Phyllis Qualls, EdD Honored for Her Expertise Across Education and Communications

    NASHVILLE, TN, January 16, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Phyllis Qualls has been included in Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Hailing from a family of educators, Dr. Phyllis Qualls has always felt connected to the educational sector. Today, she is highly regarded as an expert in education, women's and minority issues, media, and state and federal government.

To prepare for her impressive career, Dr. Qualls earned her undergraduate degree in theatre at the University of Southern Mississippi and a master's degree in English from Tennessee State University. For her first professional move, she worked for WJTV-12 and WLBT-3 in Jackson, Mississippi in various roles, including as a reporter, anchor, voice-over talent, director of programs and program host. From there, she served as the director of public relations for Tougaloo College before holding the same position with Tennessee State University from 1991 to 2004. Dr. Qualls then joined the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, where she was active as the assistant commissioner from 2004 to 2011. During this time, she furthered her studies and earned a Doctor of Education in higher education administration from the Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University in 2006.

Subsequently, Dr. Qualls served as a congressional affairs specialist for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in 2011. For the next five years, until 2016, she excelled as the executive director of the Tennessee Economic Council on Women, which works to help women to improve their economic status and achieve professional and personal goals. Utilizing her vast skills, she subsequently served as deputy clerk for Metro Nashville Davidson County from 2016 until her appointment as vice president for Institutional Advancement, Communications and Marketing at American Baptist College in 2019. Today, her duties include promoting the college, raising funds, working closely with alumni and conducting community outreach, among other responsibilities.

Outside of her primary endeavors, Dr. Qualls is active in her local community as the president of the Nashville chapter of Les Gemmes, Inc. and Societas Docta, Inc., as well as co-director of the Consortium of Doctors Limited. She previously served on the board of ATHENA International and remains affiliated with the Tennessee Women's Political Caucus and the Women's Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. Notably, she served on Nashville's city-wide committee to recognize Rep. John Lewis on the first anniversary of his passing, which she recalls as a particularly memorable and impactful moment in her life.

Recognized for her work throughout her career, Dr. Qualls was recently featured in the Tennessee Tribune in special recognition of Black History Month in 2021. She also received a Johnella H. Martin Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Community from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 2016, the ATHENA Award in 2016 and a Vision Award from the Tennessee Association of Family and Consumer Science in 2016. Moreover, she was honored as a Tennessee State University Woman of Legend and Merit in 2015, named to the Academy for Women of Achievement by the Young Women's Christian Association in 2012 and granted a Woman of Influence Award from the National Business Journal in 2011.

Upon reflection, Dr. Qualls attributes her success to a "big family of love," including those both biological and selected. Among her multiple accolades, she recalls some of the most memorable moments of her career have included coordinating media for the African Methodist Episcopal Church General Conferences of 2012 and 2016 and meeting Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter and Former President Bill Clinton at the White House. Above all, Dr. Qualls considers the birth of her daughter as the pinnacle of her life.

The greatest takeaway from Dr. Qualls' years of work is that patience is a virtue, and she is dedicated to developing and practicing intentionality each day. With this mindset, she intends to complete major fundraising and student enrollment projects for American Baptist College in the coming years. Additionally, she plans to finish writing two books and looks forward to sharing her many stories with a greater audience.

About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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