Board of Directors

The EGC Board consists of members of the local community who dedicate their time and energies to improving the lives of young women. If you are interested in board membership, please contact us.

Vickie Madison

Vickie Madison is the founder and Executive Director of Excellence Girls’ Club, Inc. (EGC). Excellence Girls’ Club the prototype at Woodside High School was founded November, 2000.

Vickie attended Norfolk State University where she received a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Psychology as well as taught Psychology of Adolescence as an Adjunct Professor.  Also, Vickie has completed the requirements for the Academy of Excellence, Nonprofit Management Certificate  at  Tidewater Community College and is certified as a Virginia Supreme Court General Mediator. She has worked in the mental health field for over 20 years with children in the areas of positive youth development, substance abuse, juvenile delinquency, gay and lesbian issues and mental health. She has extensive experience in conflict resolution, individual, family and group therapy.

Vickie has received several awards for her work with Excellence Girls’ Club, Incorporated.

  • 2013 Divine 9 Award, South Hampton Roads Pan-Hellenic Council (SHARPC)
  • 2011 Community Service Award,  Eastern Virginia Medical School
  • 2009 Making a Difference for Women Award, Seroptomist International of Hampton Roads
  • 2008 Making a Difference Award (MAC), LEAD Hampton Roads
  • 2006 The Salty Sister Award, Virginia Male Adolescent Network’s Moms Raising Sons Program

Vickie  is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, a sustainer with the Junior League of Norfolk-Virginia Beach, Inc. and a 2008 graduate of LEAD Hampton Roads.

Paul Bennett

Paul Bennett is president of the board of Excellence Girls’ Club Inc®. Over the past decade he has worked for local defense contractors supporting the Navy’s aircraft carrier maintenance programs by facilitating process improvement initiatives.

Prior to his current position, he served 22 years in the U. S. Navy managing command level efforts in training, substance abuse, computer maintenance, and food service. He has served as a committee chairperson and assistant project director for Southeastern Virginia Arts Association’s Afr’Am Festival.

Paul is a graduate of Southern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in Workforce Education and Development, and Troy University with a Master’s degree in Adult Education.

A. Harmonie Mason

Angelaine Harmonie Mason is a migrate native of Hampton Virginia. After graduating Phoebus High School, she attended Spelman College in Atlanta Georgia where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science.  She then attended William and Mary School of Law and was later admitted to the Virginia Bar in 2010. Harmonie is currently a Magistrate of the 8th Judicial District in the City of Hampton. She hopes to inspire many other young women to continue to persevere and find strength to meet their goals no matter the obstacles that may arise. Upon returning to the practice of law, Harmonie intends to specialize in family and real estate law. Her long-term goal is to open a non-profit for young people convicted of non-violent offenses who have recently been released from prison and seek help finding employment or successfully transitioning into society.

Jeff Shelton

Dr. Jeffrey Shelton completed a 40 year career in human services and mental health/substance abuse treatment, retiring June 2009.  He was a line service provider, a supervisor on three occasions and finished his career as Mental Health/Substance Abuse Administrator at the Chesapeake Community Services Board.  Throughout his career, Dr. Shelton was a strong advocate for change.  In the ’90s he received an award from the Chesapeake Council on Youth Services for bringing the Nurturing Program to Cheapeake.   From 2000, Dr. Shelton co-advocated with Commonweath’s Attorney (now Circuit Court judge) Randall Smith to bring a drug court to the city.  The first cases were admitted in August 2005.  Shelton was administrator of the program from 2005-09 in addition to his regular duties.

From 1991-2009, Shelton supervised the Prevention program at CCSB.  He assisted staff in establishing programs for girls in numerous schools, one for pregnant and parenting students, another called Girl Power which somewhat resembles EGC.  He was also an advocate for women’s treatment and helped found the first women’s Intensive Outpatient Program in the region in the early ’90s. Shelton is licensed as a professional counselor and a marriage & family therapist, and certified as a family mediator.

Phyllis D. Rose-Griffin

Phyllis D. Rose-Griffin was born in Bridgetown, VA.  Phyllis was raised in the state of Virginia, as an A.M.E. preachers kid.   Phyllis graduated in 1976 from Manor High School in Portsmouth, Va.  After high school, she followed her dreams and attended college and graduated cum laude in 1998 from Columbia Union College, in Tokoma Park, Maryland with a B.S. in Organizational Management.  She also holds A.A.S. Degrees in Fashion and Merchandizing and Information Systems Technology.

Along with continuing her education, she found time after the birth of her only child  to volunteer in the community and with her church.  Her volunteer experience includes the  PTA , mentoring at risk girls, and since 1992 holding various ministry  as well as board officer postions while a member of Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Arlington, Va.

Phyllis has been employed with the federal government for 19 years as a Contracting Officer for Information Technology Services.

Nicole K. Sulmers

Nicole Sulmers is a Recreation Specialist with 13 years of experience in the recreation/event planning field and over 20 years of volunteer service.  In 2006 she began researching grants for various youth projects and has been successful securing funds for many programs.   Nicole has been a Liaison for Excellence Girls Club, Inc. for 4 years at the River Crest site in Chesapeake Virginia.

Nicole Sulmers has her certificate in Amercian Sign Language and is currently studying for certification in grant writing.

Danette Likens

Danette Likens is a contractor for the government working as an Instructional Design Specialist.

Prior to her current position, she worked as an employment and educational counselor for Fleet and Family Support Services, and served  20 years in the U. S. Navy in health care and pharmaceutical fields.

During her service to the Navy, she led Navy-wide and command level efforts in training, curriculum development, competency based training models, quality assurance and leadership development. For 11 years of her career, she provided oversight to committees ranging from local process improvement efforts to healthcare regionalization, establishing benchmark results for each entity on Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) accreditations. She also established the Navy’s first ever competency model for training and was a key player in implementing the Navy’s “Revolution in Training” to identify and deliver the right training at the right time for our armed forces.

Danette is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University with a Masters of Science degree in Family Sciences.