Errol Lewis, Secretary / Scholarship Management

​​​​Sheila L. Chamberlain is an American pilot. She was the first black woman combat intelligence pilot in the United States Army and the first woman to be elected to the national Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. She is a member of the United States Air Force Hall of Fame. Chamberlain studied at Spelman College and graduated magna cum laude in 1981. She was a postgraduate at the University of Oklahoma. Chamberlain attended flight school and was the fifth African American woman to graduate from the United States Army flight school. She completed three tours in Grenada, Korea, and the Persian Gulf War. In 2016 she was named as one of Legacy South Florida Magazine's top 25 most influential and prominent black women in business and industry.  She earned a Juris Doctor at the University of Miami School of Law in 1996.

Jerry T. Hodges, Jr. a documented original Tuskegee Airmen, trained to fly the PT-17 and PT-13 Aircraft at Moton Field in Tuskegee. In September 1945 he completed his training as a Twin Engine Pilot. Following graduation from the Tuskegee Aviation Cadet Training, Jerry was assigned to the 477th Bomber Group, 617th Bomb Squadron at Lockbourne Air Base and as Assistant Base Statistical Control Officer. At the end of World War II he opted out of the Army Air Corp to return to civilian life and complete his formal education. After returning to civilian life he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting & Finance in 1950 from the University of Southern California. He continued to pursue his education and received a second Degree in Financial Planning from the College of Financial Planning in Denver Colorado. After graduation Jerry served as Controller and then Vice President of the first Afro- American Casualty Insurance Company in California. In 1965 he began a solo Public Accounting Practice. ​​ ​​

Clark "Bill " Robinson, Vice President, Former President

​Dr. Lisa Bratton, received her B. B. A. in Business Management from Howard University, her M. B. A. in Marketing and Finance from Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) and her M. A. and Ph.D. degrees in African American Studies from Temple University. She is currently a professor of African American Studies and World History at Tuskegee University.  She has served as a small business consultant for Georgia State University's Small Business Development Center and as both an Accountant and Financial Analyst for Emory University's Office of Grants and Contracts. In the arena of African American Studies, she has worked as a Historian for the U. S. National Park Service Tuskegee Airmen Oral History Project traveling the country documenting the stories of the Airmen. She has served as an officer of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. and currently serves as a member of TAI's National Scholarship Committee. She also travels widely speaking about the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen. ​

Edward Grice, Executive Director

Charles D. Jones, President/Chair

​Lynda “Sunnye” D. Simpson is keeping her “pappy’s” legacy alive.  William Robert Melton, an original Tuskegee Airman, class 43G, was one of the founders of Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation, and groomed his stepdaughter, Sunnye, to step into leadership roles within TASF and Tuskegee Airmen Incorporated (TAI). Sunnye has served in various leadership capacities including TAI’s National Public Relations Co-chair, and National Executive Recording Secretary. She is Editor and Publisher of !TFAM, a bi-weekly e-newsletter that  unites readers and asks them to act to ensure the Tuskegee Airmen’s legacy of excellence. Sunnye is currently the vice president, resource development with TASF. She has bachelors in sociology and a master’s in psychology.​​

Edward Tillmon, Posthumous Advisory Board Member

Advisory Board

Bridgett M. Tucker, Chief Financial Office

Linda (Sunnye) Simpson, Vice President, Resource Development

Errol is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy. He served almost 13 years active duty and 15 years in the USAF Reserves.  He was a career acquisition officer working on Air Force aircraft, munition, and space programs.  For the last 11 years,  he has served as a Department of the Air Force Civilian in an Air Force satellite program office.  Errol has over 35 years of Air Force acquisition program management experience.  He joined the LA Chapter of TAI in 1994 and currently serves as the Chapter Secretary.   In addition to being the TASF Secretary, he also serves as the Chairman of the Scholarship Committee. 

Dr. Lisa Bratton, Director

​​Charles  a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and the U.S. Air Force's Undergraduate Pilot Training program.  He served 9 years on active duty and 12 years in the USAF Reserves flying T-37's, T-38's CT-39's, C-21's, and C-5's including service in Operations Just Cause, Desert Shield, and Desert Storm. He has over 30 years of combined military and civilian pilot experience including 20 plus years of flying for United Airlines where he has flown the Boeing 727, 737, 757,767 and 747-400.  He currently holds a type rating on the 757 and 747-400.  Charles serves as a member of the finance and scholarship committees of TASF.

 Shelia Chamberlin, J.D., Director

Theodore "Ted" Lumpkin, Jr., Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen, (DOTA), Posthumous Advisory Board Member 

Lowell Steward Jr. Treasurer

​Mr. Burton  is the current president of Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. and was prior East Region Representative and Immediate Past President of the East Coast Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (ECCTAI). He was a member of the Sam Bruce Chapter in Washington State and then transferred his membership to ECCTAI in the mid 1990’s.  In the past, has held positions as the ECCTAI Speaker’s Bureau Chairman, TAI Eastern Region Public Relations Officer, Protocol Officer, and member of TAI Finance Committee. His work was honored with the presentation of the 2011 and 2019 TAI Eastern Region President’s Award and the 2013 General Noel F. Parrish Award. In 2014, He was elected to serve as President of ECCTAI for two terms. His work was honored with the presentation of the 2011 and 2019 TAI Eastern Region President’s Award and the 2013 General Noel F. Parrish Award. In 2014, He was elected to serve as President of ECCTAI for two terms. 

Nancy Carol Leftenant was born in South Carolina in 1920 and raised in Amityville, NY. She graduated from the Lincoln School for Nurses in the Bronx in 1944 and joined the Army as a nurse in time for the tail end of World War II. In February 1948, she became the first African American to be integrated into the Regular Army Nurse Corps, which received international news attention. She soon transferred to the Air Force Nurse Corps, where she served in Vietnam in 1954 and retired with the rank of major. She married Bayard King Colon in 1960, resided in East Norwich, NY, and served as a school nurse after leaving the military. Her husband and brother served with the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II, so she became active in their veteran’s group and served a term as its president. 

Robert A. Rose, DDS, Posthumous Advisory Board Member

Dr. Nancy Leftenant-Colon, Advisory Board Member

Willie Jones, Director

Jerry T. Hodges, Director, Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen (DOTA)

Roy Swygert, Director

Lowell Steward Jr. has been associated with the TASF since its inception in 1974, joining the Board of Directors in 2004.  He is the son of the founder of the Los Angeles Chapter and an original Tuskegee Airman, Lowell Steward Sr.  Lowell Jr. has logged 42 years of aerospace experience in accounting, finance, and business management. Lowell Jr. is a graduate of the University of Redlands, and has served other volunteer organizations in capacities such as Treasurer, Vice-President, President, and Executive Treasurer.  He currently serves as Treasurer for TASF.

​​​Willie F. Jones “Willie” recently retired from the Boeing Company’s Integrated Defense Systems Huntington Beach, California Liaison / Program Manager Robins AFB, GA C-17 Support Systems Integrated Product Team (IPT) office.  A Georgia native that attended Mercer University in Macon Georgia and earned a Bachelor of Science Degree Liberal Studies and attended Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville, Georgia and earned a Master of Science in Administration/Logistic Management December, 2004. He honorably served in the United States Air Force, from 1974 – 1998, when he retired after 23 years of service. Currently I have over thirty years of Department of Defense support planning and management experience in Logistic Management, Program Management, Finance (budgeting), Supply Chain Management, Transportation, Contracting and Supervision.   His leadership spans for more than 35 years in position in the military and corporate America. As a retired Senior Master Sergeant (E-8) and program manager for the Boeing company, he was responsible for managing budget allocations and tracking earned value. 

Paul Hudson is a former board member of the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation (TASF) and is the Founder and Managing Director at Hudson & Holland Advisors, LLC, a financial advisory firm that assists nonprofit organizations with planning, negotiating, structuring, and implementing strategic mergers, collaborations, partnerships and other organizational alliances. Hudson is the immediate past Chairman and CEO of Broadway Federal Bank, a certified Community Development Financial Institution that has operated in the underserved ethnic markets of South Los Angeles since 1947.  His practice includes conducting workshops for nonprofit executives and other professionals on “Understanding Nonprofit Financial Statements” and “Strategic Restructuring”.  He received his BA from the University of California at Berkeley and his JD from Boalt Hall School of Law.  Paul's father, Elbert T. Hudson was a Documented Original Tuskegee Airmen (DOTA).

Board of Directors, Staff & Advisory Board

Jerry Burton, Tuskegee Airmen Inc (TAI) National  President, Director

STAFF

Robert A. Rose, DDS, is author of “The Lonely Eagles, The Story of America's Black Air Force in World War II.” Rose was  involved in various phases of aviation since being a lieutenant, United States Naval Reserve, stationed in San Diego, CA. Aside from his dental practice, he devoted himself to World I and II aviation history. As a former book reviewer and associate director of the Journal of American Aviation Historical Society, plastic modeler, and model kit reviewer for Sentry Books, his interest was further stimulated to do the Tuskegee story upon discovering so little had been written on the subject, and considerable controversary and misunderstanding surrounded the role of the black man in the Army Air Corp.

​​Theodore (Ted) G. Lumpkin, Jr., a documented original Tuskegee Airmen, was drafted into the military on July 1, 1942.  After receiving basic training and radar training at Tuskegee Army Air Field in Tuskegee, Alabama, he was selected for officer training at Miami Beach Air Force Candidate School, Florida in October 1942. He graduated on January 20, 1943 as a 2nd Lieutenant with the US Army Air Force (USAF) and was assigned to the 100th fighter Squadron in Tuskegee, Alabama.  He served as an Air Intelligence Officer during his overseas combat tour to Italy in the Western Europe Theater from 1944 – 1945.  He returned stateside in November of 1945 until his honorable separation from active duty service in January of 1946 as a Captain. He earned his undergraduate degree at USC in 1947 and earned a Master’s degree from USC in 1953 and continued his military service with the inactive Air Force Reserves, earning the rank of Lt. Col. He has

been a TASF board member since 2007 and more recently an Advisory Board member since 2017.  

​​​​Tucker is the CEO and founder of Black Ivy Financial Group (BIFG), a financial intelligence platform focused on increasing the economic vitality for women and underserved youth through financial literacy. She also serves as executive coach for senior leaders across the globe. Prior to founding BIFG in 2016, Tucker served as registered financial advisor for Merrill Lynch advising high net-worth clients. Prior to Merrill Lynch, she held regional sales and strategy positions at Agilent Technologies. Tucker also previously served as a global sales executive with Hewlett-Packard, leading client teams specializing in semiconductors, hardware and financial services. Tucker is an active member of The Links, Inc., Jack and Jill of America, Inc. and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering, from Ohio University and a master’s in management from Harvard University.

​​Edward Grice has over two decades of experience in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Following an extensive career with the Federal Reserve Bank, Edward launched his nonprofit career serving as director with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) where he received the national Points of Lights award for community service. Edward served as a state-wide consultant with the California Department of Drugs and Alcohol (ADP) and received a commendation for creating the state’s first faith-based training contract. Edward went on to serve as senior consultant for the Center for Nonprofit Management and Associate Dean at American Jewish University overseeing the MBA Program in Nonprofit Management. Edward holds a bachelor’s degree in Religion and an MBA in Nonprofit Management.

Paul Hudson, Director

Roy B. Swygert, Jr. is currently the Focal Point, Contract Performance Assessment Reporting System, for the Special Operations/Personal Recovery and Rotary Division, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins AFB, GA.  Roy received his Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill and his Air Force commission through AFROTC.  He completed Undergraduate Navigator Training and reported to the 5th Bombardment Wing (BMW), 906th Air Refueling Squadron (ARS), Minot AFB, ND.   While a member of the 5 BMW, Roy served as a navigator, instructor navigator and evaluator navigator.  Mr. Swygert’s next assignment was to the 912th Air Refueling Squadron, 19th Bombardment Wing (BW), Robins AFB, GA.  Mr. Swygert’s duties during this assignment included navigator, instructor navigator, Senior Evaluator Navigator and Command Post Controller.  He also completed SOS, ACSC and the Master of Public Administration from Georgia College during this assignment.   In June of 2006, Mr. Swygert was selected to join the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center’s Staff in the Strategic Planning Branch of the Plans and Programs Directorate (XP).  Roy has also served in the community, volunteering as a member of the Civic and Community Fund Distribution Panel for the United Way of Central Georgia. 

Edward Tillmon is a Documented Original Tuskegee Airman. He was drafted in 1943 during his third year in college and sent to basic training. Upon hearing about the Tuskegee pilots, Tillmon took and passed tests for navigation, bombardier and pilot training. He was accepted to the aviation program but due to the era, he was convinced that he would not have a career as a pilot in the private sector after the war ended. Black pilots were in fact not hired to fly commercial flights until 1965. He was trained as a bombardier and became a member of the 477th Bombardment unit, obtaining the rank of second lieutenant before ending his military service. Tillmon became a commercial banker after the war.