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RENÉE PALMORE BEAMAN, RN (fondly known as "Nurse Nay") served as the first lady of Bethel AME Church, Lackawanna, New York, St. Paul AME Church, Hamilton, Bermuda, and Bethel AME Church, Wilmington, Delaware. She has been honored to serve in the 15th Episcopal District (South Africa) and is now the Supervisor of Mission leading the Missionaries and Youth of the 12th Episcopal District (Arkansas and Oklahoma).
She has earned notable recognition as the Founder and now Board Chair of the Beautiful Gate Outreach Center (BGOC), Delaware's first full-service HIV/AIDS faith-based organization. BGOC was created as an initial ministry outreach of the Florida Grant Women's Missionary Society (WMS) of Bethel AME Church, where she served as the WMS Advisor for twenty-eight years. She has held WMS offices on the Episcopal, Conference, and local levels. Under her administration, BGOC created over twenty-five programs, including onsite HIV rapid testing, and emergency room (ER) HIV testing, prison HIV education programs for males/females, clothing support for children attending HIV Dream Catchers Camp, and an onsite medical clinic, in partnership with Christiana Care Health Systems. Her travels to South Africa, Sydney, Australia, London, England, and throughout the US have allowed her to share experiences and training with staff and clients. Renée was honored to be a speaker at the International AIDS Conference (Washington, DC), during which the release of the "Gospel of Healing" featured BGOC’s unique ministry.
In response to the creation of National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, Renée created the “Saving Our Sisters” annual conference for women and girls. Celebrity guest speakers have included TV Judge Glenda Hatchett, TV Judge Karen Mills-Francis, Actresses Jasmine Guy, Rolonda Watts, Cassie Davis, Keisha Knight Pulliam, Vanessa Williams, Terri J. Vaughn, Activist Dr. Pernessa Seele, and Entertainer Sheryl Lee Ralph.
Delaware's Governor appointed Renée in 2014 as one of the eleven Department of Health and Social Services Directors. She was the only African American Female State Director. She led the Division of State Service Centers, overseeing one hundred and forty employees, fifteen statewide Social Service Centers, and the State Office of Volunteerism. There, she began a trauma-informed approach training program in partnership with the College of Behavioral Health at Wilmington University to improve the service delivery of staff and increase their understanding of childhood trauma and its impact on a person’s behavior and physical health. For her efforts, she received the Governor’s Trauma Champion Award. In 2020, Renée and her staff were tasked with providing safe emergency housing for thousands of Delaware’s homeless residents due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She is credited with helping the state purchase an 187-bed hotel (formerly Sheraton Hotel) that became vacant due to COVID-19. Currently, she works within the Lt. Governor’s Office as the Director of Community Engagement for the Behavioral Health Consortium.
Renée was the first African American School Nurse (Registered Nurse) for Delaware’s Colonial School District. She is a Tuskegee University nursing graduate with a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration. She holds nursing specialties in pediatrics, cardiology, and infectious disease. She is an RN Writer and author with several medical article contributions in infectious disease, trauma awareness, and one’s health. She is RPB Consulting Group's principal owner, providing trauma-informed awareness, HIV education, spiritual health presentations, and administrative support to faith communities.
Renée is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Wilmington (DE) Chapter Links, Inc., and a former member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women. A recipient of many awards, which include being an inductee into the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women.
She is a native of Niagara Falls, New York, and the wife and partner of 38 years to Bishop Silvester Scott Beaman, mother of Asaiah (Gregory Fisher) and Kori (Walter Cheatham), and grandmother ("Queenie") to Maliah Renée, Gabrielle, Gregory Mason, and Kai.