Chandra Byrd Chambliss True Blue Through and Through

By Service, Love, and the Quiet Courage to Begin Again — Chandra Byrd Chambliss, C'2012, Lives the Spelman Mission from the Inside Out

She was nine years old and living in Giessen, Germany — the daughter of a U.S. Army soldier who would serve his country for 21 years — when Chambliss first began to understand what roots mean. Home, for a military child, is wherever the orders send you. But when her family returned to Atlanta in 1966, to her parents’ hometown, she began to plant them. And she has never stopped growing.

More than half a century later, on April 11, 2026, Spelman College will honor her with its True Blue Award during the institution’s 145th Founders Day Convocation — a recognition reserved for those who embody the very soul of the College. Few, perhaps, have earned it as completely.

THE CALLING

Chambliss joined Spelman College in 2004 as a temporary employee, not yet knowing she was walking into the place she would call home for the next two decades. She was hired as administrative assistant to the incoming associate provost for research, Lily D. McNair, Ph.D., and it was in the orbit of that extraordinary community of educated Black women that something shifted. The College’s mission — to educate and empower Black women — was not abstract. It was alive in the hallways. It was in her colleagues. It was, she realized, in her.

In 2006, encouraged by Dr. McNair, Chambliss enrolled in Spelman’s Pauline E. Drake Scholars Program, a continuing education initiative designed for non-traditional students. She was a working professional, a wife, a mother, deeply embedded in campus life. And in 2012, at 56 years old, Chambliss crossed the stage and earned her bachelor’s degree — fulfilling a personal dream while embodying the very mission she had served for years.

“Chandra epitomizes the ‘True Blue’ spirit through her unwavering dedication to Spelman’s mission of academic excellence and sisterhood. She navigates the complexities of institutional governance with remarkable poise and precision — her service goes beyond administrative duty. She is a vital bridge across our campus community, modeling the integrity, reliability, and transformative grace that define a Spelmanite.” 

— Mark E. Lee, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs 

Those who have watched Chambliss’ journey most closely — through every role, every transition, every quiet act of service — speak of a woman whose rise felt less like ambition and more like inevitability. Aditi Pai, vice provost and chief of staff, has worked alongside Chambliss in the Office of the Provost and offers a perspective that is both institutional and deeply personal.

“Chandra’s path from starting as a temp in 2004 to now serving as Special Assistant to the Provost in 2026 is a testimony to her extraordinary talent. Anyone who knows Chandra is not the slightest bit surprised by this arc of progress and triumph. Her intelligence, efficiency, and work ethic made it inevitable that she would experience steady advancement and recognition in our community.” 

— Aditi Pai, Vice Provost and Chief of Staff 

THE PILLARS: FAMILY, FAITH AND SERVICE

The arc of Chambliss’ life is shaped by three enduring pillars: family, faith and service. They are not separate categories for her — they are the same calling, expressed in different rooms.

She has been married to Thomas III for 47½ years, a union she calls the foundation of her life — one made possible by a best friend she has known for nearly 60 years. Together, she and Thomas raised three children, all of whom now serve the City of Atlanta: Thomas IV as a bomb technician, Jeremy as a fire department lieutenant, and Niya as a sergeant. She is the proud grandmother of four and great-grandmother of one, known for cheering from the sidelines of baseball, football, basketball and T-ball games with unmatched enthusiasm.

Her faith is the cornerstone of everything. A devoted member of Cascade United Methodist Church, she serves on the Christian Door Keepers Usher Board — one more quiet, faithful expression of a life built around welcoming others.

BEHIND THE SCENES, ACROSS THE CAMPUS

At Spelman, Chambliss has served in a range of increasingly senior roles across research administration and academic affairs. When Dr. McNair was named president of Tuskegee University in 2019, Chambliss followed her as executive assistant — a testament to trust built over years. She returned to Spelman in 2021 as manager of Faculty Affairs and was later appointed special assistant to the provost in 2023, the position she currently holds under Provost Mark E. Lee, Ph.D.

But as Pai is quick to remind, the impressive titles tell only part of the story.

“The important and impressive titles she holds, and has held, are only a small part of her success story. Her true success is the incredible positive impact she has on our community with her integrity, care, concern, and thoughtfulness. Her real accomplishment is in how we all know that we can count on Chandra for information, insight, and encouragement.” 

— Aditi Pai, Vice Provost and Chief of Staff 

Her commitment to Spelman extends far beyond any job description. For eight years, she served as volunteer coordinator for Founders Day, Baccalaureate, and Commencement — ensuring that some of the College’s most cherished traditions unfolded with excellence and care. She served as team leader for the United Way Campaign, as a Research Day moderator, and for years as an active member of Staff Council, consistently lending her voice and leadership to her colleagues and the broader campus community.

THE FULL PICTURE

Beyond a remarkable career, Chambliss is a woman of vivid, full-spectrum humanity. She loves to cook, finding her greatest joy in watching others enjoy her meals. She has traveled to London and Cape Town as a chaperone for Spelman students. She recently witnessed the eruption of Volcán de Fuego in Guatemala. She is an enthusiastic puzzle builder, a Lego enthusiast, and the proud curator of a collection of nearly 60 Black Barbie dolls — a celebration of beauty, culture and representation that reflects her belief that Black women deserve to see themselves in every space.

A lover of life in every way, she shares her home with three beloved dogs — CeaCea, Brock, and King — carrying forward a love that began in childhood. When her family returned from Germany in 1966, they brought their treasured German Shepherd, Tiger, with them. Some loyalties cross oceans.

Chambliss also has a girls’ group, “Simply Better,” whose members show up for one another through laughter, through life’s challenges, and through annual trips to Destin, Florida, and Orange Beach, Alabama. She never meets a stranger. She is, at heart, simply a girl who wants to have fun — and who somehow manages to carry an entire institution on her shoulders while doing it.

TRUE BLUE

The True Blue Award is not given lightly. It is bestowed upon those who do not merely pass through Spelman College but are changed by it — and who, in turn, change it. Chandra Byrd Chambliss is such a person.

From military child to Atlanta daughter, from non-traditional student to Spelman graduate, from temporary employee to trusted leader in the Office of the Provost — she has poured her whole heart into every space she occupies. She serves quietly, faithfully and consistently, often behind the scenes, but her impact is felt across campus in ways both seen and unseen.

“A true testament of our confidence in her is that we trust we can turn to her for advice and help. We know we can rely on her to show up in support when a loved one passes on, when we need a ride to a surgery, or to pick up the phone when we call her in a bind. We know with certainty that she is in our corner when we need kindness, empathy, and prayers. Those are the true measures of her success — and the reason why she is absolutely ‘True Blue.’” 

— Aditi Pai, Vice Provost and Chief of Staff 

“She does not simply work at Spelman College,” Dr. Lee said. “She believes in it. She lives its mission. She reflects its spirit. She is, in every sense of the word, True Blue.”

On April 11, 2026, as Spelman celebrates 145 years of transforming the lives of Black women, it will pause to honor one of its own. Chandra Byrd Chambliss did not simply find Spelman. She became it.