Vanderbilt law professor Beverly Moran and nine graduates of Vanderbilt Law School have been honored by the Nashville Capitol City Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., which each year recognizes local African American women for outstanding leadership.
Professor Moran, a leading tax scholar who has served on Vanderbilt’s law faculty since 2001, was the first African-American woman granted tenure at Vanderbilt Law School. She also is professor of sociology at Vanderbilt.
The nine Vanderbilt Law School graduates honored with the 2008 recognition include:
- Sheila Jones Calloway, ’94, an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt Law School who has served as a Juvenile Court Referee since 2004 as as a public defender for Metropolitan Nashville before that
- Cynthia Webb Fitzgerald , vice president of legal services for the Tennessee Lottery Corporation;
- Ruth E. Johnson, ’75, Associate Vice President for Advancement, Meharry Medical College;
- Susan Short Jones, ’78, senior corporate counsel, Hospital Corporation of America;
- Tammy L. Kennedy, ’88, regional counsel of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs;
- Stephanie Reevers, ’83, Claims Commissioner, Middle Division, Tennessee Claims Division
- Sharon Kendal Roberson, ’83, chief counsel, Department of Commerce and Insurance for American General Life and Accident Insurance Co.
- Ivanetta Davis Samuels, ’93, Director of Corporate Compliance, Meharry Medical College
- D. Billye Sanders, ’77, partner, Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. Sanders is the featured speaker at the 2008 Black Law Students Association banquet on April 14.
“I am proud, but not at all surprised, to learn that these distinguished professionals have been recognized with this honor,” said Edward L. Rubin, dean of Vanderbilt Law School. “These women are indeed distinguished by their career and professional accomplishments as well as the contributions they have made to the local and the academic communities.”
The Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc., is a national professional and humanitarian organization that recognizes African American women whose professional accomplishments support the organization’s focus of promoting scholarship and other opportunities for today’s youth, assisting the aged, improving the status of women and promoting community beautification. In addition to the national organization, there are local chapters throughout the United States.