Institute of Women & Ethnic Studies

Per IWES organizational Bylaws, Board members are selected based on their passion to contribute to reducing health disparities among socioeconomically disadvantaged communities, in particular among women and their families. The current board of Directors is as follows:

Denese O. Shervington M.D., M.P.H (Co-Founder and President)

She is a Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, splitting her time between Columbia’s HIV Center in New York and her New Orleans based non-profit organization, The Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies, where she is developing a community-based post-Katrina mental health recovery division. Dr. Shervington served as Director of Psychiatry at Harlem Hospital after serving as the Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN. Prior to this appointment Dr. Shervington was the Regional Medical Director for the New Orleans region of the Louisiana Office of Mental Health, with academic appointments as Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Louisiana State University Health Science Center in New Orleans, Clinical Assistant Professor at Tulane University Medical Center Department of Psychiatry of Neurology and Adjunct Associate Professor at Tulane University School of Public Health. Dr. Shervington is a former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Population Affairs with the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Tara Bethea

She is a Senior Account Manager at Yesmail, NYC. Tara develops and executes strategies for a diverse portfolio of clients that cuts across seven industry verticals, including pharmaceutical, retail, and travel. Tara joined the Yesmail team in August 2005 and in three scant years has managed a client portfolio that has grown from 2 to over 15. Prior to joining Yesmail, Tara participated in various types of marketing efforts - from developing international branding and communication strategies for non-profit organizations to networking with industry trades to disseminate pharmaceutical updates. Tara got her start in email marketing as a Project Manager for the Rockport account at a small, private integrated marketing firm. Tara is currently a candidate for a Master’s of Science degree in Integrated Marketing from New York University in New York City.

Euna August (Treasurer)

She is a doctoral student at the University of South Florida’s (USF) College of Public Health in the Department of Community & Family Health. She earned her Master of Public Health degree in Health Education and Communication from the Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine and her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Louisiana State University. Euna’s areas of interest are sexual and reproductive health, women’s health, adolescent health, health disparities, and social marketing. Currently, she is working with the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center as a Research Associate and at USF as an Undergraduate Instructor. She also serves on the Editorial Board of the Context Journal, the nation’s first student-run, peer-reviewed journal, and on the Board of Directors of All Women’s Health: A Florida Partnership for Change, a statewide advocacy group. Prior to returning to her graduate studies at USF, Euna was the Executive Director of the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies (IWES). In this capacity, she represented IWES nationally and internationally to achieve the organization’s mission of improving the holistic health and wellness of women, youth, and communities of color. Due to her outstanding leadership and accomplishments, Euna was recognized in 2003 as one of the “Top 30 Under 30 Activists for Choice” by Choice USA, a Washington, DC-based organization committed to the reproductive health and rights of young women in the United States. In 2001, she was awarded for her contributions to the New Orleans community as one of the top “Forty under 40,” which recognizes local leaders under the age of 40.

Michele Moore J.D.

She is a senior counselor for the Walker Marchant Group (WMG), a leading strategic communications firm in Washington, D.C. and New York. Moore has 20 years of experience as a leading communications and marketing executive for Fortune 500 corporations, government and non-profit entities, including spearheading operations for the National Urban League, Nickelodeon Networks, Mayor Marc Morial, City of New Orleans, and Cox Communications. Her expertise includes strategic and crisis communications, public relations, messaging, brand marketing, executive media training, television production and event management. Moore has been named among the Top 25 Most Influential Black Women Professionals by the Network Journal Magazine and appeared on NBC’s Today Show as a civil rights advocate for women and diversity during the Don Imus controversy in 2007. Moore holds a law degree from Howard University School of Law and a B.A in Communications from UCLA. She resides in New York City.

Jacqueline Coleman

She is the Director of Operations for the Washington DC baseball team, the Nationals. Ms. Coleman is a Cable Television Network Executive with twenty five years of award winning production management, and operations experience in entertainment, sports, reality and specials programming including: member of the executive production team in launch of first 24 hour Regional Sports & Entertainment Network in Charlotte NC; Co-producer who launched award winning prime time BET shows & events to rating and sales success: Annual BET Awards show (series); BET Celebration of Gospel (series); Spring Bling (series; Planet Groove; Unreal; Madd Sports; Turnstyle; Black College Football & Basketball; Primetime Road Tour series. Ms. Coleman’s experience focuses on leading day-to-day operations of cable television networks and stations(s) at the college, local, national and international levels.

Rachael Ross, MD, PhD.

She is a family practice physician, sexologist, and hip hop DJ. Dr. Rachael has developed a dual career seeing patients at her family-owned Family Practice clinic in Indiana while serving as a hip hop music personality. She uses her musical connection with Generation X to deliver sexual health information tailored for young audiences. Dr. Rachael served on the Steering Committee for Healthy Reproduction under Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher. Dr. Rachael cultivated a love for different cultures and social lifestyles as a student of anthropology at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Her study of life and culture led to a merger of academic interests with her personal mission to understand HIV/AIDS and its spread through various communities. Upon graduation Dr. Rachael remained in Nashville to attend Meharry Medical College. As a medical student, Dr. Rachael became heavily involved with the reproductive health rights for women through her involvement with the Institute of Women and Ethnic Studies. Dr. Rachael’s diligent work with The Institute subsequently led to her appointment to join an elite group of twelve advisors to The United States Surgeon General’s steering committee for the nation’s Healthy Reproduction 2000 address. Dr. Rachael worked closely with then Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher, to develop innovative techniques to convince young people to practice safer sex.