Uncrowned Community Builders

Deidre is a lifelong resident of Buffalo New York and a proud product of the Buffalo Public Schools. She attended P.S. #23, P.S. # 74, West Hertel Academy and is a graduate of Riverside High School. She is currently completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA) to be awarded in August of 2006. She also has a Bachelor of Science in Business. An adult learner, Deidre returned to school to fulfill her thirst and desire for knowledge part-time while working and raising her family.

She is the daughter of the late Douglas Sanders Pettus of Clarksville Tennessee and the late Delores Marie Jones Pettus of Jackson, Georgia. She has one brother, Douglas who lives in Tennessee and a nephew, Reginald Tillman. Even through Deidre has lost both parents, she reconnected with both sides of her parental lineage through her writing about her struggles with ââ?¬Å?androgenetic alopeciaââ?¬ (hair loss). Her essay entitled, ââ?¬Å?Living with Alopecia and Learning to Let Goââ?¬ is published on the Uncrowned Queens Health Network.

Deidre refers to hair loss as one of those family secrets or ââ?¬Å?Family Affairs.ââ?¬ Itââ?¬â?¢s a problem that other family members know about or suffer with, but no ones want to talk about it. Her goal is to educate and empower women about the emotional damage done in the name of beauty, their hereditary connections and encourage healthy dialogue about the mis-understood topic of female hair loss. Known for her beautifully shaped bald head, Deidre refers to her look as ââ?¬Å?Heir Styleââ?¬ which she proudly displays. Her father was also completely bald and wore his head shaved for more than 30 years. Neighbors and friends referred to him as ââ?¬Å?Slick.ââ?¬ She is definitely her dadââ?¬â?¢s daughter and is not ashamed of her baldness and boldly states she is proud to be identified as anââ?¬ Uncrowned Queenââ?¬.

Numerous community agencies benefit from Deidreââ?¬â?¢s volunteerism. Agencies she has assisted include: the Juneteenth Festival Inc.; Friends of Night People; Paul Robeson Theatre at the African Cultural Center; The Black Capital Network; The Commission for Citizens Rights and Teens Taking Charge. Deidre is a member of the Black MBA Association, the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a graduate of the United Way Board Governance Program. Deidre has used her business background to help her in establishing her home business of personal income tax assistance. She also collects and sells antiques at a local co-op. Her hobbies include board games; interior decorating; crocheting; floral arranging and journal writing. She is also an avid reader and a member of Sundayââ?¬â?¢s @ 5 Reading club.

She and her husband are members of the Evangelistic Temple where they were married twenty years ago. As a wife and mother of two beautiful daughters, Dana & Zakia, she is blessed to have the love and support of her family.