Legal Advisor: Michelle Himes-Wiederschall J.D., Wolf, Horowitz & Etlinger, LLC Financial/Real Estate Advisor: Tyra Yiare Mortgage Consultant & Financial Planner, Wells Fargo Mortgage Technology Advisor: Peter Murray Assistant Director for Technology Service Development, LYRASIS Strategic Planning Advisor: Dr. Richard Lewis, Jr., PhD. President, Round Top Consulting Associates Past National President Advisor: Jean Newman Tau Beta Sigma Past National President 1993-1995

Michelle Himes-Wiederschall is an Attorney with Wolf, Horowitz & Etlinger, LLC, in Hartford, Connecticut, where her practice focuses on insurance defense and coverage, defending employment discrimination claims, and representing sureties in construction and probate disputes.  Michelle is a Life Member of Tau Beta Sigma and an Alumnus of the Delta Delta Chapter at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, having been initiated into the Sorority in the fall of 1990.  Michelle served as Chapter President & Parliamentarian, Northeast District Secretary/Treasurer (1992-1993), Northeast District Vice President (1993-1994) & Northeast District Alumni Liaison (1995-1996). Michelle has attended many district and national conventions.

Michelle received her undergraduate degree in Communications from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1993.  She received her juris doctor degree, summa cum laude, from Western New England College School of Law in Springfield, Massachusetts in 2005.

Tyra Yiare is a Mortgage Consultant & Financial Planner, with over a decade of banking, mortgage & finance experience.  Tyra is the owner of her own thriving catering company known as What’s In a Name Catering and Confections that was founded while she was a junior at Howard University. Tyra is a Life Member of the Eta Delta Chapter at Howard University, having been initiated into the Sorority in 1988.  She served as Chapter Vice President of Membership and Historian.  Tyra has attended numerous district & national conventions and most recently served as the co-advisor to the Programs Committee at the 2009 National Convention.   

Tyra received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from the Howard University in 1993.

Peter Murray is an Assistant Director for Technology Service Development at LYRASIS in Atlanta, Georgia, where he leads and participates in technology initiatives that enhance the services of libraries across the country.  Peter was initiated into the Epsilon Xi Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi at Miami University of Ohio in 1988.  In 1997, Peter became an Honorary member of the Delta Epsilon Chapter of Tau Beta Sigma at Miami University of Ohio.  Peter has received numerous National honors from Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma, including: initiation as an Honorary member of the National Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi the summer of 1997, receipt of the A. Frank Martin Award from Kappa Kappa Psi and receipt of the Stanley G. Fink Memorial Award.

Peter received his undergraduate degree in Systems Analysis from Miami University of Ohio in 1991 and his Master of Science in Library and Information Science from Simmons College in Boston, MA, in December 2003.

Dr. Richard Lewis, Jr., PhD. is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Texas at San Antonio.  His academic specialties include the areas of diversity management, strategic planning, public administration, and social science research.  Dr. Lewis served as Associate Dean for the College of Liberal and Fine Arts from 1997 to 2002.  He was a Special Assistant to the President of the University from 2002 to 2007.  Dr. Lewis has taught at Texas A&M University, St. Philip's College, and Our Lady of the Lake University.  He is President of Round Top Consulting Associates, a firm he founded in 1990, which provides social science research and seminar facilitation.  He has numerous publications to his credit that deal with the issue of social inequality and is the co-author along with George Yancey of “Interracial Families: Current Concepts and Controversies,” published by Routledge Press.

Dr. Lewis's involvement with Tau Beta Sigma began in the fall of 2009, when Round Top Consulting Associates was selected to facilitate the National Council's Strategic Planning session in Dallas, Texas.   He will continue to work with Tau Beta Sigma again as he facilitates strategic planning sessions for the Board of Trustees and the Alumni Association Executive Committee.

Dr. Lewis has been involved in a variety of civic activities.  He is a former board member on the United Way Board of Directors and the Live Oak Economic Development Corporation.   In addition, he has served on the VIA Metropolitan Transit Authority Board of Trustees and the Bexar County Housing Authority.

Dr. Lewis received his undergraduate degree from Texas Tech University in 1976.  He received his Master's and Doctoral degrees in Sociology from Texas A&M University in 1978 and 1981, respectively.

Jean Newman was elected National President at the 1993 National Convention at Purdue University. She was first elected to the National Council in 1989 at Oklahoma State University.

During Miss Newman's term the first Tau Beta Sigma Chapter Field Representative, Miss Kimberly Trotter, was employed. This position added a new dimension to the National Headquarters and the National Council with a traveling National representative visiting chapters throughout the nation.

Project SOS (Save Our Station) was initiated to help with the newly acquired Stillwater Station and National Headquarters restoration. The Station is a historical location and the funds raised from Project SOS along with the Joint National Councils allocation of money provided for much-needed repairs and maintenance of the building.

Tau Beta Sigma celebrated its 50th Anniversary with over 700 people in attendance at the 1995 Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma National Convention in Orlando, Florida. Many special Anniversary activities including the commissioning and presentation of a bust of the Founder of Tau Beta Sigma, Wava Banes Henry, highlighted the week's activities. The bust is on permanent display at the National Headquarters in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The NIB premiered A Tuning Piece: Songs of Fall and Winter by David Maslanka. Dr. James Croft of Florida State University was the conductor of the fine ensemble. A highlight for the NIB participants was a special performance at EPCOT Center at Walt Disney World.

Jean served on the Board of Trustees for a second term from 2003 - 2007 and served as Chair of the Board from 2005-2007.  Jean was a recipient of the Wava Banes Turner Award in 2007 at the National Convention.

Jean is a Regional Director of Operations for a financial services company in Southern California. She enjoys being outdoors, gardening in the large yard at her house and attending NASCAR events.