Miss Black Iowa USA

Miss Black Iowa USA exists only because of the tireless commitment of a small group of civic-minded volunteers. These individuals bring talent and expertise in marketing, finance, the arts, communications, fund-raising, and education.

Debra A. Carr
Miss Black Iowa USA Founder

Debra founded and directed the first Miss Black Iowa U.S.A. Pageant in 1987. She served as Executive Director for the Miss Black U.S.A. Pageant from 1988 � 1993 and has served on the National Board of Advisors. She has also served as a Judge for a number of pageants throughout the country. During the 2007 Miss Black U.S.A. Pageant, which was held in the Gambia, West Africa, Debra served as Director of Operations.
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Lori A. Young
Communications & Graphic Design Consultant

Text Box: Lori A. Young became involved with the Miss Black Iowa USA Scholarship Pageant over 20 years ago, when it first began. She has served on the Advisory board and modeled with LeChic Fashion Ensemble, a major fundraising arm of the Miss Black Iowa USA pageant in the late 80s.

After a long hiatus, Lori is back serving the pageant in the areas of communications, marketing, and graphic design. Her gifts for design and writing enable her to develop materials and communications that positively build the Miss Black Iowa USA brand. In May 2007 she served as the Assistant Director of Operations at the national 2007 Miss Black USA pageant in The Gambia, Africa. In that role, she helped manage 6 chaperones and the activities, schedules, and needs of 36 contestants. A graduate of Grand View University, Lori is the Marketing & Compliance Manager for the Targeted Small Business Program at the Iowa Dept of Economic Development.

Lori is active in her church, considers herself a civic servant, and serves on the Board of Directors for The Edge Academy and Multi-Cultural Exhibits and Educational Programming (MEEP). Lori has also illustrated "Hope Through The Nightmare", a children�s book.

JoAnn Hughes
Choreographer & Asst. Producer

JoAnn Hughes has been serving with the Miss Black Iowa USA organization since the very beginning. She is an important part of the small team of strong Black women trying to bring positive change to the lives of young, Black women in Iowa.

After graduating Valley High School, JoAnn went on to study at Des Moines Area Community College. At Drake University, she received certification in Non-Profit Leadership & Administration. She also studied modeling and acting with Nancy Bounds Modeling and Finishing School and John Casablanca.

A performing artist at heart, JoAnn has performed and taught with the Gateway Dance Theatre
for over 23 years. In addition, Ms. Hughes helped perform the LeChic Fashion Ensemble in 1986. As organizer, instructor and model, LeChic Fashion Ensemble put on local and statewide productions for over 10 years.

With over 20 years of choreography experience, JoAnn has shared her choreography talent with the Des Moines Playhouse, the Drama Workshop, Gateway Dance Theatre, Tyrone Anderson and Fire Lip-sync group, and Central Iowa Repertory Theater.
Currently, JoAnn works tirelessly as Chairperson of Concerned Citizens for Justice and is Director of the Charles Lamont Lovelady Trust Scholarship Fund.

Veola Perry
Fund Development & Special Services Coordinator

Veola Perry, originally from Memphis, TN is a former teacher with the Des Moines Public Schools. She holds a BA degree from LeMoyne-Owen College (Memphis) and a MST degree from Drake University.

Active in the Des Moines community through various civic/service organizations, currently Veola is a Friend to The Forest Ave Library and the Des Moines Human Rights Commission. Some of her volunteer services include The American Red Cross (2005), the Alzheimer�s Assoc, the Evelyn Davis Early Learning Academy, and Senator Barack Obama (Des Moines' office).

A chartered member of local dance company - Gateway Dance Theatre, Inc., Veola was selected as billboard dancer for 2005 I'll Make Me A World In Iowa African American celebration. A lover of the arts, Veola will, on occasion, do "spoken word" for "Say What Poetry" ( House of Bricks) and Fresh Breath Productions. She loves to stay active and fit through yoga and Tai Chi (WuShu/Chinese Martial Arts).

Veola has one daughter, Vivette I. Perry. Together they have shared the dance and "spoken word" stages. Veola sends up praises to the Lord God who made a way for her path to cross that of Debra Carr's. That meeting led Veola to the opportunity for Veola to travel to the Gambia with the 2007 Miss Black USA Scholarship Pageant delegation where she served as Assistant Director of Operations.

Ursula Bruce
Recruitment & Outreach

Mrs. Ursual Bruce is 43 years old, born and raised in Waterloo Iowa. After attending East High school and graduating in 1985, she joined the US Navy in 1988 and was honorably discharged in 1991. From there, Ursula enlisted in the Army National Guard in 2006 and did a year, being honorably discharged in 2007. Ursula attended Hawkeye Community College where she received her Associates degree in General Studies in 2006 and went on to a 4yr college where she received a Bachelors of Social Science degree in Sociology from Upper Iowa University in March of 2010.

Married for 13yrs, she is the mother of two children, a 19 year old daughter and 16 yr old son. Her pageant experience is extensive. She has participated in several pageants in the past; the Miss Teen Iowa Pageant in 1984, the Miss Black Iowa Pageant in 1985, and the Mrs. Iowa Pageant in 2003, earning several awards from each one. Ursula says, "Each experience has been rewarding and beneficial in my life because I grew and learned skills and knowledge that I never knew nor had experienced before."

Janis R. Caldwell
Princess Program Director

Janis was born in the great state of Missouri and raised in Des Moines Iowa. She recently retired from teaching in the Des Moines Public School System. She holds an Associate of Arts degree from Des Moines Area Community College, a Bachelor of Science degree form Drake University and a Master of Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi.

She is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and currently volunteering with the Miss Black USA Pageant's Little Princess program where her goal is to shape and create the future Miss Black USA candidates.

She is a wife of 31 years, a mother of three, a grandmother of 10, and a mentor to many. Janis gives all credit to God who gave her the skills and knowledge to give back to others.

Patricia Palmer
Judges Coordinator / Finance

Pat Palmer joined the Miss Black Iowa USA staff in 2006 and has contributed her amazing talents with finance and budgeting to the organization. Her attention to detail and gift for managing our precious
few dollars has been extremely helpful. She also serves as our Judges coordinator.

Pat is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Oakridge Neighborhood and Oakridge Neighborhood Services. In her spare time and when not working with Miss Black Iowa USA, Pat serves as the Treasurer of St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Des Moines and on the Board of Directors of the Richard Allen Community Development Corporation. She is also the past President of the Indiana Small Business Incubator Association (IBIA) and also currently volunteers with Junior Achievement.