The speaker for the event is Mr. Jeramaine O. Netherly, the 24th Southwest Region Vice President for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Jeramaine Netherly is a proud University of Houston graduate and a dedicated community advocate with over 26 years of experience in global tax advisory. He serves as Director at KPMG LLP, specializing in global mobility tax strategies for multinational corporations.
Beyond his corporate leadership, Jeramaine has made a lasting impact through decades of community service. As the 24th Southwestern Regional Vice President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., he lead initiatives across four states focused on education, mentorship, and civic responsibility. He has served on the boards of the University of Houston (UH) Black Alumni Network, Northeast Houston YMCA, Julia C. Hester House, the Alpha Merit Group Educational Foundation, and volunteers with Communities In School (Alief Independent School District), Fort Bend Independent School District (Career and Technical Teachers), and local affiliates of Prince Hall Freemasonry. He is also a member of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church.
A past Distinguished Alumnus of the UH African American Studies Program, Jeramaine mentors students at the University of Houston, Texas Southern University, Prairie View A&M University, and Texas A&M University. His recognition includes the Texas Council of Alpha Chapters (TCAC) Outstanding Area Director, Southwestern Region Outstanding Area Director, the TCAC Esprit de Fraternité Award, induction into the TCAC Hall of Fame, Knights of Peter Claver Change Maker Award, and UH Black Alumni Community Impact Award. Jeramaine exemplifies leadership through service and continues to uplift communities with a passion rooted in education, equity, and opportunity.
Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American Men, was founded at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York on December 4, 1906, by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country. Those visionary founders, affectionately called the “Jewels” of the fraternity, are Henry Arthur Callis, Charles Henry Chapman, Eugene Kinckle Jones, George Biddle Kelley, Nathaniel Allison Murray, Robert Harold Ogle, and Vertner Woodson Tandy. The fraternity initially served as a social study and support group for Black students who faced racial prejudice, both educationally and socially, at Cornell. The fraternity’s early leaders succeeded in laying a firm foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha's principles of scholarship, fellowship, character, and the uplifting of humanity. Alpha Phi Alpha chapters were established at other colleges and universities and the first Alumni Chapter, Alpha Lambda in Louisville, Kentucky was formed on April 11, 1911.
Since its founding, the fraternity has provided leadership and service during the Great Depression, World War II, Civil Rights Movements, and addressed social issues such as apartheid and urban housing, and other economic, cultural, and political issues affecting people of color. The fraternity’s mentoring, academic achievement and voter education programs and its relationships with the March of Dimes, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boy Scouts are priority-one for the fraternity. Incidentally, Epsilon Tau Lambda Chapter is one of four chapters that directly sponsors a Troop 1906. Alpha’s major programs include the Million Dollar Contribution to the National Urban League, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the United Negro Scholarship Fund and its lead role in the management and construction of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the Washington Mall. Dr. King was one of the most revered brothers of the fraternity. Adrian Wallace, the 30th General President created and organized the Martin Luther King Memorial Project team. It was later named the MLK Foundation with Attorney Harry E. Johnson, Sr., the fraternity’s 31st General President as its President.
The fraternity’s membership is lodged in more than 414 colleges and 369 alumni chapters throughout the United States, Africa, Europe, Korea, Bahamas and the Caribbean. Some of its prominent members are Justice Thurgood Marshall, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, jr., Senators Edward M. Brookes, Roland Burris, Raphael Warnock, Congressmen Emmanuel Cleaver, Al Green and Charles Rangel; former PVAMU presidents E. B. Evans, Alvin I. Thomas and Charles Hines; former Mayors Lee P. Brown, David Dinkins, Andrew Young, Ernest Morial, Sylvester Turner, Raymond E. Carreathers, Jiles P. Daniels, Frank Jackson, Sr., Michael Wolfe and Brian Rowland, Texas Representatives Al Edwards, Ronald Reynolds and Texas Senator Boris Miles, Waller County Commissioner Precinct 3 Kendric Jones, Fort Bend Commissioner Grady Prestage; musicians Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie; Activists Paul Robeson, W. E. B. DuBois; Olympian Jesse Owens, and legendary coaches Eddie Robinson and Lenny Wilkins, to name a few.
The fraternity’s leadership include Mr. Lucien Metellus, 36th General President of the fraternity, headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland; Dr. Rodney Welch is the 25th Vice President for the Southwest Region and Mr. Adrian Escolante is the Director of the Texas District.
Area IX Cluster for the District of Texas includes the Epsilon Tau Lambda (1952), Eta Gamma (1970 Prairie View A&M), Pi Omicron (1985 Texas A&M), and Pi Alpha Lambda (1990 College Station) help to carry the mission of the fraternity with its varied programs and activities throughout the years.
The founders day committee include Herbert R. Thomas, Chair, Frederick V. Roberts, Vice-Chair, Rodney Williams, Lynn Smith, Jarrid Harris, David Spivey, Kehnon Glenn, Kyle Maronie, Jamarcus Foster.
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