The Former Far Western Regional Directors
To date, twenty-five notable and outstanding women have served as Far Western Regional Director. Each one made significant contributions to the development and expansion of the region, including guiding the chartering of the graduate and undergraduate chapters that make-up the region. Their contributions have had a significant impact on the local and broader community, as they each have honored the spirit of Alpha Kappa Alpha and provided exemplary “Service to all Mankind.”
Ida L. Jackson
The Region's First National President

In January 1934, Ida Louise Jackson became the 8th national president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®, making her the first elected national president from the Far Western Region. Before her election, she served as the first vice president.
Jackson served from 1934-1936 and is credited with many accomplishments during her tenure, including developing a creative service program. She issued an historic call for volunteers for the Mississippi Summer School for Rural Teachers program in January 1934. This program laid the groundwork for the now memorable and historic Mississippi Health Project, which was conceived to serve poor African Americans who were living in deplorable conditions in Mississippi. The project was so important to Jackson that she used her personal funds to get the project off the ground.
In December 1934, she garnered support and funding for the Mississippi Health Clinic and, in July 1935, launched the nation’s first Mobile Health Clinics, which came to be known as the Mississippi Health Project (MHP), in Mound Bayou, MS.
She also developed chapter evaluations, used to maintain the Sorority’s standards, and established an employment information exchange for the organization.
Jackson’s accomplishments were acknowledged beyond the African American community. She was the first African American woman to have a campus structure named in her honor at the University of California, Berkeley—the Ida Louise Jackson Graduate House. She is also one of the 39 illustrious UC Berkeley graduates asked to contribute to author Irving Stone’s book of alumni memories, There Was Light.
When she began teaching at Oakland High School in Oakland, CA, Jackson was the first African American woman to teach in California high schools. In 1983, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Rust College.
Former Far Western Regional Directors
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Carol R. Dixon 25th Regional Director (2016-2020) | Barbara Denson Trotter 24th Regional Director (2012-2016) | Dr. LaVern Tarkington 23rd Regional Director (2008-2012) |
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E. Lavonne Lewis 22nd Regional Director (2004-2008) | *Diana G. Shipley 21st Regional Director (2000-2004) | Grace B. Strauther 20th Regional Director (1996-2000) |
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Cornelia H. Banks 19th Regional Director (1992-1996) | *Billie J. Barrett 18th Regional Director (1990-1992) | Archalene A. Martin 17th Regional Director (1986-1990) |
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*Norma J. Tucker 16th Regional Director (1982–1986) | *Charlene D. Carodine 15th Regional Director (1978-1982) | *Mildred L. Robinson 14th Regional Director (1974-1978) |
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*Winifred C. Rhodes 13th Regional Director (1970-1974) | *Dr. Laura N. Banks 12th Regional Director (1966-1970) | *Leadie M. Clark 11th Regional Director (1962-1966) |
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*Lucille B. Bryant 10th Regional Director (1958-1962) | *Mary P. King 9th Regional Director (1956-1958) | *Carolyn Carrington 8th Regional Director (1951-1956) |
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*Audrey B. Jones 7th Regional Director (1946-1950) | *Manila Hudlin Smith 6th Regional Director (1941-1946) | *Essie Tucker 5th Regional Director (1938-1941) |
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*Ursula Murrell 4th Regional Director (1936-1937) | *Edith Jones 3rd Regional Director (1931-1935) | *Ida L. Jackson 2nd Regional Director (1926-1927, 1929-1931) |
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*Nadia Portia McCullough 1st Regional Director (1925-1926) | ||
There was no Regional Director from 1927-1929
*indicates deceased