For more than 70 years, Kappa has recognized members who pursue their passions and blaze new trails in their industries. The Alumnae Achievement Award (AAA) is the highest honor for personal and professional achievement that Kappa presents to its members at every Convention. We can’t wait for you to meet this biennium’s inspiring trailblazers.
Fiona Davis, William & Mary, is the author of eight historical fiction novels set in iconic New York City buildings, including The Stolen Queen and The Lions of Fifth Avenue, which was a Good Morning America Book Club pick. In less than a decade, Fiona has carved out a unique space in women’s historical fiction and has seen her novels translated into over 20 languages.
Caren Kelleher, Emory, is a music industry executive and entrepreneur with a career at the intersection of innovation and tradition. She left Silicon Valley and headed to Austin, Texas, where she became the founder and CEO of Gold Rush Vinyl, a company she created to meet the needs of a growing vinyl record industry. She is also co-owner of Waterloo Records, one of the world’s most iconic record stores.
Stacy Leeds, Washington Univ. (St. Louis), is an experienced and highly regarded leader in law, higher education, economic development, and conflict resolution. Stacy was recently appointed President of the University of Tulsa, a role she assumes in July 2026. She previously served as the ninth dean of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, the first Indigenous woman to serve as a law school dean in the United States. She is also a former Cherokee Nation Supreme Court Justice.
Michelle Munson, Kansas State, is the co-founder and CEO of Eluvio. She is co-creator of the Content Fabric protocol, an open and decentralized Internet protocol for owner-controlled streaming, storage, and monetization of digital content at scale. The Content Fabric provides premium content distribution and management for tier 1 sports, studios, and artists globally, and has won multiple product awards from leading organizations at global industry events. Michelle previously co-founded Aspera, which was acquired by IBM in 2014. She holds 15 U.S. patents in the areas of content networking, machine learning, blockchain, and distribution infrastructure.
Michele Pawk, Allegheny, has had a decades-long career on the stage and screen. Michele won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 2003 for her work in Hollywood Arms. Her acting credits include dozens of Broadway, off-Broadway, and regional theatre productions, including more recently as part of the cast of “Just in Time” and “Wicked” on Broadway, as well as movie and TV appearances. Michele is also proud of her work as a professor and director of student productions at Wagner College in New York.
Missy Tullis Tannen, Vanderbilt, is the founder and chief designer of Boll & Branch, a luxury bedding company she founded with her husband a little over a decade ago to redefine the industry. A third-generation Kappa, she’s a former elementary school teacher and stay-at-home mom turned textile visionary. The company has seen incredible success by focusing on ethical, high-quality products that have amassed a loyal following.
You can read more about each of these trailblazing Kappas in the spring 2026 issue of The Key, headed to mailboxes soon.
Please join us in congratulating these incredible Kappas. They will be officially recognized at our 76th Biennial Convention in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday, June 27, with several of them in attendance at a luncheon and panel presentation.
