Dr. Ramona Curtis

Dr. Ramona Curtis is a distinguished academic and workforce development leader, currently serving as the Director of Workforce Programming at Tulsa Community College. She is also a respected Human Relations Consultant, leveraging her extensive experience in higher education, community engagement, and criminal justice reform.
Dr. Curtis retired from Baylor University after more than two decades of service, where she led departments such as Human Relations, the Leadership Academy, and Community Engagement. She was also an adjunct faculty member in the Honors College, School of Education, and Business School. During her tenure, she received the Diversity Enhancement Award for her efforts in supporting underserved populations and developing racial reconciliation programs.
Her academic credentials include an Associate of Arts in Journalism from McLennan Community College, a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Texas at Arlington, and both a Master of Arts in Sociology and a Doctor of Philosophy from Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU).
Before her tenure in academia, Dr. Curtis had a distinguished career in criminal justice, serving as a probation officer in McLennan County, Texas, where she managed a maximum felony caseload. Her pioneering efforts in culturally specific programming significantly reduced the disproportionate revocation rates of African Americans, earning her the Best Practice in Community Corrections award in Texas. She later served as the Executive Director for both the Tom Green County Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and the McLennan County Restitution Center—62-bed community corrections facilities—becoming the first African American and first woman to lead those institutions. She also contributed to policy development as a member of the Residential Director’s Council for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Community Justice Division.
A preacher’s daughter, she has remained deeply engaged in faith-based leadership. She previously served as the Waco District Director for Lay Speaking in the United Methodist Church, where she taught courses such as Preaching to the Black Congregation and Why Men Hate Going to Church. She continues her ministry work on the Religion and Race and Church and Society committees at Boston Avenue UMC.