Board of Directors

National President Matthew W. Clifford is the associate dean of students and director of campus life projects at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, N.C. In his role at Wake Forest, Matthew handles student conduct, crisis management, and community response. Additionally, Matthew leads assessment efforts for the Division of Campus Life at Wake Forest.

Previously, Matthew served as director of residence life at Wake Forest and director of residential life at Jacksonville University in Fla. He has also worked in residence life at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Matthew’s involvement in O∆K started at Davidson College, where he was inducted as a student member. He has previously served on the Society Board of Directors as member-at-large. Additionally, he has served as a faculty officer for circles at Jacksonville University and Wake Forest University.

In addition to his involvement in O∆K, Matthew is very involved with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), where he is a past co-chair of the Student Leadership Programs Knowledge Community. Additionally, he currently serves as the vice president for marketing and communication for the Southern Association of College Student Affairs. Having presented at numerous national and regional conferences, Matthew has served on the editorial boards of the Journal of College and University Student Housing and the College Student Affairs Journal.

Outside of O∆K, Matthew is very involved in his community. In 2015, he was selected to receive a Winston<40 Leadership Award, recognizing 20 leaders under 40 years old in the Winston-Salem community. He is president of Friends of Sherwood Forest, a nonprofit foundation that provides support for neighborhood schools.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from Davidson College, a Master of Education in higher education and student affairs from the University of South Carolina, and his Doctor of Education in higher education from the University of North Florida. He is married to Joanne Clifford, and they are the parents of four children. The Cliffords live in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Linda M. Hooks was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa as an undergraduate at Louisiana State University, where she was student government vice president and Panhellenic president. She has served as the faculty advisor to the Alpha Circle of O∆K at Washington and Lee University since 2010. She was the member-at-large representing academe for the 2016-18 Society Board of Directors and currently serves at National Vice President.

Linda is professor of economics at Washington and Lee University. She teaches money and banking, principles of macroeconomics, and a senior research seminar. She has also led a travel-based seminar on the European monetary union. Her research has been published in the Journal of Economic History, Journal of Financial Services Research, Review of Financial Economics, Contemporary Economic Policy, The Group of Thirty monograph series, and Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas publications. Linda is a past recipient of an American Association of University Women (AAUW) American Fellowship for sabbatical support.

She previously worked as an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. She received her Ph.D. and Master of Arts in economics from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

For O∆K, Linda has served as a member of the Centennial Celebration committee and as the liaison to W&L for the Centennial Convention held in Lexington, Va. She served on an ad hoc committee to discuss the terminology used for faculty officers and on the national nominating committee. As a faculty officer, she has attended faculty-officer training sessions, drive-in meetings, and three national conventions.

At Washington and Lee, Linda has served on numerous university-wide committees including the President’s Advisory Committee for tenure and promotion and on search committees for the university president, provost, and vice president for advancement. She is faculty advisor to Panhellenic and chaired a committee on student academic support. Linda is president of the Virginia Association of Economists. In the local community, she is a member of the Endowment Board of Directors for Manly Memorial Baptist Church, volunteers at the local elementary and middle schools, and is president of the Storm swim team booster club. Linda and her two sons reside in Lexington, Va.

Andrew Brown is a 2012 initiate of the Grand Valley State University Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa. During his time there, he was able to serve as circle president for two years after taking a fifth-year before graduating. Andrew previously served O∆K as a member of the first Student Advisory Board, the Membership and Circle Standards Committee, and the Society Board of Directors as a student member-at-large. He is currently the national student vice president and chair of the Student Advisory Board.

Andrew earned his Bachelor of Science from Grand Valley State University in 2014 with a double major in psychology and philosophy. As an undergraduate, he worked as a peer educator, leading outreach programs and conducting surveys to raise awareness of mental health issues on campus and promote the University Counseling Center. He also worked as a lead writing consultant in the Writing Center, collaborating with students to improve their skills as writers, while also mentoring other consultants and leading professional development workshops. He also completed a one-year internship as a leadership and service intern, where he worked with Office of Student Life staff to plan, provide, and improve leadership and community service programs. Additionally, Andrew presented more than 15 conference sessions, professional development workshops, and outreach programs at local, state, regional, and national conferences.

Currently, Andrew is a full-time graduate student in the counseling psychology doctoral program at Purdue University. As a recipient of the Frederick N. Andrews Fellowship, he works as a teaching and research assistant, teaching two different classes and collaborating on several research projects related to grief and loss. His personal research focuses on understanding the college student experience of romantic breakup and how guided writing interventions can be used to reduce the risk of negative outcomes like increased risk of depression or decreased academic performance.

Additionally, Andrew is a member of the Counseling and Development Graduate Student Organization, is the vice president of the Graduate Organization for Educational Studies, and is the Purdue representative on the Student Committee of the Indiana Psychological Association. In the spring of 2016, he worked with Foundation Board of Trustees member Terry Kungel to re-charter the Century Circle at Purdue. He serves the Century Circle in an advisory role, giving guidance to the students of the Executive Board as well as the faculty advisor and circle coordinator. Before graduating from his program, Andrew hopes to choose between a potential career in academia as a professor, working as a licensed counselor, or becoming involved in using psychological research to influence and lobby public policy.

Andrew and his wife Rachel Amity Brown reside in Lafayette, Ind.

Michael Christakis is an initiate of the Alfred University Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, where he served as the circle’s chartering president. He was elected Province I student director in 1999, O∆K’s first-ever national student vice president in 2000, and later national vice president for Circle Standards in 2002 until his election as national president in 2012. Mike currently serves as immediate past national president.

Mike is the vice president for student affairs and a professor of public service at the University at Albany where he serves as the university’s chief student affairs officer and provides leadership and vision in administering a comprehensive student affairs program which promotes the academic achievement and personal development of all students and fosters collaborative relationships among students, faculty, staff, and the community.

Since his arrival to the University at Albany in 1999, Mike has served as associate and assistant vice president for student affairs, assistant to the vice president for student affairs, assistant director of residential life, and as a residence hall director.

Mike serves on the NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education – Region II Advisory Board, co-leads the NASPA Region II Mid-Managers Institute, serves as national co-chair of NASPA’s Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Knowledge Community, and is president of the Board of Directors of the University Auxiliary Services at Albany, Inc.

He has previously served as a trustee of his undergraduate alma mater, Alfred University, vice chair of the Board of Directors of the State Academy for Public Administration, to which he was elected a fellow in 2010, president of the Alfred University Alumni Association, NASPA Region II conference chair, and chapter president of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA).

Mike received his Ph.D. in public administration and policy and his Master of Public Policy from the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs. He received his Bachelor of Arts in history and political science (with honors) from Alfred University. He resides in East Greenbush, N.Y. with his wife, Christa (Alfred University, 1999), and their three daughters, Katerina, Victoria, and Anastasia.

In January 2013, Darwin was appointed to the Omicron Delta Kappa Society Board of Directors as national treasurer and to the Omicron Delta Kappa Foundation Board of Trustees. In his role as national treasurer, Darwin is responsible for the oversight of Omicron Delta Kappa Society’s financial management strategy and the continual development of the organization’s strategic goals. In addition to strategic planning, his responsibilities include: administration of all fiscal matters within the organization, facilitating the annual budget process with the Finance Committee and national headquarters personnel and to ensure the compliance of audit, tax, and various regulatory policies and procedures.

Presently, Darwin is a faculty member in the accounting program at Long Island University and works as a New York State-licensed certified public accountant. Previously, Darwin was with the accounting firms of Ernest and Young and KPMG. He previously served as co-chair of the New York State Society of CPA’s (NYSSCPA) COAP Program Advisory Board. COAP is a five-day summer program for high school juniors and is designed to recruit young minorities into the CPA profession. COAP provides an invaluable preview of college life, and the program encourages high school students to think beyond college and learn about a career in the business world. Additionally, he has served as distinguished member of the Young Leadership Circle of the New York State Society of CPAs, member of KPMG’s African-American Network Advisory Board, and member of the American Institute of CPAs Student Recruitment Committee and Minority Scholarship Task Force.

A 2004 initiate of the University at Albany Circle, Darwin served as the 2005–06 circle president. Darwin earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from the University at Albany and a Master of Science with distinction in taxation and finance from Long Island University – Brooklyn.  Darwin and his wife Shalon have two children, and the family resides in Passaic, N.J.

Jeffery Edwards is a 1981 initiate of the Alpha Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa at Washington and Lee University. He was appointed O∆K’s national counsel in 2016.

Jeff is a partner with the law firm of Hunton Andrews Kurth based in Richmond, Va. His litigation experience includes a variety of subject matters in different forums around the country. In addition to handling proceedings addressing general complex business disputes, Jeff has significant experience handling utility-related disputes (including the gas pipeline, telecommunications, electric, and nuclear industries; and involving regulatory, operations, and condemnation issues), post-M&A disputes, product safety issues, environmental and toxic tort matters, corporate governance matters, and real estate issues. Jeff’s work includes both advice and counseling as well as handling disputes when they arise.

Jeff is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and in Virginia federal and state courts. He is a regular participant in the Washington and Lee Legal Ethics Institute at Washington and Lee University and an instructor in Washington and Lee University Law School’s Third Year Practicum.

In addition to earning his undergraduate degree from W&L in 1978, Jeff also earned his law degree from Washington and Lee in 1981. As an undergraduate, he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. During law school, he was inducted into the Order of the Coif and was the lead articles editor for the Washington and Lee University Law Review. He was also the recipient of the John W. Davis (highest GPA) and Ring-Tum Phi (University Service) awards.

Jeff and his wife Rhonda live in Manakin Sabot, Virginia, and are the parents of two adult children.

Throughout her education and career, Omicron Delta Kappa has remained an important part of Cie Cochran’s life. Over the past 18 years, her involvement has ranged from serving as a circle president, a term as the East Caucus student representative for the Society Board of Directors, a member of the Council of Regional Directors for Region 1 and vice chair of that group for one term. She has also served as a faculty secretary and a member-at-large on the Board of Directors. Cie currently serves as the chair of the National Advisory Council and member of the Society Board of Directors. She also re-chartered the University of Miami’s O∆K alumni circle in her service. Cie believes strongly in the mission of O∆K and has always valued her involvement with the organization. She is a 2004 recipient of Omicron Delta Kappa’s Eldridge W. Roark, Jr. Meritorious Service Award.

Cie currently owns SMT Grant and Non-profit Services and serves as an independent grant writer and non-profit liaison for organizations in the region.

Cie earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Miami where she also started her career in higher education. Early in her career, Cie worked in the Department of Student Activities and Leadership Programs. She continued her work with students and leadership development at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. where she worked in the Center for Student Involvement. Cie then began a career in alumni relations and served as the director of alumni engagement for the University of Miami Alumni Association where she was responsible for the management of alumni weekend, reunions, and affinity engagement initiatives. Following her career at Miami, Cie left higher education to work as the director of development for a women’s shelter.

In addition to attending as many Miami Hurricane football games as possible, Cie enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and volunteering in the community. Cie currently serves on the boards for several local organizations focused on youth in the arts and the human services sector. Cie is also a proud Cub Scout Den Leader and Girl Scout Troop Leader. Cie and her husband Myles Cochran (University of Miami, 2002), along with their three children, presently live in Bentonville, Ark.

At the University of Kentucky (UK), John Herbst has been the executive director of the Student Center since 1997. Previously, he was the director of student activities at UK. He has been recognized nationally as both the Outstanding Student Government Advisor (2000) and the Outstanding Student Activities Director (1985), and he has also served on the national Board of Directors of the National Association for Campus Activities. In addition to his responsibilities as director of the student center, he also serves as the University Commencement Committee Chairman and was on the university’s SACS Reaffirmation of Accreditation Team. He has also been a member of the University Student Affairs Crisis Response Team and is FEMA certified as a Campus-Community Emergency Response Team Trainer.

John has produced a number of entertainment shows for television and Lexington Gala Fundraisers, including serving as Executive Producer for “Ladies of Note,” recognized by the National Educational Television Association as first place major concert performance in a major market.

John was initiated into the University of Kentucky’s Nu Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa in 1985. He has served as the faculty secretary/circle coordinator of the circle since 1991. From 2006-10, he was a regional director for O∆K, and he was national convention chair in 2002. He has also been a member of the General Council and a faculty province director. John has also served as parliamentarian for the 2006, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2016, and 2018 conventions.

He is a recipient of both the Eldridge Roark Meritorious Service Award and the Cheryl M. Hogle Distinguished Service Award. He has chaired both the National Public Relations Committee and the National Awards Committee. John was a member of the National Advisory Council from 2010-16.

In his free time, John is a commercial hot air balloon pilot and enjoys travelling and spending time with his son, Marshall. He also has served as the chairman of Christian Education at his church in Lexington. John also currently serves on the board of directors of a private Christian school in Lexington, Kentucky, the community in which he resides.

Hameidah Alsafwani was initiated into the University of Nebraska – Omaha (UNO) Circle in November 2017. She has been active in circle activities since and attended the 2018 Biennial National Convention and Leadership Conference in Nashville, Tenn. She is currently serving as one of the two student-at-large members of the Society Board of Directors and as a member of the National Advisory Council.

Hameidah graduated in May 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in emergency management with concentrations in the private sector and criminal justice. She is presently enrolled in a Master of Public Administration program while working as a graduate assistant in UNO’s Office of University Communications. She is also working part-time as a hotline associate in the Office of Mayor for Omaha.

During the 2017-18 academic year, Hameidah served as the vice president of the UNO student body. She worked with university administrators and faculty members in promoting school spirit and improving the overall campus experience for all UNO students and staff. She served on several committees that were focused on developing a strategy for growth and a plan of excellence. As a student, Hameidah still participates in outreach events within the university community and participates in various volunteer opportunities.

Previously, Hameidah interned with the Douglas County Emergency Management Agency where she worked on several emergency prevention projects. She still volunteers to help with emergency exercises and plans for the agency. Also, she continues to serve as a volunteer for the community TEDx program including assisting with the speaker selection, event promotion, and program coordination.

Hameidah lives, works, and attends graduate school in Omaha, Neb.

Willie L. Banks Jr. is in initiate of the University of Georgia Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa and served as an advisor to the circle for a number of years. He is currently affiliated with the Indiana State University Circle and serves as a member-at-large for the Society Board of Directors.

Willie serves as the vice president for student affairs at Indiana State University, a position he has held since May 2015. He also holds an appointment as an assistant professor within the Bayh College of Education’s Department of Educational Leadership. As the chief student affairs officer, Willie reports directly to the university president. The Division of Student Affairs provides programs and services that support the co-curricular involvement of more than 13,500 students. As part of his responsibilities, he is charged with providing oversight for the Charles E. Brown African American Cultural Center, Office of the Dean of Students, Student Counseling Center, Student Activities and Organizations, Hulman Memorial Student Union, Campus Recreation, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Conduct and Integrity, Residential Life, Dining Services, and Multicultural Services and Programs.

Prior to joining Indiana State University, Willie worked for Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio, for three and a half years in a variety of positions including associate dean of students, interim assistant vice president for student affairs, and interim vice president for student affairs. He previously worked at the University of Georgia for more than 18 years in a variety of positions within the Division of Student Affairs including as director of the Tate Student Center and Campus Life and associate dean of students for intercultural affairs.

During his time at the University of Georgia, Willie held graduate faculty status with the College of Education and served as an instructor for a number of courses within the College Student Affairs Administration (CSAA) program including College Student Ecology, Issues in Student Affairs Administration, and College Student Affairs Interventions.

Professionally, Willie is involved with ACPA, ACUI, and NASPA. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for the United Way of the Wabash Valley and is a member of 100 Men Who Care of Terre Haute, Ind. Willie received his undergraduate degree from Mercer University in Macon, Ga. and his master’s and Ph.D. in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia.

Willie lives in Terre Haute, Ind.

Michael (Mike) James is a 1995 charter member of the Harding University Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa. He directed and organized this new circle at the urging of Dr. James F. Carr, whose strong O∆K roots were formed at Florida State University. He has served as circle coordinator since that date, except for five years while serving Harding in Greece. Mike has also served O∆K as national regional director and as a member of the National Advisory Council. He received the Eldridge W. Roark Meritorious Service Award in 2008. He was appointed to the Society Board of Directors in 2018.

Mike is currently serving Harding University as dean of the Honors College, directing the curriculum, faculty, and student activities. More than 1,100 honors students comprise this group from among the 6,000-member student body. He actively participates in the National Collegiate Honors Council (NCHC) and the six-state regional Great Plains Honors Council (GPHC), where he currently serves as president-elect. He also directs the Fellowship Advising Office, promoting the selection of national prestigious fellowships and scholarships, and is a member of the National Association of Fellowship Advisors (NAFA). In the summer, Mike directs the highly-successful “Honors Symposium” of four two-week sessions for rising high school seniors.

Academically, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics from Harding, a Master of Science in mass communication from Arkansas State University, and a Ph.D. in communication from Florida State University. He has served as faculty member, department chair, program director, and dean during his tenure. He currently holds the rank of distinguished professor of communication, granted to him after receiving the Distinguished Teaching Award on three occasions. Prior to his current role as dean, Mike served as the director of the Harding University, Greece (HUG) program. With his wife, Beth, he directed all aspects of this semester-abroad program with travels (three per year) to Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, Israel, and other countries in Europe from a home base in Porto Rafti, Greece. Mike is a former officer in the Army Corps of Engineers with service in Germany, England, and the U.S.

Mike is the organizer for newly formed TEDxHardingU, having received their first TED license in 2017. The successful inaugural event contained seven life-oriented presentations, and forms the basis for the 2018 event slated for November 13. In preparation and training for the event, Mike was invited to attend “TEDGlobal 2017” in Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.

Mike is a member of the Searcy Rotary club, serving as secretary and president-elect. He is a member of the President’s Development Council and Provost Council at Harding. He mentors the student-led “Honors Council” and serves a men’s club, Chi Sigma Alpha (XEA) as sponsor and mentor. Mike is a leader in his church, loves to travel, and is an avid photographer, having photographed more than 2,500 weddings and thousands of portraits from his private photography business. He is an FAA-licensed drone pilot and prepares many videos for publication Though not playing much currently, he loves golf. He and his wife, Beth, have four married children that supply them with eight lovely grandchildren to help nurture. The Hardings reside in Searcy, Ark.

Jonah Robison is a 2016 initiate of the Clemson University Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa. He served as his circle’s vice president during the 2017-18 academic year, and he currently serves as circle president. At the national level, Jonah serves O∆K as a student member-at-large on the Society Board of Directors and as a member of the National Advisory Council.

Jonah is presently completing his undergraduate degree in bioengineering and economics at Clemson University. After graduation, he plans to pursue a career in medical product management and commercialization, and he plans to eventually attend law school to work in patent law. He has led the Clemson Circle in increasing its reach of charitable giving for scholarships and grants, distributing more than $40,000 to students and organizations that make a difference in the Clemson community. Jonah is also an active member of student government, serving as an assistant attorney general on the student Judicial Board, as a member of Clemson LEAD Forward, and as the director of professional development for the Clemson chapter of Rotaract. Jonah has also presented research on low-cost prosthetic devices at several national conferences.

Off campus, Jonah has held a variety of internships focused on bringing products to market. Jonah worked as a biomedical design intern at the Medical College of Wisconsin and a regulatory affairs intern at Zimmer Biomet Inc. He also completed a co-op at Clemson’s technology transfer office. Additionally, Jonah has conducted marketing work at the Clemson Light Imaging Facility and most recently serves in product management and marketing for Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Outside of O∆K, Jonah serves as a representative for students for administrative hearings, including those for Title IX, on campus. He has also been an ambassador to the Department of Bioengineering for the last three years, meeting with prospective students and faculty to answer questions and provide a detailed picture of life at Clemson.

The Rev. Dr. William D. Razz Waff, Major General, U.S. Army (Retired), a member-at-large of the Society Board of Directors, was inducted into Omicron Delta Kappa as an undergraduate at the University of Mississippi. As an undergraduate, Razz was chapter president and district president of Kappa Kappa Psi, the national band fraternity. He was also inducted into Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Mu Alpha. Razz graduated with a Bachelor of Music and as a Distinguished Military Graduate and was commissioned as a Regular Army Second Lieutenant as an Adjutant General’s Corps officer.

Razz transferred to the Army Reserve when he left active duty to attend Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. and graduated with a Master of Divinity. He was ordained as a priest in the Diocese of Upper South Carolina and completed his residency in clinical pastoral education at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

As a priest, he has focused on health care chaplaincy and medical ethics, serving as the director of pastoral care and ethics at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Racine, Wisc. and as director of pastoral care, ethics, and interpreter services at Vista Health in Waukegan, Ill. He is board certified as a chaplain by the Association of Professional Chaplains, where he served as the chair of the Standards Committee, as the national chair of the Joint Commission on Pastoral Services, and president of the Wisconsin Chaplaincy Commission.

Simultaneous with his work as a priest in healthcare and medical ethics, Razz served as a battalion commander, group commander, and division commander in the Army Reserve, with is last assignments before retirement as the deputy chief human resources officer of the Army and chair of the Army Reserve Forces Policy Committee as a Major General.

Academically, Razz also received a Doctor of Ministry with a focus on health care ethics through a joint venture of Georgetown University and the Graduate Theological Foundation, and a Master of Military Strategy from the U.S. Army War College. He is currently an adjunct faculty member of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, Kan., and he is also serving his second term as a presidential appointee on the Board of Visitors for the Command and General Staff College.

Currently, Razz is serving as the executive director of the Military Chaplains Association, which is comprised of more than 2,000 active duty, reserve, and retired military and Veterans Affairs chaplains.

Razz and his wife Kathleen live in Weaverville, N.C. Their daughter Meeghan is an initiate of the Rhodes College Circle.