Velma Louise Willoughby Kemp, the daughter of Rev. Jordan (deceased) and Mrs. Zenobia Willoughby, was born and raised in Arkansas as a daughter of the church.  She developed a deep and abiding love for Christ as she regularly listened to her father proclaim the gospel as pastor of the Chapel Hill Baptist Church and the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Arkansas.  This provided the controlling foundation for the rest of her life.

After completing high school in England, Arkansas, Sister Kemp earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing in July 1985 from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway.   One month later, she married her high school sweetheart who was then a medical student at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. 

In 1988, she joined the Antioch Baptist Church with her husband Pastor Kenneth Kemp and eldest daughter.  Over the years, she has remained an integral component of the Antioch Church family.  She is active in Antioch’s Church School, the Wednesday Word and Worship Service, the Minister’s & Deacon’s Wives Ministry, the Rites of Passage Program, the Marriage Ministry, and the Mission Choir.

She has previously worked as a realtor while her husband traveled in the military.  In the late 90s, she was selected to be the founding Executive Director of the Community of Churches for Social Action (CCSA) upon the recommendation of Rev. Dr. E. Thurman Walker, then pastor and founder of CCSA. Under her directorship, CCSA established a robust scholarship program in partnerships with numerous community organizations, including ARAMARK, the San Antonio Livestock and Exposition organization, and the Alamo Community College District which has provided hundreds of scholarships to worthy students from all over San Antonio and surrounding regions.  She also was part of the brain trust that established the C. William and Zernona Black Endowment for Scholarships to college students who agree to commit to community service.  Sister Kemp continues to work closely with the C. William and Zernona Black Scholarship Endowment.  Her influence as a former Executive Director of CCSA continues to be felt through the legacy of students who have benefited from her service.

Along with her busy schedule of service in her church and CCSA, Sister Kemp is involved in numerous other civic and educational initiatives.   She is a member of the San Antonio chapter of the Links Incorporated, the Jack & Jill organization, the NAACP, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the Girls Incorporated Advisory Board.  She also volunteers and supports two Jack and Jill Programs in partnership with the Scott Davis YMCA: the Back-to-School Backpacks Program and the Christmas Party/Gift Giving to Needy Families Program.  In addition, she volunteers at a Finishing School for Girls sponsored by the Links Incorporated in partnership with the Edgar Metzger Middle School.

While Sister Kemp has numerous accomplishments, the one of which she is most proud is that of being mother to her two daughters, Jessica (23) and Joelle (17).