(Black PR Wire) ATLANTA - The National Black MBA Association, Inc. (NBMBAA®) has officially announced its new executive leadership: Shawn M. Graham, CPA as its interim chief executive officer and Paula Fontana as interim president. 

Graham transitions from her role as NBMBAA’s CFO to the interim CEO role. Prior to joining NBMBAA, she served as the chief financial officer of the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority (Authority), which is the owner of Grady Health System. There she was responsible for the oversight and compliance of Grady’s Pension Plan, endowment funds, investment strategies, uncompensated care reporting, bond issuance of the $250M Center for Advanced Surgical Services, and the financial statements of the Authority.

Born and raised in New York City, Graham graduated from Lehman College with her bachelor’s degree in accounting; her certification in public accounting from the Georgia State Board of Accountancy, and her business and executive coaching certification from FocalPoint in San Diego, California. She is a fellow of the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants and a member of the Association of International Certified Accountants. In 2021, Graham was selected to the Atlanta Business League’s 100 Women of Influence, and in 2022 she received the League Leadership Award.

Graham’s community commitments include serving as board secretary for the Atlanta Business League, board treasurer for the Legislative Black Caucus of Georgia Foundation, Inc., and member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc., Metropolitan Atlanta Chapter. In 2020, Graham was appointed to serve a two-year term with the City of Atlanta Small Business Advisory Council.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to lead this great organization that has done so much for the systemically excluded,” said Graham. “I will use my knowledge, experiences and passion to empower while producing results and propelling the NBMBAA into the future.” 

Joining Graham at the helm is Paula Fontana, who is transitioning into the position of president from her role as NBMBAA’s vice president of strategic program initiatives. As vice president, her efforts were focused on the development, coordination and implementation of new and existing programs and initiatives in support of NBMBAA fulfilling its responsibility to its members. 

With a global mindset, Fontana also led the Association’s trade mission to Liberia and Ghana. 

As a testament to her leadership and commitment to Black excellence, Fontana was nominated and selected to be a recipient of the 2022 BMe Vanguard Award. BMe Vanguards are a “collection of some of the brightest minds in fields such as business, education, public policy, culture and social impact.” Additionally, Fontana serves on the Board of the Forum on Education Abroad and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

“I am both humbled and ecstatic about stepping into this new position to serve the Association,” said Fontana. “I am deeply committed to serving our staff, chapters, members, partners, and stakeholders as we serve the broader community. I have always been passionate about impacting and enriching lives and it is an honor to serve an organization just as committed to making an impactful difference as National Black MBA Association.”

Graham and Fontana are both “excited” about leading the NBMBAA into the future and look forward to engaging with the NBMBAA’s membership at its 44th Annual Conference and Exposition happening in Atlanta this September. 

To learn more about NBMBAA, visit nbmbaa.org. 

###

About National Black MBA Association: NBMBAA® is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) member-based professional organization which leads in the creation of educational, wealth building and growth opportunities for Black students, professionals, and entrepreneurs. Representing more than 20,000 members, 41 professional chapters, and 33 Leaders of Tomorrow® chapters, and over 500 corporate, academic, and non-profit partners, the Association is dedicated to developing alliances that create intellectual and economic wealth in the Black community through its five channels of engagement: career, education, entrepreneurship, leadership, and lifestyle. To learn more about NBMBAA, please go to nbmbaa.org and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.