
In her professional life, Alita serves as National Program Coordinator, a collateral duty to support the National Social Work Program for the Department of Veterans Affairs. She is also the Outpatient Medical Programs Supervisor for VA Primary Care Clinics in Mississippi and Alabama. Her professional excellence in Social Work practice has been recognized with national awards and the title of Supervisor of the Year in 2021.
Alita has been married to Coach Wesley “Geno” Harmon, for 27 years, they are proud parents of a son, Chase, and two daughters, Khalyn and Kinsley.
2025 Norma Caples Dreamer Award-
Jackson County
Together We Can
About Together We Can:
2025 Norma Graham Dreamer Award-Harrison County
MS Center for Autism and Related Developmental Disabilities (MCARDD) – Harrison County
About MCARDD:
We are honored to celebrate the remarkable dedication and enduring legacy of a member who has devoted 50 years of service to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. This prestigious milestone is commemorated with the esteemed title, Golden, symbolizing their unwavering commitment to our cherished sisterhood. This year, we proudly acknowledge Mrs. Charlotte Evens. Her remarkable contributions and steadfast commitment exemplify the spirit of excellence within our beloved sorority.