Visionary, Educator, Organizer, Mentor
Dr. George L. Mims stands as a distinguished figure in education, mentorship, and community leadership — a man whose life’s work has expanded opportunity, strengthened institutions, and transformed the futures of thousands of young people.
A retired educator from Pace University, Dr. Mims devoted his professional career to advancing academic excellence and educational equity. His academic journey began at the esteemed Historically Black College and University, Florida A&M University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree.
He continued his studies at Columbia University, receiving both a master’s degree and a professional diploma, and later completed his Doctorate of Education at Rutgers University.
Dr. Mims’s early professional career included appointments at Fisk University, Volusia County Community College, and Hunter College. In 1968, he joined Pace University in New York City as Director of Special Programs. There, he became a respected leader and administrator, directing the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP), which provided academic support, counseling, and financial assistance to students from underserved backgrounds.
Under his leadership, HEOP became a model of access and empowerment, ensuring that countless students not only entered college but excelled. Initiated in 1953 at the Beta Nu Chapter at Florida A&M University,
Dr. Mims has remained a devoted and influential member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Throughout his decades in New York, he served the fraternity with distinction, holding numerous leadership roles that strengthened both the organization and the communities it served.
His positions included New York State Director, President of the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter, Area Director, and Director of the Eta Theta Lambda College Tour. He also designed the chapter’s first mentoring program, establishing a foundation of guidance and support that continues to uplift youth today.
His leadership has been consistently marked by clarity, compassion, and a steadfast belief in the transformative power of education.
In 1981, Dr. Mims founded what would become one of the region’s most influential educational initiatives: the nationally recognized Eta Theta Lambda Historically Black College and University College Tour.
Now celebrating its 45th anniversary, the College Tour has introduced more than 4,000 students to the academic, cultural, and historical richness of over 35 HBCUs. Dr. Mims personally participated in 39 of the tour’s 44 journeys, including the 2024 tour — at the remarkable age of 90.
His presence, wisdom, and encouragement have shaped the aspirations of generations of young people who saw in him as a living example of purpose, dignity, and possibility.
Following his retirement and relocation to Sarasota, Florida, Dr. Mims continued his lifelong mission of service with characteristic energy and vision.
He launched multiple high school mentoring initiatives — including Stepping in the Right Direction and High School Lifestyle — programs designed to equip young people with the tools, confidence, and exposure needed to pursue higher education.
He also established a two district mentoring partnership across Sarasota and Manatee counties, reaching 15 high and middle schools.
Through these efforts, more than 20,000 students have been introduced to the opportunities available by attending a college and the rich traditions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Dr. Mims’s commitment to educational access extended further with the development of a scholarship program that ultimately led to the creation of the Alpha Phi Alpha Foundation of Manasota, Inc.
His leadership and service have been recognized through numerous awards, including Brother of the Year and the Community Service Award from the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter, as well as the Man of the Year Award from the Alpha Foundation of Manasota.
His community and humanitarian honors include induction into the African American Hall of Fame at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in New York City (1992). His professional affiliations include service on the Advisory Board of the National Black MBA Association, as well as membership in the American Association for Counseling and Development, the American Educational Research Association (Outstanding Achievement Award, 1994), Phi Delta Kappa, and Kappa Delta Pi.
Dr. Mims’s life has been anchored by deep personal devotion. He was married for 64 years to his beloved wife, Clara Ann Twigg Mims, who passed away in 2023. Together, they built a family grounded in love, faith, and service. He is the proud father of two daughters: Cheryl Mims Grier of Atlanta, Georgia, and Carla Althea Mims of Sarasota, Florida.
Across every chapter of his life, Dr. George L. Mims has embodied leadership, service, and an unwavering belief in the potential of young people. His legacy is measured not only in programs built or positions held, but in the thousands of lives he has touched — students who found direction, confidence, and opportunity because he chose to invest in them.
His life stands as a testament to what one dedicated individual can accomplish when guided by purpose, compassion, and a commitment to lifting others. His influence will continue to echo for generations, carried forward by the students he inspired, the programs he built, and the communities he strengthened.
Community Leader, Administrator, Advocate
Edwin E. Monteverde was a distinguished public servant, community advocate, and lifelong champion of civic engagement whose decades of service have left an enduring impact on the Village of Hempstead and the broader Long Island community.
A native of Puerto Rico, Mr. Monteverde was raised in Spanish Harlem and New York City’s Upper East Side before moving to Flushing, Queens, and ultimately making Hempstead Village his home, where he resided for nearly five decades.
Guided by a steadfast belief in improving the quality of life for all—especially through his dedicated support of Latino communities—Mr. Monteverde devoted his life to public service.
His professional career spans 42 years with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, complemented by an extensive record of civic leadership.
He served the Village of Hempstead with distinction for more than a decade on the Board of Zoning Appeals, including five years as Chairman. He also led the Hempstead Hispanic Civic Association as Chairman for ten years and served twelve years as Treasurer to New York State Assembly Deputy Speaker Earlene Hooper.
One of Mr. Monteverde’s most enduring legacies is his 43 years of service as a dedicated member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated—the nation’s oldest African American fraternity. Through the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter, he played a pivotal role in organizing the annual HBCU College Tour, helping expose thousands of high school students to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
These transformative experiences have opened pathways to higher education, scholarships, and lifelong opportunity for countless young people.
Mr. Monteverde’s unwavering commitment to education, equity, and community empowerment reflects the principles of leadership, service, and justice championed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
It is with profound gratitude and respect that we honor Edwin E. Monteverde for his extraordinary contributions and his lifelong dedication to uplifting others.
Dedicated Health Practioner, Healthcare Executive, Community Advocate
Patricia J. Francis is a distinguished healthcare executive and retired Corporate Vice President of Clinical Operations and Development for the Catholic Health Care System, where she made history as the first — and to date, only — African-American to hold a Corporate Vice President role within the organization.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, she built a reputation as a transformative leader whose work strengthened clinical quality, elevated standards of care, and expanded wellness-focused services across New York’s diverse communities.
In her executive capacity, Patricia provided strategic oversight for nine long-term care facilities across five counties, guiding the care of approximately 2,500 residents and supporting more than 3,700 staff members.
She is widely recognized for her expertise in aligning regulatory and professional standards with clinical operations, and for developing innovative care models that improved outcomes between acute and long-term care settings.
She also established a systemwide methodology for measuring and reporting clinical quality indicators, enabling consistent benchmarking and continuous improvement across facilities.
Patricia’s leadership extended beyond the United States. She traveled extensively on behalf of the health system, including multiple assignments in Rome, Italy.
Among her most meaningful experiences was accompanying 15 terminally ill patients to the Vatican Jubilee and participating in five private audiences with the late Pope John Paul II.
A graduate of the City College of New York with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Patricia also pursued graduate studies at the College of New Rochelle.
Her commitment to service is reflected in her longstanding involvement with civic, cultural, and faith-based organizations. She serves on several healthcare boards and committees and is a board member of Ascendant Neighborhood Development, a nonprofit dedicated to creating and preserving affordable housing in East and Central Harlem.
For more than three decades, Patricia has been a devoted volunteer with the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity’s Historically Black College Tour, beginning as the nurse chaperone on the inaugural tour in 1981. Her steady presence, compassionate care, and mentorship have touched thousands of students and families.
Some of her additional service includes contributions to public health initiatives, community development efforts, and national organizations such as: serving two past Manhattan Borough Presidents a delegate to the US Summit on Africa resulting in a leather bound book of recommendations in areas of investment engagements submitted to President William Jefferson Clinton member of the Medical Reserve Core for the NYDOHMH Co-Organizer and first two term President of a local chapter of The Society, Incorporated, currently serving one of their national committees as a member of the Greater New York Chapter of The Links, Incorporated she functioned in many capacities and chairmanships including VP.
In 2025, she chaired the Black Family Wellness Expo, serving more than 300 Central Harlem residents.
A dedicated member of Memorial Presbyterian Church for 28 years, Patricia is an ordained Elder, co-chair of the Divine Health Ministry, and a former Woman of the Year honoree.
She has also held leadership roles within the Long Island Presbytery, including chairing the Committee on Ministry. She currently serves two committees for the Presbytery: BREAD (Bringing Racial Equality and Diversity) and the Sexual Misconduct Response Team.
Patricia was married for 38 years to her late husband, Norris Francis, the third president of the Eta Theta Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.
She is an extremely proud mother of her two daughters, Tamika, and Kendria, and grandmother to three beloved grandchildren, Savion, Tiana, and Tristan.
Whether establishing a long-term care facility for Blacks and Hispanics in the South Bronx or assisting the distribution of medical and pharmaceutical supplies to devastated countries, Honduras and Haiti, Patricia continues to work to make times of suffering more bearable.
In Haiti she also facilitated the installation of kidney dialysis machines and donated a functioning water well with a plaque in her husbands’ name.
Throughout her career and community life, Patricia has been celebrated for her warmth, integrity, and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of others. Her legacy is defined by service, excellence, and a deep belief in the power of God. She is a humble servant and truly dedicated to her causes.
Financial Executive, Steward, and College Tour Supporter
Eddie’s life is a testament to perseverance, purpose, and the transformative power of service. His journey began under difficult circumstances.
From the age of two until twelve, he lived in five foster homes across New York City, separated from his three sisters and two brothers. As a teenager, he found stability at the Happy Valley School in Spring Valley, New York, a residential institution for children from troubled homes.
After graduating high school in 1959, Eddie returned to upper Manhattan to live with his mother and stepfather. He worked in the garment district for $40 a week while studying accounting at night at Bronx Community College — the first sign of the discipline and determination that would define his life.
In 1964, his educational path was interrupted by a call to serve his country during the Vietnam War. Drafted into the United States Air Force, Eddie specialized in logistics and rose quickly to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He spent one year in Vietnam and completed his final year of service at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia.
His exemplary performance earned him the Air Force Commendation Medal. Returning home in 1968, Eddie began building the life he had long envisioned. He purchased a new condo in the Bronx, resumed his night studies, and started his career as a junior clerk at Banker Trust.
During this time, he married his sweetheart, Sharon, and welcomed their first child, Monique.
His academic achievements soon followed. Eddie earned his AA degree in 1971 and, in 1974, graduated cum laude from Long Island University with a BS in accounting. That same year, he joined the Chase Manhattan Bank as a cost accountant.
His talent and work ethic propelled him upward, and by 1979 he was promoted to Second Vice President and Manager of the Functional Accounting Department.
Eddie’s most groundbreaking professional accomplishment came when he was entrusted with developing Chase’s first Product Profitability System. For nine months, he and his technical team worked tirelessly to build a system that captured and reported global financial data with unprecedented accuracy and speed.
Chase relied on this system for an extraordinary fifteen years — a lasting testament to Eddie’s vision and leadership. During this period, his family moved to Long Island, he earned a master’s degree in finance from LIU, completed fifteen marathons, and welcomed his second child, Eddie Jr.
After a distinguished career, he retired from JP Morgan Chase in 2000. Never one to remain idle, Eddie later joined Nassau County’s Office of Emergency Management, where he managed millions of dollars in Homeland Security grants.
He retired from county service in 2013. His beautifully cultivated backyard — a personal sanctuary — was featured in Newsday as one of Long Island’s finest Zen gardens. His retirement years have been filled with travel, gardening, fraternity involvement, recreation at Hempstead Lake, and cherished time with his two grandsons, Dillon and Justin, and his son in law, Cory.
In 2024, Eddie suffered the profound loss of his beloved wife, Sharon. In her honor, an annual scholarship was established to continue the legacy of love and opportunity they built together. He has since joined Memorial Presbyterian Church, where he has found renewed fellowship and spiritual grounding.
Eddie’s commitment to service extends deeply into his fraternal life. In 1983, he became a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The fraternity’s history, brotherhood, and aims — Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind — resonated with him and shaped his path.
Within a few years, he became treasurer of both the chapter and the Education Foundation, which he co founded. Remarkably, he held both offices for more than twenty consecutive years.
His stewardship ensured the Foundation’s financial strength and its ability to fulfill its mission. The annual college tour — the Foundation’s signature program — struggled in its early years, but Eddie and Brother Monteverde transformed its operations and secured its long term success.
Now in its 45th year, the tour has introduced thousands of young people to the possibilities of higher education and the legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Eddie has participated in every tour in some capacity and takes great pride in the students whose lives have been uplifted through this work.
From foster homes to fraternity brotherhood, from the battlefields of Vietnam to the boardrooms of Chase, from personal hardship to profound impact — Eddie’s life is a shining example of resilience, leadership, and service to others. His story continues to inspire all who know him.
