The Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation Expansion and Programming

March 21, 2021— Miami, Florida VONA is looking forward to the VONA Experience Summer 2022! We’re excited to be collaborating with our brilliant faculty as we embark on a new chapter. For over twenty years, VONA has been dedicated to offering life-changing workshops for writers of color. This summer, VONA will continue to nurture and support our participants. We anticipate a spectacular, transformative week of growth and development of our students with the support of our wonderful and esteemed faculty!

The VONA Board of Directors is pleased to announce expansions to our team and programming. We are thrilled to share the appointment of Dr. Shokry Eldaly as Executive Director. Shokry holds an MFA from Goddard College, an MSEd from Bank Street GSE, and a Doctorate in Adult Learning and Leadership from Columbia University. He brings more than fifteen years of celebrated executive experience and a long history of championing social justice as an education leader, a publishing writer, an abolitionist, and a member of the Literary and Arts community. 

We are also excited to share the addition of recently elected board members Simone M. Honeygan and Diana Diaz. Simone M. Honeygan holds a communication degree from Florida State University and a Juris Doctorate from the Hofstra School of Law. She brings extensive legal experience as a litigator and was honored with inclusion in the National Black Lawyers Association’s Top 40 Under 40 List. Diana Diaz is a three-time VONA alum, Grant recipient from City Artists Corp and a Can Serrat fellow. She has a BFA from New York University and a Masters Degree from La Universidad de Puerto Rico. She joins the executive board ready to lend her insight and experience to VONA’s fund-raising, development, and legacy planning.

As we welcome our new team members, we offer our gratitude to Lisa Gray as her term as Interim Executive Director has ended. She decided to leave VONA because the role is not a good fit at this time. We want to take this opportunity to thank Lisa for her dedication to VONA, its mission, and for her work toward getting VONA on track for our next chapter. We wish Lisa all the best as she moves forward.

We are thrilled about what lies ahead for VONA, as we enter a period of renewal and dedication to VONA’s vision to create a space where writers of color can hone their craft and make change in the literary world. As we look forward to our VONA Experience workshops (June 27th - July 3rd), we’re also pleased to announce two new and exciting additions to our 2022 programming, The VONA Classic (TVC) and our Intersections of Self Series (IOSS). 

In line with this, we look forward to our VONA Experience workshops (June 27th - July 3rd). We are also pleased to announce two new and exciting additions to our 2022 programming, The VONA Classic (TVC) and our Intersections of Self Series (IOSS). 

VONA invites you to be a part of our next chapter. As our society increases its efforts to silence individuals of color across the globe, we must stand louder in defense of ourselves and each other. We invite all reading this to join us in raising and protecting the stories, narratives, dreams, and histories of communities of color.

Sincerely, in love and gratitude,

The VONA Board of Directors,

M. Evelina Galang, President

Stacie Evans, Vice President, Treasurer

David Mura, Secretary

Connie Pertuz-Meza, Board Member

Simone M. Honeygan, Board Member

Diana Diaz, Board Member

Dr. Shokry Eldaly, Executive Director, Ex Oficio Member