BOARD MEMBERS

In 1991, Dr. McKellar and her friend, Dr. Sally Sanders, RN, MSN started an early childhood education school, ages 6 Weeks-Kindergarten. This included an after-school mentor-mentee program. The two (2) clinicians realized that education had to start earlier than the first grade, also that everyone could not pick their children up from their learning centers by 6:00 P.M. Therefore, their school started evening care and remained open until 12:00 midnight. "Our society is governed 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Our children must be cared for at all times," states McKellar. She served as president for the National Association for Education of Young Children and was the liaison from early childhood to Tyler Independent School District.

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A veteran of both corporate and federal institutions, Registered Nurse Clinician McKellar, is also Major McKellar (Retired) from the United States Army Nurses Corp. Her ranking (MOS) was a 66 H-8A, for the 94th Combat Support Hospital, Seagoville, Texas, later retiring from Ft Sam Houston, Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas. Dr. McKellar also served as the Officer-in-Charge of Combat Life Saving School for the 5th Army, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Officer, Consideration of Others, and the Sexual Harassment Team Officer for her unit. Great military accomplishments were made within a short period of time she begins serving her country in 1991. Dr. McKellar was called to active-duty in December 2001 to prepare for deployment. Her awards and honors are many and reflect her leadership expertise and entrepreneurial business advancement. However, some of her most noted ones include being a national and international motivational speaker on breast cancer and women's issues. Dr. McKellar was deployed for 18 months in support of, "Operation Iraqi Freedom," and "Operation Enduring Freedom," she received two war ribbons and two war medals for her work.

 

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The medals were a Meritorious Service Medal (MSN), the highest non-battlefield award and Army Commendation Medals. She received 100% on each Officer Evaluations. She is a retired disabled American veteran.

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In addition to these awards during her 18 active years and 2 on injured reserve, while in the military she received five (5) other Army Commendation Medals. Due to her expertise in the field of breast cancer, while she was deployed overseas, McKellar was selected as one of 16 clinicians from around the world to travel to Berlin and establish, "The Best Clinical Practices for Treating Breast Cancer " around the globe. To her credit and skill in detecting lumps she was selected by the Baylor University Health Care System to be the "International Breast Cancer Advocate" for Europe, representing America. Of the (16) clinicians selected, five were picked to speak before the 4th European Congress and Dr. McKellar spoke on "Healthcare Disparities Among African American Women." The conference was aired to over 250 Comprehensive Breast Cancer Centers in the world and this included The University of Texas @ M.D. Anderson, Houston, where she trained. Dr. McKellar has many commendations, other awards, and honors, but states that she was humbled by this opportunity.

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Major McKellar along with assistance from the late COL Rose Hazlett, LTC Joice Carter and others, established the First Comprehensive Breast Cancer Center in the European Theater. She served as Chief Nurse of the Center. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, October 2004, McKellar developed and implemented a fundraiser among the troops on Post. She held a Fun Run, a High Tea & Fashion Gala using the troops as models, where she raised $5000 for the International Komen Foundation. As if that was not a major task, Dr. McKellar recognized the need for more Critical Care Clinicians, so she developed and implemented a Certified Critical Care Course while deployed and save the military over $40,000 by teaching the course in-house. More awards for Dr. McKellar are "Outstanding Professional Female of America" (given by the National Black Mayor's Association), The Black Chamber of Commerce Award, The Black Business Women's Association Award, and Texas 2000 Most Notable Women Award, Texas Transitional Award of Excellence, the Minnie Hudnall Foundation Scholarship Award, serving as President of the Emmett J. Scott High All-School Reunion Alumni 2000-2003, Tyler, Texas, was most prestigious honor to be selected by her peers; and the Texas Outstanding Distinguished Business Woman of The Year Award, just to name a few. She serves on many boards however, Dr. McKellar was recently appointed by Dr. Kirk Calhoun, MD, President of the University of Texas @Tyler and the UT Healthcare System to serve on the Hospital Foundation Board and the Board’s search committee for the new University Medical School coming to Tyler. They actively searched for the candidate who will serve as Dean of the Medical School.

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She is an advocate for Historical Black Colleges (HBCU) and has devoted years of services to Southwestern Christian College (SWCC) in Terrell, Texas. One of her passions is to pilot a college of nursing and other medical certificate programs at SWCC which would include an 18-month Medical Coding program. Dr. McKellar has always been front-row center when SWCC needed volunteers and worked hard with Cedric The Entertainer and others to raise funds during the unfortunate fire on campus. Other volunteer programs included the past Board of Trustees Academic Image Award Initiative, Upward Bound, The Bowser's Women Fundraising Project and the annual Madam Stewart Fashion Fundraising Gala with her sister Martha Ross of Omaha, NE. Dr. McKellar credits her mother for the passion she has for Christian education.  

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Elected to City Government in June 2019, Dr. McKellar hit the ground running. With a seat at the Council table, it has given her a stronger opportunity to bring to life what she has pushed for as a citizen for many years. Serving on the city council gave her the voice that people in her community deserve; an urgent, robust economy, public health, affordable and upper-level homes. During our economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, she served on the city taskforce. Daily meetings with city, county, various state, public and private agencies worked to keep its citizens as safe as humanly possible. She held Town Hall meetings to educate her community as swiftly and aggressively to help protect and support families, small businesses, frontline workers, especially nurses and essential staffers who were facing challenges without proper supply of PPE’s (Personal Protective Equipment. Dr McKellar formed a group of fifteen (15) ladies in the community and made 1000 facemasks for the nurses in our local hospitals. They also purchased inserts to go inside the mask to keep out the bacteria. She and her group worked with those who are most vulnerable who needed help more than others. They recognized the impact the pandemic had on the health and economy of our communities. She provided information to churches and communities regarding viruses and proper usage of masks and sanitation practices. Dr. McKellar recognized that some parents may not be able to afford masks for their children. She reached out to Dr. Harold Wright at Texas Education Association and the Ford Foundation and secured 250,000 masks for Tyler Independent School District.

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In the mist of the pandemic, Texas experienced another crisis with a winter snowstorm that caused ice, and power outages to include a water deficit that killed 57 people. Our community was already strained, and this added pressure from February 2021’s power crisis that left more than 4.8 million people in the state without power. Even though Dr. McKellar was without power for 65 hours, she spent hours on the phone raising money, getting the homeless and senior citizens into Warming Centers and hotels. She also raised $25, 000 for a family whose home burned during the storm. She spent time educating citizens on where to find financial help for damaged property and excessive water and power bills. The community assisted her in distributing a truck load of water and food.

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And now comes the rollout for the COVID vaccines. Our Smith County North East Texas Health Department ask Dr. McKellar to be a part of the rollout of vaccines to the communities of color. One of our retired pharmacists, Dr. Richard Hackney formed NET (North East Texas Taskforce). It is composed of black medical professionals, churches, pastors, preachers, elected officials, and community leaders. The mission was to bring the vaccines to the black community by setting up sites in the black communities, churches, community centers, etc., and Dr. McKellar’s task was to establish the prototype for the clinics and find the locations in the rural counties. One of her duties in the military was to vaccinate soldiers and set up vaccine sites in distressed countries during peace time. The task continues for Dr. McKellar as the myths versus facts plague our communities regarding vaccines. The need for education and awareness of today’s research in comparison to the Tuskegee experiment has left a deficit among the black community.

Dr. McKellar received her undergraduate degree from Texas Women's University in nursing and Chemistry; her master’s degrees from the University of Texas with honors in Community Health Nursing under the leadership of Late Dr. Barbara Sears and Ms. Brenda Elrod, Organizational Speech, and a Doctorate Degree in Healthcare Management with emphasis in nursing from Columbus College of Public Health & Administration with a 3.7 GPA.

 

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Her dissertation was written at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Tyler, Texas, under the direction of University of Texas, College of Nursing, Austin, Texas, under the late Dr. Mary Lou Adams, and Dr. Carolyn Harvey, studying and defending spirituality among breast cancer patients. She returned to the University of Texas for a bachelor’s degree in political science; and has completed half the master’s program.

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She is a member of many civic, social, and professional organizations. Some of her favorite is the President of Gamma Omicron Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Tyler, Texas, the American Biographical Research Institute Association, and American Business Women's Association, National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer, National Black Nurses Association, National Society of Leadership & Success, The Intercultural Cancer Association, The National Clinical Trials Advisory Group, and the National Sisters Network, Inc., (which is the only national breast cancer awareness organization for black woman), the founder and survivor is Ms. Karen Jackson. Since retirement from the military, Dr. McKellar host three weekly Radio Talk Shows entitled, "A View From The Top," “Wellness Wednesday” and “Marvelous Monday” covering the latest topics locally and nationally. She was nominated into the National Black Radio Hall of Fame in 2021 and will be inducted in 2022. And serves on the Hospital Foundation Board for the University of Texas System of East Texas.

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Dr. McKellar is a member of the North Tenneha Church of Christ, Tyler, Texas, where she nourishes her soul weekly, under the leadership of Minister, Dr. Edward Robinson. She is married to Brother Danny C. McKellar, retired educator/ administrator of the Dallas Independent School District and former minister. They are the proud parents of two adult children, Dr. Danñah McKellar, a one-time Post Doctorate Research Fellow at Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey; one Son, D. Carl McKellar II., employee of a General Motors Division & Owner of McKellar Trucking & Freight Company, and a Criminal Justice Major, Dallas, Texas; daughter-in-Law, Nadya, and five grandchildren, Tulani, the Late Tovio Koyti, Themba, Mizani, and Makali.

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