Leadership
H.E. Dr. Metashar
Bankhead Dillon
Peace Ambassador · Chairman, KIEDC
A globally respected humanitarian leader and fourth-generation entrepreneur whose work spans local communities, national platforms, and international development initiatives across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Gulf.
portrait photo
H.E. Dr. Metashar Bankhead Dillon
Chairman, KIEDC · Peace Ambassador
Scope of impact
From Connecticut to Zambia —
and beyond
Dr. Dillon's work operates across three concentric rings of impact — grassroots community service, national mobilization, and international development — each informing and reinforcing the others.
Thirty years of grassroots service in Connecticut
Dr. Dillon's humanitarian journey is rooted in community leadership that predates her international work. For more than three decades, she has led initiatives addressing food insecurity, education access, and economic hardship across Connecticut.
She founded the Miss Black Connecticut Scholarship Pageant in 1989, which has awarded scholarships to young women pursuing higher education. Since 2000, she has organized statewide food and resource rallies providing food distribution, healthcare access, clothing, and employment support.
Programs like Haircuts & Styles for Jobs were developed in direct response to economic downturns, restoring dignity while meeting critical community needs.
Mobilizing large-scale humanitarian response across the United States
Nationally, Dr. Dillon has mobilized large-scale humanitarian and empowerment initiatives through KIEDC, responding to natural disasters, economic crises, and public health emergencies. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she led KIEDC efforts that helped feed more than one million individuals, families, and elderly community members across the United States.
A cornerstone of her national work is the KIEDC Youth Humanitarian Awards, a flagship platform recognizing young leaders making meaningful contributions in business, technology, humanitarian service, and social impact — elevating youth voices while fostering leadership, civic engagement, and economic literacy.
She also launched the Celebrity Youth Entrepreneur and Technology Tour, led alongside her son, actor and entrepreneur Chase W. Dillon, to educate and inspire young people in business ownership, innovation, and financial literacy.
Shifting communities from emergency relief to long-term resilience
Internationally, Dr. Dillon leads initiatives across Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the Gulf, partnering with global leaders, tribal authorities, and local organizations to advance food security, build sustainable agricultural hubs, expand youth entrepreneurship, and improve access to essential healthcare — including free specialty services for children.
In Zambia, Dr. Dillon supports structured food security programs through KIEDC and the iFeedAfrica movement, partnering with local leaders and volunteers to provide consistent nourishment, restore dignity, and engage global and diasporic communities in solidarity.
Her work prioritizes culturally informed, community-led approaches that honor local leadership while aligning with global development goals — the foundation of the Three Seasons Standard.
Cross-border strategist and published author
In addition to her humanitarian leadership, Dr. Dillon is CEO of Connecticut Image Network, LLC, and a managing member of Chase W. Dillon Enterprises LLC, focusing on youth empowerment and creative entrepreneurship.
In 2015, she entered into a strategic partnership with Future Trends International Group in Shanghai, China, serving as a U.S.-based advisor supporting companies seeking expansion across China, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Gulf Cooperation Council regions — elevating her role as a cross-border economic strategist.
A published author of three books on vision, leadership, and entrepreneurship, Dr. Dillon is also an accomplished entertainment producer and a sought-after mentor and life coach — providing guidance to leaders, entrepreneurs, families, and women preparing for adoption.
Organizations & platforms
Institutions she founded
or leads
Good Success — progress that strengthens communities, honors culture, and benefits all of humanity.
— H.E. Dr. Metashar Bankhead Dillon
Dr. Dillon's work is guided by a lifelong commitment to service, faith, and the belief that true development must leave enduring legacies. Her philosophy of "Good Success" rejects aid that creates dependency and insists on building pathways to self-determination, cultural dignity, and generational prosperity. It is this conviction — that communities hold the keys to their own transformation — that underpins the Three Seasons Standard and every partnership KIEDC forms.
A life in service
Milestones
Connect with Dr. Dillon
