Black History Month Community Leader Honoree!

Over the past 20 years, LaWana has been actively involved in community service and social justice endeavors. She is one of the inaugural Chrispeels Fellowship recipients and earned a doctorate in Educational Leadership from California State University, San Marcos and University of California, San Diego.  Her research interests include leadership development and employee engagement as well as access to and persistence in education.

LaWana is a member of the Advisory Board for the C. Montgomery Technology Fund, which supports community access to technology at the Malcolm X Library in southeast San Diego. She has served on the Executive Board of the African American Alumni Chapter of the San Diego State University Alumni Association, Executive Board of the UJIMA Network, Advisory Board of N.U.M.E.R.A.L.S. (formerly known as the Hadassah Project), Area 17 Governor for Western Division, District 5 of Toastmasters International, Chair of UC San Diego Black Staff Association, Chair-Elect and Chair of the UC San Diego Staff Association, as well as Junior and Senior Delegate for the Council of University of California Staff Associations.