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Over the past 38 years, the Ethnic Minorities (EM) Section has been a place where educators, scholars, and practitioners have made connections with colleagues, friends, and mentors from across the country and around the world. Our section provides a supportive environment for all NCFR members dedicated to creating a better understanding of families from diverse ethnic groups. The dedication of our members to their profession, and the development of their colleagues, is evident in their level of service to our section and the larger NCFR organization. In this report, I would like to spotlight two of our former section chairs who exemplify service to their profession and continue to be important figures in our section. Both women are assets to their field and admired for their dedication to our section. Drs. Burgess and Lewis have served the EM Section and NCFR in numerous elected positions over the past 30 years, and we are grateful for their leadership and mentorship throughout the years.

Dr. Norma J. Bond Burgess is an NCFR Fellow and current dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Burgess earned an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Tennessee at Martin and a master’s degree in public administration and Ph.D. in sociology from North Carolina State University. She also completed seminars at Bryn Mawr College (HERS), Cornell University (AMI), and the Millennium Leadership Institute. She is an established leader in the academic community and conducts workshops on leadership nationally and internationally.

She has held numerous leadership roles at NCFR, including co-chair of the Leadership Development Seminar (Department Chairs) and president of the Association of Councils. She has also served on the NCFR Board of Directors in several capacities. She currently serves as a member of the Fellows Committee. As a member of the Groves Conference on Marriage and Family, she served as the chair of the Membership Committee. Dr. Burgess is past president of the Southeastern Council on Family Relations, where she served in the 1990s. With a great sense of humor, Dr. Burgess is a powerful motivational speaker, committed to sharing strategies for integrating work, family, and success.

Dr. Edith A. Lewis is an NCFR Fellow and professor emerita of social work and women’s studies in the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan. A social work and Afro-American studies undergraduate who also completed her MSW at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and her Ph.D. in social welfare at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Dr. Lewis is well known for her national and international work on culturally competent practices. She is also well known for her scholarship on women and families of color. She has served on numerous committees within NCFR, including the Diversity Task Force, the Inclusion and Diversity Committee, and the Action for Diversity Committee.

She has served on the board of directors for both the Groves Conference on Marriage and Family and the Michigan Affiliation Council. She also currently serves on the Journal of Family Theory & Review editorial board. Working from a strength-based perspective, her work has affected the lives of families on an international level. Dr. Lewis is an educator and scholar who demonstrates innovation and dedication to working with families in the United States and abroad.