Transition Farewell Message From 2025–2026 National Chair, Chika Okwor

Hello, NSBE family,

It’s Chika Okwor, your 2025–2026 National Chair and today, I simply want to say thank you.

Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for believing in me. And thank you for giving me the honor and privilege of serving you not just this year, but over the past ten years of my life.

If you had told me ten years ago, as I was helping charter my very first chapter with just 10 members, that one day I would serve as National Chair… I probably wouldn’t have believed you. But that’s the beauty of NSBE. It sees something in you before you even see it in yourself.

To go from that small beginning… to standing here now as National Chair… has been one of the greatest honors of my life.

Over this past decade, I’ve had the opportunity to serve at every level, chapter, regional, and national and CPC. And through each step, what has mattered most has never just been the titles or the work, it has been the people.

The people who became family.
The people who became lifelong friends.
The people who inspired me, challenged me, and reminded me why this organization matters.

To the members of NSBE you have been my why. Every conversation, every interaction, every moment of connection has fueled me. You have inspired me more than you will ever know.

To my board, my CPC, my PEB, and our advisors, thank you for your partnership, your support, and your commitment to this vision. To the World Headquarters staff thank you for being the engine behind the scenes, ensuring that everything moved forward with excellence.

And to our incoming leadership—to Casey, my successor—congratulations. It has been an incredible journey watching your growth, and I am so excited for what you and your board will accomplish. You now join a legacy of leaders, and I know you will carry it forward with strength and purpose.

As I close this chapter, I do so with a full heart.

NSBE has given me more than I could have ever imagined—purpose, community, and a legacy that I will carry with me forever.

And while my term may be ending, my commitment to NSBE will never end.

Thank you, NSBE, for the journey.
Thank you for the memories.
And thank you for allowing me to serve.

Forever NSBE.