Nedzra Johnson Ward, President, has been a constant presence at SHAPE for over 27 years.  Her first interaction with SHAPE was as an active member of the “Coalition to Free Clarence Bradley” where she served on the strategy and planning committee.  She later served as treasurer and then president of the board of directors during the “Harambee” era of the 1990’s.  Ms. Ward is currently co-chair of the Fund Development Team where she has been instrumental in generating unrestricted funds for daily operations.  Nedzra is a strong supporter of the mission of SHAPE Community Center and has demonstrated a deep and abiding commitment to strengthening families, building strong communities, and justice for all.  Her two sons are “Shape pearls”.

Ms. Ward is a product of the Third Ward community graduating from Texas Southern University with a   BBA in Accounting and graduate study at the University of Houston.  Ms. Ward retired as a tax specialist from the State Comptroller of Public Accounting after 27 years of service.  Her next project was entrepreneurship where she served multi-level businesses as a contract auditor and audit defense consultant.  In 2014, Ms. Ward moved to devote more of her time and expertise to SHAPE Center by becoming a full-time volunteer staff member where she continues to serve as a valued member of the SHAPE family.

Ms. Ifueko Omorogbe, is a licensed social worker, professor, and Director of Field Education at Texas Southern University. Ms. Omorogbe has worked for more than 20 years with various agencies as a community social worker, psychiatric social worker/case manager and drug counselor.

​In these various capacities, she has engaged in providing services to children and their families identified as at-risk populations, adolescent facing mental health crisis, and has solicited funding for community programs. In addition, Ms. Omorogbe provided training to staff, parents and community partners to help them understand some of the challenges in working with school-age children and the challenges these children are confronted with on a daily basis.

​Ms. Omorogbe is an active member of the SHAPE Community Center and believes in the center’s mission of advancing the causes of the African and African-American communities. Ms. Omorogbe is a member of the National Association of Black Social Workers-Houston Chapter, and member of Benin (Bini) Organization of Houston and National Association of Social Workers.

Founder and Managing Partner of Shelton Sparks & Associates, L.L.C. 2002 – Present

Former Partner of Boudreaux, Washington, Sparks, L.L.C. 1992 – 2002

Licensed to Practice Law by the Supreme Court of the State of Texas; November 1986 Attorney

Graduate of Thurgood Marshall, School of Law at Texas Southern University 1985 Juris Doctorate Degree

Graduate of Michigan State University; 1980; Bachelor of Arts

Managing Attorney of Volunteer Legal Clinic at Shape Community Center 2005 – Present

Member of the Houston Lawyers Association 2000 – present

Member of the Harris County Criminal Defense Lawyers Association 2000 – present

Life member of Texas Southern University Alumni Association

Lifetime Member – South Central YMCA

Former PTA, President, DeBakey High School for the Health Professions 2008 – 2010

Dr. Lee grew up in the historic Third Ward of Houston, attending public schools: Blackshear elementary, Miller junior high, and Yates senior high. His last two years of high school were at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, after which he attended Yale College graduating magna cum laude. Following Yale Law school graduation Lee joined Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering (now WilmerHale), a prestigious large firm in Washington, D.C. After three years he joined the University of Houston (UH) Law Center where he later became the first tenured African-American law professor.

Moving into administration, Lee served three semesters as the Interim Director of the UH African American Studies program. For the next twenty years, Lee served as Vice President for Student Affairs responsible for a comprehensive array of student and enrollment services. In his current Vice Presidential role, Dr. Lee develops strategies for making UH more inclusive and is Executive Leader of the UH Third Ward Initiative, that collaborates with neighborhood stakeholders to address disparities in education, health, economic empowerment and art exposure. He is a member of the President’s Cabinet, and serves as Chair of the UH State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC) as well as several other committees. He is active in many Third Ward organizations such as CHANGE HAPPENS, the Third Ward Complete Communities, Emancipation Economic Development Council (EEDC); and Project Row Houses. Following years of participating in SHAPE events, festivals and cleanups; financially supporting the freedom tours and fundraisers; and encouraging others to do the same, Dr. Lee was asked to serve on the SHAPE Center board in 2019. He is married to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

Deloyd T. Parker, Jr. is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of SHAPE Community Center, overseeing its growth and mission since 1969. Growing up in Port Arthur, Texas, Deloyd's parents, Mrs. Ruby Parker and Mr. Deloyd Parker, Sr., instilled in him a sense of humility, a willingness to help, the courage to face adversity, and the strength to fight injustice whenever and wherever it raises its ugly face. Deloyd worked in the Ujamaa Villages of East Africa and traveled to many countries in the eastern part of Africa, spreading SHAPE's philosophy. He was the International Observer of the historic South African election of Nelson Mandela. He went to West Africa where he met with the President of The Gambia and was able to expand relations with the government as well as grassroots community leaders. The initiation of the SHAPE philosophy was embraced by the people of The Gambia and "The SHAPE of The Gambia" was born.

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Under the leadership of Deloyd Parker, SHAPE has weathered the ebbs and flows of community organizing and development. From his early student activism to his role as a community leader, his journey mirrors the transition of SHAPE. The center, which originally had a staff of two, now supports full and part-time workers, students, interns, and hundreds of volunteers. SHAPE has gained international attention, but his greatest achievements center around improving the lives of our children, family, and the community as a whole. SHAPE's legacy is a community effort and Parker never lets anyone forget that it takes the entire village to raise SHAPE and its mission for decades to come.