Dr. Annissa Roland is an educator, community leader, and entrepreneur. Annissa was born in Des Moines, but graduated from Valley High as a third generation graduate. She began her educational career as a director of educational programs  at the Willkie House, teacher in Des Moines Public Schools, director of the then Tiny Tots Learning Center, and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

In 2001 Dr. Roland married and moved to Georgia. There she continued her work as an educator in Savannah Chatham County Public Schools. Currently she is a national education consultant with the nonprofit organization, the Schlechty Center. For the last 17 years she has been consulting and partnering with public school systems across the nation to focus on designing quality, challenging, interesting, and satisfying work for students.

 

She is the owner and designer of AJ Stone Jewelry hand-making one of a kind semiprecious stone jewelry for men and women. Dr. Roland holds leadership roles in her church and the Greater Savannah Black Chamber of Commerce.  And she still maintains her Iowa roots as the board President of Taste of the Junction Inc. in West Des Moines.
 

Annissa will always be a Valley Tiger c/o 1991. An alumnus of Iowa State University Annissa earned two bachelors of science degrees in elementary education and early childhood education. Her masters degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in integrating the arts is from Lesley University in Massachusetts. Dr. Roland studied organizational leadership at Nova Southeastern University in Florida.

This proud mother of three, nana of five and wife to a veteran loves to learn and lives to teach.