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Sasha Trent Johnson wants to help her community. A public health professional, she serves as the Director of Education and Prevention Programs at Longwood University. But beyond that, she works as chairperson of the Piedmont Alliance for the Prevention of Substance Abuse, serves as a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and helps her sorority. It was because of all this that the Kappa Rho Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority named her as their Basileus Award winner for this year.

The award is given out each year to someone who performs outstanding contributions to both their community and church.

Johnson is a dedicated member of New Bethel Baptist Church and Union Grove Baptist Church.

During her 17 years of dedicated membership in the sorority, she has served as vice president and president of the local chapter. She is the recent outgoing president of the chapter after serving three terms in office.

She is a member of the Charlotte Chapter #147, Order of the Eastern Star, where she has served as Worthy Matron, aka chapter president, and is currently serving as Grand Chapter Officer Grand Lecturer in the West.

Because of her passion for the community, she is an active board member for Piedmont Habitat for Humanity and has assisted in the construction of Habitat for Humanity homes.

VICTORIA RESIDENT NAMED CITIZEN OF THE YEAR

But Johnson wasn’t the only person honored by the sorority. A former town council member and vice mayor in Victoria, Edward Pennington’s also served on the Board of Supervisors for Lunenburg County, in addition to helping with church and nonprofit projects throughout the area. It was because of all this that the Kappa Rho Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority named him as their Local Citizen of the Year.

A retired correctional officer with 32 years of dedicated service behind him, Pennington has been recognized for several awards through the years. That includes the Virginia Association of Counties Supervisors Service Award for dedicated service to Lunenburg County Government and a plaque from the Southside Youth Development Corporation.

He is actively involved at First Baptist Church in Victoria by serving as Chairman of the Deacon Board, Adult Sunday School Teacher, a Senior Choir member and representing the church at various religious conferences and activities.

Pennington has also served on numerous community boards and belongs to organizations such as the NAACP, the Democratic Party, served as a Youth Mentor, participates in voter registration and gives support to the elderly of the community through various activities.

OTHER AWARDS HANDED OUT

Sorority member Dana Ratliffe-Walker was the recipient of the Distinguished Soror Award.

Dana Ratliffe-Walker has been a guiding light to the sorority, church and community. A native of Danville, she has served in various sorority capacities, such as president, vice president, secretary, Graduate Advisor to the undergraduate chapter at Longwood University and chairperson of several committees. Being a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® since 1984, she is a leader by example.

She has been employed by the Virginia Department of Corrections for over 36 years where she is currently the Warden at Virginia Correctional Center for Women and State Work Center in Goochland. She has previously served in other positions such as the Warden at Dillwyn Correctional Center and Lunenburg Correctional Center; positions at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women, Coffeewood Correctional Center, James River Correctional Center, Buckingham Correctional Center and Virginia State Penitentiary.

As a faithful member of Jericho Baptist Church in Farmville, Ratliffe-Walker serves in the Youth Advisory and Prayer Line Ministries. She is an active member of the Farmville Chapter of the NAACP where she works with the Youth Programs.

She is also very involved in the Legislative process in several organizations, such as the sorority, the NAACP and the Virginia Governmental Employee Association. She has also served on many task groups, boards and special committees throughout her career in the Correctional Department.