Created in 2012, DeAlva’s DWA Purposeful Leadership™ program is currently being used within universities and organizations nationwide. Seeing the need for targeted development, she launched two leadership programs to help the advancement of women and leaders of color in 2019. In 2020 DeAlva was voted one of Charlotte’s Most Influential Women. She helped launch the Civic Leadership Academy for the city of Charlotte and led the leadership development programming for six years. In 2021 during the height of the Covid response, she was featured by Charlotte Business Journal as a local leader who connects commerce and social justice.

 

Known as a “Quiet Changemaker”, DeAlva’s passion for building stronger companies from within, and fueling the personal and professional success of others has transformed people and cultures for more equitable outcomes and authentic connections across racial and socioeconomic divides; positioned businesses for multi-million dollar contracts; helped attack the opioid crisis in the midwest; increased college graduation rates across the state of South Carolina for first generation, low-income and underrepresented students; helped improve healthcare outcomes for hispanic communities across the state of South Carolina; helped Fortune 500s, commercial real estate developers, and local governments connect with diverse markets to protect the interests of residents and minority contractors; and is building teams of purposeful leaders across organizations and communities.

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She is an active community leader, and has two gubernatorial appointments to serve on the Governor’s Economic Recovery Group and the NC Capital Facilities Finance Agency. Additionally, DeAlva served on the City of Charlotte’s COVID Recovery Task Force, Chaired the City of Charlotte Business Advisory Committee for several years and sits on the Boards of Do Greater, Freedom Communities, and the Advisory Committee for Dress for Success Charlotte.  She is the Past President of the Winthrop University Black Alumni Council, a member of Delta Sigma Theta and of Jack and Jill of America.

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DeAlva earned a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Winthrop University, and a Harvard Management Development Certification. Additionally she is a University of Georgia Certified Executive Coach, receiving her Diversity, Equity and Inclusion certification from Cornell University, and a Six-Sigma Greenbelt.

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DeAlva resides in Charlotte where she lives with her husband Bobby. They have grown children and one special grand, Lauren Grace.