2023 Finer Womanhood Honorees

Dr. Avis Buford was initiated into Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated through Tau Psi Zeta Chapter of Alsip, Illinois on December 5, 2012.

Dr. Buford has worked on the Regional Level as a member of the Great Lakes Regional Advance Team, whose duties included onsite logistics to ensure a smooth running conference. On the Illinois State Level, Dr. Buford was Chair of Fundraising and Ways and Means, “2019-2020”. At the local level in Tau Psi Zeta Chapter she has served as the 2nd Vice President, Co-Chair of Fundraising, Co-Chair of the Special Events Committee, and Chair of the Finer Womanhood Committee. She also served at TPZ’s first Executive Assistant and sits on various committees within the chapter.

Currently, Dr. Buford is 1st Vice President of Tau Psi Zeta Chapter where she is responsible for all facets of membership. She recently ushered in the Tau Psi Zeta’s largest Intake Class (Pi Class) consisting of 31 members. She mostly recently was appointed to the National New Member Process Committee. Dr. s leadership style in Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, is to lead transparently while inspiring and mentoring others through positive change in order to advance the organization.

Dr. Buford is currently employed at the American Hospital Association (AHA) as a project manager and certified meeting and events manager, responsible for membership management and fostering and maintaining a positive relationship with 58 affiliated chapters. Employed with the AHA for over 30 years, as a leader she works collaboratively with others to achieve goals through honest, consistent, and open communication; and through receiving and sharing knowledge. Dr. Buford earned her Bachelor of Arts from Roosevelt University and her Master’s Degree from the University of Phoenix. She earned her doctorate degree in Business Management and Leadership in 2017 from Walden University.

Born and raised in Mound Bayou, Mississippi, the oldest all black town in the America, founded in 1887 by former slaves; Dr. Buford credits her humbleness to her family upbringing where there was lots of love in her household. The youngest of 20 siblings, Dr. Buford was always supported by her parents and siblings who instilled in her to put God first, take responsibility for her life decisions, achieve an education, and to development and use her unique gifts to help s gets her willingness to help others from both her parents, the late Albert and Lee Ethel Criss, who had a passion for help others by raising a community garden and sharing vegetables with others to feed their families. Avis believes in a quote my H. Jackson Brown, Jr.: “Earn your success based on service to others, not at the expense of others

Dr. Buford is married to Reverend Stanley Buford, her constitutionally bound brother of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated and is the mother of two sons, Lagarius and Cedric Criss.

E T A O F T H E Y E A R

H E Y E A R

Mayor Jada D. Curry is now almost 2 years into her first term as Mayor for the Village of Lynwood. She made history after winning the February 23, 2021, primary and being elected the first African American woman to the office of Village President (Mayor). She has hit the ground running while standing on her platform of Trust, Transparency and Transformation.

Mayor Curry has spent her entire life nurturing and cultivating relationships in both her personal and professional worlds. Prior to stepping out on faith and forming her own Human Resources consulting firm, Mayor Curry spent 15 years working for one of the world’s leading providers of early childhood and educational enrichment programs for children. For six of those years, she held a variety of operations roles. It was in the last nine years that she discovered her passion for the field of Human Resources, specifically Talent Acquisition.

Upon joining the Talent Acquisition team, she began the journey of understanding the needs of others and helping to connect great people with a great organization. As the Program Manager for the Talent Acquisition team, she spearheaded several major events that included staffing the largest contract signed in company history in less than 30 days and revamping the field-based training model to ensure that it better matched the needs of a new leader. hind a legacy of operating in the spirit of excellence, challenging others to step outside of their comfort zones and she set the standard for hiring top talent. Mayor Curry earned her Associate of Arts in History from South Suburban College. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Studies with a History focus and Master of Arts in Multicategorical Special Education from Governors State University. She holds an LBS1 teachers license as well as a PHR certification from the HR Certification Institute. Prior to her historic win as Mayor, she served as a Trustee for the Village of Lynwood. She also spent 6 years on the Board of Education for Sunnybrook School District 171 where she served as Board President for her last 2 years. She is currently the President of the YWCA Early Headstart Advisory Board.

Mayor Curry is a member of Living Grace Church in Lynwood, IL. where she also sits on the Board of Trustees. Perhaps her greatest title held is that of wife and mother. She enjoys being married to a law enforcement officer and considers it an honor to be a Police Wife. She is the mother of a 28-year-old daughter who is currently a History Teacher and a 17-year- old son who is a senior in high school who will be heading off to college soon.

Within the short amount of time that she’s been in office, she has brought new economic development projects to the village, paid off a significant amount of debt and is preparing to embark on the largest road project in Village history. 2023 will usher in Dunkin Donuts, and equestrian university, vegan restaurant and much more. She is both proud and excited for this breakthrough year.

When asked how she wants to be remembered, she simply references the following Helen Keller quote: “I am only one, but still, I am one. I cannot do everything, but still, I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do.” She says that she will never stop searching for the one thing that she can do to make the world a better place.

As a young man growing up in Chicago’s Cabrini Green neighborhood, Lieutenant/EMT Quention Curtis was fascinated by fire trucks and the firefighters that protected the neighborhood. He was welcomed into the fire station by those same men, and encouraged to follow their path – and so began a lifelong passion for the fire service.

After graduating from Near North Career Magnet High School, Lieutenant Curtis entered the fire service at a young age. He began working full-time as a firefighter for the Chicago Fire Department in 1988.

He was then promoted Fire Lieutenant and worked in some of the busiest areas in the city ; including being a scuba diver and a member of Squad 1 for 22 years. Lieutenant Curtis was also a member of the response teams for the E2 tragedy , World Trade Center September 11th and hurricane Katrina. He has over forty

As Lt. Curtis is approaching retirement next year with over 30 years service, he reflected back on his exciting career and wanted to give back and open the doors to fire safety and EMS in the

Lieutenant Curtis opened The Black Fire Brigade, the country's first to promote and protect the fire rescue service and EMS personnel, provide continuing education and networking opportunities to members, and preserve the history and herAmerican fire and EMS service people. It also represents members' interest on public issues, discussions, and decisions affecting fire rescue and EMS rescue services, and promote fundraising for those services.

August of 2018

Lieutenant Curtis raised thousands of dollars to send forty - five young adults to Emergency Medical Technical School. December 2018 They graduated with an exciting career in Fire safety. Changing the narrative in the Black community one student at a time.

R G A N I Z A T I O N O F T H E Y E A R

Amica Yolanda Robinson was born and raised in Chicago, IL. She is the youngest of four. At the age of 8, her mother passed away. Her Aunt Carrie Domange began to raise her. Later, she attended Eastern Illinois University from 1984 1988. Soon after, she gave birth to her one and only Soror Friend Britni J. Franklin. She enjoys being a grandmother to her beautiful grandchildren. Amica Yolanda is a Payroll Administrator at a CPS school where she has been working over 25 years.

Amica Yolanda was a single parent working 2 3 jobs so her and her daughter could have the finer things in life.

Since joining the auxiliary October 16, 2021 she has been a trailblazer. She is always there, and she is always ready to work. Amica Yolanda is a true servant to mankind and that’s what brought her to the auxiliary. She loves to help others.

Amica Yolanda plans to retire soon, and she is awaiting the day to have more time to serve the community with her fellow Amicae Sisters.

Jamya Stewart is a 17 year old senior at Lindblom Math and Science Academy.

Throughout her high school career, she maintained a 3.8 GPA with AP and Honors classes. Jamya has been playing squash since 5th grade but became the captain of the high school team her freshman year. She is also an active member of her schools Black Student Union, an official Lindblom ambassador, Lindblom Teacher Apprentice and a Writing Center tutor to younger students at her school.

In her free time, Jamya works at MetroSquash, her own team which travels across the country, where she is not only a brand ambassador for the Woodlawn location but also the middle school squash assistant coach. is a Chicago Scholar, where she so far has received over a dozen college and university admittances with merit scholarships. She joined TPZ Archonettes Inc. in January 2022, following her families

Following her graduation in May, she plans to attend Hampton University in the fall majoring in Psychology with a minor in Early Education Development.

R C H O N E T T E O F T H E Y E A R

H E R L Y L O V E A W A R D

Brother Darryl Hammond has always been a determined individual since he was a toddler. He always knew what he wanted and worked hard for it. Being the 2nd child out of 6, he had responsibilities at an early age of being a big brother. Darryl never forgot his mother’s speeches but the one that stood out the most was “have confidence in everything you do and always believe in yourself”. That line has always stood by Darryl in life albeit school, workforce, fraternity and photography business to name a few.

Darryl has been a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated for 34 years with his 35th Sigmaversary approaching next month on April 10th. Darryl was initiated at Illinois State University, Epsilon Chi Chapter better known as the WILD EX. During his undergrad tenure, he held the positions of Vice President, President and Stepmaster. Darryl is currently financial with Omicron Alpha Sigma Chapter better known as As a man of Sigma, Darryl will go above and beyond to assist his fraternity brothers and also his Dovely sisters of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. Not only is Brother Hammond a financial member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., but he is also the owner of his photography Hammond Photo Design Studios, not to mention he has a full-time job as an Employment Liability Consultant for Hanover Insurance while still taking care of his family.

Darryl has been married for 9 years to Jackie Hammond and they’ll be celebrating their 10 year anniversary on July 13th. Darryl has 3 brothers (Reggie, Marlon and Tony), 2 sisters (LaTisha and Sheree), granddaughter (Aniyah), nephew/great nephew (Deonte and Deonte, laws (Carolyn & Katherine). BEFORE Darryl started his photography business, him and Jackie loved to travel, they are both baseball fans and have attended about 85% of the baseball stadiums, their goal is to visit ALL of the stadiums.

If you know anything about Darryl, he LOVES his families- The Hammond Family (HamFam), his Dunbar Family, his ISU Redbird Family and of course his Blue & White Family (special shout out to LEX). I’m sure if you look around the room, Darryl has taken photos of 90%-95% of the blue & white family. Darryl is always professional, energetic, passionate about photography while always having a smile of his face; he is always willing to mentor people in the photography world. Darryl was told to leave his camera at home and enjoy this moment while accepting his 2023 Brotherly Love Award.