Dr. Brenda Louise Hale honored with the 2018 Cabell Brand Hope Award
We are delighted to present Dr. Brenda Hale with this year’s Cabell Brand Hope Award. Hale has devoted her life to serving her community and we are happy to honor her with this award. The award will be presented to Hale at TAP’s Annual Lunch on October 16th.
Dr. Brenda Louise Hale is an eight-term President of the Roanoke Branch NAACP with an impressive portfolio of service, achievement, innovation, and collaboration. Dr. Hale is an individual of high integrity and is well-respected throughout the region for her community service. Steadfast in her commitment to community and justice, she truly possesses the ability to act as an agent for change.
Dr. Hale attended Chaminade University in Honolulu and Roanoke College where she studied psychology. She received her nursing education from Fitzsimmon Army General Hospital and Virginia Western Community College. She also received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from Bethlehem Bible College in 2010; a doctorate of theology in biblical studies from the Word of Life Theological Seminary in 2013; and an honorary doctorate of humane letters with all rights and privileges from Roanoke College in 2018.
Sergeant First Class (E-7) Hale retired from the Army in 1978. She has since worked with the Salem Veterans Affairs Medical Center as a LPN and RN; the Non-Commissioned Officers Association in Honolulu as a financial counselor; and Primerica Financial Service as a financial representative division leader.
Dr. Hale is a member of Loudon Avenue Christian Church and a Gold Life Member of the NAACP, among several other civic memberships. She is the senior vice commander of the VFW Post 1444 in Roanoke, serves as the secretary of the TAP Board of Directors, and also serves on several other boards including Jefferson College of Health Sciences, Roanoke City Rescue Mission, and Local Colors.
Dr. Hale is the first African American elected as secretary for the VA State Board of Nursing. She was also listed in Who’s Who in American Nursing 1990-91 and Who’s Who of American Women 1995-96. Other accolades received by Dr. Hale include: numerous military medals; the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major for Justice Award from the Roanoke Chapter SCLC; named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International; the Black Girls Rock Award from the Continental Societies, Inc. Roanoke Chapter; the Impactors of Excellence Award from the Roanoke NAACP Youth Council; and the UBU Humanitarian Award.