What does it mean to be a Southernite?
To be a Southernite is more than a title. It's an experience, it's a feeling, and it's a commitment...from the moment you cross over "The Hump", stand in line for registration, sit in your first class, cheer and dance to the beat of the Human Jukebox in A.W. Mumford Stadium, and that final moment when you hold your degree, you realize the magnitude of the Southern University legacy. It's also in that defining moment that you realize your commitment to ensuring that the legacy continues. To be a Southernite means we owe our all to thee.
Kia's Bio:
Kia Bickham is a motivated and results-oriented leader. For the last seven months, she has worked tirelessly as the Political Director for the Campaign to Re-Elect Governor John Bel Edwards. When not on the campaign trail, Kia serves as a community outreach and project manager for APTIM Environmental and Infrastructure, Inc.
Ms. Bickham has an extensive background in community and civic engagement, serving as the Chief Service Officer for the City of Baton Rouge under Mayor-President Melvin L. “Kip” Holden for five years until her transition to the private sector in 2017. Prior to joining the City, she served as a consulting on political campaigns and as a project manager for Hilton Hotels & Resorts. She also served as a Community Outreach Manager for Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu and Executive Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director for the late Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco.
She earned a Masters in Public Administration from Southern, where she also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications. While at Southern, she was privileged to work as a writer and photographer for the Southern University Digest, and was named Editor-In-Chief of the Millennium Edition of the Jaguar Yearbook (1999-2000) as a sophomore, successfully returning the yearbook to a yearly production after a three year hiatus.
Kia bleeds blue and gold and is devoted to working with those committed to preserving the University’s legacy. She is a past president of the Alumni Home Chapter, a member of the Alumni Federation, and the System Foundation’s 1880 Society.
She currently serves as an investment team leader for the Capital Area United Way, is a member of the board of directors for Serve Louisiana and for BASIS Baton Rouge, a local charter school. In 2014, she was recognized by the Baton Rouge Business Report as one of the area’s Top 40 Under Forty. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, serving as an Undergraduate Advisor to the Beta Psi chapter for many years.