2023 SELECTION COMMITTEE

LIZZY OLSEN DEBS, MISS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA 2015

Lizzy Olsen-Debs is Counsel for the United States Senate and has worked in the Senate for over 8 years. As Counsel, she specializes in legal interpretations and legislative drafting of environmental and energy policy with a focus on water infrastructure and environmental justice. Most recently, Lizzy was one of the lead authors of the water infrastructure provisions of the Infrastructure Investments & Jobs Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden last year and is the most significant investment in our nation's water infrastructure in history.

Lizzy was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada. She moved to Washington, D.C. in 2014, after receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Oklahoma and her Juris Doctorate from Oklahoma City University School of Law. Lizzy modeled for several years and has been featured in several print ads and runway shows.

Lizzy was crowned Miss District of Columbia USA 2015 and competed at the 64th Annual Miss USA Pageant in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in July 2015. During her reign, Lizzy enjoyed working with Best Buddies, the National Center for Children and Families, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Being part of the Miss District of Columbia USA family was one of the best experiences of her life and she loves still being an active and involved member of the sisterhood.

Lizzy recently married her husband Paul Debs two years ago in Washington, D.C. and they live in the DMV area with their beloved cat “Bunny.”

TAYLOR HALE, TELEVISION PERSONALITY & MISS MICHIGAN USA 2021

Taylor Hale is a television personality best known for recently winning the 24th season of the American primetime reality television series Big Brother. With her win, Taylor made history as the first African-American woman to win the competition. She is also the first Big Brother houseguest to win both the game and the "America's Favorite Houseguest" prize. She has since taken America by storm and was recently awarded "Favorite Reality Star" during the E! News TV Scoop Awards due to her resilience in the face of adversity and relatability.

While pursuing her undergraduate degree at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Taylor competed in the 2017 Miss District of Columbia USA Pageant and placed as a top 15 semifinalist. After graduation, she returned to her hometown of Detroit, Michigan and won the title of Miss Michigan USA 2021. Taylor competed at the 2021 Miss USA Pageant held in Tulsa, Oklahoma and was voted Miss Congeniality. She also recently went on record about her experiences with harassment at the hands of the former Miss USA Vice President, leading to his dismissal from the organization. She has such a powerful story and is using her newfound platform to lead conversations around equality for women and people of color in all sectors of the entertainment industry.

ELVA ANDERSON, MISS DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA USA 1988

Elva Anderson Ph.D., ATR-BC, LPC is a board certified art therapist, a licensed professional counselor, and a certified Mindfulness Meditation teacher. Her personal mission is to assist in empowering people to transform their lives from the inside out. Her treatment style blends the expressive arts therapies (art, music, dance /movement, poetry, and psychodrama/improvisation) with clinical treatment. Currently, she works at a local hospital, where she has received several professional honors..

Elva was crowned Miss District of Columbia USA 1988 and went on to receive the title of Miss Congeniality at the 1988 Miss USA Pageant. She also represented the nation's capital at the Miss USA USO Tour and performed internationally in five European countries: Germany, Turkey, Greece, Italy, and France. Elva was also a former Miss D.C. Cherry Blossom Princess and received the title of Miss Amity. She has judged pageants in several states, worked as a a fashion model, and worked as a Screen Actor Guild actress on stage, television, and film. She is a lifetime lover of the arts, enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, and being with her family.

MONA MOUMEN, RAMONA DESIGNS

Mona Moumen is a celebrity fashion designer based in Virginia and the founder of luxury couture gown brand raMona Designs. If you ask Mona, she says fashion has not only empowered her, but it is the only matter that drives her to excel... and excel she has! Mona uses her designer talent to help women bring to life their unique and authentic selves. She was recently featured on FOX5 News and her designs have been seen recently at New York Fashion Week, DC Fashion Week, on television. Most recently, Mona worked with the Miss Universe Organization and designed 2 luxury evening gowns for Miss Universe 2022 R'Bonney Gabriel for her tour to Asia. and Mona's designs were seen on television and across social media platforms.

When asked about her passion for fashion, Mona says, "Fashion does not just exist for how you dress; it can interpret how a person feels... how their day went." She helps women enhance their natural beauty through her brand's haute couture designs and notes that when designing a custom gown, she ensures every woman receives an exquisite experience where she feels like she’s on top of the world, her outfit is one of a kind, she shines like a queen on the red carpet, and is filled with confidence and grace.

THOMASINA PERKINS, CEO AND PUBLICIST OF CAPITOL PUBLIC RELATIONS LLC

Thomasina Perkins is the CEO and Principal Publicist of Capitol Public Relations, LLC. Capitol Public Relations provides services to high profile artists, entertainers, designers, authors, professional athletes, television and radio networks, political figures, entrepreneurs, and heads of corporations. They have established a niche in the political arena and community by working with several national and international non-profit organizations, creating win/win solutions and opportunities for both the organizations and CPR clients. She also serves as Chief Communications Officer of the Meet/Now dating app WinknDrink.

Thomasina is a Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth Minority Business Enterprise Fellow and majority owner of the Washington Women’s Football Team in the Women’s Football League Association (WFLA). She entered the world of film and television on her client’s reality show “Braxton Family Values.” She has also appeared in network news segments and worked in casting, location management, and strategic project planning and execution. Listed on both ARRAY NOW and IMDb as a Unit Publicist, Production Consultant, Associate Producer and Locations Manager, Thomasina is the 1st African-American woman locations manager to be listed with the DC Film Office.

Thomasina is a member of the Association for Women in Sports Media, Alliance for Women in Media, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), NFL Alumni Association, Hip Hop Sisters, The Recording Academy; DC Grammy Chapter, is the DC Metro Area Network Director for National Association of Black Female Executives in Music and Entertainment (NABFEME) and serves as official publicist for the world known Black Girls Rock! BGR! Fest.