Chapter President

Para LaNell Agboga is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and of Texas Southern University with an Executive Master of Public Administration. She is also a graduate of the highly esteemed Executive Leadership Institute offered by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and of the Emerging Leaders Institute of the Association of Performing Arts Centers. Having lived in Austin since the age of six, she is proud to serve the city that has served her. Para’s passion is the engagement of all citizens in the arts on multiple levels. She believes the arts to be a strong community pride builder and a quality of life issue. From 1998-2020 she worked in the City of Austin’s Parks and Recreation Department at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, the only African American Museum in the area. In 2022 Para joined the City of Austin’s Public Health Department, leading a truancy prevention program that focuses on career development for high school students.

With a career spanning over twenty-five years, Para has extensive experience in serving youth through the arts, college readiness, and career exploration. She understands that it only takes a spark to get a fire going, and so for her that fire is providing guidance to those who are our future leaders. A true believer in community service, Para never serves any organization “in name only”, but fully commits herself to the mission and purpose. She serves as Volunteer Coordinator on the board of the Austin Area Heritage Council which promotes and sponsors events for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. She is active in her church, St. James Missionary Baptist Church, and in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha-Beta Psi Omega Chapter. She serves on the board of Austin Chamber Music Center, and in 2024 was voted as the 2025-2026 President Elect for the Central Texas Chapter of NFBPA. In 2016 Para received the Profiles of Prominence Award for Community Service in the Arts from the Metroplex Chapter of National Women of Achievement. Mrs. Agboga is the proud wife to Christopher and mother of three college young adults: Carrie, Cecilia, and Christopher, II. She looks forward to more creative and innovative opportunities to make the Central Texas community the best for all who choose to call it home!

 

Vice president

Derrick McKnight is a passionate and dedicated public health community servant leader with a profound commitment to empowering communities. With over 20 plus years of extensive experience in contract management, workforce development, and health disparity prevention programs, he operates as an equity partner, viewing challenges through a panoramic lens. Derrick excels at crowdsourcing insights, amplifying voices, and dissecting the big picture to harness learning and foster a culture of inclusive decision-making. He is a skillful needs assessor and influencer who excels at cultivating strategic partnerships to secure support resources and elevate service delivery.

Derrick’s educational background is characterized by a commitment to personal and professional development. He holds a Master of Science in Counseling + Education from the University of Phoenix, demonstrating a deep understanding of counseling and education, which contributes to his capacity for empathetic and effective leadership.Furthermore, Derrick holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from McNeese State University. This foundational knowledge in criminal justice provides him with a unique perspective on various aspects of community and workforce development, emphasizing the importance of social responsibility and ethical decision-making in his career.

Derrick’s diverse educational experiences have equipped him with a comprehensive skill set, making him a well-rounded professional capable of addressing the multifaceted challenges within the public health and community advocacy fields.

Derrick‘s extensive expertise in public health, program management, and community development, along with his dedication to inclusive decision-making, makes him a valuable leader in his field. His commitment to empowering communities and fostering strategic partnerships drives positive change and service excellence.

In addition to his busy work schedule, he also volunteers at CASA Travis County. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) is a vital organization that provides support and advocacy for children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Derrick’s dedication to volunteering demonstrates his commitment to making a positive impact in the community and advocating for the well-being of vulnerable children. His involvement with CASA Travis County showcases his passion for helping those in need and his dedication to fostering a safer and more supportive environment for children in the legal system. He also serves as a member of TNOY’s Board of Directors, helping to strengthen services and support for Texas youth and families to overcome challenges and achieve healthy development.   Derrick is also an active member of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators(NFBPA) Central Texas Chapter and sits on the Emerging Leaders Council of NFBPA National office.

 

Financial Secretary

As an experienced leader, Suzanne Piper is currently the Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department. In this capacity she has general oversight of the $135 million dollar operating budget and leads a support staff of financial, human resources, information technology, and community engagement professionals, as well as serves as the departments records administrator.
Prior to joining the City of Austin she held senior level financial analyst positions in the Rates Forecasting and Overhead Management division of The Boeing Company’s Aerospace Support Center. Over the span of her career, she has worked in the trust accounting, quality control, and 401(K) compliance industries. Ms. Piper has also been an adjust instructor, teaching undergraduate business classes.
Her educational background includes a Doctorate of Business Administration, an MBA and she is a proud graduate of the University of Arizona. She also holds Master Certificates from in both Six Sigma and Applied Project Management. In her spare time, Suzanne enjoys exploring antique shops and is an avid fan of historical fiction.

Treasurer

Annestelle Lewis has over 20 years of experience in accounting and finance. She joined The City of Austin in 2012. Her current role as Contract Management Specialist III involves the monitoring and funding of City contracts, as well as the review and reconciliation of high volume accounting transactions. She is a Certified Quickbooks Advisor for over 10 years, a 2023 graduate of The City of Austin Leadership, Education & Public Service Program (LEAPS) and a 2024 graduate of National Forum of Black Public Adminstrators (NFBPA) Mentor Program.

Secretary

 

Natasha Goodwin was born and raised in New Orleans, La. She currently resides in Pflugerville, TX with her husband, Wesley and two children Gavin and Sydney. Natasha is a natural born leader with a passion for public service. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management, a Master of Public Administration, and is certified in Lean Six Sigma as a Green Belt. Natasha is a successful Public Administrator with 19 years of service with the City of Austin. She is currently employed with Austin Energy as a Program Manager of Local Government Affairs. She is also the President of the “Motivated” Mu Beta Sigma Alumnae Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc, in Round Rock, TX. Natasha is a pleasure to work with. She is very detail-oriented, dependable, organized, very straightforward, and loves to plan.

 

Assistant Secretary

Keyanna Evans is a public health professional with a passion for advancing health equity and addressing social determinants of health. Leveraging her dual Master’s degrees in Public Health and Public Affairs, she currently serves as a Contract Manager with Austin Public Health in Austin, Texas, overseeing a portfolio exceeding $3 million in Social Services agreements. Her expertise lies in project/program management, grant management, resource mobilization, and health education and promotion. This expertise has been honed through leading successful community health initiatives and securing grant funding for community programs.

 

Parliamentarian

Valerie Cooper Harris is a seasoned public administrator currently serving as a Community Engagement Consultant for the City of Austin. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Hampton University and, shortly thereafter, began her career in public administration at the New York City Department of Health and Human Services.

Before moving from New York to Texas, Valerie built a solid foundation in social services in the municipal, community, and non-profit sectors. She joined the City of Austin in 2001, where she expanded her expertise in human services and deepened her understanding of city policies and procedures.

With over 30 years of dedicated experience, Valerie has made significant contributions across various public service fields. Valerie’s diverse background highlights her commitment to serving the community and enhancing public engagement. Her impactful career includes:

• Public Administration
• Community Engagement
• Constituent Services
• Public Utility Customer Care Management
• Public Health Services
• Youth and Family Services
• Mental Health Services

Valerie has been a member of the NFBPA Central Texas Chapter since 2008. During her time with the chapter, she has contributed to various committees, local events, and conferences. She completed the NFBPA Mentor Program with the 2015 cohort known as The Notorious Nine, and attends FORUM whenever her schedule permits.

Valerie was elected to the NFBPA Central Texas Chapter Board of Directors in 2025, and concurrently serves on the board of directors for two additional organizations: the City of Austin’s Woman to Woman Employee Affinity Group, and the National Hampton Alumni Association’s San Antonio-Austin Chapter.

Board Member

Mallinee Smith- Diggs is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin earning a B.A. in Sociology and a Master’s in Education. As a public servant, she has worked for 47 years in Social Services. She has held several positions such as a teacher, a caseworker, a case manager, and a district manager within several social service agencies in Austin. Currently, she has been a Community Liaison for Travis County Health and Humans Services for 28 years. She has been with the agency for 32 years. She enjoys focusing on the needs of others, especially the most vulnerable in our community. Her desire is to improve communities for our children. She enjoys serving, focusing on commitment, giving and sharing love.

Mallinee believes her greatest blessing lies in the family that God has granted her. She is married to Rev. Noah Diggs, a loving union of 45 years.
She is the Pastor’s wife at Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Kerrville, Texas.
They have two beautiful daughters, Mallonya Anderson, and Mallaya Diggs. She is known as Cookie to her only grandson, Mallachi.

Her favorite quote of servant leadership is by Israelmore Ayivor “A true leader is a person whose influence inspires people to do what is expected of them to do. You cease to be a leader when you manipulate with your egos instead of convincing by your inspirations.”

Board Member

 

Mr. Deone Wilhite is a native Austinite and earned his bachelor’s in business management (BBA) from the University of Texas at Austin in Management and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing from Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, with a specialty in Urban Marketing. Mr. Wilhite is currently the Director of Constituent Services for Precinct 1 Travis County Commissioner Jeffrey W. Travillion Sr., where he works to solve constituent problems and provide services to Travis County constituents, and works with municipal budgeting and financing, bond funding allocation, economic development, transportation, land/water usage and availability, office and media communications.

Mr. Wilhite also served as Executive Director of Rites of Passage Development, Inc., where he worked to provide affordable new residential and multi-unit housing for families who were first-time home-buyers. Mr. Wilhite has also worked with such organizations as IBM-Atlanta (Community Loaner Program), AT&T (Business and Corporate Sales), Dell Inc. (Small Business Sales), the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department (Business Continuity Planning), and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas (Education Director). He also participated in two start-up companies, Silverbox Publishing as Marketing Director and Wunworks.com as Sales Director. Mr. Wilhite, a self-professed “book nerd”, loves to provide books for children who desire to read, and is a 2003 graduate of Leadership Austin.

Mr. Wilhite’s volunteer efforts include serving as a Membership Vice President and Senior Advisor to the National Black MBA Association-Austin Chapter, where he was a founding member. He has worked with youth programs in organizations such as Texas Organized Professionals, the Delteens, Upward Bound, the Clark Atlanta University Summer Program for Students Gifted in Math and Science, Rites of Passage Servant-Warrior-Leader Program, the Austin Area Urban League Dream Team Project, the United Negro College Fund, the Urban Leadership Foundation, and the NBMBAA Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) program. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and 100 Black Men of Austin. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Institute for Urban Policy Research & Analysis at the University of Texas at Austin. Mr. Wilhite awarded the 2016 Visionary Award by the Austin Chapter of the National Black MBA Association and was named the 2011 National Member of the Year by the National Black MBA Association.

 

Board Member

Sylnovia Holt Rabb, a dedicated public servant with over 24 years of experience, retired in 2024 as the Director of the City of Austin Economic Development Department (EDD). A graduate of Florida A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and a Master of Business Administration, she began her career with the City of Austin in 2000, serving in the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department.

In 2009, Sylnovia transitioned to the Economic Development Department (EDD) as Financial Manager, rising to Assistant Director in 2014 and later to Acting Director during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this role, she spearheaded 13 economic recovery programs to support individuals, nonprofits, and small businesses.

Appointed permanent Director in 2022, she has since led transformative initiatives, including:
• Distributing over $21 million in grants to creative professionals and organizations in 2024.
• Establishing 16 public art installations and six healthy food access points in underserved communities.
• Delivering workforce training for 2,500 Austinites and over 7,600 hours of business development training.
• Overseeing equitable funding models for minority chambers and cultural arts programs.

Sylnovia’s contributions extend beyond departmental achievements. She has represented Austin on high-profile committees, advanced cultural asset mapping, and championed equity-driven initiatives like the Art in Residency Program. Her dedication has shaped Austin’s economic and cultural landscape, ensuring opportunities for all residents.

Board Member

Cyrenthia Ellis is currently a Procurement Manager at the City of Austin within the Financial Services Department- Central Procurement.   Ellis currently oversees a team of Procurement Professionals responsible for the procurement category supporting the general goods; transportation; facilities;  maintenance repair and operations commodities.

Ellis has been with the City of Austin for 14 years and offers over 20 years practical knowledge and expertise, within the public and private sector, in department leadership, purchasing and contract management, category management, project management, and IT development.

Ellis has earned an MBA degree in Industrial Management from the University of Dallas, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Loyola University at Chicago.  She has her Project Manager Professional certification and is also a Certified Texas Purchasing Manager.

Ellis has been an NFBPA member for more than 15 years.  Ellis has served as the Chairperson on several committees within the local Central Texas chapter; and is an graduate of the Executive Leadership Institute.