Providing housing units to the homeless, Sharron E. Liggins-Rogers, EdD, had the idea that nursing was an honorable profession instilled in her at a young age by her mother, Rubye Mae, and her aunt, Dr. Mary Elizabeth Whitehurst. During that time, options were limited for African American women; she could either be a nurse or an educator. Today, she has been the founder and CEO of her own consulting firm, Liggins and Associates Consultants, which she opened in 1998.
In addition to this role, Dr. Liggins-Rogers is the executive director of the Continuum of Care Network, NWI, Inc./Drug Free Gary Coalition, Inc. in Gary, Indiana, since 2003. Through this position, she is responsible for planning, directing, implementing, and facilitating the process for a multi-collaborative partnership for networking for entities and service providers who address housing for those plagued with homelessness, the potential risk of homelessness, and the effects of substance abuse and mental illness. She also consults and facilitates multiple committee and sub-committee meetings and writes grants for the procurement of funding for members. Furthermore, Dr. Liggins-Rogers sits on both the governing and advisory boards, is an oversight administrator for the Homelessness Prevention & Rapid Re-Housing Program/Emergency Solution Program (HPRP/ESG), and is a rapid re-housing oversight administrator.
Prior to this tenure, Dr. Liggins-Rogers began her career as a staff nurse medical surrogate at Methodist Hospital – Northlake Campus (MHNC) in 1965, remaining in this position for one year before becoming a substitute school nurse for the city of Gary, Indiana, from 1967 to 1969. During this time, she served as a critical care/cardiovascular surgery nurse at St. Catherine Hospital in Chicago from 1966 to 1971. Serving eight years as an industrial hospital supervisor for the American Bridge, Dr. Liggins-Rogers then became a patient educator and special project coordinator at St. Mary Medical Center from 1980 to 1983 before returning to MHNC to fulfill a number of different roles.
Seeking further formal education, Dr. Liggins-Rogers matriculated at the St. Margaret and St. Joseph Schools of Nursing, earning a diploma in nursing in 1965. She then attended Purdue University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and clinical counseling in 1981. She went on to obtain a Master of Science in administration from Notre Dame University in 1985, a Master of Science in Nursing from Indiana Dabney University in 2013, and an EdD in organizational leadership from Argosy University in 2015. Additionally, Dr. Liggins-Rogers was the recipient of an honorary doctorate in human services from the International Theological Institute in 2004 and holds numerous certifications.
A former liaison for education of St. Mark’s Church, Dr. Liggins-Rogers volunteered with the Urban League early on in her career. Since 2016, she has served as a secretary and board member of the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, board member for Porter Starke Services and member of the Sigma Phi Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Likewise, she has been vice president and a board member of the Community Advocates of Northern Indiana since 2017 and a board member of Community Investment Funding of Indiana since 2018. Having acquired many accolades throughout her career, Dr. Liggins-Rogers most recently received the Gale C. Corley Award for remarkable service to community mental health from Porter Starke Services in 2018. An Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement recipient, she is also listed in the fifth edition of Who’s Who in American Nursing.