Dr. Thelma Thomas Daley is actively involved as a humanitarian, organization leader, and counseling professional. She has served as the Director, Women in NAACP, the 16th President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the 8th National President and Chair of the National Council of Negro Women. She is a distinguished Counselor- Educator and administrator, a National Ce11ifiedCounselor, and an American Counseling Association Fellow. She recently completed a successful tenure with the Baltimore County Board of Education where she directed the counseling program for the 163 schools. At Loyola University, Baltimore, she has served as Assistant Professor of Counselor Education in the Graduate School and full-time Coordinator of Clinical Experiences. She has served, also, as an adjunct professor at her Alma Mater, George Washington University.
She is a graduate of Bowie State University, New York University, and George Washington University. In her doctoral studies at GWU, her peers lauded her for her superb counseling skills. She has pursued additional study at Catholic University, American University, and the University of Maryland.
Her advocacy for equity and excellence has been exemplified in her many national, state, and local roles. She has served as president of four national organizations. She broke the gender and racial barriers when she became president of the American School Counselor Association, representing the multitude of school counselors in the United States. Later she broke the racial and gender barriers when she became president of The America Counseling Association (the largest counseling association in the world), international in scope and representing a wide range of counseling groups. In both organizations, she paved the way for both women and ethnic minorities. She served as president of Women In Community Services, a coalition of The National Council of Catholic Women, The National Council of Negro Women, The National Council of Jewish Women, Church Women United, and The Hispanic Women. This coalition allowed her to be an advocate for education and training for young women in need via the U.S. Job Corps Centers.
She is the sixteenth national president of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Additionally, in Delta, she has served as National Treasurer, National Projects Chair, Chair of Scholarship and Standards and Vice President, Chair of Constitution and Bylaws, member of Rituals Committee, chapter president, collegiate adviser, an as interim Regional Director for the South Atlantic Region.
In the American Counseling Association her leadership roles have been continuous and numerous. She has served as treasurer three different terms and has had a long tenure on the Financial Affairs Committee. She chaired the American Counseling Association Foundation and the American Counseling Association Insurance Trust. She helped establish the National Board for Certified Counselors and served as its first Secretary -Treasurer. She has served as parliamentarian for her professional association’s Board numerous times and was appointed to Chair the Audit Committee. She is a strong advocate for excellence in the profession and continues to mentor and coach many young people in the field.
Dr. Daley has served on American Counseling Test (ACT) Advisory Board. With The College Board she has served in many capacities, including a long tenure on the Board of Trustees. Additionally, she served on the Board of Trustees with the Educational Testing Services (ETS) in Princeton. She was appointed to the National Advisory Council on Career Education and became the first woman to chair the body. She was an instructor at the Harvard University Summer Institute for Counselors. Baltimore County School System executes a summer Professional Development Institute for Counselors in her name.
Some Boards have included:
- Trustee, The Good Shepherd Center (Residential Treatment Center for Girls)
- Commissioner, The Baltimore City Engineering and Architectural Commission {where she makes sure the big contractors receiving large contracts have included Women Business Enterprises (WBE) and Minority Business Enterprises (MBE)}.
- The Saint Agnes Hospital Board of Directors
- National Coalition of 100 Black Women National Board
- The National Council of Negro Women and Director of the Dorothy I. Height Leadership Institute
- Director, the Carrollton Bank Board and Carrollton Bank. Corp.
- National Program Chair, The Links, Inc
- Parliamentarian for the Eastern Area Links under three administrations and Regional Rituals and Protocol Chair
- Completed a term on The Baltimore Women’s Commission
- Served several terms on the board for National Peer Helper Association National
- Board, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
- Completed a long tenure as Commissioner, Baltimore City Civic Design Commission and currently serves on the Architectural and Engineering Commission
- National Treasurer of the American Counseling Association
- National Board for Certified Counselors Secretary/Treasurer
In the NAACP, she has given many volunteer hours at the local and national level. She serves as National Director of Women In NAACP (WIN). On the local level, she has coordinated many of the Branch’s special activities, i.e., The Freedom Fund Affairs and as local coordinator for the National NAACP Convention held in Baltimore. In a special NAACP Goodwill and Trade Mission to Cuba, she was the lead person for the initiatives with the Cuban women. She led the Women In NAACP (WIN) in building schools in Benin, West Africa, one of the three main countries in the Triangular Slave Trade. Under the auspices of NCNW and Dorothy Height, she was a NGO delegate to the 2001 World Conference in Durban, South Africa on Racism, Sexism, and Xenophobia and was a workshop presenter.
She is past president of the Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter, National Coalition of 100 Black Women. She is the recipient of many awards in the field of counseling on the national level, state level, and local level. She received her professional association’s highest award; The Wrenn Humanitarian Award, and was inducted as an American Counseling Association Fellow.
Some recent awards:
- Induction in the Women’s Hall of Fame
- The Harriett Tubman Award (The Second given in Maryland) T
- The Urban League’s Whitney Young Award
- Radio Station Heaven 600 (Clear Channel) Woman of Dignity Achievement Award
- Kappa Alpha Psi Leadership and Community Service Award
- The Fullwood Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award (The second one given in twenty years)
- The Afro American Newspaper Pioneer Award
- The Mary Church Terrell Award Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s Highest Award
- 2009 St. Agnes Hospital Highest Award
- 2009 Coppin State University’s Distinguished Community Leadership Award
Dr. Daley gives freely of her time to organizations. She is generous in offering training to groups, especially in leadership development. She has written professional articles, keynoted the International American Counseling Association Convention, has given workshops and/or speeches throughout the United States, in Europe, and The Virgin Islands. She has served as a consultant to publishing firms and works fearlessly to influence groups to eliminate biases and to facilitate programs that benefit the underserved and minorities, and she mentors several professionals. In the Archdiocese of Baltimore, she serves on the Archdiocese’s Annual Appeal Allocation Committee and has served a tenure on the Advisory Board to the Superintendent of the Archdiocese.
Many in her profession and in the community view her as a diplomatic, yet strong voice for equity and excellence. She has long been a leader for women and for the voiceless. She gives freely of her knowledge, skills, and resources to help others grow and to find their gifts. Many seek her to offer training and organization development.
She has been noted for her organizational and leadership skills, writing and speaking skills; and her ability to motivate and inspire people to find and reach their potential.