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National Soror of the Year (2015)

Mahala S. Evans National Soror of the Year (2015)

NC86 0662

SOROR ELMA V. BRATHWAITE-CURTIS became a member of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. on April 1, 2001 when she was inducted into the Epsilon Zeta Chapter on St. Thomas, U. S. Virgin Islands. She has always been community-minded and giving back was always a priority for her so it was very easy to determine that the Sorority’s and Elma’s personal principles were perfectly aligned. She immersed herself into Iota’s community awareness tasks, making immediate and significant contributions towards their accomplishments.

Soror Brathwaite-Curtis is the current Eastern Regional Recording Secretary and the Immediate Past President of the Epsilon Zeta Chapter. Soror Brathwaite-Curtis has served on all committees in the local chapter. She has had the opportunity to chair committees such as: Future Iota Leaders,Career Exploration and Tutorial, Toys U Can’t Return, Iota Mother Assistance Program, Soror of the Year/ Mahala S. Evans Award, Woman of the Year/ Lola M. Parker Award, Iota for Education Day, Newsletter, Website, Scrapbook, Civic, The Academic Cotillion, Spirit of Community Gala, Cocktails for Cancer, and the 2015 National Convention.

Elma earned Masters and Bachelors Degrees from Norfolk State University and the University of the Virgin Islands respectively. She joined the Virgin Islands Department of Justice in the Family/Special Victims Unit as a Social Worker in 1998, and currently serves as the Coordinator of Victim Services. Through her position at the Department of Justice, Elma serves on a number of Boards and Committees; to wit: Witness Protection Program Board, Criminal Victims Compensation Commission, Governor’s Children and Family Council – Youth Development Group, Virgin Islands Counsel of the Interstate Compact for Juveniles. Elma has received numerous awards/recognitions for her work at the Department of Justice.

Soror Elma is extremely involved in the Virgin Islands community. She is always helping and being a resource is truly her passion. She often responds with or without prompting to outreach programs in the community. She is a long-standing and involved member of her Alumni, the Charlotte Amalie High School. She has served as the 9th grade PTSA President and is currently the 10th grade PTSA President and the General PTSA Public Relations Officer. She is a member of the Band Booster Association, and has served as a judge for various events at the High School. She is also very active and leads activities for her alumni class, CAHS Class of 1989. Over the years, she has been called on to make several presentations about her profession and she volunteers periodically at several schools: a Pre-school, Headstart, Elementary and Junior High Schools in a variety of capacities. Her extensive volunteer work with a number of other community organizations is well documented within the community in which she resides, earning her a multitude of awards and commendations for her service to the place she calls home.

She has a passion for gardening, event planning, and arts and crafts, and enjoys watching televised sports, reading, and spending time with her family, when she is not engaged in some form of community work for Iota or the many community programs. Her inability to deny any request for help is thoroughly supported by her husband and Man of Iota, William Curtis, Jr., her awesome son, Eljhaie, and stepson, William III. Elma’s life is guided by the words of the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, “Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.” She continues to live by this belief, trusting in God, and hoping that she will be able to help those that she comes into contact with that needs her assistance.

This dedicated Mom, wife, career driven, community volunteer is a “Sorority Girl” through and through. Her career choice and sorority life have granted her the opportunity to do what she loves – serving the community and helping others.