Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Gamma Alpha Zeta Zeta Chapter is located in Mount Pleasant, Mich. It is the first four-letter Zeta chapter in the state of Michigan. The charter members are: Sorors Loyce Brown, Katrina Crawford, Colleen Green, Traci Guinn Buckley, Ann Harmon and Mary Seals.
The chapter was chartered on Feb. 24, 2018. Then Michigan State Director Tonia Jenkins officiated at the ceremony, which was held at the West Bloomfield, Mich., home of Soror Nicole Pennington, Basileus of Zeta Nu Zeta Chapter of Inkster, Mich.
The following year, on Feb. 16, 2019, Gamma Alpha Zeta Zeta welcomed Sorors Elayashia Kendall and Kenlea Pebbles into the Sisterhood.
We are a community of women leaders within central Michigan who provide Service, Scholarship and Sisterhood while exemplifying Finer Womanhood. We strive to be the model sorority graduate chapter, leading by example within the Mount Pleasant community.
As the only National Pan-Hellenic Council graduate chapter in Mount Pleasant, GAZZ created Sisters Supporting Sisters as a way to inspire, bond and break bread with members of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority, Incorporated and other NPHC sororities.
Community Involvement
Gamma Alpha Zeta Zeta continues to be excited about Z-HOPE, the national Zetas Helping Others Excel initiative. We have adopted the Mary McGuire School in Mount Pleasant and partnered with the Community Compassion Network (a non-profit organization dedicated to fighting hunger by providing supplemental food to families in need in Isabella County), hosted a water drive for those impacted by the Flint water crisis, and volunteered with the VFW of Mount Pleasant.
The GAZZ Elder Care initiative is in partnership with Green Acres senior living facility. We enjoy the opportunity to engage with elders in our community. Our Stork’s Nest program is in collaboration with the Diaper Alliance of Midland.
The chapter has also provided Finer Womanhood programming as well as created a virtual walk for March for Babies and raised funds to help with research. Members of the chapter have also participated in the All of Us research endeavor to help support health care initiatives.
Additionally, due to our unique chapter location and the impactful work and passion of Soror Colleen Green, Gamma Alpha Zeta Zeta has the opportunity to serve and learn about the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe by volunteering and serving on the Pow Wow Committee at the annual “Celebrating Life” Pow Wow.
Centennial Activities
Sorors Colleen Green and Traci Guinn Buckley represented the chapter at Centennial Founders' Day Weekend in January 2020 in Washington, D.C.
Regional Recognition
Gamma Alpha Zeta Zeta received first place in the Chapter Report category at the Great Lakes Regional Conference in April 2019.
Current Officers
Our executive board in 2019-2020 as we moved into Centennial was as follows: Soror Colleen Green, Basileus; Soror Traci Guinn Buckley, First Anti-Basileus and Tamias; Soror Elayashia Kendall, Second Anti-Basileus and Corresponding Grammateus; Soror Ann Harmon, Third Anti-Basileus; Soror Kenlea Pebbles; Grammateus and Tamias Grammateus; and Soror Katrina Crawford, Epistoleus and Phylacter.
Zeta Leaders & Trailblazers
Gamma Alpha Zeta Zeta members stay well informed through conference attendance, ZOL training (Zeta Organizational Leadership program), certifications and webinars. This has enabled us to serve the Sisterhood in various capacities. Soror Traci Guinn Buckley is a Life Member and has served as the Michigan State Organization Chair of the Executive Board and the Great Lakes Region March of Dimes Representative; and she sits on various National and Regional committees. Guinn Buckley was Interim MSO Board Chair for several months in 2020 when Soror Elner Bailey Taylor vacated the post when she was appointed Great Lakes Region Director. Soror Colleen Green currently serves as the Z-NEF (Zeta National Education Foundation) Great Lakes Regional Coordinator and sits on State committees; she is MSO Chief of Staff for newly appointed Michigan State Director Lynese Thomas. Soror Ann Harmon is the immediate past MSO March of Dimes Representative.
Undergraduate Chapter – Sigma Kappa
GAZZ is honored to sponsor Sigma Kappa Chapter at Central Michigan University. It was chartered on March 29, 1980.
Zeta Amicae
The Zeta Amicae of Mount Pleasant was chartered on Jan. 20, 2019 in Mount Pleasant with former State Director Angela Philmore in attendance and Michigan Amicae President Thelma Brown presiding over the induction and ceremony. The charter members include: Amica Valencia Holman, Amica Monyca King, Amica Laura Martinez, Amica Jeannie Snyder and Amica Brandii-Mikayla Washington.
Legacies
Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and its auxiliaries has been a family affair in our chapter. Soror Traci Guinn Buckley has two daughters in the Sorority. Both Andrea Buckley and Ariel Buckley began their induction into Zeta as Archonettes and eventually became members at their respective collegiate institutions. Soror Colleen Green’s sister, Amica Snyder, was inducted into the Zeta Amicae Auxiliary of Mount Pleasant in 2019.
Note: This is part of the Michigan State Organization’s online series "The MSO Great History Countdown! Our Centennial Journey to State Meeting" to leave a lasting gift to the state in honor of Zeta’s 100th anniversary. Histories from every graduate and undergraduate chapter in Michigan is being published in the month of September 2020 in the days leading up to the centennial state meeting. The project was approved under State Director Lynese Thomas’ administration, and overseen by MSO Epistoleus Earlene McMichael in partnership with MSO Historian Trudy Hale and Great Lakes Region Historian Norma Dartis.