Dayton NAACP Reelects Derrick Foward as President
Members chose Foward for an 11th term, extending his presidency of the Dayton Branch NAACP into its 21st year.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in People
Members of the Dayton Branch NAACP reelected Derrick L. Foward as president for a two-year term beginning January 1, 2027. The branch also selected its leadership team for the 2027-2028 term.
Why it matters
Foward's continued leadership sustains the branch's long-running work on civil rights issues in the Dayton area. The new term sets the direction for the branch's advocacy priorities over the next two years.
Foward first took the branch presidency in November 2006 and has now served 11 terms, with the reelected term beginning January 1, 2027. Fifteen additional members were elected to the Executive Committee, though the source does not report the vote margins.
The players
Derrick L. Foward
Foward is a long-serving civil rights leader who has led the Dayton Branch NAACP since 2006.
Dayton Branch NAACP
The Dayton Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a local chapter of the nation's oldest civil rights organization.
The details
Members voted to reelect Foward for another two-year term, and the branch selected Tom Roberts as first vice president, Dr. Rhonda Gullette as second vice president, and Willie A. Terrell Jr. as third vice president. Colin L. Kimuli was elected secretary, Lynn Cooper assistant secretary, and Dinah M. Williams treasurer.
Timeline
November 2006: Foward first took the Dayton Branch NAACP presidency.
November 3, 2026: Members held the election reelecting Foward and selecting the leadership team.
January 1, 2027: Foward's new two-year term begins.
2027-2028: The new leadership team takes office for the term.
Market Landscape
Local NAACP branches like Dayton's operate under the national NAACP's chapter structure, which has coordinated civil rights advocacy across the country since 1909. Leadership continuity at the branch level shapes how that structure carries out voter engagement and police accountability work locally.
Dayton residents can expect the branch to keep pursuing voter registration, scholarship funding, and discrimination complaint investigations. The branch reports investigating 3,200 discrimination complaints and registering 6,200 voters during Foward's tenure.
The takeaway
Leadership continuity at local civil rights branches often determines how consistently community priorities like education and voter engagement are pursued over time. Readers interested in local advocacy can follow the branch's stated focus areas as the new term begins.
Further reading
For more on local leaders shaping community institutions, see People coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WKEF.
