YWCA - Yevonne Brannon

Dr. Brannon received her Ph.D. in sociology from N.C. State University in 1977 and has been the director of the Center for Urban Affairs and Community Services at the University since 1991.  She has over 35 years of experience in applied social science research, especially in designing research protocols, conducting primary and secondary data collection, and in analyzing and interpreting research findings.  She has successfully completed hundreds of projects for state and local governments, averaging about 15 major projects each year with an annual budget nearing nine million dollars.  She is the author of over 450 project reports and numerous refereed journal articles.  Dr. Brannon is equally involved in the community serving as a volunteer on numerous civic and church committees.  She also served for four years as a Wake County Commissioner.

Yevonne courageously works for social justice in our community as chair of the WakeUP Wake County organization’s Great Schools in Wake coalition. She is considered the foremost spokesperson on the importance of diversity in relation to student assignment.  Great Schools in Wake has partnered on numerous initiatives with the YWCA to advocate for the constitutional rights of children across the county so that they, regardless of income, race, ethnicity, or residence, have the highest quality education possible. She has developed many of her closest friendships through her advocacy work.

Her husband, Bill, is a retired N.C. State professor. They have three children: Laura, Blythe and Nicholas, and three grandchildren: Nolan, William and Alexander. She was at Woodstock in 1969 and helped organized students to travel to Washington, D.C. to celebrate the First Earth Day in 1970.

SELECTED PUBLIC SERVICE AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Clean Water Management Trust Fund – Trustee, 2005-present

WakeUp Wake County – Board Chair and Executive Committee, 2006-present; Chair, Great Schools In Wake Coalition

Friends of Lake Johnson Board – Board of Directors, 2002-present

Sunday School Teacher, Western Blvd. Presbyterian Church, 1992-present

Founder of Shawl Ministry, Western Blvd. Presbyterian Church, 2008-present

Triangle Land Conservancy – Board 2000-2005

Triangle Land Conservancy – Member since 1995

Wake County PTA Council – Member 1984-2002

City of Raleigh, Water Conservation Task Force, 2004-2007

Wake County Public Schools – Calendar Committee 1994-2000

Wake County Public Schools – Student Assignment Advisory Committee 1995-1998

Western Boulevard Presbyterian Church – Member

Ligon PTA Board – Member 1987-90, 1993-1996

Wake County PTA Council – President 1989-1991

Violence & Our Youth Task Force and the Alternative Education Committee – Wake County Public Schools, 1992-1996

N.C. Child Advocacy Children's Summit 1992-93

A.B. Combs PTA Board 1981-1993 – Member

A.B. Combs Elementary School PTA – President 1984-1986, 1991-1993

Athens Dr. High School PTSA – Member 1990-2003

Athens PTSA – President 1991-1993, 1998-2000

Block Parent Program – Chair 1984-1992

PhoneFriend Program for Latchkey Children – Chair 1985-1995

Vacation Bible School Instructor 1988-2002

Actively Involved in Scouting 1983-1998

Member of Hopeline Board 1987-2000

N.C. Child Advocacy Institute, Strategic Planning Team 1987-1994

Teen Theater Board, Planned Parenthood of Greater Raleigh – Member 1988-1991

N.C. School Bus Safety Conference Organizer 1986-present

Member of Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition, Wake County Health Department 1989-1991

Member of Steering Committee for Wake County Parent to Parent Program for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Wake County Task Force 1990-1991

Member of Project Graduation Board 1988-2002

Wake County Senate Bill 2 Steering Committee 1989-1993

Wake Coalition for a Better Future for Our Children 1990-92

Economic Status of Women in N.C. Report Advisory Committee, N.C. Equity, Spring 1990-1994

Wake County Coalition to Build a Better Future for Our Children,  Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, 1990

Athens High School Senate Bill 2 Steering Committee 1990-1994

Combs Elementary Senate Bill 2 Committee 1991-1994

United Arts Council-Blue Ribbon Panel 1991-1995

ACTS--Academic Counseling and Training Program 1989-1998

Wake County Alternative Education Committee 1992-1998

School/Park Task Force, Wake County Parks & Recreation, 1992-96

Friends of Wake County, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, 1993-1996

Task Force for Safe Schools, NC Dept. of Public Instruction, 1993

Wake County Safe Schools Steering Committee 1994-95

Legislative Research Commission, Committee on Alternative Schools, NC General Assembly 1993-96

SELECTED HONORS

Defender of Justice Award given to Great Schools in Wake, 2010

Mary Frances Hester Service to Extension and Outreach Award, NCSU, September 2008

Founder:  PhoneFriend & Project Graduation, Wake County

NC School Bus Safety Conference Founder/Organizer

UNC-P Outstanding Alumni Award, 2000

Governor’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service

National PTA Outstanding Service Award, 2000

National PTA Life Membership Award, 2000

JC Penney Golden Rule Award, 1989.

Volunteer of the Year, Wake County PTA Council, 1986-87.

Volunteer of the Year, Wake County PTA Council, 1988-89.

Governor's Award for Outstanding Service, 1988.

Volunteer of the Year, Wake County PTA Council, 1993.

Volunteer of the Year -- N.C. Child Advocacy Institute, 1993.

Outstanding Extension Service Award, N. C. State University, 1986.

Oakleaf Award, North Carolina PTA, 1987-88.

Hopeline Outstanding Service Award, 1987.

Volunteer of the Year, Athens Drive High School, 1991-92, 1999-2000.

Wake Up for Children-Susan Kelly Fontes Outstanding Volunteer Award

NC PTA Outstanding Service Award

SELECTED UNIVERSITY ACTIVITIES

Member of Special Task Force on Race Relations: Problems and Solutions

Member of Chancellor's Advisory Council on Women's Affairs

Member of Institutional Self - Assessment Study Team

United Way Coordinator for Extension and Public Service

NCSU Day Care Study

Sexual Harassment Study

Member of University Computing Study Committee

PROFESSIONAL AND HONORARY SOCIETIES

Population Association of America

Southern Sociological Society

N.C. Sociological Association

N.C. Society for Applied Research and Evaluation

Rural Sociological Society

Sociologists for Women in Society

Alpha Kappa Delta, past President of the Beta Chapter of NC

Southern Association of Public Opinion Research