With more than 25 years of experience, in both small business ownership and nonprofit work, Sykes has a strong bench of executive level skills with a particular commitment to children and education. Sykes has served as VP of Operations for The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City, Managing Partner of Digital Ocean Corporation (an IT firm that she founded), and as an Operations Manager for Proctor & Gamble. She has held numerous volunteer leadership positions with local chapters of Girl Scouts of America, Jack and Jill of America, and with the public, private, and charter secondary schools attended by her children, as well as national leadership positions with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and The Links, Incorporated. She holds a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from Tuskegee University.