12.14.22 NPC

Pittsburgh

Black community denounces racist signs, video directed at Westinghouse football team

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

On the field, Southern Columbia High School defeated Pittsburgh’s own Westinghouse Bulldogs in

the state football championship game in Mechanicsburg, Pa., 37-22. But for some members of Southern Columbia’s super-majority-White football team, they had to

take it one step further off the field.

And that step has them—and the school district—in super-hot water.

Hours after the victory on Dec. 9, unidentified

Liv Bennett announces candidacy for Allegheny County Executive

by Rob Taylor Jr. Courier Staff Writer

“Thank God people don’t have the final say.”

Olivia “Liv” Bennett spoke the above sentence, as, standing before the media, family, friends and supporters, she officially declared her run for the office of Allegheny County Executive.

But to some, to those doubters whom Bennett did not name, they thought Bennett wouldn’t amount to much. Especially after having her first child at age 15, growing up in Manchester.

“I was told as a teenage mom that my life was over and I wouldn’t amount to anything,” Bennett

said. Following that line was the aforementioned, “Thank God people don’t have the final say.”

Now Bennett, the outspoken Black woman who sits on Allegheny County Council, wants to be the person to lead Allegheny County into 2024 and beyond. She wants to lead with the passion and fire that she said she has when fighting for the underserved, the Black and brown people, the LGBTQ community...

“I have fought for workers, the incarcerated, and those who don’t have a voice to fight for themselves,” Bennett said at a Dec. 12 news confer-

members of the team taunted the Westinghouse team and used a racial slur, the “N” word, on a social media video that’s gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

Then, photos surfaced online of two racist signs that were made and displayed at a pep rally for Southern Columbia High School prior to the PIAA 2A championship

game. Those signs read, “Whip Westinghouse” and “Southern State of Mind.” Mayor Ed Gainey, who was at the championship

WESTINGHOUSE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH DONTA GREEN, left, with members of the team that went all the way to the state title game, Dec. 9. (Photo by Ben Tenuta)

‘There is no room...for this type of behavior.’ - Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey

by Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

Democratic Rep. Steven Horsford, who earned the distinction of Nevada’s first African American State Senate Majority Leader, will lead the Congressional Black Caucus during the 118th Congress in January.

Horsford, who won reelection to Nevada’s fourth congressional district in November, was announced on Thursday as the CBC’s choice as its 28th chair.

“Over the last 50 years, the CBC has served as the ‘conscience of the Congress,’ helping guide the legislative priorities that have shaped our nation and helped improve the lives of African Americans

and all our constituents,” Horsford, 49, said in a statement.

“As Chair, I will provide the leadership, strategic vision and execute on our plans to guide us on a path that will deliver positive socioeconomic outcomes for the communities and constituencies we serve.”

Horsford’s selection as chair comes as the Democrats fall into the minority in the House.

Known for successfully working across party lines and being calm under the everyday pressures of Congress, has continued his work to ensure veterans and seniors citizens, receive needed benefits.

He authored and passed the Nevada Lands Bill to create jobs across the state and fought to protect a woman’s right to make healthcare decisions.

In addition to Horsford’s chairmanship, the CBC announced Rep. Yvette Clarke, 58, of New York as first vice chair; Rep. Troy Carter, 59, of Louisiana as second vice chair; Rep. Lucy McBath, 62, of Georgia as secretary; and Rep. Marilyn Strickland, 60, as whip.

“I am so honored to have been elected as the CBC Secretary for the 118th Congress. It is always necessary we continue to forge a path toward getting into Good Trouble and do the work to make life better for American families,” McBath asserted.

“Together, we must build a brighter, more just future for our communities, our caucus, and our country.”

G. CAROLYN DORSEY

The holiday seasons are sure to bring us gladness of sharing joy with family and friends and much sadness because some of those we loved are no longer with us. This season brought great sadness when Pittsburgh lost one of its precious gems. Not the kind of gem you wear around your neck or on your finger but the kind you wear in the depth of one’s heart. This precious gem was G. Carolyn Dorsey a native of Pittsburgh and stable, monument of human excellence in Pittsburgh.

Carolyn, whom some called Carol, Aunt Carol, sister, mother, grandmother, friend and wife was a quiet force who set about her daily life developing her business, creating friends and changing lives. Carolyn sprinkled nuggets of love as she lived her life leaving a pathway for all that admired her to follow. She was petite in stature, but large in integrity and character. She spared no time or financial support for non-profits and community events. She lived by an amazing faith in the Lord. This was her glowing strength that actually emanated when you were in her presence. She never forgot to give the Lord all the glory for all that he allowed her to accomplish and all she was able to share with others.

Anyone who knew her couldn’t help but love her even the clients that she attained through her business at State Farm Insurance, which is situated in the East Liberty or Eastside section of the City of Pittsburgh. This gracious lady was the wife of well known entrepreneur, Neil Dorsey, another permanent fixture of the City of Pittsburgh being the first and only record store owned and operated by an African American. If you are from the inner city of Pittsburgh, then you know the prominent Dorsey family. Carolyn and Neil were a bond of love and notable role models. This writing is one way to remind all who know Carolyn and her family that she will forever be kept in our hearts and memory.

• DECEMBER 14

1799—

The first President of the United States George Washington dies In his will the “founding father” stipulated that his slaves shall be freed upon the death of his wife Martha. Washington was a wealthy Virginian who supported slavery but did not want to see it expanded. In this regard, he signed the notorious Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 but also signed legislation barring the expansion of slavery into the Northwest Territories. Upon her death, Martha Washington also freed the slaves she owned. One Washington slave is known to have escaped and was never recaptured. His name was Ona Judge Staines.

1915—Jack Johnson, perhaps the most controversial Black boxer in American history, wins the heavy weight championship. He fought at least 114 matches winning most of them. One biographer described Johnson as a man who “lived life his way.” But his outspokenness and affairs with White women ran him afoul of the racist authorities of the day. He was jailed for nearly a year in 1913 on trumped up charges. He fought his last match in 1928. After boxing he became a sensation on Broadway in the play “Great White Hope.” Born in Galveston, Texas, Johnson (full name Arthur John Johnson) died in Raleigh, N.C., as a result of an automobile accident. For reasons which remain unclear, President Obama has delayed granting Johnson a pardon on his 1913 conviction even though the measure has little opposition.

• DECEMBER 15 1864—One of the most decisive battles of the Civil War begins on this day with Black troops helping to crush one of the South’s finest armies at the Battle of Nashville. In a bid to stop the advances of the Union Army under Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, rebel Gen. John Bell Hood led the powerful Army of Tennessee to Nashville to cut off Sherman’s supply lines. After two weeks of positioning and waiting for a break in the cold weather, the Union side finally decided to hurl the 13th United States Colored Troops at the Army of Tennessee. Although suffering massive casualties, the Black troops broke through the Confederate lines in a matter of hours. The victory helped to seal the South’s fate and bring an end to the Civil War the very next year.

1934—Maggie Lena Walker dies on this day at age 69. She had become perhaps the most powerful Black female business-

woman and social activist in America. Born to former slaves who themselves became activists for Black

Va. She would help transform the Order and led it to become a premier Black self-help group. At its height, the Order had 50,000 members, 1500 local chapters, and a multi-purpose financial complex. Under Walker, the Order started a newspaper–the St. Luke Herald and a bank—the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank. Indeed, the bank was the only Black Richmond bank to survive the Great Depression bringing other banks under its wing and becoming the Consolidated Bank and Trust Company.

• DECEMBER 16

1859—The last known slave ship, The Clotilde lands in Mobile, Ala., with a cargo of 110 to 160 Africans. The importation of Africans as slaves had been illegal in America since 1808. But the law was poorly enforced. However, fearing possible arrest by federal authorities, owners burned the Clotilde and attempted to scatter the slaves. But a group managed to escape and succeeded in establishing a village near Mobile known as “Africatown.”

The last known survivor of this group was Cudjo Lewis (African name Kossula).

• DECEMBER 17

1663—Queen Nzingha of Angola dies at the age of 82. Known as the Warrior Princess of Matamba, Queen Nzingha gained legendary fame for her resistance to Portuguese attempts to colonize the interior of Africa. She also battled the Dutch slave trade. Leading a tribal group known as the Jugas, she is generally credited with leading the stiffest resistance to early European colonialism and imperialism.

1939—Eddie Kendricks is born in Union Springs, Ala. Kendricks was the lead singer for the Temptations during the group’s heyday.

1975—Pioneer Jazz lyricist Noble Sissle dies on this day in 1975. He was one-half of the famous team of Sissle and Blake (Eubie Blake). Sissle wrote the lyrics and sang the songs while Blake composed and played the music. Sissle died at his home in Tampa, Fla. He was 86.

• DECEMBER 18

1865—Congress passes the 13th Amendment to the Constitution officially abolishing slavery in America. The actual ratification of the Amendment had been completed on Dec. 6. Reconstruction began and legendary abolitionist Frederick Douglass considered retiring to a farm after urging the nation to insure Black voting rights. But a February 1866 meeting with President Andrew Johnson shocked him out of retirement. Johnson told the Douglass delegation that he intended to support the interests of Southern Whites and would oppose giving voting rights to the ex-slaves. Johnson’s racism led to a radicalized Congress passing proBlack legislation over his vetoes.

1917—Performer Ossie Davis is born Raiford Chatman Davis on this day in Cogdell, Ga. Davis was probably Black America’s best example of a combination entertainer and political activist. In addition to his stage and movie careers, Davis and his wife, Ruby Dee, were deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement. Davis was a key speaker at the funerals of both Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He died Feb. 4, 2005 of natural causes while in Miami Beach, Fla.

1971—National Black political leader Rev. Jesse Jackson founds

PUSH (People

Save Humanity)

Chicago. Breaking with some of the older civil rights organizations, Jackson declared that the modern problems facing Blacks “are economic so the solution and goal must be economic.”

1996—The Oakland, Calif., school board shocks the nation and angers much of the educational establishment by recognizing “Ebonics” (Black English) as a separate language and not a dialect or slang.

• DECEMBER 19

1875—The man who would become recognized as the “Father of Black History,” Carter Godwin Woodson, is born on this day in New Canton, Buckingham County, Va. Woodson founded the Washington, D.C.,-based Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. He wrote hundreds of articles about Black history and published several books with the most widely circulated being “The Negro in Our History” and launched the information celebration now known as Black History Month. His famous warning to African-Americans about the need to know and study Black history was, “Those who have no record of what their forebears have accomplished lose the inspiration which comes from the teaching of biography and history.” Woodson died suddenly on April 3, 1950.

1891—One of the pioneers of Black Catholicism, Charles Randolph Uncles was ordained the first African-American priest in America on this day in Baltimore, Md.

1910—Two of the nation’s leading Black newspapers were founded on this day: the Pittsburgh Courier and the Norfolk Journal and Guide. The Pittsburgh Courier would become the nation’s largest circulation Black-oriented newspaper after Robert Lee Vann became editor & publisher. The Norfolk Journal and Guide evolved from a fraternal order publication known as the Lodge Journal and Guide.

1930—Perhaps the nation’s leading Black sorority, Delta Sigma Theta is officially incorporated. The sorority was actually founded in 1913 by 22 coeds at Howard University in Washington, D.C. One of the first public acts by the group was to participate in a demonstration in March 1913 demanding that women be given the right to vote.

• DECEMBER 20

1860—Believing the November election of Abraham Lincoln would bring the end of slavery; on this day in 1860 South Carolina becomes the first Southern state to secede from the Union. Other states hold conventions and by the time Lincoln takes office on March 4, 1861, seven Southern states had seceded to form the Confederacy. The secessions lay the foundation for the start of the Civil War. In 1865, the victory of the North brings an end to slavery but not before more than 600,000 people had been killed.

1988—Max Robinson, the first Black co-anchor of a nightly network news program (ABC’s World News Tonight), dies in Washington, D.C., of complications due to AIDS.

The 49-year-old Robinson was officially thought to be straight. It was never publicly explained how he contracted the deadly disease. Robinson’s given name was Maxie Cleveland Robinson Jr.

betterment, Walker at the tender age of 14 joined the Independent Grand United Order of St. Luke in Richmond,

Operation

United to

in

Black community denounces racist signs, video directed at Westinghouse football team

game, released a statement on Tuesday, Dec. 13, saying he’s “calling on the PIAA to do better when it comes to how they investigate racism aimed at student athletes. This most recent incident isn’t the first time they have failed to adequately respond and they must do better. If we want to create a world without racism— we must show our kids that we will address it when we see it, and that there is no room in our city, county, commonwealth, or country for this type of behavior.”

Mayor Gainey congratulated Westinghouse on its historic season as the first City League team to make it to the state title game since Perry in 1997. Perry is the only City League school to win a Pa. state football championship, in 1989.

Pittsburgh Public Schools, as a district, responded to the disturbing video and signs saying that “we are greatly dismayed and hurt by the images. This type of egregious and unsportsmanlike behavior is unacceptable.”

PPS said it reported the displays to the PIAA, or Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, “for immediate action and investigation and will follow up with an official report in writing. We are focused on the needs of any student impacted

by the images...”

Typically, the PIAA attempts to let schools/ districts dish out punishment for transgressions or, in this case, racist behavior. On Monday, Dec. 11, the Southern Columbia Area School District finished its investigation, and announced that it had suspended the students

in the social media video “from participation in any extra-curricular activities for a period of one calendar year.”

The school district, which is located in Catawissa, Pa., between Scranton and Harrisburg, added: “Our investigation also found that the video posted by one of our players was part

of a disturbing viral TikTok trend. Although other teams in our state and in other states have posted similar videos, including the 3A PIAA State Champions (Belle Vernon), the video posted by one of our players is wholly unacceptable.

The students responsible for the video have received school disci -

pline in accordance with our student handbook.”

The lengthy statement from the Southern Columbia Area School District also said that the signs hung during the pep rally “were not intended to carry racial connotations. Several of the slogans showcased as part of this community event were used in previous competitions across different years, sports, and opponents; some were copied from media headlines of previous years’ state title wins. While it may not have been the intent to communicate racially insensitive messaging, we recognize that these messages may have still been hurtful to others.

The District will be instituting additional social training programs highlighting ways to avoid language that has the potential to be misinterpreted or insensitive.”

A Courier data analysis found that Southern Columbia High School has roughly 400 students, with 1 percent identifying as Black.

The borough of Catawissa has about 1,500 resi -

dents, with less than 1 percent identifying as Black.

Westinghouse, of course, has a majority-Black football team and school. Though they have won City League titles before (3 in the past 4 years), this year was the first time they made it to the state championship game. It’s been a beacon of pride for the team, the Homewood community, and its thousands of alumni, including notables like former Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh CEO Esther L. Bush, educator Helen Faison (who was Pittsburgh’s first female African American superintendent in PPS), Tuskegee Airmen Marshall Fields and Thomas Gunn, and real estate giant Robert Lavelle.

“I am proud of the young men who represented our great city at the state championship,” Mayor Gainey said. “Their success on the field deserves recognition and I was proud to be with them at the championship game.”

THE WESTINGHOUSE BULLDOGS RECLAIMED THEIR CITY LEAGUE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP BY DEFEATING ALLDERDICE ON OCT. 29. THEN THEY MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.

WESTINGHOUSE FROM A1

PPS SUPERINTENDENT DR. WAYNE WALTERS HANDS THE CITY LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY TO WESTINGHOUSE HEAD COACH DONTA GREEN. (PHOTOS BY ROB TAYLOR JR.)

Liv Bennett announces candidacy for Allegheny County Executive

ence at Emerald City, a Black co-working space on Smithfield Street, Downtown. “I worked to lower the population in the (Allegheny County) jail to protect our most vulnerable during the pandemic. I also helped to create the Black Equity Coalition, whose purpose is to provide equity, especially for a Black population who saw the biggest inequities during COVID.”

Bennett said it’s her “lived experiences” that separate her from the ever-growing field of candidates throwing their hat in the Allegheny County Chief Executive ring. Current County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, who began service in 2012, has term limits that prevent him from running after 2023.

“I was raised by a single mom in Manchester during the ‘80s and ‘90s,” Bennett said. “Though I have many fond memories of my childhood, it was also during the crack epidemic and gang violence era. Seeing the detrimental effects of this gave me a vision for a better society.”

When the City of Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission Report was released in 2019, stating that Pittsburgh is one of the worst places for African Americans to live, and especially Black women, who better than a Black woman to change the conditions in the county, Bennett said.

When 17-year-old Antwon Rose II was shot in the back by a East Pittsburgh police officer in 2018, and then was found not guilty of any charges the following year, who better than a Black woman to run for office, to create change while inspiring others, Bennett said.

Bennett got involved in activism and advoca -

cy. In her neighborhood of Northview Heights, she helped bring a Public Safety Center to the community in 2018. Bennett ran for Allegheny County Council in 2019 and won a seat to represent the 13th District. She began her tenure in early 2020, just before a pandemic would effectively shut down the country—and parts of the world. But no mind, Bennett said. She said her faith has shown

her that God wanted her to be in elected office in such trying times.

During the pandemic, Bennett touted her ability, with County Council, to pass legislation for more paid sick leave, “to protect our workers,” and banned fracking in county parks, “to save our environment.”

“And yes, we did get the legislation passed to create the countywide Independent Police Review Board,” Bennett proclaimed.

“This woman (Bennett) has worked tirelessly for Allegheny County for years,” voiced Fawn Walker-Montgomery, co-founder and CEO of Take Action Advocacy Group, formerly Take Action Mon Valley. “I am an activist, and every time we were in the streets, Liv was next to us. She was fighting with us. And then she turned around and ran for office and won.”

Chardae Jones, the former Braddock mayor,

told the New Pittsburgh Courier she supports Bennett because, “everything I’ve seen her put her hands onto, she did it with compassion and empathy; that is phenomenal.”

“But our work is not finished,” Bennett said. “We have so much left to do. We see violence in our streets daily, and many of the resources to foster peace in our communities sit at our county agencies such as the health department and the Department of Human Services. We have seen way too many deaths in our county jail

and the leadership of the jail has to be held accountable for these deaths and inhumane conditions.”

“She is the best person for this position,” Walker-Montgomery said. “We cannot ignore all the work that this woman has put in and I think we do that a lot in this county. You have a Black woman who puts in all of this work. Black women built this progressive movement that is happening now in Allegheny County. Let’s be clear about that. Liv is a part of that.”

BENNETT FROM

LIV BENNETT, WITH HUSBAND, TERRANCE

LIV BENNETT, FAWN WALKER-MONTGOMERY

LIV BENNETT, NICKOLE NESBY

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., presents...

‘AAO AFTER DARK’

ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY INC., ALPHA ALPHA OMEGA CHAPTER HELD ITS ‘AAO AFTER DARK’ EVENT, NOV. 19, AT THE AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER. PICTURED ARE EVENT CHAIR RUTHIE WALKER, MAYOR ED GAINEY, AND EVENT CO-CHAIR KATHY FITZGERALD. (PHOTOS BY J.L. MARTELLO)

ALMA LUCAS, ERICA MCDILL

MARGARET LARKINS-PETTIGREW, HUSBAND CHENITS PETTIGREW SR.

AMIRAH HUNT, ALEXUS BROWN, JORDYN GILLIARD

DINA CLARK, EVENT CO-CHAIR KATHY FITZGERALD

SHAUDAE JONES, EVENT CHAIR RUTHIE WALKER, KELLIE WARE, EVENT CO-CHAIR KATHY FITZGERALD

WESTLYNN DAVIS, HUSBAND RICCO DAVIS

VINCE NEAL, CAROL BRACKETT

“And it came to pass, that when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. And she SPAKE OUT WITH A LOUD VOICE, and said Blessed is the fruit of thy womb.” - Luke 1:41-42

REV. WALKER SAYS: There is only one Savior and that is Jesus Christ, He is the only ONE we pray to. (St. John 14:13 — And whatsoever you shall ask in my Name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son.)

Metropolitan Baptist’s 172nd Church Anniversary Celebration

8302,

Metropolitan Baptist Church, on the North Side, held its 172nd Church Anniversary Celebration on Nov. 11.

Trubisky gets a second chance, and stinks it up

Steelers lose to Baltimore, 16-14; three interceptions thrown

On December 11, 2022, a day of infamy occurred at Acrisure Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

No, it was not Halloween or old saints’ day. The clock did not strike twelve nor was Edgar Allen Poe available to read a bedtime story to the Steelers or give them a hot toddy to help them sleep. Plus, the offense of the Pittsburgh Steelers did not need any help sleeping, they were able to accomplish that mighty feat on their own. The Ravens beat the Steelers by the flimsy score of 16-14.

What the hell? Loddy, God darn da! Are you kiddin me?

Excuse number one, the Steelers second-string QB Mitch Trubisky was forced to enter the game cold after starting QB

Kenny Pickett suffered a concussion earlier in the game. I don’t care if they dug up a prehistoric neanderthal era quarterback from the ice age and inserted him in the game, Trubisky has no rhyme or reason to throw three picks in less than four complete quarters.

After Trubisky put three picks on a platter and served them up, Tiramisu included, the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens were still only able to muster up 16 points. Couple that effort with the “sleeping beauty” Matt Canada-designed offense, which at times reminds me of an offense like the offensive scheme my grandson offers up on one of his video games.

Oh, before I forget, Mitch Trubisky had this whale of an excuse re-

garding his putrid performance: “I just wanted to go out there, run the offense. Go out there and be aggressive, maybe overly aggressive at times, which showed up with the turnovers. But it’s great to be back out there with the guys. I appreciate everybody battling all four quarters, a lot of stuff I can do better, but coming off the bench, you just wanted to go (out there and provide) a spark.”

Mitch, it might have been great for you to be

back out there, but as far as the Steelers offense was concerned, the usage of the adjective “great” might not be the appropriate adjective to use. Mitch also said that he wanted to: “go [out there and provide] a spark” for the team. Well, the only spark that he provided was for the Baltimore Ravens’ defense. In hindsight, Trubisky may now be viewed, along with others, as an unwilling arsonist that provided the “spark” that burned the Steelers’ playoff hopes to the ground. When you have players that have been replaced because of less-than-stellar performances, when and if an opportunity for redemption becomes available, the splash plays that they imagine they will make may morph into a tsuna-

mi of ineptitude and may add credence to the fact why they sit in the second chair. At this juncture in their career, maybe the only chair that they should be sitting comfortably in is their recliner at home, watching games on their plasma TV, hot wings in hand because not everyone is destined for prime time. Why? Well, because some performers have the ability to turn “prime time” into “crime time.”

Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin exhibited far more class than I would’ve been able to display had I been faced with answering postgame inquiries about the performance of the Black and Gold. Tomlin said, “You just can’t turn the ball over, particularly in the nature of this match-

up. Usually, the team that turns the ball over in the red area is the team that loses. We turned it over in the red area in this one, so we lost this one.” Heroic intentions almost always fall short because visions of grandiosity are not grounded in reality. Despite his well-intentioned effort, Mitch Trubisky, the hero, will not be seated in the hallowed halls of Valhalla, drinking wine from a gold chalice while lounging by the pool surrounded by beautiful maidens and mermaids. However, if he is not careful and continues to perform the way that he has, he may find himself on the corner sipping “Thunderbird” out of a paper cup while singing BeeGee’s tunes with the “OGs” in the neighborhood.

It is what it is, a losing football team in nearly every phase of the game

:10—When your defense is gouged for 215 yards rushing, 120 of those yards by J.K. Dobbins on 15 carries for a whopping 8.0 yards per carry, it might be time to try something or someone different. When your quarterback throws 3 interceptions, 2 of the picks inside the red zone, it might be time to try something or someone different. I have come to the opinion that if the Steelers had sat Kenny Pickett for the entire season to learn and made Mason Rudolph the starter the Steelers record would probably be 8-5 instead of 5-8 and 2-4 at home. Though the Steelers hate to admit it, it has been a rebuilding year ever since Kenny Pickett was thrust into the starting lineup. Mason Rudolph was given no chance to realistically compete for the starting job and being delegated clipboard guy in street clothes was reason for him to sulk and be a thorn in the side of ownership. None of that happened, and that’s a real feather in Mason’s hat, his integrity there for all to see. If Kenny Pickett is out this week, Mason Rudolph should be given all the first-team reps and installed as the starter for the remainder of the sea-

son. Or what remains of it.

:09—Of major concern for every Steelers fan is the fact Kenny Pickett is on his second concussion protocol in 13 games. His health and well-being is paramount to this discussion and we hope and pray he’s fine but from a fan’s interest, it is alarming that he’s been placed in the protocol twice already and it may be a lingering problem moving forward. If his health is in jeopardy and long-term effects are in the offing, no one should begrudge the man looking out for his best interests. That being said, should the Steelers be concerned enough to think about another quarterback in the next draft if Pickett is susceptible to head trauma? It’s a little early to push the panic button but it is a real concern moving forward.

:08—Holding the Baltimore Ravens to 16 points at home should be enough to win. The Steelers’ defense bent but did not break, allowing only 94 yards passing. Yes, the Swiss cheese defensive line and linebacking corps were awful, allowing Minkah Fitzpatrick, the best safety in the entire NFL, to once again lead the team in tackles with 11, but still, they only

gave up 16 points. Our special teams were atrocious and the time has come to find a better punter than Pressley Harvin III, he of the 17-yard punt that seems to happen way too often. Give him a bus ticket and move on.

:07—With 3 interceptions at least it can’t be said the Steelers were playing too conservatively. The offensive coordinator Matt Canada decided it was time to play NFL football and opened up the passing playbook. Unfortunately Mitch Trubisky did not bring his needle and thread and both passes intercepted in the red zone were, by his own admission, passes forced into an area he should not have attempted. Trubisky has not excelled in the offensive scheme and though he has all the physical attributes to be a serviceable QB in the NFL, it’s not with the Pittsburgh Steelers as they are designed this season. The last and

logical conclusion is to run with Mason Rudolph and try to win out. :06—Having had the unenviable position of being heir apparent to a fading Ben Roethlisberger, who we’ve heard was very unhappy at Rudolph being drafted and never took him under his wing to help him develop into an NFL QB, a complete disservice to the owners, his teammates and the fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Rudolph has handled every adversity with head held high and mouth firmly shut, his only comments tactful and spot-on in regards to his situation. He’s earned our respect and he’s earned the chance to run this woeful offense and try to spark something that will get us a couple touchdowns in a game. At 6’5” and 235 pounds he should be able to withstand the sacks he’s certain to get playing behind this offensive line. Let’s see what he can do. I’m sure George Pickens, Diontae Johnson and Pat Freiermuth would love to try out the aerial show from Mason Rudolph. I’m just saying, couldn’t hurt.

:05—Shoutout #1 to the Pittsburgh Panthers Women’s Volleyball team and its monumental win against #1 ranked and

defending national champion Wisconsin to get to the Final Four for a second consecutive season. With a 5th set 15-13 win the Panthers were able to punch their ticket to the Final Four and hopefully bring back a national championship this year.

Go Pitt!!!

:04—Shoutout #2 to the Westinghouse Bulldogs football team for their runner-up position in the PIAA Class 2A division.

Having fallen just short of the ultimate goal the Bulldogs showed grit and determination and skill beyond what anyone outside their locker room thought they were capable of this season. Congratulations to the players and Coach Donta Green for a season to be remembered.

:03—Shout out #3 to the Belle Vernon Leopards and Coach Matt Humbert for their 1st Pennsylvania High School State Championship, beating Neumann-Goretti 9-8 with a last-second goalline stand to secure the Class 3A Title. One for the ages, the Leopards stopped Neumann-Goretti 3 times at the 1 yard line to keep their lead then went on offense and punched the ball forward a few yards to run out the clock. Congratulations to

Belle Vernon on a classic, never-to-be-forgotten first title.

:02—Once again, as the absolute expert on all things hockey and especially the NHL, it was truly amazing to see Kris Letang skate out first onto the ice ahead of Sidney Crosby Saturday night, Dec. 10, 12 days, yeah, 12 days after his second stroke kept him off the ice, to a thunderous round of applause from the home crowd. It is a monument to the physicality of Letang that he could return so quickly and a moment that transcended sports. Fittingly the Pens won 3-1 with Sid notching 3 points and 2 more goals and keeping his name firmly in the conversation for MVP this season. Others may have more gaudy stats but no one is more valuable than Crosby has been this past season. Nobody. And the next time someone wants to anoint Connor McDavid as the best, ask them how many Cups Connor’s won with superior talent up and down Edmonton’s roster. Zero. Zero. Zero.

:01—Brittney Griner is free and back home in the United States. Where she belongs. ‘Nuff said.

:00—GAME OVER.

Financial planning programs put college students on path to career success

(NewsUSA)—Millions of Americans will start or return to college this fall, pursuing an education that they hope will lead to successful careers.

Among them are students who aspire to become the next generation of financial planning professionals, equipped with the knowledge and skills to provide competent, ethical finan-

cate to doctorate level. They also vary in style, length and delivery method, with some programs completed entirely online. This variety of offerings enables any student to find a program that fits their needs, no matter what their learning style or schedule is.

The education provided by CFP Board Registered Programs sets students

Be prepared: How to create your worst-case scenario budget

by Sherri Kolade Michigan Chronicle

cial advice.

Many of these students have enrolled in one of the more than 300 CFP Board

Registered Programs available across the U.S. These programs offer coursework approved by the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board), which sets and enforces the requirements for CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ certification.

Completing a CFP Board Registered Program is one component of the education required to become a CFP® professional.

All of these college and university programs offer courses covering eight subjects critical to financial planning, including risk management and insurance planning, investment planning, retirement savings and income planning and the psychology of financial planning. Each program also culminates in a capstone course that requires students to apply what they have learned in these areas to develop and present a comprehensive financial plan for a hypothetical client.

While all CFP Board Registered Programs cover the same core topics, these programs range from certifi-

on the path toward a rewarding career. Financial planning careers offer many benefits, including a sense of personal fulfillment from helping others, the ability to achieve your desired work-life balance, career flexibility and the potential to earn high compensation. In addition to a knowledge of finance and investments, interpersonal skills are critical for financial planners as they work to understand their clients’ needs, goals and motivations and to communicate options for moving toward the clients’ goals.

Research shows that financial planners who also obtain CFP® certification may enjoy greater benefits as well: Two-thirds of CFP® professionals say their certification has had a positive impact on their income, and more than 80 percent say it gives them a competitive edge over other financial planners.

A financial planning education can be the first step toward a promising future.

To find a CFP Board Registered Program and learn more about a career as a CFP® professional, visit CFP.net/programs.

Working well past the point of retirement. Graduating from college in debt with no plan of action to pay off the student loans despite looming interest rates. Having to foreclose on your home due to a lack of funds.

Don’t let a worst-case financial scenario bring you to the brink of financial destruction.

Before it’s too late, becoming more financially astute starts with being aware of what condition one’s finances are in and taking control of those funds—saving, prioritizing, budgeting and removing what’s not needed.

From maintaining good credit to building a nest egg—saving savvy doesn’t have to be a chore and it can happen at any age.

Savings is a foundational piece to financial health since research has found that unexpected expenses, like care repairs, can become a hardship when people don’t have access to emergency savings funds.

“When it comes to saving, the most important thing to do is simply to start. Whether $1 a day or a few every month, it is important to have a plan. Talking to someone with

experience can help others see thing from a different perspective. One of my favorite conversations to have with customers is to know what they are saving for and helping them figure out how to get there,” said JPMorgan Chases Detroit Community Manager, Gail Taylor. Engaging in conversa-

happen by accident but through well thought-out and intentional steps toward success.

Expert agrees. It’s important to periodically review one’s financial plan to determine if adjustments are needed, particularly give the economic and personal impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

portunities as you age, estimating your expenses in retirement, and preparing to have enough money to cover those costs for your lifetime.

• Buying a home.

• For more information visit LetMakeAPlan.org to find a CFP professional. Forbes noted in an article about How to Create Your Worst-Case Scenario Budget, that the pandemic taught people about planning in case of an emergency and budgeting for themselves and their families.

This includes being abundantly clear on fixed expenses and knowing how to spend a certain amount of money each month as opposed to blowing it on fun funds beyond the budget.

Some Fixed expense include:

• Rent/mortgage

• Utilities

tions about money is a good way to get feedback, advice and suggestions on your approach to savings. No matter your goal, seeking advice can help you build skills, create a plan that can be adjusted along the way and get help and support to achieve it. A great way to start a conversation is by reviewing your budget and savings goals with an expert.

USA Today reports that financial planning doesn’t

“If your circumstances have changed, your financial plan may need to change, too,” the article reported.

If a person needs a financial refresh to get there, consider seeking the help of a certified financial planner professional who can help you set and achieve goals, like:

• Affording a confortable retirement.

• Taking advantage of saving and investing op-

• Debt/loan payments

• Subscriptions

• Insurance

• Healthcare costs, such as co-pays and prescriptions.

Also, knowing which expenses can be removed goes a long way, too, and weighing flexible spending options is just as important.

You have to do better if you want better

“When you know better you do better.” I first heard this quote from Oprah Winfrey. I later learned it was a quote popularized by the late, great Maya Angelou. The full quote reads this way, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, you do better.”

On the week of this writing, I was in attendance watching my son play in a high school basketball game. Great game! The score was tied at 59 with only 18 seconds left to go in the game. Long story short, my son made a buzzer beater 3-point field goal. The crowd went nuts! That was a proud daddy moment! I’m smiling as I reminisce and type this story. However, this big play moment for him isn’t the focal point of this article. During halftime, one of my son’s friends came up to me and said hi. He was with two other young men whom I didn’t know. They walked out of the gym. Before halftime was over, they came back into the gym. The three young men walked past me. As they walked by me, the aroma of marijuana was so intense, I think I caught a contact high. I’m being facetious when I say I think I caught a contact high. I don’t know if one or all of these young men took a smoke break at halftime. However, It was readily apparent that at least one of them did.

After the game, I gave my son a moment to enjoy the thrill of his team winning the game. Shortly thereafter, I had the talk. I expressed to him what I observed. Then I asked him, does his friend smoke weed? He responded, no. I asked him if he smoked weed? Again he responded no. He nor his friend ever gave me a reason to expect that they may be experimenting with marijuana. As a result, I didn’t grill him on the subject. I instead told him, I understand weed seems like a cool

thing to do but it is in fact a drug. It’s the gateway drug. Young adults start with marijuana then they graduate to a more potent substance.

Last week I attended another high school basketball game. I ran into two young men whom I coached in basketball when they were younger. They are both currently in college. I asked them what they were majoring in. One said business, the other said marketing. During our conversation, I noticed both of these young men had huge tattoos on their necks. I thought to myself, why would these young men get these large tattoos on their necks? These tattoos are very visible and will be hard to cover during a job interview. Even with college degrees, I fear that with these large tattoos on their neck, these young men will be passed up on various job opportunities.

I recently saw a meme on Facebook. The meme read, “Job applications be like, ‘not that it matters but are you Black?’”

The meme received a lot of laughing out loud reactions. The meme is funny because there’s always a hint of truth in jest. The reality is, Black people—Black men in particular—have a harder time finding gainful employment, maintaining gainful employment and moving up the corporate ladder than any other ethnic group. We as a people cannot afford to give anyone a reason not to give us a viable opportunity to make a respectable, decent living for ourselves and our families. It’s going to be hard to make it, PERIOD! It’s going to be harder to make it

if you’re walking around reeking of weed and adoring a colossal-size tattoo on your neck.

When I got home from the game where my son hit the buzzer beater, I started reflecting on how marijuana and tattoos have become a cultural phenomenon within popular culture. I shared what was on my mind with my wife, Lashan Carr. Her response was a matter of fact, “If you want better, you have to do better!” I looked at her and said, that sounds like a catchy title for an article. I asked her to give me a few bullet points on what she was saying and I’ll craft an article. Below are her bullet points along with my commentary.

Set goals: If you aim for nothing, you’ll hit it every time! The fact that these young men are in college tells me they have goals, dreams and ambition. I’d encourage them to look at people who are working in the job they want to do and seek to model them. The problem is they’re trying to model rappers and athletes where having your entire body covered in tattoos and smoking weed are glamorized. That’s not the case with regular 9-to-5 jobs.

Stay away from drugs: Growing up in an impoverished community, I witnessed plenty of people become addicted to drugs. Nothing positive came from it. They aged fast, were always broke, and made life harder for people who loved them.

Educate yourself: To get ahead in life, you have to continuously increase your

knowledge and your know-how (skill). You have to have the knowledge or skill to become marketable to earn a living. You have to also have knowledge to make good decisions for you and your family.

Listen before you speak: We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. We should listen twice as much as we speak. They say there’s no such thing as a dumb question. There is such a thing as a dumb statement.

Work hard—two jobs when necessary: Money doesn’t grow on trees. Work creates money. As you begin to work hard and work extra you’ll notice the people that’s asking you, “why are you always working” are the same people that’s “always asking you for money.”

No kids before you can take care of yourself: How can you justify having a dependent when you’re a dependent? Children are cute and cuddly but they’re expensive little rascals that will stay in your pockets.

Save and invest your hard-earned dollars: Saving is the cornerstone of sound money management. Investing is how you build wealth over time. If you want to be financially stable and financially free, do both. The younger you start saving and investing, the better!

Feed your mind, body, and spirit: Exercise, eat right, read, and be mindful of what you deposit into your mind, body and spirit.

This article is written for teenagers. You are at a pivotal moment in their life. The decisions you make today will affect you for a lifetime. Now that you know better, go and do better!

(Damon Carr, Money Coach can be reached @ 412-216-1013 or visit his website @ www.damonmoneycoach.com)

Savings is a foundational piece to financial health since research has found that unexpected expenses, like care repairs, can become a hardship when people don’t have access to emergency savings funds.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh joins national initiative to increase the number of Black homeowners

PITTSBURGH—The

New Pittsburgh Courier has learned that Habitat for Humanity of Greater Pittsburgh (Habitat Pittsburgh) is joining Habitat for Humanity organizations across the country to launch an initiative that aims to address the homeownership gap between Black and White households in the United States, which is at its widest in 40 years. The homeownership rate amongst Pittsburgh’s Black residents is 42 percent, much less than non-Hispanic Whites. According to a November 2018 Brookings report,

“differences in home and neighborhood quality do not fully explain the devaluation of homes in Black neighborhoods. Homes of similar quality in neighborhoods with similar amenities are worth 23 percent less ($48,000 per home on average amounting to $156 Billion in cumulative losses) in majority Black neighborhoods, compared to those with very few or no Black residents.” Habitat’s Advancing Black Homeownership initiative marks a renewed commitment to deepen efforts and inject millions of additional dollars into the ongoing work nationally and at the local level to increase

homeownership opportunities for Black households.

Dr. Howard B. Slaughter, Jr., President & CEO of Habitat Pittsburgh and former Regional Director of Fannie Mae’s Western Pennsylvania Pittsburgh office said, “Increasing homeownership for all, with an emphasis on increasing Black homeownership is a key driver in community stabilization, wealth creation and quality of life. Habitat Pittsburgh continues working to alleviate the obstacles faced by those seeking homeownership by providing decent and

affordable housing with low down payments and a 30-year zero percent fixed rate mortgage.

Homeownership continues to be the way most Americans gain their wealth and the benefits that emanate as a result of homeownership is more valued today than ever before.”

Habitat Pittsburgh has a strong track record of minority lending, selling 95 percent of its homes to Black and or minority families over the past six years. The organization prioritizes building in celebrated neighborhoods of Color that have

been impacted by decades of disinvestment. Habitat Pittsburgh built seven new homes in Homewood, one was supported by Habitat for Humanity International’s Advancing Black Homeownership Initiative. Habitat Pittsburgh also recently broke ground on a new townhome development in Larimer, continuing its home building throughout Allegheny County, including predominately minority neighborhoods. Learn more about Habitat’s Advancing Black Homeownership initiative.

Is your wallet recession proof?

by StatePoint Media

NEW YORK — As inflation continues to put a strain on budgets, talk of an upcoming recession has Americans worried about their finances. Prices on everyday items continue to rise and consumers are trying to find ways to make their dollar stretch further while safeguarding their money against the potential challenges a recession may bring. The future may be difficult to predict, but preparing now can help consumers protect their financial health during a recession.

A recent Experian survey found that two in three U.S. adults are concerned about a recession occurring in the United States. Consumers are most worried about the affordability of routine expenses, with 73 percent concerned that the price of everyday items like gas, groceries and rent will continue to rise to a level they can’t afford. Meanwhile, 55 percent harbor supply chain concerns and 38 percent are stressed about the affordability of big, planned purchases such as a home or a car.

As recession worries grow, more Americans are sizing up their finances to see where they stand. Only 48 percent are confident that they can financially handle a recession, and two in five believe that they’ll need to rely on credit to cover essential and unexpected expenses over the next three months. In fact, 27 percent have already increased their credit card debt within the past three months. This trend is accompanied by additional anxieties: two in three survey respondents are concerned to some degree that

their credit score will negatively affect their ability to access credit in the next three months.

Being proactive is key to weathering financial storms, yet less than half of consumers have prepared for a reces-

sion when it comes to their finances and credit. Those who have are finding different ways to do so: 49 percent have cut non-essential expenses like entertainment and vacations, 45 percent have created a budget and 40 percent have paid

down debt.

While these are effective actions, there are other steps consumers can take to understand their credit history and safeguard their credit.

Consumers should check their credit report and credit score regularly to know exactly where they stand in the event that they need to apply for credit, or simply to be better informed as they prepare to pay down their debt ahead of an economic decline. They can get a free credit report and credit score from Experian (Spanish-language credit reports are also available) as well as access to free financial tools, an auto insurance shopping service and credit card marketplace.

Those who need help increasing their credit score can sign up for Experian Boost. This free feature enables consumers to add their monthly payments for cell phone bills, utility bills, rent and video streaming services to their credit history to potentially increase their FICO Score instantly. To learn more, visit experian.com/boost.

“Inflation and recession fears are putting pressure on consumer’s finances, but proactively planning for the worst can help consumers make it through potential challenges. Many consumers are already taking great steps to prepare, like creating a budget and paying down their debt, and we encourage them to utilize other available resources and tools to help,” says Rod Griffin, senior director of Public Education and Advocacy at Experian.

Black family’s appraisal increases by $250,000 after ‘whitewashing’ home

(Black Information Network)—A Black family’s home in Seattle was valued at a significantly higher price after they conducted a “whitewashing experiment” for their second appraisal.

According to King 5 News, the Clark family staged the experiment after receiving what they believed was a low appraisal on their Seattle home in the Columbia City neighborhood, where residences are typically valued at over $900,000, per Zillow.

The Clarks initially bought their home four years ago and began renovations to make room for their two children.

“We put in a new kitchen, new bathroom, an extra bathroom. And we have plans to expand the second floor,” Joe Clark said.

The family sought out an appraisal as they were considering financing options for their renovations. However, they were surprised to learn that the value of their home had gone down despite their renovations. A home appraiser, who was sent by their mortgage company in April, valued their 3-bedroom home at $670,000.

“It was quite amazing to have an appraisal that low in this market,” Clark

said.

The low appraisal prompted the “whitewashing experiment” — Clark asked his white neighbor Marta Eull to stand in for a second appraisal, and the family took down all of their photos and

said Eull.

The second appraisal valued the home at $929,000, $259,000 higher than the first.

“We’re talking a three-week period, and nothing else changed in the house outside of me,” Clark said. “It is a part of our systematic racism that is here in America but we need to do something about it. It’s taking away our generational wealth,”

Dr. Junia Howell, an urban sociologist and race scholar, said the Clarks’ case wasn’t an anomaly.

“Homes in communities of color are worth 70% less, on average, when holding everything else constant as homes in white neighborhoods,” Howell said. It’s really insane.”

According to a Brookings Institute study, appraisal disparities have amounted to about $48,000 per home or $156 billion cumulatively in majority Black neighborhoods.

“It is something that is going to affect [my children],” Clark said. “Because our Black and brown families’ homes are often devalued. They’re often taken away from us.”

How to create your worst-case scenario budget

The article defines flexible spending as something that people have more control over with fluctuating costs like food, transportation and shopping. The article added that one needs to exercise self –control in these flexible spending area, which will help people learn how to cut or reduce their spending completely.

Ascent, a free learning platform for women entrepreneurs, echoed similar thoughts, especially for business owners.

When it comes to projecting one’s bestand worst=case financial scenarios, map out financial forecasts to scope out the impact of changes in strategies and tactics in pursuit of your business goals. It is recommended that people want-

ing to spruce up their budget do so by identifying multiple scenarios in order to:

• Plan for expected financial returns or losses.

• Stay proactive in business decisions.

• Mitigate risk by planning for worsecase scenarios.

“Most often, business owners will plan for a few different scenarios: base (or

regular case, best case and worst case,” Ascent noted. “You base-case scenario is the average financial outcome that is most likely to happen if you make no real changes. Your best-case scenario is the best possible financial outcome if everything goes according to plan. Your worst-case scenario is the most unfavorable possible financial outcome for your business.”

African art.

“The objective was to see if you had a person that was not someone of color in the house…if that would change the amount that he got for the appraisal to see if there was some kind of bias there,”

HOWARD SLAUGHTER

The holiday suicide rate is a myth

Media are in a catch-22 situation regarding reporting on the holiday season. On the one hand, there’s the push to spread the news that this is the season when sales are high and consumers spend more than any other time of the year. Sales and shopping lines, shipping costs, and timely deliveries consume the headlines for weeks, while the impact of COVID-19, travel safety, and the high cost of gas, airfare and food compete for the same attention.

In addition, how the holidays impact physical, emotional and mental health also compete with warnings that suggest the best ways to get through what is described as one of the most stressful seasons of the year.

However, the good news, so to speak, is a report issued recently by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania that debunks the myth that the year-end holiday season is the time when suicides rise. In fact, APPC reported, “although the U.S. suicide rate increased in 2021 after two years of declines, the average daily suicide rate during the holiday months remained among the lower rates of the year.”

Yet, it appears that media organizations, including newspapers and broadcasters, continue to perpetuate the false myth despite APPC’s efforts to “correct the popular misconception linking the holidays with suicide.”

The report considers the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which showed reports from the Centers for Disease Control that suicides in 2021 were 4 percent higher than in 2020. Still, “the CDC noted that the monthly number of suicides was lower in 2021 than in 2020 in January, February, and July, and higher in all of the other months.”

The report highlighted, “In 2021, the average number of U.S. suicide deaths per day in January and December put those two months among the lowest of the 12 months—10th and 12th, respectively.”

“For some people, this may be an emotionally fraught time of year,” said Dan Romer, research director of the Annenberg Public Policy Center. “With stories focusing on the holiday blues, seasonal affective disorder, and other changes in the seasons, there are a lot of factors that would seem to support the myth. There is also a concern for those who have lost friends and family during the year and who may be experiencing sadness about those losses. But we should not assume that these experiences lead people to suicide.”

We agree with APPC that “this suicide myth must be debunked because allowing people to think that suicide is more likely during the holiday season can have contagious effects on people who are contemplating suicide.”

Clearly, we are tougher and more resilient than we think, and the holiday season brings more hope and promise than anxiety and strife. APPC strongly urges media organizations to stop perpetuating the myth, and we will abide. However, if readers have strong feelings, we advise you to dial 988 to get the help you need.

(Reprinted from the Washington Informer)

There, he finally said it!

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—After a quick, informal poll, I determined that no one in my circle of friends was surprised.  Yes, I refer to the statement made in antagonistic opposition to our nation’s two-hundred and thirty-four years of Constitutional governance and tradition by Donald J. Trump.

Among the pragmatic, those who were willing to cast a more critical gaze, this revelation was little more than an “I told you so” moment.  Although ‘subtle’ and massaged with incredulous rationale by him and his acolytes, Trump’s past conduct gave the thoughtfully pessimistic among us justification to label Trump as racist, xenophobic, fascist, intolerant, and authoritarian.  Now the only real question is to what extent and past what boundaries is Trump willing to take this country to achieve his goal of reshaping this country into one which reflects his ideals and gives him the lasting power and control he craves?

Had we actually been a nation of ‘character’ and ‘principle,’ Trump would have been rejected before his orchestrated spectacle of riding down his golden escalator.  (You do remember he paid actors to stage the visual of a supportive crowd as he announced his candidacy.)  His false allegation of President Obama’s Kenyan birth would have disqualified him.

Had we actually been a nation of ‘character’ and ‘principle,’ his “grab ‘em by the p---y” statement would have caused a massive rejection of his chauvinism at polling places

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq.

Commentary

across the nation.  Or his “good people on both sides” statement on Charlottesville would have caused principled leaders of his party to chastise his flawed analysis.  Or his public lies numbering into the tens of thousands would have created a public outcry which would have destabilized his ability to govern.  Or after election defeat and a subsequent “Stop the Steal” inspired Insurrection, his adjudication is stymied by “his” political party caught somewhere between disregard and disbelief.   Instead…

Disrupting a tranquil Saturday, Trump used his social network, Truth Social, to call for the results of the 2020 election to be overturned and his reinstatement as president with the following statement:

“Do you throw the Presidential Election Results of 2020 OUT and declare the RIGHTFUL WINNER, or do you have a NEW ELECTION? A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution…Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!”

One day after Trump’s pronounce-

ment, amid an absence of response by Republican party ‘leaders,’ Liz Cheney denounced his statement.  “Donald Trump believes we should terminate ‘all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution’ to overturn the 2020 election. That was his view on 1/6 and remains his view today. No honest person can now deny that Trump is an enemy of the Constitution.”

There is no longer room for debate—that TRUTH is out.  Trump is just the public face of a growing movement of hatred, intolerance, and autocracy that threatens the foundations of our government.  Thousands cling to the political myths, hatred, and protectionism inspired by Trump, but do so without the restraint and limits imposed upon the actions of public figures.  Like the ‘conservative’ audience member at an October 2021 Turning Point USA rally who asked, “When do we get to use the guns?...That’s not a joke. I’m not saying it like that. I mean, literally, where’s the line? How many elections are they going to steal before we kill these people?”

Like the opened mythical Pandora’s Box, chaos, confusion, and instability have been released upon us.  This type of malignant hatred can only be lessened by those who have chosen to benefit from and exploit it—the Republican Party.   (Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of The Dick Gregory Society (thedickgregorysociety.org; drefayewilliams@gmail.com) and President Emeritus of the National Congress of Black Women)

Trump scares me

Donald Trump scares the hell out of me. With crude, but brutally honest sloganeering, he calls for Making America Great Again (MAGA). MAGA is code for returning to withering levels of White supremacy. The nation-redeeming advances that paved the way for Obama and Warnock are under attack. Raw, unadulterated racism and classism are primal elements of the Trump philosophy.

Reader, please remember that Donald Trump created birtherism to assert Barack Obama was not eligible for the presidency. Unrestrained, Trump began his presidential quest by claiming that Mexicans (I believe he meant all Latin Americans) were likely to be “criminals and rapists” committed to injury to our country.

With unfiltered clarity, the ex-president is now championing the “termination of all rules, regulations and articles, even those in the Constitution.” Can you imagine the reaction if Barack Obama uttered this madness?

It is not difficult to understand why Donald Trump retains the

Porter

Commentary

loyalty of millions within our country. He is the embodiment of hope for a nation that has a consistent record of striving to keep people “in their place”.

The United States has consistently faced trauma as the humanness and humaneness of individuals was linked to their skin color, religion, culture, or other broad definer. History has consistently demonstrated that birthright-defined cultural supremacy leads to brutal death and oppression. When the commitment to human fairness is subjugated, the filth of birthright supremacy is nourished and spread like compost.

When a presidential candidate dares to tear away the fragile supports currently in place for indi-

vidual freedom, I am frightened. Hiding under hooded sheets is no longer necessary for those aspiring to national leadership. Kanye (Ye) and Nick Fuentes, an unapologetic anti-Semite, were welcomed into Trump’s protected inner circle to eat and discuss the future of the world. Can you imagine the Secret Service allowed Ye to bring guests to Trump’s dinner without vetting? Hell no! Ex-presidents receive Secret Service protection for at least ten years after leaving office. Trump knew the background of his guests!

I fear our country stands at the precipice of strengthening a caste system that has defiled North America for centuries. For some, the outcome of the Civil War was a pause, not an end to the trajectory of White supremacy.

Donald Trump is a clear and present danger. There is no doubt about his agenda. He has millions who shamelessly support his efforts to establish a monarchy in the United States.

Trump scares me!

Sen. Warnock’s victory is a win for Georgia and America

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—If you haven’t watched Sen. Raphael Warnock’s speech on the night of his reelection in Georgia on December 6, stop everything you’re doing, and watch it now. Then tell your kids to watch it. And your neighbors.

What you’ll see is 20 minutes that will leave you with a deep feeling of inspiration and gratitude, and a question: why was this so hard? How is it that Warnock was so clearly the best candidate and had to prove it four times, in the last two years?

Let’s take the question first.

Ben Jealous

Commentary

harder.

Allison Palm Office Manager

Rod Doss Editor & Publisher

Stephan A. Broadus Assistant to the Publisher

Ashley Johnson Sales Director Rob Taylor Jr. Managing Editor

John. H. Sengstacke Editor

The surprise victories by Sen. Warnock and Sen. Jon Ossoff in 2021 were triumphs over systemic racism and a vicious misinformation and disinformation campaign by farright forces. Immediately after they won, Georgia became ground zero for a state voter suppression effort that included harsh crackdowns on early and mail-in voting. The runoff system that Warnock and Republican Herschel Walker were forced into was itself a relic of 1960s White supremacy. It was created by a Georgia segregationist who hoped it would stop Black candidates from winning in a crowded field where White votes were split.

Meanwhile, Walker’s entire campaign was a far-right ploy to split Black votes while giving White Republicans plausible deniability about their party’s racism. Most Black voters saw right through it. But the GOP mustered enormous political firepower and financial resources for their scheme. That made the race close when it never should have been close.

It made Sen. Warnock’s road, which was always going to be hard, even

On the night of his reelection, Sen. Warnock addressed all of this with his usual dignity. He gave the credit to Georgians for electing the state’s first Black and first Jewish senators at a time when the Far Right was trying to divide the country. He took on the conservative pundits claiming his victory was proof that there was no voter suppression in Georgia. Just because Georgia voters endured long lines in the rain doesn’t mean there is no suppression, he said. It means Georgians refused to have their voices silenced.

The rest of his address showed that Georgia has reelected a senator who values social justice and still believes it can be achieved through representative democracy. Democracy, he said, is the political enactment of a spiritual idea: that each of us carries within us a divine spark. It is a political system that is rooted in the belief that each of us has value, that if we have value we have a voice, and that our voice is our vote. I’m paraphrasing here, and words on the page don’t do justice to Sen. Warnock’s oratory skills. Again, I hope you’ll watch the speech.

Hearing these words at a time when democracy is doubted and under attack is a restorative experience. Hearing Sen. Warnock pledge to work in a bipartisan spirit on behalf of all

Americans feels like coming home, to an America where public servants used to believe that was possible. Hearing him say that he will fight for criminal justice reform because he believes we can have both justice and safety struck a personal chord with me. I believe that too, in my bones. My organization, People For the American Way, has dedicated itself to advancing that goal. There are so many solutions we can and should explore that will save lives.

This moment shows us something else, too, which is that a way forward to a better America now runs through the Deep South. Stacey Abrams’s visionary work to organize voters made Georgia a swing state, and others can follow.   Almost a decade ago, I worked on a study that showed that registering just 30 percent of unregistered voters of color could change the political landscape in heavily Black southern states. There are still plenty of challenges, but we’re seeing that prediction come true.

I will close with one other phrase of Sen. Warnock’s from his reelection speech, one that I think serves us well in all the work we do for social justice. This is America, he said, where we “always have a path to make our country greater.” I know there are times when those paths seem impossible, and optimism seems more like naivete. We need more Raphael Warnocks in the world to tell us there is always a way. Right now, I’m deeply grateful that the one we do have will spend six more years in the U.S. Senate.

(Ben Jealous serves as president of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice at the University of Pennsylvania.)

Ron

LBJ’s Howard address: a cross-examination (part 2) From Newt Gingrich to Raphael Warnock

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Within the past week, Sen. Raphael Warnock reminded the nation how much we are all interconnected politically in how voters’ decisions from Georgia touch all of us in the fight for power. It is understandable why Georgia’s Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan said he did not vote for his party’s GOP Senate candidate Herschel Walker in the runoff election against Warnock (He didn’t vote for either candidate). In doing so, did he consider why the decision-makers within his party saw fit to have a former football star from Texas represent Georgia and the nation as a U.S. Senator?

While it may be a politically motivated question, it is driven by the desire to have competence fill the position. After a person gets sick, they want to recover and remain as healthy as possible. Therefore, when they go to any physician, they want a person of competence in that position. The same is true when hiring a plumber or mechanic. Does it make sense for any concerned citizen to knowingly want incompetence representing any part of our House or Senate institutions? When we struggle to make sense of Herschel Walker’s candidacy and the million-plus people who voted for him, it is not a partisan struggle but a patriotic one. The political drama in Georgia is an apparent confirmation and continuation of the GOP’s loyalty to obtaining power instead of choosing to care for and protect the U.S. House and Senate as national institutions. It aligns with the “winat-any-cost” revolution and blueprint set forth by another Georgian, former U.S. Representative, and House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Gingrich turned typical partisan battles into a political blood sport, recklessly damaged Congress, and paved the way for Donald Trump’s rise to power. In one of his floor speeches, House Speaker Tip O’Neill said of Gingrich’s attacks, “It’s the lowest thing that I’ve ever seen in my 32 years in Congress!” Gingrich took O’Neil’s words as a badge of honor and continued introducing rhetoric and tactics that have shaped Congress and the Republican Party for the last three decades.

In 1978, speaking to a group of College Republi-

David W. Marshall

Commentary

cans while campaigning for his third attempt at Congress, Gingrich said: “One of the great problems we have in the Republican Party is that we don’t encourage you to be nasty. We encourage you to be neat, obedient, and loyal, and faithful, and all those Boy Scout words, which would be great around the campfire but are lousy in politics.” For the GOP to succeed, Gingrich described how the next generation of Republicans would have to learn to “raise hell,” to stop being so “nice” to realize that politics was, above all, a cutthroat “war for power”—and to start acting like it.

The hard-charging Gingrich believed that the most important objective for the Republican Party should be to win back control of the House from the Democrats, who had consistently been the majority party since 1955. A few months later, he was finally elected to the House of Representatives, where he quickly rose to become one of the most powerful officials in America, not through innovative ideas or charisma but through a calculated campaign of attacks against political opponents. His strategy was to blow up the bipartisan coalitions essential to legislating and then seize on the resulting dysfunction as the opening to wage a populist crusade against the institution of Congress itself. He came into office in the post-Watergate era and weaponized the good government reforms recently put into place to fight corruption, wielding the rules in ways that even shocked the legislators who created them.

Gingrich masterminded a media campaign against House Speaker Jim Wright that suggested (with scant evidence) that Wright was corrupt, leading to the Texan’s resignation from the speakership in 1989. The House of Representatives was ultimately transformed into an arena for conflict and drama. The following year, GOPAC, Gingrich’s campaign organization, urged Republican candidates to use inflammatory words such as “traitors,” “shallow,” and “sick” to describe their political opponents. In carrying out the “win-at-any-cost” strategy, it led the GOP to its first majority in Congress in decades. By gaining the power they wanted, it didn’t matter that their accusations of corruption permanently tarnished their opponents. This brand of warfare worked with Republican voters not as a strategy for governance but as a path to power. It’s all about getting the power and keeping it. Democrats, for their part, were alarmed but did not want to sink to his level and took no effective action to stop him.

Michelle Obama, in her speech during the 2016 Democratic National Convention, said:” When someone is cruel or acts like a bully, you don’t stoop to their level. No, our motto is: ‘When they go low, we go high.’” In defeating Herschel Walker, Warnock won four general elections in the last two years by being a candidate of competence, fair play, and common decency. In four elections, there was never a need to sink to the “win-at-any-cost” strategy. Warnock’s win was also significant for Black voters who remained focused, organized, and fought through numerous voting restriction attempts.

Despite the high turnout numbers, the threat of voter suppression is still very real. Georgia’s Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger tried to enforce a state law forbidding in-person early voting on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. However, Warnock successfully sued to prevent the law from going into effect. Republican leaders still don’t get it. While the Trump / Gingrich brand of toxic campaign tactics was effective in the past, don’t underestimate Joe Biden and voters of color.

(David W. Marshall is the founder of the faith-based organization, TRB: The Reconciled Body, and author of the book God Bless Our Divided America. He can be reached at www.davidwmarshallauthor.com.)

President Lyndon B. Johnson’s 1965 Howard University commencement address is one of the most celebrated speeches of the sixties after Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech delivered at the March on Washington in 1963.

During MLK’s famous speech, he compared America’s founding documents to a “promissory note” that guaranteed all Americans inalienable rights.

MLK went on to explain that “America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her colored citizens are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check marked insufficient funds [but] we refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So, we have come to cash this check—a check that will give us, upon demand, the riches of freedom and the security of justice.”

According to MLK, America defaulted on that “promissory note” when the Supreme Court decided in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) that segregation was constitutionally permissible under the guideline of “separate but equal”.

The dissenting Justice in Plessy predicted that the Plessy ruling would prove to be just as pernicious as the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision (1857), which stated the Constitution did not grant citizenship to people of African descent. Obviously, the Dred Scott decision was a default on the “promissory note”, but it was corrected by the 14th Amendment (1868), which declared all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens.

The dissenting justice in the Plessy

J. Pharoah Doss Check

It Out

case was too busy criticizing his fellow justices for having a double standard in the law to notice that the “equal” part of “separate but equal” actually promised something that was not in the founding documents of the United States.

The founders promoted equality in principle, i.e., “created equal under God”, “equal protection under law”, “equal opportunity”, and “equal access”. But Plessy went beyond the theoretical and declared that after the state separated the races, the state was also responsible for maintaining parity between Blacks and Whites in a material sense.

Plessy was struck down by the Supreme Court in 1954 for enforcing separation but not maintaining material parity.

The dissenting Justice in Plessy was right that the ramifications of Plessy would surpass the Dred Scott decision, but not in the manner the dissenting Justice foresaw. It wasn’t segregation that turned out to be the most pernicious aspect of Plessy, it was the notion that the state is responsible for material parity between the races.

When MLK stated that America defaulted on its “promissory note” he was referring to the fact that Plessy aban-

doned the principles of equality established in America’s founding documents. But LBJ thought MLK was referring to the states not enforcing material parity, which was required by Plessy.

MLK didn’t make an argument for material parity between the races, but LBJ did.

In LBJ’s Howard University address, he stated the philosophy behind the “Great Society” programs, the “War on Poverty”, and Affirmative Action. LBJ told the Black students his administration wasn’t seeking equality as a right or theory but equality as a result or outcome. (Equality as a result or outcome currently means reducing or eliminating material inequalities between individuals—in this case racial groups—by a transfer of income or wealth from wealthier to poorer individuals—in this case racial groups—or adopting other measures to promote equality of condition. Many political theorists find this concept impractical because it fails to identify what exactly is to be made equal.)

LBJ made every effort to make up for the historical injustice of inequality by honoring the obligations of Plessy, but he forgot Plessy never should have been declared constitutional in the first place, making him obligated to honor the principle of equality in the founding documents rather than the equality of the result.

LBJ’s Howard address turned out to be a “promissory note” to reinforce Plessy. This time the “promissory note” wasn’t insufficient in funds, it was insufficient in principle.

Georgia on my mind, and Herschel Walker

The pollsters reported that 90 percent of Black voters in Georgia voted against Herschel Walker. I strongly suspect it was much larger than that.  The pollsters can be wrong. Black Georgia whipped Walker and in effect Walker’s number one supporter Donald Trump.  Walker deserved a down home whipping.

He is, in the lyrics of Billie Holiday, “much worse than just bad.” He is spacey as Spock with more dumb manure in his closet than Pandora had in her box.

He was a big-time football hero strutting around with plenty money in his pockets and his head held high. Now, he is forever “the stomp-down fool” with his raunchy business in the streets, who let Trump put him out there, and then ran off and left him when the water got hot.  Walker didn’t need the money (no amount of money is worth that). So! Shame on him.

After Trump announced for 2024, he didn’t want to be seen anywhere near Walker. Trump put out that lie he was staying from Walker for Herschel’s own good. Walker’s campaign aides and staff knew, as well as we do, exactly what Herschel was, is, and will be, but they hung on to the campaign to “make the money.”

Black people in Georgia rejected Herschel Walker, hands down. But a White Hershel Walker may well have won the Georgia US senate race. In 2016, a White one won the White House

Warnock received 51 percent of the votes. Walker received 48 percent. Walker lost by less than 100,000 votes out of 3.5 million people total votes in the race. He received 1.7 million votes.

Subtract the Black vote. Most of Georgia’s White voters voted for Herschel Walker. That is not just the Jan. 6 White folks at the US Capital dressed up like Vikings and Confederate soldiers, but

Fred Logan Commentary

White college graduates, White Evangelical ministers (like their predecessors who held their Sunday church services at Ku Klux Klan lynchings) along with college graduates, suburban Georgia White women, and White blue-collar workers galore.

Ponder this very important recent related insight from Maulana Karenga, “We must praise our people also to bear witness to truth to counter the customary tendency of politicians, media personalities and pundits to dismiss, diminish or divide our role when Democrats win and to blame them as a whole or Black man when the Democrats lose…. For us there is no discussing of reaching out, asking for and responding to our agenda. It is assumed we are an ongoing gift and given.” (See, Musing On the Varied meanings of the Midterms, Dr. Maulana Karenga, November 10, 2022)

Black people can rejoice, but we can’t sit back. Greater Pittsburgh now has more Black elected officials than ever before. But the first Black US president was followed immediately by an arch White-reactionary. Likewise, Pittsburgh’s first Black mayor can be followed by a Pittsburgh Trump.  A whole, whole lot are out there. It can happen here.  In the last governor’s race, millions of White people across Pennsylvania voted for “Jan. 6 Doug” Mastriano.

The current raging political strug-

gles within and between the Democratic Party and the Republican Party over power, policy, and priorities can only grow more ferocious. The long-term roots of the struggle are “the end of an era—the passing into history of the age of American world domination.” (see, The Black community and contemporary economic dynamics, Robert. S. Browne, 1976).

Just 15 years ago, who would have imagined a Black US president in the White House, or a woman, or a socialist as leading candidates for the Oval Office, or a self-proclaimed damn fool being elected to the Oval Office? All of this is a symptom of the crisis of traditional mainstream White leadership manifest in for struggle for the nation’s highest office. The depth and scope of this terminal crisis is also exemplified in the infamous “Southern Strategy” National Republican Party’s decision to run Herschel Walker for the US Senate in Georgia.

Black Pittsburgh, our reference, must establish the organization, infrastructure, and mechanisms, the self-reliant power base to closely monitor how these developments and struggles affect the interests of the local Black community.

In the struggles between well organized, powerful interest groups, the Pittsburgh Black community will be the proverbial “grass” in the often-quoted African proverb from the era of the Cold War struggles between the powerful United States and the powerful USSR. It teaches us, “When elephants fight the grass gets trampled.”

On a personal note, from way up south in Pennsylvania I am very glad Black folks in Georgia gave Herschel Walker one of those old time, “sho’ nuff,” down home whippings. And I am very glad to know there is plenty more where that came from. Are you?

We’re at a dangerous milestone

(TriceEdneyWire.com)—Last week, Donald Trump finally crossed the Rubicon.

That is, he took to his social media platform and, for the first time, issued an explicit call to abolish the U.S. Constitution —the document he once swore to “preserve, protect and defend.” Still fuming over widespread election cheating that exists only in his wounded ego and fragile pride, Trump declared that “A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution.”

Thus, does fascism shed its last fig leaf. Republicans, is this your king?

We find ourselves at a dangerous milestone. For all the talk of his declining influence, Trump remains the face of the GOP and our government is stocked at all levels with his acolytes. What happens if they take seriously his claim that the Constitution is null and void?

Yes, it’s unthinkable. Just as a band of citizens attacking the U.S. Capitol once was.

Let’s be clear: We brought this on ourselves. It’s what we get for playing fast and loose with our civic responsibilities in 2016. It’s what Republicans get for being too feckless to put nation above party. It’s what voters get for acting like Hillary Clinton was Cruella de Vil in a pantsuit and sensible shoes. And it’s what news

Jesse Jackson Sr. Commentary

media get for normalizing the abnormal in the apparent conviction that to do otherwise would prove — gasp! — bias.

Shame on CNN for giving Trump millions of dollars in free advertising, for covering his rallies with a wall-to-wall urgency denied less entertaining presidential aspirants.

Shame on The New York Times for framing him and Clinton as candidates both carrying baggage, when her baggage was clearly carry-on while he was dragging steamer trunks behind him.

Shame on The Wall Street Journal for its prissy equivocations in declining to define as “lies” repeated falsehoods from the most prodigious liar in U.S. history.

A pox on every one of us, every reporter, editor, anchor or producer who failed to frame Trump’s rise as the danger it transparently was.

Too many news professionals duck the idea of making such judgment calls in deference to some largely mythical beast called “objectivity.” What they for-

get is that there is no such thing as news without judgment. Reporters must be fair, yes, and balanced. But that does not mean they may not report the obvious. Trump certainly was that. He never hid his ignorance or his malfeasance. To the contrary, they were part of his appeal. But too few journalists were willing to say that. Instead, they became addicted to the sugar high of ratings and attention he produced — what crazy thing would he say or do next? — and promoted it, ignoring the threat it posed.

As former CBS CEO Les Moonves infamously gloated, Trump’s candidacy “may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS.”

Now, again, the bill for that bacchanal comes due. Should we take this latest threat seriously? Of course we should. Trump and his followers would storm the National Archives and run the Constitution through a shredder if they could. The better question is: How will journalists report it if that happens? Will they parachute into red state diners for a “both sides” view of shredding the Constitution? Or have we finally learned our lesson? Do we finally grasp that in the face of a clear and present danger, one must report it with the gravity it demands? We can only hope.

Democracy matters. We should all be biased in favor of that.

SOFTWARE DEVELOPER PRINCIPAL (MULTIPLE OPENINGS)

The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. has multiple openings for a Software Developer Principal in Pittsburgh, PA, with the ability to telecommute with appropriate telecommuting systems for up to three days per week, with a minimum of two days per week in the office.

The Software Developer Principal will participate in all aspects of the PNC’s Retail Technology MIS Delivery organization activities.

Core responsibilities include: (i) aligns business strategy with software solutions; (ii) proposes, designs and codes software solutions to address complex business needs and oversees technical and procedural documentation required; (iii) leads complex problem solving; (iv) provides technical guidance and support to colleagues and solution development; (v) displays an innovative approach to apply modern principles, methodologies, and tools to advance business initiatives and capabilities; (vi) partner with business stakeholders and product owners to prioritize technology deliverables; (vii) performs code reviews and suggest potential improvements and formulate best practices; and (viii) ensures quality of project deliverables while maintaining compliance with relevant standards and processes.

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Electronics Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Computer Engineering or Computer Science plus 5 years of experience in a position identifying user requirements and performing research and analysis to determine conceptual design for solving business problems.

Required experience must include: (i) proposing and designing software solutions and processes analyzing brokerage domain data; (ii) creating technical design and application architecture diagrams; (iii) establishing and maintaining file transfer connectivity using SFTP, NDM and Connect Direct to transmit data between internal and external systems; (iv) designing, developing and maintaining mainframe COBOL and CA7 job schedules to support new and existing processes; (v) creating complex SQL and PL/ SQL queries using TOAD and SQL developer to perform Data Mining/ Data Analysis; (vi) designing Informatica ETL workflows and transformation logic to load data into Operational Data Stores, Data Warehouses and Data Marts in both Oracle and Teradata database; (vii) developing, analyzing and reviewing data models using database normalization, entity relation modeling and design techniques to structure processes and data for accuracy, efficiency, and maintainability; (viii) establishing and managing various OBIEE reports for business key metrics; (ix) designing, documenting and testing APIs using tools such as Swagger editor, PostMan and SOAPUI; (x) building integrations between internal and external applications using both REST and SOAP based APIs; (xi) supporting Single-Sign On (SSO) technology for internal and external vendor applications using SAML; (xii) integrating and automating business processes using CRM tools such as Salesforce and Oracle Siebel; (xiii) aligning to business and IT priorities by effectively leveraging waterfall, iterative and Agile methodologies, while coaching and mentoring team members; and (xiv) coordinating Disaster Recovery events with enterprise support teams. 40 hours/week, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Interested individuals apply online at www.pnc.com using keyword R103389. PNC provides equal employment opportunity to qualified persons regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or other categories protected by law.

CHP RESEARCH PROGRAM MANAGER

The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine seeks a CHP Research Program Manager to work in Pittsburgh, PA, and be responsible for industry sponsored clinical trials at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and NIH projects in the pediatric population within the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and obstetric populations at Magee-Women’s Hospital. Apply at https://join.pitt.edu, #22009448

The University of Pittsburgh is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and values equality of opportunity, human dignity and diversity.

EOE, including disability/vets

JOB OPENING:

ENGAGEMENT

COMMUNITY

& PROGRAM MANAGER (FT)

Seeking a highly productive individual with strong interpersonal and communication skills who is passionate about community-driven revitalization in Lawrenceville. More info at bit.ly/CEPM-LU

FOCUS ON RENEWAL, MCKEES ROCKS, PA, HAS IMMEDIATE OPENING DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Our Director of Finance oversees all financial aspects of the business and drives financial strategy and planning.

This leader must have a broad knowledge of accounting and financial/business principles; be a strategic thinker and effective leader; and will be responsible for the financial viability of the organization.

Qualifications include:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; CPA preferred

• Minimum of five years of managerial accounting and financial management experience

• Knowledge of GAAP accounting

• Proficient in the use of QuickBooks and Microsoft Excel and Word

• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation

• Act 33 and Act 34 clearances

• Vaccinated against Covid-19 virus Apply to: https://recruiting.paylocity.com/ recruiting/jobs/Details/1271277/ Focus-on-Renewal/Director-ofFinance

BOYS YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PHASE LEADER

CLUB TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Hotspurs Soccer Club seeks a Boys Youth Development Phase Leader Club Technical Director to work in Pittsburgh, PA, to plan and implement a club technical program over the entire club as well as leading the youth development phase which involves traveling to tournaments, games and individual coach development. If interested, please send CV with cover letter, references, and salary requirements to: coachtommo@hotspurs-soccer.com

STEEL VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYMENT LISTINGS

Supervisor of Pupil ServicesRequirements: Supervisor of Special Education certification, Supervisor of Pupil Services certification, Principal certification, or Superintendent certification.

Preferred: supervisory or administrative experience. This position will work closely with the Director of Pupil Services and the Administrative team to increase our capacity in areas such as special education, social and emotional learning, mental health supports and homelessness. This is a grant-funded position, which will terminate at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year.

Special Education Teacher –Opening for Life Skills, Special Education teacher for 2022-2023 school year at Barrett Elementary School. PA Special Education K-12 or Special Education PK-8 required. Preferred: training/experience in Autism & Sever Cognitive Disabilities. This position is an ESSER III funded position, which will terminate at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year.

Two (2) Districtwide Paraprofessional Positions - Base rate is $12.40/ hour or with highly qualified status is $13.90/hour, with benefits as outlined in the current Steel Valley Secretarial/Aides Educational Support Professional Association (PSE/NEA). These are ESSER III funded positions, which will terminate at the conclusion of the 2023-2024 school year.

Send letter of interest, resume, standard application, transcripts, current clearances and credentials to hrsupport@steelvalleysd.org

Deadline noon on December 22, 2022. EOE

SOUTH FAYETTE TWP.

SCHOOL DISTRICT is seeking a MIDDLE SCHOOL MAIN OFFICE

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT

Complete job description is available at: www.southfayette.org

Deadline 4:00 PM, January 3, 2023 EOE

SOUTH FAYETTE TWP.

SCHOOL DISTRICT Is seeking a HEAD VARSITY BOYS TENNIS COACH

Job descriptions and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org

Applications must be received by 4:00 PM December 20, 2022, or until positions are filled

SOUTH FAYETTE TWP.

SCHOOL DISTRICT Has MULTIPLE FOOD SERVICE POSITIONS available

Complete job descriptions and directions on how to apply are available at: www.southfayette.org

Applications must be received by 4:00 PM December 20, 2022, or until positions are filled

LEGAL ADVERTISING Legal Notices

JAMES V. GILLESPIE, deceased, of Homestead, Whitaker, No. 04727 of 2022. Mary Beth Ritz, Extrx. 151 Lincoln Avenue, Homestead, PA 15120 or to c/o Jacqueline H. Brangard, Esquire Scolieri Law Group, P.C. Attys. 1207 Fifth Avenue, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15219

Estate of DOUGLAS S. COLEMAN, Estate No. 02-22-07530 630 Dornbush Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15221, Co-administrators Daniel R. and Darren F. Coleman, P.O. Box 17097, Pittsburgh, PA 15235 or to Attorney William C. Price, Jr. Price & Associates, P.C. 2005 Noble Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15218

Estate of VICTORIA EDWARDS, Estate No 07800 OF 2022, Deceased of Pittsburgh, Christine Zapf, Extrx., 3532 Laird St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212.

ANNOUNCEMENTS Meetings

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR GROUP TERM LIFE, AD&D AND LTD BENEFITS

RFP# 650-28-22

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):

Group Term Life, AD&D and LTD Benefits

The documents will be available no later than December 5, 2022 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 10:00 AM on December 27, 2022. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 10:00 AM on December 27, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF THE CITY OF PITTSBURGH

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

(RFP) FOR CELL TOWER CONSULTANT REBID RFP# 700-27-22-Rebid

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP) hereby request proposals from qualified Firms or Individuals capable of providing the following service(s):

Cellular Tower Consultant Services

The documents will be available no later than December 5, 2022 and signed, sealed proposals will be accepted until: 9:00 AM on December 27, 2022. The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh will only be accepting physical proposals dropped off in person from 8:00 AM until the closing time of 9:00 AM on December 27, 2022 in the lobby of 100 Ross St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219. Proposals may be uploaded to the Authority’s online submission site, the link is accessible via the HACP website and within the RFP. Sealed proposals may still be mailed via USPS at which time they will be Time and Date Stamped at 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Parties or individuals interested in responding may download a copy of the Solicitation from the Business Opportunities page of www.HACP.org.

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF ALLEGHENY COUNTY

LEGAL ADVERTISING Bids/Proposals

OFFICIAL

Sealed

Questions or inquiries should be directed to:

Mr. James Harris Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Legal Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2915

A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on December 15, 2022. Please see meeting information below:

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 826 1953 4709 Passcode: 266652 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACP has revised their website.

As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs documentation.

Questions or inquiries should be directed to:

Mr. James Harris Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh Legal Department 100 Ross Street 2nd Floor, Suite 200 Pittsburgh, PA 15219 412-643-2915

A pre-submission meeting will be held via Zoom meeting; on December 15, 2022. Please see meeting information below:

Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 814 0956 1653 Passcode: 185715 +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)

The Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh strongly encourages certified minority business enterprises and women business enterprises to respond to this solicitation.

HACP has revised their website. As part of those revisions, vendors must now register and log-in, in order to view and download IFB/ RFPs documentation.

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

HACP

TO PROPOSERS REQUEST

FOR PROPOSALS – POINT OF SALE SYSTEM REPLACEMENT

CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS! COURIER CLASSIFIEDS

CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS!

Caster D. Binion, Executive Director Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh

conducts business in accordance with all federal, state, and local civil rights laws, including but not limited to Title VII, the Fair Housing Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, The PA Human Relations Act, etc. and does not discriminate against any individuals protected by these statutes.

Separate sealed Bids for the Work as listed hereinafter will be received at the Purchasing and Materials Management Department of Port Authority of Allegheny County (Authority) Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15222-2527 until 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, February 14, 2023 (Please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location - all participants – IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals) and will be opened and read at 2:00 pm via teleconference at: (toll free phone number: 1-855-453-6957 and conference ID #4485786). Each Bidder shall be solely responsible for assuring that its Bid is both received and time stamped by a representative of the Purchasing and Materials Management Department at or before the advertised time for submission of Bids. Bidders submitting bids via FedEx, UPS, USPS or other carrier must immediately provide tracking information to the assigned contract specialist via e-mail. Upon delivery, bidder will notify the assigned contract specialist with an e-mailed receipt. Bids received or time stamped in the Purchasing and Materials Management Department after the advertised time for the submission of Bids shall be non-responsive and therefore ineligible for Award.

BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT) DOWNTOWN LOOP CONTRACT NO. BRT-002 REBID

The Work of this Project includes, but is not limited to, the furnishing of all labor, materials, tools, equipment, and incidentals necessary for the construction of the Downtown portion of the Downtown-Uptown-Oakland Bus Rapid Transit project. The Work includes, but is not limited to, demolition; reconstruction/resurfacing of roadways; traffic signals; utility coordination, drainage and waterline removal, relocations, support, and replacement; maintenance and protection of traffic; BRT station construction, BRT systems installation, testing and commissioning; roadway lighting; pedestrian facilities; pavement markings; noise and vibration controls; and control center upgrades. Bid Documents will be available for public inspection and may be obtained on or after Wednesday, December 14, 2022 at Authority’s offices at the following address (If you are picking up bid documents, please call Cindy Denner at (412) 566-5117 prior to arriving at this location - all participants - IF UNVACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 - must provide and wear a mask at all times and practice minimum social distancing of 6 feet between other individuals):

Port Authority of Allegheny County Purchasing and Materials Management Department

Heinz 57 Center 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222-2527

Bid Documents are available for purchase as follows: Bid Documents are available in an electronic form on memory stick upon payment of ($15) per memory stick. Payment shall be by check or money order (NO CASH) payable to “Port Authority of Allegheny County.” No refunds of payment will be made. Upon request, Bid Documents can be mailed upon receipt of payment in full. Should the purchaser wish to have the Bid Documents delivered via special delivery, such as UPS or Federal Express, the purchaser shall provide its appropriate account numbers for such special delivery methods.

This Project is subject to financial assistance contracts between Authority and County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) of the U. S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Authority, in compliance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, as amended, 74 Pa. C.S. § 303, as may be amended, implements positive affirmative action procedures to ensure that all Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (“DBEs”) and certified Diverse Businesses (“DBs”) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of contracts and subcontracts financed, in whole or in part, with federal and state funds provided for this Project. In this regard, all Bidders shall take all necessary and reasonable steps, and make good faith efforts, in accordance with 49 C.F.R., Part 26, to ensure that DBE’s, and in accordance with 74 Pa. C.S. § 300, to insure that DBs, have the maximum opportunity to compete for and perform contracts. Bidders shall also not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, disability, national origin, sexual origin, gender identity or status as a parent in the award and performance of DOT-assisted contracts. It is a condition of this Contract that all Bidders shall follow the DBE and DB required procedures as set forth in the Bid Documents. If aid is required to involve DBEs and DBs in the Work, Bidders are to contact Authority’s DBE Representative, Susanna Broadus at (412) 566-5257

The Bidder ’s attention is directed to the following contacts for Bidder’s questions:

Procedural Questions Regarding Bidding: Cindy Denner - Authority (412) 566-5117 cdenner@rideprt.org All other questions relating to the Bid Documents must be submitted by mail or email to:

Allegheny

Sixth Avenue,

15222-2527

Cindy Denner (412) 566-5117

ACHA-1692, DWELLING UNIT CLEANING SERVICES

Allegheny County Housing Authority (ACHA) is seeking Bids from qualified vendors to provide Dwelling Unit Cleaning Service on an as needed basis, per specifications in the IFB. ACHA is now conducting all competitive solicitation on an internet-based eProcurement Housing Marketplace. ACHA is paying for all costs for the use of the Marketplace so, there will be no additional charges for your company to use the Marketplace to download documents or submit responses to ACHA.

AGENCY CONTACT PERSON: Guy Phillips, Purchasing Manager Telephone: (412)402-2435, E-mail: gphillips@achsng.com.

HOW TO OBTAIN THE IFB DOCUMENTS ON THE EPROCUREMENT MARKETPLACE:

1. Access ha.internationaleprocurement.com (no “www”)

2. Click on the “Login” button in the upper left side.

3. Follow the listed directions.

4. If you have any problems in accessing or registering on the eProcurement Marketplace, please call customer support at (866)526-9266.

PRE-BID CONFERENCE: THERE WILL NOT BE A PREBID CONFERENCE: If you have any questions regarding this IFB or any of the documents, use the “Question and Answer area in the eProcurement Housing Marketplace Website.

QUESTION SUBMITTAL DEADLINE Friday, January 6, 2023, 3:00 PM ET

HOW TO FULLY RESPOND TO THIS IFB BY SUBMITTING A PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL:

1. As directed within Section 3.2.1 of the IFB document, submit proposed pricing, where provided for, within the eProcurement Marketplace.

2. As instructed within Section 3.0 of the IFB document, submit One (1) Original copy of your “hard copy” Bid to the Agency Administrative Office.

BID SUBMITTAL RETURN & DEADLINE *Friday, January 20, 2023, 2:00 PM ET 301 Chartiers Ave, McKees Rocks, PA 15136 (The proposed costs must be entered within the aforementioned eProcurement Marketplace and the “hard copy” documentation must be received in-hand and time-stamped by the Agency by no later than 2:00 PM ET on this date).

The Authority encourages responses from §3 business concerns, small firms, minority firms and firms that have not previously performed work for the ACHA. The Allegheny County Housing Authority reserves the right to reject any and all submissions.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY HOUSING AUTHORITY Frank Aggazio, Executive Director

Thursday, December 15, 2022 • 6-9 p.m.

Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square 300 West Station Square Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Esther L. Bush Legacy Honoree

Thursday, December 15, 2022 • 6-9 p.m.

Sheraton Pittsburgh Hotel at Station Square 300 West Station Square Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15219

ESTHER L. BUSH, LEGACY HONOREE retired president & ceo of the urban league of greater pittsburgh

Maya Adams

Chief Operating Officer

Exurbia Home Healthcare

Michelle L. Berryman

Western Regional Manager of Toll Operations Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

Danielle Blackburn, PhD

Director of Large Group and Strategic Accounts

Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Angela Blair

Director of Enterprise Talent

Highmark Health

LaTanya J. Brown

Director of Service and Delivery at Collier Garage

Pittsburgh Regional Transit

Rev. Dr. LaWana L. Butler

Executive Director - Heuer House

Dr. Pauline Callaway-Long, D.Sc.

CEO

Life On the Go (L.O.N.G.) Informations Systems LLC

Marcia Carter

Peri-Operative Registered Nurse at Allegheny General Hospital

Allegheny Health Network

Teaira Collins

CEO and Founder - Lion of Judah Enterprises

Kenyokee C. Crowell

SVP & COO of Enterprise Clinical Organization

Highmark Health

Carmella Antoinette Dearmon

33rd District Commander

American Legion Post 527

Keiha R. Drummond

Educator at City High Charter School/ Entrepreneur, SKNDP LLC

Roxanne Easley

Owner and Operator

Roxanne’s Catering and Easley Event Staffing

Latrice Ebo, BSN

Clinician Therapist

Pittsburgh Mercy Behavioral Health

Anne Germany, BSN, RN, CCM

Health Ministries Leader

Mt. Ararat Baptist Church

Cynthia A. Gilmer

Director of Secondary Curriculum Environmental Charter School

Victoria L. Goins

Vice President of Programs and Services

Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh

Dawn Gordon, MSW, LSW, M.Ed.

Principal of Martin Luther King PreK-8 Pittsburgh Public Schools

Teresa M. Hawthorne

Founder - Turn Up Your Life Motivation, LLC

Mikey Hood

Correspondent & Host of Pittsburgh Today Live KDKA

Gail E. Jackson

Retired from Pittsburgh Corning Corporation/ Substitute Teacher at Pittsburgh Obama High School, Pittsburgh Public Schools

Ardana “AJ” Jefferson

Executive Director

Homeless Children’s Education Fund

Rev. June Jeffries

Pastor - New Life Baptist Church

Dr. Maleea Johnson

Director of the Office of Equity & Inclusion

Carlow University

Inika Jones

Child Health and Safety Manager

Private Industry Council-Head Start/Early Head Start of Beaver Co.

Jael Jones

Senior Program Manager of Impact Relations

Neighborhood Allies

Latara J. Jones

Drug and Alcohol Counselor, 5th Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County/

Adjunct Professor, Duquesne University

Dr. Toya Jones

Director and Faculty, Bachelor of Arts Social Work (BASW) Program

University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work

Ayanna Lee-Davis

Lead Counsel

Legal Department/ Business Transactions Group FedEx Ground Package Systems, Inc.

Ebony Lunsford-Evans

Owner - Farmer Girl Eb LLC

Denise S. Meyers

Director of Nursing, Forbes Road Personal Care Home/ Personal Care Home Administrator, Village of Pennwood

Tamia Mitchell

Managing Director of Systems Improvement and Continuous Quality Improvement A Second Chance, Inc.

Yolanda J. Murphy

Research Specialist, University of Pittsburgh/ Clinical Trial Ambassador, Hillman Cancer Center

Tyra Oliver

Assistant Counsel

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Chief Counsel

Theresa Poindexter

Nurse Educator and Administrator

T.L.P. Assisted Living, Healthcare and Training LLC

Rev. Nikki Porter

Minister of Music and Head of Staff, Eastminster Presbyterian Church/Gospel Recording Artist

Kelly Protho

Senior Applied Learning & Development Specialist

Allegheny County Department of Human Services

Stacey E. Randolph

Emergency Preparedness Training & Exercise

Coordinator and Allegheny Medical Reserve Corps Director - Allegheny County Health Department

Angela Reynolds, PhD

CEO - YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh

Alicia

L.

Scott, MSN, RN

Director of Clinical Services

Ohio Healthy Health Plan

Ronniece Shealey-Sirmons

Teacher, Instructional Lead and PFT Executive Board

Member

Pittsburgh Public Schools

Andrea Clark Smith

Associate Chief Legal Officer & SVP Employment, Labor and Physician Contracting UPMC

Monica Tillman Smith

Owner/Operator

Salon XO Natural Hair & Wellness Studio

Deborah Starling

Recreational Leader

City of Pittsburgh

Alexis James Steals

Senior Vice President and Deposit Product Manager

TriState Capital Bank

Michelle Marie Stewart

Director, University of Pittsburgh Community Engagement Center—Homewood/ Founder & Content Creator, Executed in Excel Lens Consulting

Rev. Aisha I. Tate, M.Div.

Pastor, Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church/ Founder, The House of Glory

Dr. Tammy Washington

Program Manager of Portfolio Delivery & Operations, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield/ Entrepreneur, The SMG Lady, LLC

Nicole R. Webster

Corporate Citizenship Manager

Accenture

Melissa K. Wharton

Founder, President & CEO of The Church Online, LLC/ Co-Founder, President & CEO of Wharton Curtis, LLC

Class of 2021

Honorees

LYNNE HAYES-FREELAND

LEGACY HONOREE

DR. AMY ALEXANDER

DR. TAMARA ALLEN-THOMAS

OLIVIA BENNETT

CHRISTINE BETHEA

KENYA BOSWELL

DANNIELLE N. BROWN

DR. ELIZABETH A. CARTER

LESLIE CARTER

CHANDI CHAPMAN

DR. LISA COFFEY

DR. CHARLENE HILL-COLEMAN

DAYNA DELGADO

JOI EDMONDS

TONYA EDMONDS

LAJUANA FULLER

CORINNE GIBSON

PAMELA GOLDEN

DR. TERRIE GRIFFIN

DR. LORA HUBBARD

TINISHA HUNT

REV. HELEN JACKSON

GLADYS JELKS

ELAINE B. JENKINS

JA-NEEN JONES

DOROTHEA LEFTWICH

DEBORAH MARSHALL

DR. TAMMI MCMILLAN MARSHALL

LOIS TONI MCCLENDON

ERICA MCDILL

BILITA MCINTOSH

MUFFY MENDOZA

SHATARA MURPHY

MARY NESBY

REV. CARRIE PUGH

SHARON L. ROBINSON

SHEMARIA SCHARMANN

JERVONNE SINGLETARY

DENISE SINKLER

REV. EILEEN SMITH

CHERYL SMITH

CAROL SPEAKS-HADDOCK

JAMILA SYKES

NGOZI D. TIBBS

KIYA TOMLIN

JERIMAINE WARD

ERNESTINE WATTS-TAYLOR

JANICE WHITE

TERAYA WHITE

TERRI WILLIAMS

DR. BONNIE YOUNG

Message froM the editor and Publisher

It is with great pleasure that we present the New Pittsburgh Courier’s Women of Excellence “Class of 2022!”

Created in 2008 to celebrate the accomplishments of African American women, this prestigious event has cultivated an extraordinary sisterhood of support. With the induction of the 2022 class, the New Pittsburgh Courier will have celebrated the accomplishments of more than 600 African American women in southwestern Pennsylvania. These women rule in board rooms, executive offices, and legislative chambers. They are trailblazers, leaders, activists, and entrepreneurs and their many accomplishments are worthy of continued recognition, honor and applause.

You are invited to turn the page and learn more about the Women of Excellence Class of 2022. You will be inspired not only by their professional accomplishments, but by their dedication to improving life in our communities. The stories of their personal journeys and unwavering commitment to excellence are

epic.

To assist us in the selection process, our readers submitted nominations of women who met the established criteria. We continue to be impressed with the extensive list of submissions that serve as a testament to the outstanding array of luminous and gifted personalities throughout our area. The “Women of Excellence” now appear on the following pages of this special tribute publication. Each woman is a living example of how hard work, integrity and determination leads to success. We hope they inspire others to pursue excellence in their field of endeavor.

We thank our sponsors and advertisers for their generous support in helping make this publication and awards celebration possible. This publication serves as a record of accomplishment, a historical landmark and an indelible mark in the fabric of our community. We encourage you to share it with both the young and the old.

Congratulations to the Courier’s “Women of Excellence, Class of 2022!”

ROD DOSS

Honorees

VALERIE MCDONALD ROBERTS

LEGACY HONOREE

DONNA ALLEN-ROSEMOND

SONITA BELL

JOANNE BOYD

SIMQUITA BRIDGES

REV. TALEETA CANADY

AURELIA CARTER

ELAINE COLE

INEZ COLON

DR. RANDI CONGLETON

BETH CRAWFORD

BETHANY CRISSWELL

SUSAN DOPICO

DR. WILLA DOSWELL

LISA EPPS

KATHRYN FITZGERALD

KIMBERLY FRANCETTE

DR. TRISHA GADSON

DR. TYRA GOOD

DR. ALICIA B. HARVEY-SMITH

DR. SHARON HIGGINBOTHAN

MAISHA HOWZE

PHYLLISS JOHNSON

LATOYA JOHNSO-RAINEY

DR. DAWNDRA JONES

JACQUELINE JONES-MITCHELL

FRANCES JORDAN

CARLEEN KING, MBA

DENA LAMAR

NICOLE NARVAEZ MANNS

SHARON MCINTOSH

JUDITH WOODSON MCNEIL

ANGELA MIKE

TERRI MINOR-SPENCER

TONI MURPHY

AMANDA NEATROUR

EVELYN NEWSOME

DR. JOYLETTE PORTLOCK

DR. RUTHIE REA

CAMILA RIVERA-TINSLEY

TIMIRA RUSH

TRICIA SHELTON

AMBER SLOAN

CHARLISE SMITH

LISA SYLVESTER

FLO TAYLOR

JUEL THOMAS-SMITH

TAMMY THOMPSON

NATALIE S. TYLER

RAMONA RUTH WILKES

JUDY WRIGHT

The Legacy Honoree

Class of 2018 Honorees

CECILE

M. SPRINGERLEGACY HONOREE

TIA BAKER

SALOAM BEY

BETTY BRAXTER

ESTHER L. BUSH

As the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh, Esther L. Bush has established herself as a voice of reason, a coalition builder and a force for positive change in the Greater Pittsburgh community and throughout the U.S.

Under her leadership, the Pittsburgh Urban League recently ranked as one of the nation’s top performing affiliates – for the second time in succession, a feat accomplished by only a few affiliates. In February 2013, Bush was one of 10 Americans recognized at the White House as a Champion of Change in the Educational Excellence for African Americans program.

Bush is nationally recognized as a strong and vocal advocate for economic and social equality initiatives that benefit African Americans and thereby the whole community. This advocacy impacts the traditional education, employment and housing programs of the Urban League, as well as more contemporary programs such as helping formerly incarcerated parents find

jobs, encouraging African American adolescent men to set high standards and challenging goals for themselves, developing a charter school, overseeing community-based family support centers, offering classes on preparing for homeownership, facilitating early childhood services and youth development activities, and more. Her community service goes far beyond what professional obligations would require.

A graduate of Pittsburgh’s Westinghouse High School, Bush began her career as a high school teacher. She also worked as a college administrator and corporate consultant. She moved progressively up the ladder of the Urban League movement, starting in 1980 with the position of Assistant Director of the Labor Education Advancement Program for the National Urban League in New York City. From there, she served first as Director of the New York Urban League Staten Island Branch, then as Director of its Manhattan Branch. Before returning to her hometown of Pittsburgh in December 1994,

Bush was President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League of Greater Hartford. She is the first female to serve in each of her last four positions in the Urban League movement.

Bush was appointed by governors to serve on the: Pennsylvania State Board of Education, PA Commission for Crime and Delinquency, Law Enforcement and Community Relations Task Force, the Governor’s Commission on Academic Standards, and the Voting Modernization Task Force. She served on several committees to establish the new Home Rule Charter form of government for Allegheny County. She served on the Executive Committee of the National Urban League Association of Executives and was former Chairperson of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh Charter School Board of Trustees. She is a current member of the International Women’s Forum, Pittsburgh Chapter and formerly on the International Women’s Forum Board of Directors, was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania in 2003, and Distinguished

Member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Robert Morris University Chapter, in 2014. In addition, Bush has served as a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association’s Judicial Evaluation Committee, UPMC, and United Way and currently serves on the boards of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Duquesne University, and on many other boards and committees.

She is also an adjunct faculty member in the School of Social Work, University of Pittsburgh, and is a member of several advisory committees at the University of Pittsburgh and formerly at Carnegie Mellon University.

Bush holds a B.S. degree in Education from Morgan State University and an M.A. in Guidance and Counseling from The Johns Hopkins University. Bush has also received an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Hartford in 1997, an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Carlow College in 2004, and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Allegheny College in 2009.

LAKEISHA “KI KI” BROWN BRITTEE CLAY LORI CRISWELL

LARAE CULLENS

LATIKA DAVIS-JONES, PHD, MPH, MSW

DEBRA DENNISON

MALESIA DUNN

CHRISTIN DURHAM MAMAR GELAYE

VICTORIA A. GARNER

MARITA GARRETT JUDITH K. GINYARD

ARAINA GRAHAM

MARSHA GRAYSON

LASHAUNDRA HAMMONDS

SHERDINA HARPER

ALETA HEARD

REV. CARMEN D. HOLT NIKKIA INGRAM MINIKA JENKINS DIANE JOHNSON

CHERYL JOHNSON

SHEILA L. JOHNSON, PHD, DMIN. NICHOLE KINDRED VALERIE KINLOCH

CLAUDIA M. KREGG-BYERS, PHD REV. SHANEA D. LEONARD JANET K. MANUEL

NICKEIA MASON

GRACE WANKIIRI ORSATTI, ESQ. DIANE POWELL

SIMONE QUINERLY

ALETA RICHARDS

BONITA L. RICHARDSON

DIONNA ROJAS

YASMIN SHAHEED

M. SHERNELL SMITH

SHAWNA SOLOMON

KARLA STALLWORTH

DEVON TALIAFERRO

IRIS TOWNSEND

RUTH WALKER

FAWN WALKER-MONTGOMERY

LENORE WILLIAMS

LINDA WILLIAMS-MOORE

ROWINEA WOOTEN

CELEBRITY HOST

Talented. Respected. Trusted.

Sheldon Ingram

Sheldon Ingram decided at age 15 that he would devote his life to being a storyteller. He is well-known in southwestern Pennsylvania as a veteran television reporter for WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh’s Action News 4. He came to Pittsburgh in 1992 and immediately took on some of the most high-profile stories to hit the region. Since then, Ingram was named the talk show host of “Inside Pittsburgh” during the late ‘90s, freelanced for BET News as the Pittsburgh correspondent, and received numerous awards for his work as a journalist, including multiple Emmys. He was recently named as host for a new talk show, “WTAE Listens.”

Ingram was born and raised in Atlantic City, N.J. After high school, he attended Morris Brown College in Atlanta, where he studied broadcast journalism and later interned at CNN as a reporter before launching his career at WRCB-TV in Chattanooga and WVEC-TV in Norfolk.

Immersing himself in the Pittsburgh community continues to be a priority for Ingram, serving on numerous boards, volunteering, and embracing the region’s unique character.

Ingram is an avid disciple of wellness, certified as a holistic wellness coach. He also enjoys playing tennis, cycling, scuba diving, and being in the gym.

This year, Ingram expand-

ed his role as a storyteller, by becoming a professional actor. He appeared as a guest star on “Law & Order—SVU” for the season premiere in September and he was cast in two movies to debut in 2023; “The Deliverance,” directed by Lee Daniels and “A Rose for her Grave,” directed by Maritte Lee Go.

Ingram will also be part of the cast for the upcoming theater Broadway production, “Chicken and Biscuits,” presented by New Horizon Theater in May 2023.

Ingram is honored to serve as celebrity host for the 2022 New Pittsburgh Courier Women of Excellence celebration.

Class of 2016

Honorees

DIANE NEELY BATES

TYIAN BATTLE

MARIA LEWIS BETHEL

TAMMY SPENCER BEY

DINA ‘FREE’ BLACKWELL

REV. MAUREEN F. CROSS BOLDEN

SONYA R. CHAMBERS

LORRAINE CROSS

DIANE I. DANIELS

TAMMY L. DAVIS

TENEL DORSEY

AMY LYN ELLIOTT

KATHI R. ELLIOTT

JACQUE FIELDER

RHONDA L. FLEMING

RENEE GALLOWAY, PhD

CAROL LYNN GREER

RONELL GUY

ERICA COCHRAN HAMEEN, PhD

NICOLA HENRY-TAYLOR, ESQ.

KIM HOOTS

LINDA J. IVERSON, PhD

CHARMELLE JACKSON

LORIE JOHNSON-OSHO, EdD

MARCELLA L. LEE

BISHOP CYNTHIA MOORE- KOIKOI

REV. NICHELLE NELSON

TORY N. PARRISH

ERIN PERRY

TAMARE P. PIERSAINT, PhD

ERIN E. POTTER

DARLENE L. POWELL

LUCILLE PRATER-HOLLIDAY

REV. DR. JOAN PRENTICE

THERAINE A. RANSOME

YOLANDA ROBERTS

RENA A.S. ROBINSON

REV. APRIL D. ROEBUCK

JESSICA RUFFIN

TAMARA SANDERS-WOODS, EdD

ROXANNE NORMAN SEWELL

DANIELLE M. SMITH

MATHILDA SPENCER, PhD

ARZELLA STEWARTMCCAULEY, PhD

CHRISTEL N. TEMPLE, PhD

RENEE D. THOMAS

TE’ONA M. WILLIAMS

BOFTA YIMAM

Class of 2014 Honorees

MURIEL FOX ALIM

ANGELA ALLIE

CARMEN ANDERSON

TERRI L. BALTIMORE

CHARLENE FOGGIE BARNETT

RASHALL M. BRACKNEY

ANDREA D. BROWN

TERRY L. BURDEN

LASHAWN BURTON-FAULK

BRIDGETTE N. COFIELD, JD, SPHR

KAREN COLBERT

ALIYA D. DURHAM

MAXINE ENGRAM

SHARON FLAKE

ALMA SPEED FOX— LEGACY HONOREE

LISA B. FREELAND

MINISTER DEBRA GERMANY

VALIDIA M. GIDDENS

AMERA GILCHRIST

MICHELE GOODMAN-JONES

DEANNE HAMILTON

VERA HEFFLIN-EDWARDS

BIBIANA HILL

REGINA B. HOLLEY, PHD

FRANCES TAGGERT HOLLY

ELIZABETH L. HUGHES, ESQ. ERIN ISSAC, DMD

KIMBERLY M. JACKSON

NATALIE D. JACKSON

DIANA JAMES

LORETTA JETER

KATIE EVERETTE JOHNSON—

LEGACY HONOREE

PAMELA JOHNSON

REV. MARIE KELLY

CHARLESE MCKINNEY

VELVET V. MICKENS

SHAUNDA MILES

“Women of Excellence” are those who exemplify the stature, poise and grace that characterize the essence of womanhood, all while maintaining the delicate balance of filling the roles of helpmate, mother, teacher and professional.

In character, in manner, and in style, the New Pittsburgh Courier believes you embody virtues of not only excellence, but self-confidence and dignity as well. We celebrate you for your personal code of ethjics, exceptional courage, unwavering conviction, and extraordinary grace. It is truly an honor to induct you into our society of Women of Excellence.

Congratulations on being named a 2022 New Pittsburgh Courier Women of Excellence honoree!

MARIMBA MILLIONES

CAROL W. MOHAMED

REV. DR. JUDITH C. MOORE

CHRISTINA PRESTON

SHEILA L. RAWLINGS

LA DAWN ROBINSON

CHERYL RUFFIN, MDIV

CARYL J. SHEFFIELD

DIANNE BILLIE SWAN

SONYA M. TOLER

ERICA L. UPSHAW-GIVNER

LISA STROTHER UPSHER, MS

TISHEKIA E. WILLIAMS

MAYA ADAMS

Chief Operating Officer Exurbia Home Healthcare

Maya L. Adams has been employed as Chief Operating Officer with Exurbia Home Healthcare since March 2022. In this role, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the expanding company, supervises 90-plus employees, coordinates care and develops service plans for over 50 clients, keeps up to date with policy and procedures, and stays in communication with state and local agencies to maintain compliance. Before moving into this role with Exurbia, Adams also worked with the company in a part-time role assessing incom ing clients and serving as liaison between Exurbia and potential clients. Adams’ previous posi tions have helped shape her current position with under standing the need for advo cacy for those that needed it most. She spent 15 years working in speech ther apy at The Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh and one year of employment with TEIS Inc., as an engagement specialist.

Aside from her professional work, Adams is an

active volunteer in her community and school district. She currently serves as school director on the Steel Valley School board. On the board, she serves as chairperson for the Educational Leadership Committee, member of the Communications and Technology Committee, member of the Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (A-TSI) team, Elementary Reconfiguration team, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion position formation and hiring team. Adams also continues to dedicate her time to volunteer in her community wherever needed. To name a few, she has participated in community cleanup events, stop the violence rallies, equity meetings, community festivals to increase safe spaces for Homestead youth, back to school service projects, and holiday food donation events.

Adams received her Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from California University of Pa. in 2004 and is pursuing her Master of Public Health and community health leadership degree.

Adams resides in Homestead where she is the proud mom to her daughter, Braya, and loves spending time with her family and friends. She is a member of Clark Memorial Baptist Church.

MICHELLE L. BERRYMAN

Western Regional Manager of Toll Operations

Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

Michelle L. Berryman has worked for the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for 34 years. She began her career as a Toll Collector and moved up to become an Interchange Operations Manager and currently serves as the Western Regional Manager of Toll Operations. Berryman is responsible for handling all things toll-related in the western part of the state. She manages a staff of 29 employees, over 50 toll facilities, and five different roadways.

Berryman serves in many other capacities within the Pennsylvania Turn pike Commission as well. She serves as an ambassador for the turnpike’s Women’s Net work where the objective is to enrich the development of women in their professional careers by providing oppor tunities to connect, mobilize, network and participate in mentoring activities while supporting work-life balance. Berryman is also the chair of the Human Trafficking Community Outreach initiative through the Women’s Network, where its mission is to educate and raise awareness of human

trafficking through prevention programs, awareness campaigns, and community involvement. She is also a member of the Turnpike Commission’s Task Force for Racial and Social Justice where “understanding our American experiences from varying perspectives is essential to healing the ills of systemic discrimination and racism.”

Lastly, Berryman serves on the Turnpike Commission’s Interview Panel where she is part of ensuring diverse hiring practices within the Commission.

She currently serves on the Board of Directors for Naomi’s Place Transitional Housing Inc., as their treasurer, and serves on the Board of Directors for Amachi Pittsburgh. She is a member of Rodman Street Missionary Baptist Church where she serves on the Pastor’s Special Events Ministry. She also serves as Majority Inspector in her district for the Allegheny County Board of Elections. She believes in giving back to the community through service, being that her Spiritual Gift is “helping those in need.”

Berrynan is the mother of two sons, Tyler and Kenneth, Jr. and the grandmother to her precious granddaughter, Norah Layne. She also has a very special relationship with her mentor/ mother, M. Gayle Moss.

Class of 2013

Honorees

CAROL L. ADAMS

MARLA D. BRADFORD

CHARLOTTE

BROWN, PhD

VICTORIA E. BRYANT

FRANCINE

DANIELLE BLACKBURN, Ph.D. Director of Large Group and Strategic Accounts Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Danielle Blackburn has a track record for being an active voice in her professional industry and a committed advocate in her community.

B. CAMERON

MESSENGER

ANNETTE

CARSWELL

RENEE SMITH CLARK, PhD

TRACY L. CLARK

LUTITIA A. CLIPPER PhD

MARY L. COFFEY

PAMELA COLLIER

DR. ESA MATIUS DAVIS, MPH

STEPHANIE DURRETT

MONICA EARLY KIM EL

ROBYN E. FRANCIS

OLGA T. GEORGE

RONITA S. GILES

ROBYN GREER

TERINA JETT HICKS

IMOGENE MILES HINES

RUTH J. HOWZE

SHANICKA L. KENNEDY, ESQ.

MONICA D. LAMAR

DESIREE S. LEE

KILOLO LUCKETT

A. KELLY MCCORMICK

MONIQUE MCINTOSH, MEd

DONNA MICHEAUX, PhD

CYNTHIA MOORE

TRACEY NASH

CAROL AWKARD NEYLAND

CONSTANCE PARKER

STAYCEE R. PEARL

EBONY RENEE PUGH

MINETTE SEATE

BEV SMITH––2013 LEGACY

HONOREE

DEBRA VALENTINE-GRAY

ALLEGRA WAKEFIELD

ANITA B. WALKER

CAROL A. WASHINGTON

CHRISTINE B. WHITE-TAYLOR

EdD

GAIL L. WHITEHEAD

TAMARA L. WHITING

LISA A. WILDS

ARLETTA SCOTT WILLIAMS

DETECTIVE CHRISTINE

WILLIAMS

DENISE L. WILLIAMS

ERROLINE WILLIAMS EdD

GAYLE M. YOUNG

In the professional environment, Blackburn brings 25-plus years as a high-performing individual contributor and as a servant leader in the health insurance industry. Currently, Blackburn holds a leadership position at Highmark Inc., where she leads Large Group Strategic Accounts for the Western Pa. region. In this role she is responsible for driving client sales and service management success for a block of business that generates more than $500 million in annual revenue. She has been repeatedly recognized as a high achiever by the organization.

As a native of Pittsburgh, Blackburn has consistently and proudly participated in projects, programs and activities that enrich various communities in Western Pennsylvania. She is particularly inspired to serve youth. She has served on the board of Wesley Family Services as well as volunteered services for the North Boros YMCA, Junior Achievement, Gwen’s Girls, Juvenile Diabetes and many more programs designed to reach underserved youth.  Blackburn also currently coaches the girls’ varsity basketball team at her alma mater, Northgate.

Blackburn is a recent graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. (LPInc.), “a highly selective program designed to examine critical community issues, enhance civic engagement, and empower participants to impact their business and regional agenda at a leadership level.” As an LPI cohort, she engaged in and facilitated important C-suite level discussions around Diversity, Equity and Inclu-

sion. Participation in LPI furthered Blackburn’s commitment to lead community service and civic engagement.

In addition to her leadership role at Highmark, coaching, and community work, Blackburn also spent more than 10 years teaching Communication Studies at Geneva College’s Center for Urban Biblical Ministry. In this role she taught “non-traditional” students in a variety of communication classes such as public speaking, the principles of communication, and intro to communication.

Blackburn graduated with a B.A. in Communication from American University in Washington, D.C. and received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Duquesne University. She currently resides in Ben Avon Heights with one “child,” Elijah, who attends Ohio University, and two dogs. She is an active member of Macedonia Church of Pittsburgh where she has served on the Board of Elders for seven years. Blackburn lives her life and makes her choices with the interests in mind of many constituents. Her focus never wavers as she practices a core principle to collaborate, contribute, and commit to all situations with which she engages. Of course, her passion as a “ride or die” fan of her beloved Pittsburgh Steelers remains a top 10 priority.

ANGELA BLAIR Director of Enterprise Talent Highmark Health

Angela Blair has 33 years of insurance experience. In her role as Director of Enterprise Talent, she has oversight of and manages the Enterprise Diversity Leadership Development programs. She serves as the Chair of the Human Resources Inclusion Council, is an active member of the Enterprise Data Governance Council, and works on other Highmark initiatives involving workforce development and early career talent.

Blair also served as a 2021 COVID vaccine clinic volunteer for Highmark Health.

Blair’s work experience spans across several industries in multiple states: Healthcare, Property & Casualty Insurance and Financial Services. Prior to joining Highmark, Blair worked at

UPMC. During her tenure there, she was responsible for the day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives for the analytics training division. She also served in other roles at UPMC in supplier diversity and risk management. Blair spent 29 years working at State Farm Insurance & Financial Services in various leadership roles leading large divisions in Operations, Claims, Underwriting, Learning and Development, Risk Management, Procurement and her favorite role, Chief of Staff to the CIO.

Blair graduated from the University of Illinois Executive MBA program. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Finance with a minor in Economics from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of the National African-American Women’s Leadership Institute (NAAWLI) in Dallas, and a graduate of Brookings Institute –Center for Executive Education Public Policy Program in Washington, D.C. Blair earned several professional designations in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Lean Six Sigma, Change Management, Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) and Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC).

Blair has been an active member of the Links Inc., for 17 years and currently serves on the executive board and is vice president of the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Links Inc. She also serves on the Western Pennsylvania American Diabetes Association Executive Council and qualified as a fundraiser champion the last two years for their annual StepOut event. Blair serves as a mentor and career coach for youth in the community, college students, and current/former work colleagues.

Honorees

DARA WARE ALLEN, PhD

JERRY ANN ALLEN

ELAYNE ARRINGTON, PhD

JARENE BARNES TiANDA BLOUNT

NANCY TRAVIS BOLDEN JEAN BRYANT

JEANNE V. CRICHLOW

JUDITH M. DAVENPORT, DMD

LYNETTE DRAWNWILLIAMSON

BARBARA EVANS, EdD

CHERYL SQUIRE FLINT

KAREN FLORENCE

LISA M. FORD, MSW, LSW

LOVETTA FORD, MSW

LISA MICHELLE GARLAND, MBA

CHERYL HALL-RUSSELL

ELAINE HARRIS-FULTON GINA R. HICKMAN DIANE R. HUGHLEY

MICHELLE JACKSON SHIRLEY A. JOHNSON

OLIVIA JONES TONI S. KENDRICK

MARGARET L. LANIER

LISA M. MCBRIDE, PhD ROBIN M. MUNGO

DENISE L. NORRIS

ROCHELLE OAKS, PhD CASSANDRA ODEN

JOELYNN H. PARHAM

GEORGETTE D. POWELL

CHARLEEDA REDMAN, RN, MSN, ACM MELISSA RICE

MICHELE RICE

FELICIA LANE SAVAGE MARY L. SHIELDS

MARCIA M. STURDIVANT, PhD

SARAH L. SUMPTER

LYNNETTE TAYLOR-CRIEGO

LENALL THOMAS, PhD, MSW

DR. CATHERINE UDEKWU

CHLOE VELASQUEZ

DEBORAH L. WALKER

LARA WASHINGTON

GWENDOLYN L. WATKINS

REV. LAURAN B. WEBB

BRENDA B. WELLS

REV. ELEANOR WILLIAMS

LATASHA WILSON-BATCH

LATANYA

J. BROWN

LaTanya Brown, Director of Service and Delivery at Pittsburgh Regional Transit, was born and raised in Pittsburgh. Brown entered the workforce in the mortgage industry. She spent 10 years working in the field before making the decision to focus on a new career. In 2005, Brown joined Pittsburgh Regional Transit as a bus operator. During her time as an operator, Brown drove out of three bus divisions, navigating through a large portion of Allegheny County. After driving for eight years, Brown earned a promotion to the position of a First Level Supervisor/ Dispatcher.

Over the next six years, Brown was considered very knowledgeable of the position by her peers and her supervisors and was called upon to assist as a trainer for student dispatchers. After the success Brown had with the dispatch students, she was given the opportunity to teach a class of her own. However, being a dispatch instructor was short-lived because she was promoted to the position of Assistant to the Director of Service and Delivery at Collier Division. Brown’s hard work over the next year paid off, as she was promoted, once again, to her current role as Director of Service and Delivery.

Since Brown began her current position as director, she has proven to be an active member of PRT. Brown is a member of the Women’s Employee Resource Group at the agency. She has completed a Succession Planning program, which will assist her in furthering her career. Upon completion of

REV. DR. LAWANA L. BUTLER

Executive Director

Heuer House

Rev. Dr. LaWana L. Butler was born and raised in McKeesport to Rev. Earlene and the late Rev. Kenneth Coleman. She was licensed to preach the gospel in November 2004 and ordained in October 2005 under the tutelage of Pastor Earlene Coleman of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Rev. Butler served for over 13 years in ministry at

the program, she remained a part of Succession Planning as a mentor to others within the agency. She has encouraged and motivated her mentees to always give the best of themselves. In addition to Succession Planning, Brown is an Eno Max alumnus, after graduating from the Eno Max Leadership Academy in 2021.

Brown is exceptionally efficient with her staff. She is a warm and inviting individual that maintains an open-door policy with all employees, which creates a relaxed, yet structured work environment. Her professionalism and her compassionate demeanor creates a safe space that provides a comfortable setting to exchange dialogue. The mutual respect between Brown and those that she encounters allows her to continue her success as the director.

Aside from her daily work responsibilities, she loves spending time with her five children, 10 grandchildren, family, and friends. Brown’s hobbies include traveling and exploring the culinary world.

Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Chatham University, a Master of Business Administration, and a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Point Park University, Certificate in Leadership from Geneva College’s Center for Urban Biblical Ministries and completed 30 credits from the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. She is currently employed as an Adjunct Faculty member with the University of Pittsburgh Dept. of Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, and the Executive Director of Heuer House Substance Abuse Intervention & Prevention, where, along with her husband, she ministers and provides housing along with holistic intervention and prevention services to those recovering from drug and alcohol abuse. She is the founder of Commissioned to Thrive Consulting LLC, Divine Healing Counseling and Twisted Hearts Transitional Services Ministries.

She is married to Rev. Walter C. Butler, and they are the proud parents of seven children, grandparents of 34 and great

that for those all things work gether for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans

Director of Service and Delivery at Collier Garage, Pittsburgh Regional Transit

Class of 2011

DR. PAULINE CALLAWAY-LONG, D.SC.

Honorees Class of 2010 Honorees

ATIYA ABDELMALIK-JOHNSON, RN, BSN

RENEE P. ALDRICH

MARIA D. ANDERSON

THE HON. CYNTHIA A.

BALDWIN

ROBIN D. BECKHAM

JACKIE BLAKEY-TATE

CYNTHIA BRADLEY-KING, PHD

TAMMY MILES BROWN, PHD

CARLOTTA K. BURGESS

KARLA THREADGILL BYRD

PAULA B. CASTLEBERRY

VALIRE CARR COPELAND, PHD, MPH

MAGALI CURIEL

SHARON DANIELS

KAREN EADY-LOCKETT

GLADYS E. EDMUNDS

REV. BRENDA J. GREGG

LINDA CAWTHON GRIFFIN

MELANIE HARRINGTON

LYNNE HAYES-FREELAND

ANNA E. HOLLIS

LAVERNE BAKER HOTEP

KIM L. JEFFERSON

CECELIA JENKINS

PATRICIA

PRATTIS JENNINGS

LEGACY HONOREE

RHONDA JONES-FITCH KIM LAMPKINS

CARMEN J. LEE

DEBRA L. MASON

SHARON L. MCDANIEL, PHD

COLLEEN MCMULLEN LISA E. MINOR

KIMBERLY MOSES, ESQ.

DARLENE GAMBILL MOTLEY, PHD

MAELENE J. MYERS

CHARLENE NEWKIRK, JD CONNIE PORTIS

GRACE ROBINSON, LUTC, MBA

LATONYA SALLEY-SHARIF

MARY HAITH SAVAGE

JENNIFER BRUCE SCOTT, RN, BSN

ROBIN HORSTON SPENCER, MHS, MS, MBA

EVANGELIST LOLA M. THORPE

SHELLEY FANT UKU

CRYSTAL MCCORMICK WARE

CHRISTINA L. WILDS, PHD ANDREA M. WILLIAMS

JACQUELINE WILSON SYLVIA WILSON KIMBERLY L. WOOD

CEO

Life On the Go (L.O.N.G.) Informations Systems, LLC

Dr. Pauline Callaway-Long, Founder and CEO of (L.O.N.G. LLC), an acronym for LIFE ON (the) GO Informations Systems LLC, is a consulting company specializing in Digital Mindset Training, Educational Consulting, and Mentoring Youth. Dr. Callaway-Long demonstrates her goal to be a “Change Agent” by her experiences. She has published a book entitled, “Clairton Black Living Legends Vol 1,” which is the first in a series of future publications. She has been

a trailblazer in her career: the first Black Female High School Teacher in Wilkinsburg, and the first Black Woman Office Manager in three different United States Steel facilities. In her volunteer work she was co-founder of “Enlightenment” girls mentoring group with her sister in love, Cheryl Long.  She was an active volunteer for nine years with the Clairton High School Reaching the Reachable Mentoring Program and a church youth director.

Dr. Callaway-Long retired after 30 years of service with United States Steel Corporation serving in several management positions, the last two being Supervisor of Accounting and Senior Information Technology Specialist.

Dr. Callaway-Long was elected to several public offices: First Vice President Minnesota/Dakota N.A.A.C.P., Clairton Ward 2 Committee Woman and Clairton School Director. She served in several positions at the University of Pittsburgh: a board member, then Vice President and President of University of Pittsburgh African American Alumni Council and as a member of University of Pittsburgh Katz graduate School of Business Black Alumni board (PBAN). She is a currently a member of the University of Pittsburgh African American Council Board of Advisors, member Pittsburgh Mon Valley Black Women’s Roundtable, Member Association for the Study

of African American Life and History (ASALH). and a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.

Dr. Callaway-Long came from humble beginnings, raised by her grandparents in a high-poverty area, she became a single parent at the age of 16.  Later God blessed her to marry the father of her son, the late Sherman Long. Dr. Callaway-Long went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Secondary Education, a Master of Business Administration degree both from the University of Pittsburgh and Doctor of Science in Information Systems and Communication from Robert Morris University.  She accomplished this while working full time and volunteering at various organizations.

Dr. Callaway-Long recognizes that God made her an exhorter, born to inspire and encourage others to be all that they can be. She loves family and is proud of over 300 cousins and extended family members.

Dr. Callaway-Long’s pride of her life is her son, Karl Callaway, daughter in Love, Aerika Callaway and three grandchildren, Karlaysia, Kalia and Khalil Callaway.

Dr. Callaway-Long says she is guided by the lyrics to Mahalia Jackson’s song, “If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living has not been in vain.”

MIYOSHI ANDERSON

GAYLE LIGHTFOOT BALL

KIMBERLY WADDELL BARR LINDA IMANI BARRETT

SHEILA BEASLEY

DR. WILMA SMITH BEAUFORD JEANETTE BLACKSTON, EdD

GLORIA MCGHEE BROWN

PATRICE KING BROWN JOANNE COBB BURLEY, PhD

OPHELIA COLEMAN TENE CROOM

AMARGIE DAVIS DR. CAROLYN GEE DAVIS ELIZABETH NIECY DENNIS ORLANA DARKINS-DREWERY JOYCE ELLIS

ALMA SPEED FOX ALBERTHA GRAHAM-ELLISON, PhD

REV. BARBARA GUNN HOLLY HATCHER-FRAZIER

PASTOR CHARLAYNE HENRY

MARLENE GARY HOGAN DEBORAH HOLLAND LISA HALEY HUFF MARGUERITA V. JOHNSON PATRICE WADE JOHNSON AMELIA MICHELE JOINER, ESQ.

GERALDINE M. JONES, PROVOST MARSHA ELLIS JONES

LINDA S. LANE, EdD

ALLISON LEE-MANN

Marcia Carter is a native Pittsburgher and has been a Registered Nurse at Allegheny Gen eral Hospital for over 20 years. She re ceived her nursing degree from CCAC. While at AGH, Carter has served on the Lean Team and Research Council to improve department morale and create healthy work environments that provide exceptional patient care. She has also enjoyed precept ing new nurses in various depart ments and has consistently been recognized as an outstanding nurse from patients and peers alike. She is committed to excellence in care and treating every patient like a family member.

Carter takes pride in empowering, supporting and guiding future generations of young ladies and upcoming nurses in her field. Despite her busy schedule, she always is available to encourage young ladies at work, church

and in her community. She is seen as a selfless mother, friend, daughter and community member who is quick to unselfishly share her time, talents and resources to enrich the lives of others. Her goal as a mentor is to help people see their value and realize their full potential.

She is an active an member at Macedonia Church of Pittsburgh, where she serves as a Deacon, a member of the Hospitality Ministry, and volunteer for the senior ministry.

One of the most important things to Carter is family. She is married to her husband, Carlos, of 27 years and has three wonderful sons: Elijah, Daylon and Isaiah. She is passionate about connecting with other women and believes that it is critical for every woman to realize their value and potential in life.

DR. EMMA LUCAS-DARBY DARCEL MADKINS

TARA MARKS

LA’TASHA D. MAYES

LAUREL RAGLAND DR. BEVERLY ROBERTS-ATWATER

FLORENCE ROUZIER CECILE SHELLMAN JOY STARZL

BRENDA TATE

EMMA THORNTON

KATHY MAYLE TOWNS

CHATON T. TURNER, ESQ.

MARGARETSMITH WASHINGTON

SHEILA A. WASHINGTON

REV. B. De NEICE WELCH

VALERIE WHEATLEY

ELISE ROBY YANDERS

MARCIA CARTER

Peri-Operative Registered Nurse at Allegheny General Hospital Allegheny Health Network

TEAIRA COLLINS

CEO and Founder Lion of Judah Enterprises

Teaira Collins, born and raised in Pittsburgh, is the mother of five and grandmother of seven. She is the CEO and founder of Lion of Judah Enterprises, board member of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, and also an ambassador for the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, member of Pittsburghers for Public Transit, and a board member for Temple University for special needs.

Judah was born on May 18, 2012, and was diagnosed at birth with Down Syndrome. While all the doctors kept saying Judah wouldn’t walk or talk until he was five, it was disheartening for Collins. So her goal was to prove the world wrong. She knew that, like most people, the support that one needed to raise a child with intellectual needs wouldn’t be a problem for Collins. Collins had four older children and a huge family that would be right there with her every step of the way. So seeing Judah’s progress was no surprise.

“I just needed to know why God had chosen me for this assignment. By the time Judah was 3, I figured it out from all the messages I had been getting from Facebook and just being outside with Judah. God had blessed me with the biggest gift of all, Judah, so I could

help others families whose children were also born with Down Syndrome. That is exactly what I have been doing and I love everything about it and helping so many people has just filled my soul with joy,” Collins said.

Lion of Judah Enterprises is up and running today because Judah was sent to Collins by God, “and I wouldn’t change anything, not one thing about my Judah and living in Judah’s world.”

KENYOKEE

C. CROWELL

SVP and COO, Enterprise Clinical Organization Highmark Health

Kenyokee Crowell is Senior Vice President and COO for the Enterprise Clinical Organization at Highmark Health. In this newly created role, Crowell leads a variety of clinical, operational and strategic functions within the ECO to transform health care. A key focus of this new role is to ensure the health, wellness, and experience of those they serve through sustainable and transformative services,

programs and operating models.

Prior to Highmark, Crowell was the Senior Vice President, Clinical Access, for Allegheny Health Network (AHN), the owned provider system in the Highmark Health family. In this newly created role for AHN, she had responsibility for leading efforts to transform access to care through new and innovative initiatives including AHN’s same day appointment program.

Service to community is also a priority. Crowell currently serves on the boards of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the American Heart Association of Western Pa., The Caring Place, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Her contributions to the industry and to her community have also been recognized in the Cleveland area (Kaleidoscope 40 under 40 award) and in Pittsburgh (Health Care Heroes Award, Woman of Distinction Award and Women of influence Award winner).

Crowell, a native of the Buffalo area, received her undergraduate degree in Biology from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and an MBA from Baldwin Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.

She is also a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and a member of both the American Academy of Professional Coders and Women Business Leaders in Healthcare.

In her free time, Kenyokee enjoys spending time with her husband, Bob, and three kids.

Class of 2009

Honorees

CLAUDIA L. ALLEN

TIMYKA ARTIST

MARILYN

BARNETT

JO-ANNE BATES

DEMEATRIA GIBSON

BOCCELLA

YVONNE BURNS

KATHY BYNUM

SHEILA CARTER-JONES

DINA CLARK

MICHELE RONE-COOPER

PHYLLIS COMER

ETTA COX

ROSEMARY C. CRAWFORD

DARIA CRAWLEY

LUCILLE DABNEY

HELEN DAVIS

TOI DERRICOTTE

VALERIE DIXON

TRACY L. EDMUNDS

GAIL D. EDWARDS

YVONNE ENGLISHROEBUCK

KIVA FISHER-GREEN

DARRYL FORD-WILLIAMS

MONA GENERETT

KAREN HALL

MARVA H. HARRIS

GERRI HOLDEN

KARRIS JACKSON

OLA R. JACKSON

DENISE JONES

RHONDA CARSON LEACH

CLAUDETTE R. LEWIS

EVANGELIST BARBARA MANN

LYZONA MARSHALL

MARCIA A. MARTIN

INEZ K. MILES

ARLINDA MORIARTY

AUDREY J. MURRELL

JANE PRESSLEY

NICHOLSON

CARMELLE NICKENS

PHILLIPS

GREER REED-JONES

DIANE RICHARD

ELISA SANDERS

CHARENA SWANN

DAWN R. WEBB TURNER

CURTISTINE WALKER

OLGA WELCH

KAREN FARMER WHITE

CAMEIL D. WILLIAMS

MARY A. WINSTON

CARMELLA A. DEARMON

33rd District Commander American Legion Post 527

Carmella Dearmon is a proud native of North Braddock, who graduated from Turtle Creek High School in 1985. She enlisted into the Navy in April 1986. During her 20 years of dedicated service, she received many decorations that include: three Navy Commendation Medals, five Navy Achievement Medals, five Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Medals, Battle “E” Efficiency Ribbon, Marksman Ribbon, Southeast Asia Medal, Kuwait Liberation Medal, and Military Volunteer Service Medal.

Dearmon has consistently modeled exemplary leadership that provided her the opportunity to mentor hundreds of servicemen and women throughout her 20-year career as Navy Petty Officer. Post retirement, Dearmon remains an active Exemplary Leader within her community and workplace. She was appointed the Education Department Administration Officer following four years as the Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff at VA Pitts burgh and currently enjoys her assignment as Business Manager of the Emergency Department at the Pittsburgh Veterans Af fairs Hospital. In each capacity, she contin ues to extend her mentorship to Veterans and civilians alike by encouraging them to further their education, apply for new positions leading to promo tions, assisting them with apply ing for leadership programs to help them in future positions in the VA system, and most importantly providing information to access mental, physical, and financial supports in which they are eligible.

This passion to advising Veterans inspired her to

Keiha R. Drummond, a native of Harrisburg, serves as Internship Manager at City Charter High School. She’s responsible for providing career guidance as part of the Post-High School Planning team and is part of their school-wide leadership team.  She also coordinates City High’s International Service Learning program.

In addition to her work with City High, Drummond is the Co-Owner of SKNDP LLC, which stands for Success Knows Nothing Disrupts Purpose. SKNDP is a community-based empowerment platform and apparel line that seeks to inspire, educate and cultivate individuals by tapping into their purpose to establish generational wealth through knowledge, accessibility of resources and a changed mindset to achieve success beyond athletics and entertainment.

Drummond obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Master of Education from the University of Pittsburgh. Passionate about helping others, Drummond has been working and assisting various groups in a variety of capacities for many years.  From serving as a panelist at various national conferences within her field to facilitating a variety of programs serving underrepresented populations, Drummond is a leader in her community.  She has a vision that is unmatched and is excited to expand her reach to not only share her own gifts and talents with a larger pool

join the Richard L. Ferguson American Legion Post 527 in 2014. Her leadership and commitment to improving the quality of life for Veterans was recognized and ultimately led to her appointment as the Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of the Board of Directors at American Legion Post 527. In 2019, she was appointed Commander, American Legion Post 527, a position she holds to this day. That same year she was instrumental in purchasing a new post home that was celebrated with a grand opening in November 2019. In 2021, she was appointed the first African American female and youngest District Commander of the American Legion in the state of Pennsylvania. As District 33 Commander, Dearmon oversees 17 Posts and serves a total of 2,758 Veterans in Western Pennsylvania. Her quick thinking, hard work, dedication and leadership allowed the 33rd District and all 17 Posts under her direction achievement of 100 percent membership of Veterans during the pandemic for the very first time.

Dearmon’s service to the community included an additional appointment as Senior Vice Commander of Allegheny County for the American Legion at Soldiers and Sailors in Oakland, where she coordinated the Youth Achievement Award ceremony recognizing high school children in

She is an active member of the NAACP in McKeesport and member of Mon Valley HIV and AIDS Awareness Committee. Dearmon is consistently educating families, and oversees the American Legion scholarship program for the Essay and Oratorical Contest for High School children.

In her spare time, she is known for her love of traveling, spending time with family and friends, and doting on her son, Antoine Dearmon.

of individuals, but to also provide educational resources and networking opportunities to help others maximize their full potential and purpose.

Drummond is married to Stan Drummond and is an active member of Upsilon Eta Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc., where she holds the position of First Vice President. Giving back and impacting lives is truly the linchpin of her purpose in life seen throughout the fabric of all of her endeavors.

Class of 2008 Honorees

CHERYL ALLEN

DONNA BAXTER

TINA WILLIAMS BREWER

MARILYN BROOKS

JEAN BRYANT

ESTHER BUSH

RUTH BYRD-SMITH CANDI CASTLEBERRY SINGLETON

DARIETH CHISOLM

KIM BERKELY CLARK

YVONNE COOK

VERNA CRICHLOW

PAULA DAVIS

JACKIE DIXON

ELAINE EFFORT

HELEN FAISON

LILLIA MICHELLE FERGUSON

SYLVIA HILL FIELDS

KAREN GARLAND

JUDITH GRIGGS

ERNESTINE HARRIS

PEGGY HARRIS

ELSIE HENDERSON

KATHY HUMPHREY

RHONDA MOORE JOHNSON

PHYLLIS JONES

MARGARET LARKINSPETTIGREW

VERNELL LILLIE

LOIS MUFUKA MARTIN

JOYCE MEGGERSON-MOORE

VELMA MONTEIRO-TRIBBLE M. GAYLE MOSS

SHIRLEY MUHAMMAD

MARY SMITH PETERS

VALERIE MCDONALD ROBERTS

ALICE SCALES

TONI Y. SILVA

BEV SMITH

JEANNETTE SOUTH-PAUL

CECILE SPRINGER

CELESTE TAYLOR

WINIFRED TORBERT

NANCY WASHINGTON

BRENDA WATERS

DORIS CARSON WILLIAMS

LEAH WILLIAMS-DUNCAN

JANIS BURLEY WILSON

JOY MAXBERRY WOODRUFF

JULIE ZEIGLER

ROXANNE EASLEY

Owner and Operator

Roxanne’s Catering and Easley Event Staffing

Roxanne Easley was born and raised in the East End area of Pittsburgh, where she resides with her daughter, Tiara. She excelled in Mathematics and Science and graduated from Westinghouse High School in 1994. She then attended Edinboro University of Pennsylvania from 1994 to 1996 with a concentration in Early Educational Studies.

While attending Edinboro, Easley realized that she had a deep-rooted culinary passion. That passion led her to leave Edinboro and enroll in the Penn Foster Career School. It was there that she studied and graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts and Catering. Her entrepreneurial senses kicked in and from 2006 to 2008 she delivered lunches and dinners to small businesses and homes in the East End. Easley named her business, “Saturday Soulfood.”

In 2008, Roxanne Easley launched Roxanne’s Soulfood Expressions Catering Service. Roxanne’s Soulfood Expressions expanded into offering “One Stop Shop” Event and Wedding planning, catering, DJs, and decorating services. Roxanne’s Take-Out Restaurant opened in 2011, where she was a vendor and caterer at various locations in Pittsburgh and surrounding areas to over 6,000 guests.

Easley was a member of the Urban League Young Professionals of Greater

Pittsburgh since 2009 and Programming Co-Chair from 2010–2011. She is one of four sponsors of the Y.E.S. (Youth Entrepreneur Scholarship) at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church.

In 2020, Roxanne’s Catering, LLC launched an additional service for licensed and insured bartending and staffing Services. This service is under Easley’s Event Staffing (EES).

Easley is now publishing a training workbook to provide etiquette and professionalism in the food industry. This training course will help up and coming and existing food industry workers to demonstrate excellence in service.

LATRICE EBO, BSN

Clinician Therapist Pittsburgh Mercy Behavioral Health

Latrice Ebo is employed with Pittsburgh Mercy since 2010, serving 12 years in her role as a Clinician Therapist.

Ebo provides services to the clients of Pittsburgh Mercy Residential Treatment Facility. She works in collaboration with an interdisciplinary team as well as with the Executive Leadership team. She has trained new hires, teaching and tracking their weekly growth, for the new employees to have a smooth transition into their new professional roles. Ebo has been an active part of the recruitment process for Pittsburgh Mercy in which she previously represented the residential behavior side during a Pittsburgh Mercy job fair held in the Hill District. She meets with residential clients to provide individual therapy sessions to manage their care and treatment plans. Sunday is a time set aside for spirituality, in which Ebo and the clients will worship at different ministries per request of the clients.

Ebo previously served as a therapist at Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic for 20 years. Ebo received her Bachelor of Science and Nursing from Carlow University in 2001. She specialized in children and adolescences with autism, starting in 2002 and

resigning in February 2022. She is now collaborating monthly with Pittsburgh Mercy CEO, COO, and Admission Director, under a new colleague engagement committee that was created to find solutions that will have a positive impact for all staff and clients served.

Ebo has designed and is now currently working on a Benevolence Memorial Care Fund for all Pittsburgh Mercy staff that have lost their lives doing God’s work. Ebo has two daughters and three grandchildren, many nieces, and nephews in which she plays an active role in their lives. Her passion for children led to her opening a registered In-Home Child Care Service in 2017.

ANNE GERMANY, BSN, RN, CCM

Health Ministries Leader

Mt. Ararat Baptist Church

Anne F. Germany is an Ordained Deacon at Mount Ararat Baptist Church, where she has been a member for over 28 years. She has contributed much to the church community, including being part of the planning team to initiate a Health and Wellness Ministry over 19 years ago. She has assisted other churches with implementing and improving their wellness programs.

Germany is a graduate of Duquesne University and motivated Registered Nurse with more than 30 years of experience at UPMC with initiating, planning, developing and implementing quality patient-focused care. She has worked in a wide variety of positions. Now retired, the focus is on community health equality and coordinating healthy lifestyle events to improve health while collaborating with others. She often serves as a patient advocate to help navigate patient, family and health care professionals to understand options.

Volunteering in the church and the community in many ways, she serves as Co-Chair of the Deacon Board and be-

CYNTHIA A. GILMER Director of Secondary Curriculum Environmental Charter School

Cynthia A. Gilmer possesses a passion for education and an unwavering commitment to improve school leadership, teacher instruction and student achievement and outcomes in urban education, particularly for members of BIPOC communities. She serves as the first Director of Secondary Curriculum at Environmental Charter School.  In this role, she supports principals, assistant principals and teachers across both middle and  high schools, to ensure that they have the materials, resources, and (most importantly) the skills, mind and heart sets necessary  to provide the highest quality of education to the students they serve.

Prior to working in school leadership, Gilmer taught Science for 19 years. She also served as an Instructional Coach.  She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology

VICTORIA L. GOINS Vice President of

Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh

Victoria Goins is the Vice President of Programs and Services with the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh (ULGP), providing administrative oversight to grant-funded programs, including the Housing, Economic Self-Reliance, Homeownership, Family Growth and Child Development, Information Technology, STEM, and Youth Leadership Departments. Goins collaborates at a national level assuring programmatic compliance with the Department of Labor and Department of Human Service mandates.

ing the Servant Leader of the Health Ministries. Also, organizing COVID testing, COVID vaccination clinics, health fairs, blood drives, health awareness topics,  insurance cov-

erage fairs, caregiver workshops, health screenings, exercise classes, and more.

Germany has served on numerous boards: Mt. Ararat Community Activity Center, Pittsburgh Black Nurses In Action,  Faith-Based Health Collaborative,  Divine Intervention Ministries and Blessed Be Educators.

Her memberships include: Association of Care Managers, Lifetime member of National Black Nurses Association, Pittsburgh Black Nurses In Action, NAACP, Sisters helping Sisters. Germany serves as NOCTI evaluator at Westinghouse High School, nurse mentor for the PBNIA Future Nurse Academy, and worked 20 years as a voting poll judge of elections.

“My Parents taught love in our southern home. Love the Lord, love family,  love church and love community,” Germany said. She is a widow residing in Penn Hills with her daughter, Minister Cheryl Nicole.

“God continues to be so faithful and good. As HE continues to instill the energy to educate our community on health equality issues the call must be answered,” Germany said. “I humbly thank my colleagues for this nomination and the Pittsburgh Courier for finding me worthy of this honor. To God be all the Glory.”

from Washington & Jefferson College and possesses dual certifications in Secondary Education (Grades 7-12) for both Biology and General Science from Carlow University.   Gilmer plans to return to school in 2023 to pursue a master’s degree and eventually earn her doctorate.  Her work is rooted in the belief that while all students can learn and succeed, a quality and transformative education is vital for this to happen.

Gilmer is a devoted wife to her husband, Jay A. Gilmer, Esq.  She is a loving mother to her son and daughter-in-law, Corey A. and Ashley White, and her stepchildren, Sarah J. and James A. Gilmer.  She is a native of Pittsburgh and the proud daughter of the late John C. Hall Sr. and the Reverend Alberta H. Hall.  A strong woman of faith, Cynthia is a member (33 years) and Associate Minister of Mount Ararat Baptist Church under the leadership of Reverend Dr. William H. Curtis.  She is also a graduate  of  the Harty Bible School.  Cynthia  is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., and the Pittsburgh Alpha Wives.

The mission of the Urban League Movement is to enable African Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity and power and civil rights. ULGP is one of 90 affiliates under the National Urban League. Throughout the longevity of the pandemic, the ULGP, as a designated essential business, continued its programmatic operations addressing health and technology disparities systemic to our nation. In collaboration with external partners, Goins effectively increased access for African Americans and people of color to learn new skills in the areas of registered apprenticeship, technology certification programs, as well as addressing the specific training needs of older adults. Through the ULGP’s vision of One Pittsburgh Now, four un- al change to

overcome the diversity and inclusion challenges within the corporate sectors of Pittsburgh and southwestern Pennsylvania, by facilitating collaboration with key partners from educational institutions, community organizations, workforce development agencies and professional organizations. All collectively working toward a common goal of branding the region with a strong and meaningful commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Prior to joining the ULGP, Goins held various senior-level management positions over 25 years in the financial services industry including Bank of New York Mellon, Federated Investors, and the Federal Home Loan Bank.

Goins holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Operations Management from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh.

Goins is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She also serves her community in various volunteer capacities as a member of Mount Ararat Baptist Church. She is the mother of a Case Western Reserve University graduate who holds national cybersecurity certifications and is employed in the threat intelligence arena within both the financial and automotive sectors.

Programs and Services

DAWN GORDON, MSW, LSW, M.Ed.

Principal of Martin Luther King PreK-8, Pittsburgh Public Schools

Dawn Gordon graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development and Child Care in 1998 and a Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in Direct Services with Children and Families in 2000. Gordon has worked in community mental health settings, approved private schools, and the public school system as a program supervisor and school social worker with individuals, children, adolescents and families for

over 20 years. Using a strengths-based approach when working with families, Gordon helps them sort out their challenges and achieve their goals. She also realizes how important it is to identify all aspects of an individual’s life that impact their well-being including their physical and mental health, support systems (family, friends, etc.), and work or school environment in this process. She has also been a field instructor and adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work.

In 2017, she decided to pursue a Master of Education at Duquesne University. After graduation in 2019, Gordon was promoted to Assistant Principal at Pittsburgh Westinghouse Academy 6-12 after being the school social worker for the previous eight school years. In 2021, she was promoted as the Principal at Pittsburgh King PreK-8. It was important for her to obtain her Principal Certification and continue to work with children and families to empower them to meet their full potential in a safe and collaborative environment.

Gordon is currently enrolled in the doctoral program at Duquesne University, pursuing a doctorate in Educational Leadership with an emphasis on Social Justice. Gordon has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., since 2010.

Gordon lives in Pittsburgh with her husband, Derek, of 22 years. She is the proud mother of three children, DJ, Dominique and Donovan; two bonus sons: Hasaan and Austin (deceased 2019) and two beautiful granddaughters (Isla and Ambria).

TERESA M. HAWTHORNE

Founder, Turn Up Your Life Motivation, LLC

Teresa Hawthorne is an author, certified business and life coach, dynamic speaker, professional vocalist, and innovative, dedicated leader. She is the Founder of Turn Up Your Life Motivation, LLC, a women’s empowerment and coaching company that empowers women to ignite their power within and design the life that they desire and deserve. Hawthorne is a natural and intentional visionary who has the beautiful gift of making other women and youth realize their inner strength and limitless abilities. Her life’s mantra is “Ditch the Stinkin’ Thinkin’ and Change the Trajectory of Your Life.” She uses that message to help women and youth to “turn up” their lives by releasing toxic behaviors, such as limited beliefs in their own abilities, self-sabotaging habits, and lack of clarity for their lives, which keeps them stuck in a scarcity mindset, and prevents them from igniting their power within.

Hawthorne is a sought-after coach, workshop presenter, speaker, vocalist, and change agent who passionately shares her message of, “the power of empowered thinking” everywhere she goes. Her 30-plus years of experience entertaining and speaking professionally in front of audiences of tens of thousands allows her to infuse confidence in women as they embark upon a journey of selftruth, power, and financial freedom.

She is the visionary behind “All Things Youth Quarterly,”, which showcased the outstanding achievements of youth in community service, music, sports, and education. Additionally, her signature youth empowerment series: Take the Pledge and Turn Up Your Life, Youth Conference was designed to uplift, encourage, and empower young girls to adopt positive behaviors that will lead them to successful future outcomes.

As a professional vocalist, Hawthorne has served as the opening act for national recording artists such as Teena Marie, The Whispers, the Bobby “Blues” Band, Midnight Star and the Delfonics. She continues to bring the community together with her live musical stage performances, community events, and free monthly life and business coaching trainings.

MIKEY HOOD

Mikey Hood is a lifestyle and entertainment host on KDKA’s morning show ‘Pittsburgh Today Live’. She grew up in the East End of Pittsburgh in the Lincoln Lemington neighborhood and graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School. Prior to KDKA she founded PGHSpot.com a web show that spotlights leaders, small business owners, and creative innovators in Pittsburgh.  In addition, she produced “Neighborhood conversations” which were live community talks that focused on neighborhood heroes around town. She loves to be present and give back to her community.  You never know where you’ll run into her…once she moderated the City of Pittsburgh mayoral debate. She spends as much time doing live shots in the field as she does helping to anchor Pittsburgh Today Live. She meets

GAIL E. JACKSON

Ardana ‘AJ’ Jefferson is the Executive Director of Homeless Children’s Education Fund (HCEF). She was hired in March 2022 and tasked with advancing the organization’s 23-year mission through leadership development, community advocacy, public policy, financial stewardship and sustainable revenue growth. With more than 25 years of experience in nonprofit management and net revenue growth, AJ has an in-depth understanding of the industry and has successfully executed strategic plans across organizational enterprises.

During the first eight (8) months in her current role, AJ has guided her team to pilot a workforce development and training program and launched the Homeless Children’s Awareness Month YOU CAN campaign which increased awareness of the plight of children facing homelessness, resulting in a significant increase in individual givers donating more than $100K to expand HCEF programming.

AJ continues to forge new educational collaborations with the Community College of Allegheny County and Carlow University and purposeful partnerships with Dollar Bank, FHL Bank, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Pittsburgh Steelers. These efforts will significantly increase HCEF’s operational resources, thereby expanding the number of homeless children the organization supports. She is also leading a partnership with the Chil-

and learns from people of all walks of life and experiences and has even flown an airplane on the show. In addition, Mikey features children looking to be adopted in her weekly segment called “Waiting Child” and has witnessed children finding hope, love and their forever families. She started her career at KDKA with no previous anchoring experience and says it’s proof that even if your journey doesn’t look like everyone else’s you can still get a similar outcome.  She’s lived in D.C, Chicago, Indiana and Erie but says Pittsburgh is always home. She has a loving and supportive fiancé Georin and a two year-old high energy Labradoodle named Wilson. Her motto is to focus on the things you can change, not on what you can’t.

Gail E. Jackson is a retired International Sales Manager with 43 years of service with Pittsburgh Corning Corporation. She also held the position of former Ceo and President of Mortgage Solutions LLC. From 2005 until 2008 which was managed by her late daughter. Presently she is a permanent Substitute teacher at Pittsburgh Obama High School where she loves teaching the students.

Her other experiences include: secretary of the Monroeville NAACP from 1979 until 1989 where she worked along with her husband as President of the NAACP and volunteering in the community to help the youth obtain jobs. She was also on the Monroeville Water Board from 2013 until 2017.

While working at Pittsburgh Corning Corporation, she pursued her education with having two small kids, at Carlow university where she gradu -

dren’s Museum of Pittsburgh to build a mobile classroom called Winne’s Wagon. The unit will travel anywhere students are experiencing homelessness, providing tutoring, school supplies, wrap-around services and more. This specialized classroom on wheels will serve the Greater Pittsburgh community starting in spring 2023.

AJ represented HCEF on The Kelly Clarkson Show in November 2022. AJ, Pittsburgh Steeler Running Back Najee Harris and WTAE News Anchor Kelly Sasso were hand selected by show producers to represent Pittsburgh and share the remarkable work of HCEF on the national platform.

And, AJ was accepted into the Advanced Leadership

ated in 1996 Suma Cum Laude with a Bachelors of Science degree majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Communications.

Gail is an active member of the Pittsburgh Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She is also an active member of St. Benedict de Moor church which has helped her stay strong in the loss of both of her daughters.

Gail resides in Monroeville with her husband, Reginald and four grandchildren who have recently lost both their father and mother. She says receiving this award especially this year is a “Breath of Fresh Air.”

Institute (TALI) 2023 Executive Leadership Academy. In partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, TALI educates, develops and positions Black leaders for meaningful advancement in corporate and community roles.

During a previous role as Director of Hope Group at Hosanna House, AJ increased departmental revenue by 21 percent in her first year. She launched several business development initiatives, including the only bridal show in Western Pennsylvania for people of color. She also helped to unveil the organization’s Center for Aviation and Technology Center/Tuskegee Airmen Museum. Lastly, AJ led several outreach activities during the height of the pandemic, organizing more than 150 volunteers to distribute food, clothing, toys and Christmas decor to more than 500 families in 2020 and 2021.

AJ was the youngest Vice President named at the Central Florida YMCA. She was responsible for a $30M+ business line and managed a team of 100 membership staff at 19 locations in six (6) counties across Central Florida. She also launched several strategic business development initiatives, such as the YMCA’s call center and training institute, to recruit, onboard and train branch staff.

As a frequent presenter at Carlow University’s Apprenticeship Program, AJ is helping to inspire students to create unique business models to meet the unfulfilled needs in the market. As a mom of a 17-year student with special abilities, she advocates for children with special needs in Allegheny County.

Correspondent & Host of Pittsburgh Today Live KDKA

Retired from Pittsburgh Corning Corporation/ Substitute Teacher at Pittsburgh Obama High School, Pittsburgh Public Schools

ARDANA ‘AJ’ JEFFERSON Executive Director Homeless Children’s Education Fund

REV. JUNE JEFFRIES

Pastor New Life Baptist

Church

Reverend June P. Jeffries was called by the Lord to preach in January 1999 by the scripture, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers.” –Ephesians 4:11

She remains obedient to that scripture today. She was licensed and ordained by her Pastor Malachi Smith at Morningstar Baptist Church in Pittsburgh.

She currently serves as Senior Pastor of New Life Baptist Church in Apollo, Pa. She has pastored there for seventeen years. She is an anointed preacher and teacher of the Gospel Word and has gone throughout the area and the state preaching, teaching, and ministering in His Word and operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. In 2018 and 2019 she traveled to Kenya on missionary trips and was also invited there to preach the Word as well as going to schools and orphanages to minister and pray over the students.

She is a graduate of the American Baptist Theological Seminary and just finished a certificate course in Gestalt Pastoral Care.

Pastor Jeffries is married to Deacon David Jeffries for 22 years and she’s a retired employee of Highmark Blue Cross after 32 years of employment. She is the mother of three adult children, all of whom are Christians, and the

grandmother of nine wonderful children ranging in ages from 22 to three. Being a Nana is one of her greatest blessings. Rev. Jeffries loves her family so much, she was led by the Lord in 2019 to write a book; “Legacy, More than an Obituary”, written to leave a lasting legacy to her dependents and even to generations yet to come.

Pastor Jeffries is the founder of several ministries including, Sister/Sista Ministry, which has transitioned into Na’omi, Inc., a ministry which focuses on equipping the younger generation for their purpose. She is the founder and producer of “He that hath an ear…” a television ministry on PCTV-21.

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me: because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek.” —Isaiah 61:1

DR. MALEEA JOHNSON Director of the Office of Equity & Inclusion Carlow University

In January 2020, Carlow University named Dr. Maleea Johnson the Director of the Office of Equity and Inclusion. In this role, Dr. Johnson is responsible for development and implementation of proactive diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives that advance student learning, success, and degree completion, as well as advancing the institution’s strategic goals for equitable and inclusive training around becoming an anti-racist institution. Since beginning this position, Dr. Johnson has served on a plethora of committees with increasing responsibilities including the University Policy Committee, Search Advisory Committee, President’s Council for Equity, Inclusion and Community and most recently the Pittsburgh Black Collective Host Committee.

Dr. Johnson is a seasoned educator with more than 25 years of professional experience including K-12 Principal, STEM Education Advocate, Scholarly Researcher and independent Leadership Development Consultant who has worked with nonprofit organizations to eliminate racial and gender inequities throughout systems with the goal of amplifying voices of marginalized populations.

Over her short tenure, Dr. Johnson has spearheaded the creation of the first Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) affinity group called CAR-

LOW1. CARLOW1’s inception supports BIPOC faculty and staff by providing an inclusive environment where they feel valued, have a sense of belonging and empowered to succeed.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric Communication from Kent State University, her Master’s in Professional Leadership and Development from Carlow University, and her Doctorate in Leadership and Administration from Point Park University. She is a general member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., a proud mother of two children and six grandchildren. Living a life of faith is what motivates Dr. Johnson with all she sets out to accomplish. She believes, with Christ, all things are possible.

INIKA JONES

Child Health and Safety Manager

Private Industry Council-Head Start/ Early Head Start of Beaver County

Inika Jones is employed with Private Industry Council under its Early Childhood Development Division. Her love for children led her to her current role she has served in for 25 years. She serves as the Child Health and Safety Manager for the Head Start/Early Head Start program of Beaver County, overseeing the areas of Health, Nutrition, Mental Health/Disabilities and Safety. She started as an Assistant Teacher and moved into the position of a Health As sistant in her first year. Jones also worked as a Health Coordinator and though her title changed a few times over the years, her passion and commitment to children and families of Bea ver County never wavered. One of the highlights during her career was working with the Early Head Start Teen Program at Aliquippa High School.

Establishing good eating habits for children is an important part of nutrition services.

Jones partners with school district food service directors in Beaver County to

serve foods that are nourishing and meet the Child and Adult Care Food Program requirements. Jones credits her health and safety team with the success of meeting requirements and maintaining compliance in all areas of health.

Also, as the Chairperson of the Health Services Advisory Committee, Jones has built strong collaborations with health care providers to support children’s healthy development. Jones works with Managed Care Organizations’ Special Needs Units to resolve health issues and concerns. She is a member of the Beaver County Local Interagency Coordinating Council which provides resources and supports early intervention.

Jones obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Gannon University in Erie. She is a faithful member of Tried Stone Baptist Church where she serves as a member of the Praise and Worship Team and is the Gospel Choir Director. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. Jones is the proud mother of, Nekoyia (Marquis) Iverson, 2LT Kaleah Jones and Donovan Jones. She is also the doting grandmother of her only grandchild, Naeem Iverson. Jones resides in Center Township with her husband, Rob.

JAEL JONES

Senior Program Manager of Impact Relations

Neighborhood Allies

Jael Jones currently serves as the Senior Program Manager of Impact Relations for Neighborhood Allies. This role is responsible for facilitating the data and analysis needs across the organization—ensuring that programs are working in harmony toward goals, and that Neighborhood Allies is positioned to track, analyze, share and promote their collective progress and impact. Jones joined the Neighborhood Allies team in 2020 as the Senior Program Manager for Real Estate Services. In this previous role, she helped to build the Centralized Real Estate Accelerator (CREA) program infrastructure, build coalitions to advance change, develop a client pipeline and direct services toward clients, and be a thought leader in regional community development.

Prior to joining Neighborhood Allies, Jones served as the Director of Market Research at the Pittsburgh Regional Alliance (PRA), an affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development (ACCD). While managing the PRA real estate and GIS systems, Jones actively maintained relationships with key stakeholders and partners within the development industry. She was responsible for tracking and reporting on the available commercial real estate inventory and trends within the 10-county Southwest-

ern Pennsylvania (SWPA) region. In 2016, Jones earned her real estate license through the Realtor’s Association of Metro Pittsburgh, and in 2017 expanded her skills to include ESRI ArcGIS mapping and data visualization.

In addition to her work at the ACCD, Jones has extensive experience in entrepreneurship, real estate redevelopment and reuse, brokerage operations, site selection consultation and community development services. Jones has also been broadly involved with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) of Pittsburgh, including serving as a member of Women’s Leadership Initiative Events Planning Committee, and as Chair of the Placemaking Awards Committee.

LATARA J. JONES

Drug and Alcohol Counselor, 5th Judicial District of Pennsylvania, Court of Common Pleas of Allegheny County/ Adjunct Professor, Duquesne University

Latara J. Jones earned dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in urban studies and economics as well as public administration at the University of Pittsburgh. Ms. Jones received her Master of Science degree in professional leadership training and development from Carlow University. Jones is an alumna of the Coro Center for Civic Leadership’s Women in Leadership Program, Duquesne University’s programs at the School of Leadership and Professional Advancement Career Workforce Development Certificate and the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) Certificate of University Teaching. She is a Global Career Development Facilitator through the Center for Credentialing & Education and has an accounting certificate from Community College of Allegheny County.

Ms. Jones is a Drug and Alcohol Counselor for the 5th Judicial District of Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Juvenile Probation. She is also an Adjunct Professor in Duquesne Universi-

DR. TOYA JONES

ty’s McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, a former Adult Education Instructor for the Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 (AIU3) Adult Education and Workforce Development Program and has taught at Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC). For over 10 years, she has been working with students, staff, faculty, and senior administrators in higher education.

Ms. Jones’ previous experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate Case Manager, gave her skills that she utilizes today as a Drug and Alcohol Counselor. This role allows Jones to work in collaboration with her colleagues utilizing the Balance and Restorative Justice (BARJ) Model, to provide young men in juvenile probation comprehensive treatment for substance abuse. She utilizes her administrative skills and experience in higher education to work cohesively with her colleagues in the court system. Leading a curriculum design team under the leadership of the Associate Provost for Academic

Director and Faculty, Bachelor of Arts Social Work (BASW) Program University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work

Dr. Jones is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the state of Pennsylvania. She is an Assistant Professor and director of the Bachelor of Arts Social Work program at the University of Pittsburgh. She is the founder and president of Freedom Indeed LLC, an organization that focuses on serving and empowering ex-offenders, returning citizens, and victims of crime, and she is the host of her Facebook and YouTube show, Healing Overflow with Dr. Toy. She has earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana University of PA, a master’s degree in social work, and a doctorate in education from the University of Pittsburgh.

Her current research focuses on trauma reactions in social work students, increasing the awareness of PTSD and self-care techniques amongst social work students, assessing

Affairs at Duquesne University, allowed Jones to assist faculty members with improving the academic environment for students. Serving as the former National Historian Officer, for the University of Pittsburgh Alumni Association’s African American Alumni Council (AAAC) has strengthened Jones’s advocacy of Black students in higher education. Ms. Jones has over 20 years of ex-

burnout among BIPOC students, and integrating Cognitive Behavior Therapy and faith in the black church community.

Dr. Jones is an expert trauma witness and consultant for the United States Federal Courts. She has extensive experience working with the incarcerated population and returning citizens who have been affected by crime. She has counselor-legal advocacy, crisis management, conflict resolution, and mediation experience, working with both victims of juvenile crime and the adult criminal justice system.

Dr. Jones provides trauma-focused therapy, and community education programs for those exposed to violence. In addition, she facilitates trainings for practitioners, professors, artists, and students in Asia, East Africa, and the USA. She lectures for universities, national conferences, school districts, religious organizations, and private corporations on topics such as The Impact of Trauma on Children and Adults, Symptoms of PTSD, The Neurological and Generational Impact of Racial Trauma, Vicarious Trauma, Trauma Aware Pedagogy Practices, Trauma, and the Incarcerated Population, Mental Health Wellness for Creative Artists, and treatment modalities such as Trauma-Focused Cogni-

perience educating and mentoring students.

Since 1994, Latara Jones has been involved at the Pittsburgh Community Television Corporation (PCTV21) as a community producer of educational programming. Ms. Jones works in collaboration with clergy members, non-profit organizations, businesses, elected officials, and community leaders to improve the social economic conditions of families in our region.

Active in the community, Latara Jones serves as the Vice President of Programs for the Dr. Edna B. McKenzie Branch of ASALH located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Ms. Jones is affiliated with the National Career Development Association (NCDA), Pennsylvania Career Development Association (PACDA), Black Women for Positive Change (BW4PC), University of Pittsburgh (AAAC), several national and international associations.

A strong believer, Jones’s faith and family are cornerstones of her life. Latara Jones says, “I thank God, my late mother Mrs. Karen Lee Hurtt Jones, my father Mr. Theodore E. Jones, family, friends and everyone who helped to hone and temper my God given skills that sharpened me into the person I am today.”

tive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), expressive art, and play therapies for those affected by trauma. She is a board member of the Woman’s Center and Shelter, Hammonds Initiative, and Melanin Mommies. She is married to Rev. Cornell Jones and the proud mother of two children, Cornell “CJ” Jones age 15, and Naomi Jones age 11.

sity. Lee-Davis was also honored to be named among The New Pittsburgh Courier’s 2009 “Fab 40 under 40”.

Ayanna Lee-Davis is Lead Counsel in the Business Transactions Group of the Legal Department at FedEx Ground Package System, Inc. where she is responsible for complex domestic and international real estate negotiations and transactions, and the enterprise’s general corporate and environmental matters. Lee-Davis is a member of FedEx’s Black Professionals Network as well as its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. She has served on the Council’s Sourcing Pillar in furtherance of FedEx’s commitment to the hiring, retention and suc-

cession planning of diverse professionals.

Prior to joining FedEx, Lee-Davis was an attorney in the Real Estate Practice and the Energy, Environmental and Utilities Practice groups of Saul Ewing LLP and Reed Smith LLP. She received her Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law, where she was the Chair of the Trial Moot Court Honor Society, President of the Black Law Students’ Association, Member of the Duquesne Law Review and Recipient of the CALI Excellence for the Future Award in Legal

Writing. She also holds an LL.M (Masters) in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies, from Point Park Univer-

Lee-Davis is passionate about uplifting others to make our communities better for all. Throughout her career, she has maintained a strong commitment to community service and has served in numerous capacities, including: as a mentor and graduation coach for several Pittsburgh Public School students through a partnership made possible by the African American Achievement Trust of the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh; as a pro bono attorney representing plaintiffs in Protection From Abuse cases; as a ReClaim Ambassador for the City’s North Side, facilitating volunteer projects to improve the economic, social and environmental health

of distressed and blighted communities; as a Member and Secretary on the Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board where she was tasked with investigating complaints of unethical behavior and other misconduct filed against members of the Commonwealth’s judiciary branch; as a Director on the Board of VisitPITTSBURGH (member of the Finance Committee); and as a Trustee on the Board of Community College of Allegheny County (member of the Workforce Development Sub-Committee).

Lee-Davis lives by a Guinean proverb, “judge each day, not by the harvest, but by the seeds you plant.” However, of all the seeds she has planted in life, she is most proud of those with her husband, Malanzo, her children, Rayonna and Jose, and her grandchildren, Nova, Cartier, Hendrix and RG.

EBONY LUNSFORD-EVANS

Owner Farmer Girl Eb LLC

Ebony Lunsford-Evans, BA Elementary Education, 2002, MA Curriculum and Instruction, 2005, Point Park University. Ebony is a wife, mother, educator and grower as well as an established business owner. She was born and raised on the north side of Pittsburgh and currently goes by the name Farmer Girl Eb. She taught in the Pittsburgh School District for 11 years before becoming a full-time, urban farmer.

It all started in her back yard, while raising her children, she was always growing with them. Her children would always choose science projects related to growing something, rather it was a plant, flower, or vegetable. The kids grew interest in the things she and her children were growing and before she knew it, she turned her backyard into an outside classroom where she taught the youth who consistently came around, how to grow food. After growing 30 different vegetables, fruits and herbs, they had a small youth farmer’s market, in 2017. After doing that for two years, she developed a non-profit, Out of the End, Incorporated, 2019, to continue to provide those skills to her community. Eventually, others in the community started purchasing the produce that she grew, which helped start her for profit business Farmer Girl Eb LLC in 2020. Lunsford-Evans currently owns a fresh

food corner store, Farmer Girl Eb, in the west end of Pittsburgh, where she sells locally grown and sourced produce, prepared foods groceries, plants, flowers and many other products. In the store, she consigns with other local entrepreneurs to help them advance their businesses as well. Lunsford-Evans is currently on the board of directors for the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council and is also co-chair of the Urban-Ag working group. Ebony is also co-chair of the Sampson Foundation’s Pittsburgh Ego-Agriculture Leaders Initiative grant making committee. She attends Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) and became a member so that she can stay updated on the best practices for farming. Ebony teaches everyone from youth to senior citizens on how to grow food.

DENISE S. MEYERS

Director of Nursing, Forbes Road Personal Care Home/ Personal Care Home Administrator, Village of Pennwood

Denise Mickler Meyers began her nursing career over 40 years ago at Lemington Home for The Aged and has continuously provided her patients, their family members, and her community with generous amounts of love and support.  She began her career as a certified nursing assistant. In this position, she expeditiously excelled and her nursing supervisors took notice. These supervisors encouraged her to further her career and presented her with an application for the Licensed Practical Nursing Program at Connelly Trade Center.

Upon graduation, Meyers also affectionately known as Mickie, continued her career in the long-term care setting serving the elderly and care dependent individuals.

Her desire to continuously provide for those under her care with the best and appropriate treatment lead her to pursue advanced training in leadership and other nursing services.  One of the specific specialties included wound care, an area she continues to excel in today.

Meyer’s tenacity towards pursuing excellence within her field did not just remain within the clinical sector. Over the years, her mentorship and strong leadership abilities led her to purse a myri-

ad of leadership opportunities including but not limited to supervision, Director of Nursing, and Administrator positions.   Within her current role, she has thrived as a Director of Nursing for the Forbes Road Personal Care Home. Her expertise in clinical operations, as well as business, has resulted in a promotion as the personal care home administrator at the Village of Pennwood, which she works concurrently alongside her duties as the Director of Nursing at the Forbes Road Personal Care Home. She handles both positions daily with precision and pride as she is passionate about the care and love that her residents receive on a daily basis.

Wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, friend, nurse, advocate in nursing and her community, world traveler, avid reader, mentor, excellent writer, great orator, motivational speaker.

TAMIA MITCHELL

Tamia Mitchell has dedicated her life to serving others. As a woman who prides herself in seeing those in her community thriving and whole, Mitchell’s over 30 years of servant leadership through nonprofit administration, management and mentorship, and high-level organizational skills, have worked to support the advancement of every organization she serves, with excellence.

As the Managing Director of Systems Improvement and Continuous Quality Improvement at A Second Chance, Inc. (ASCI), Mitchell works to strengthen the organization’s systems and to provide critical support to the Child and Family Services team. She began her tenure at ASCI in 2014 as the Executive Assistant to the Executive Vice President of Child and Family Services and was quickly promoted to Sr. Executive Assistant. After serving faithfully in that capacity for several years, she was promoted once again to serve as Chief of Staff to the Chief Operating Officer where she supported the work of ASCI, as well as her leader’s work as Vice President of the African American Strategic Partnership (AASP), a collaboration of African American-led human service organizations in and around the City of Pittsburgh. Having demonstrated her exemplary skills and abilities, AASP solicited her to serve as the Administrative Assistant to support their ongoing work, which she continues to serve.

Over the course of her career, Mitchell has served those in her community by leading the support of mission-critical work of nonprofits throughout Allegheny County; others of which include Macedonia FACE and Auberle.

Notably, Mitchell’s servant leadership stems from her love and calling to God’s people, as she has been a dedicated pastor serving in ministry with her husband, Pastor Andre Mitchell, for over 25 years. In 2006, the two founded a church in McKeesport called, The Youth Department, a ministry uniquely geared towards serving young people spiritually and supporting them through adulthood. Over the years, the ministry has impacted over a thousand youth and their families through the gospel. With a foundational scripture (Galatians 5:13) stating the importance of, “serving one another through love,” The Youth Department’s impact has been evident in the lives of the young people they touch, as many of them have grown to serve in their communities as teachers, government officials, nonprofit leaders, ministers, etc. The ministry continues to serve hundreds of young people in the Mon Valley area and throughout Pittsburgh every year, under the humble leadership of Mitchell and her husband.

Mitchell is a loving wife of 30 years, a mother to four amazing children, and a grandmother to seven beautiful grandchildren.

YOLANDA J. MURPHY

Yolanda J. Murphy was born and raised in Pittsburgh. She graduated from Trinity Christian High School and went on to obtain her BS in Business Management from Carlow University. She is currently attending the University of Pittsburgh Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business to obtain her MBA.

For several years, Murphy worked for a healthcare company and until 2016 was living a “normal” simple life. At the age of 36, things drastically changed. Murphy was diagnosed with Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Carcinoma (IDC) of the left breast. She underwent four rounds of chemotherapy and 30 radiation treatments. As a young African American woman, she thought this could never happen to her and more frightening was the inability to find the necessary resources to help her navigate her now new normal.

While she is thankful for the organizations that did help her fight for life, she is passionate about advocating and providing resources for young women suffering with breast cancer. She understands how important it is for women to know that being “too young to get cancer” is a myth. Murphy is also adamant in seeing an end to the racial disparities African American

TYRA OLIVER

Assistant Counsel

Tyra Oliver works as assistant counsel for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Chief Counsel. She was a staff attorney for the Superior Court of Pennsylvania, and an Assistant District Attorney in Allegheny County.

Oliver obtained her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree at Duquesne University School of Law in 2005. She earned her Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Degree in Public Relations from Kent State University in 2002.

Oliver is a member of the Allegheny County Bar Association (ACBA) where she has served on its Board of Governors, as treasurer for the Young Lawyers Division (YLD), on the judiciary committee and chaired the Homer S. Brown Division, as well as the Committee for Diversity and Inclu-

breast cancer patients face and to ensure every young adult diagnosed with cancer knows they are not alone. In 2018, she created a blog and podcast (This Exceptional Journey - thisexceptionaljourney.com) to share her story and to help others tell theirs.

Murphy serves as an Advocacy Ambassador with the Susan G. Komen Center for Public Policy, a Patient Advisory Committee (PAC) member for the Steven G. Cancer Foundation & Elephants and Tea Magazine, a Community Council Member with A Glimmer of Hope Foundation, a Pennsylvania State Leader as well as serving on the Council of Advisors Board in Patient Education with Young Survivor Coalition (YSC), a Young Adult Cancer Survivor (YACS) advisory board member with Cactus Cancer Society, a board member as well as a support group facilitator of Young Adult Survivors United (YASU), a graduate of the National Breast Cancer Coalition’s Project LEAD science and research advocacy course, and a graduate of the Young Advocate program with Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC).

She has shared her story with a variety of audiences, organizations and through different mediums which include being interviewed by local news outlets KDKA and WTAE, featured in the Soul Pitt Magazine, the New Pittsburgh Courier and Elephants and Tea Magazine, She has participated in the National Breast Cancer Coalition and Susan G. Komen Policy Advocacy

Lobby Days at Capitol Hill, was the keynote speaker at the Young Survival Coalition Symposium, and The Anthropologie Fall Fashion Show benefitting LBBC. Murphy is now six years cancer-free and encourages all she meets by declaring: “I am a miracle! Despite what it looks like — if I can make it, you can make it! Find what gives you hope.” Equally important, she wants women to know they have the inner strength and mental tenacity to conquer anything they are going through, including difficult physical challenges.

sion.

Oliver is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association (PBA) where she served on its Board of Governors, as the Young Lawyers Division secretary, as co-vice chair of the minority bar committee, and as co-vice chair of the Legal Services to the Public Committee. Oliver is currently a member of the PBA’s House of Delegates and co-chair of the committee on Credentials and Admissions.

Oliver serves on the Board of Directors for the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh. She was a member of the YWCA Young Leaders Board where she served as vice president in 2014. She was on the 2016 selection committee for the YWCA’s Tribute to Women award, she served on the YWCA’s 150th Anniversary Committee as co-chair to its fundraising committee, and the YWCA’s 2019-2020 chief executive officer search committee.

Oliver also serves on the criminal justice committee of the Pennsylvania Interbranch Commission for Gender, Racial & Ethnic Fairness.

She is the proud mother of Kairos and Yara.

Managing Director of Systems Improvement and Continuous Quality Improvement, A Second Chance, Inc.

Research Specialist, University of Pittsburgh/ Clinical Trial Ambassador, Hillman Cancer Center

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Chief Counsel

THERESA POINDEXTER

Nurse Educator and Administrator

istries”.

REV. NIKKI PORTER

T.L.P.

Assisted Living, Healthcare and Training LLC

Theresa Poindexter is a native of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, raised in a single parent home. Her mother, from Trinidad and Tobago, was the driving force and influencer in her life. Having Theresa at a very late age and becoming ill, drastically changed the trajectory of Ms. Poindexter’s life.

Ms. Poindexter is a Licensed, Nurse Educator and Ordained Minister. She is also the owner of two, for profit businesses, “T.L.P Assisted Living, Healthcare and Training”, (a licensed Homecare Agency, also servicing IDD clients) and “The Life Potion”, (specializing in hand crafted, organic, herbal products), as well as, a Non-profit organization, “T.L.P Min-

Throughout her 30 year career in the Healthcare industry, she devoted herself to aiding others by hands on Nursing care, as well as, teaching about health and wellness. Ms. Poindexter has guided numerous individuals, throughout the state, on the process of starting a Pennsylvania Licensed, Homecare Agency.

Ms. Poindexter has acquired various academic achievements and accolades, such as her degree in Personal Care Home Administration, Surgical Technology and Nursing. She also has Teaching /Instructor Certifications for First Aide and CPR, as well as, training individuals to become certified as Nursing Assistants. In 2019 she became an Ordained Minister, acquiring both, Doctor of Metaphysics and Doctor of Divinity, Degrees.

As a young teenager, due to the illness and institutionalization of her mother, left her a victim of homelessness. This stirred Ms. Poindexter’s passion to start a Non- profit organization, “T.L.P Ministries”, designed to help at risk individuals dealing with homelessness, physical and mental health issues.

Ms. Poindexter is also a very active Cooperative member of UJAMAA Collective, in Pittsburgh, PA., where her Organic Herbal Products (under her business “The Life Potion”) are sold. Being a member of UJAMAA Collective makes it possible for Ms. Poindexter to hold workshops and educate the general public on the health benefits of using all natural herbs.

KELLY PROTHO

Senior Applied Learning & Development Specialist

Allegheny County Department of Human Services

Kelly Protho serves as the Senior Applied Learning and Development Specialist within the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. Within this role she leads the development of DHS’ Trauma Think Tank: a cross-system collaborative which promotes a trauma-informed approach. Some of the bi-monthly sessions included, racialized trauma, healing centered engagement, and collective trauma. She also facilitates Shifting the Lens: Practical Applications of Trauma-Informed Care: a training that explores the effects of traumatic stress and practical applications of trauma-informed care principles as they relate to client engagement, service planning, and workforce well-being.

In her previous position, she served as Family Engagement Supervisor within Macedonia Family and Community Enrichment Center Inc., where she focused on making a transformational impact with families through trauma informed practices specifically within underserved communities. Protho lead a team that focused on building rapport with families and supporting needs. While in this position, and resident of the Hill District com-

munity, she served as an Advisory Board Member for the Hill District Community Engagement Center, and a served on the Hill CDC’s Development Review Panel. Protho is an active member of MAD DADS of Greater Pittsburgh, MOMS Division, where she supports the initiative to develop community service projects that address the negative perceptions of today’s youth. Protho holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Hampton University, and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Instructional Design and technology from University of Maryland Global Campus. Protho currently lives in Wilkins Township with her husband, four children, and her dog Mars. She enjoys traveling, live music, and eating good food.

Minister of Music and Head of Staff, Eastminster Presbyterian Church/ Gospel Recording Artist

Singer, songwriter, vocal coach, choir director, actress and recording artist, Rev. Nicol “Nikki” Porter is the Minister of Music and Head of Staff at Eastminster Presbyterian Church. She has provided oversight of the church’s music department for over 18 years, serving as worship leader, director of the adult and youth praise teams, children’s and mass choirs and private voice teacher in the church’s after-school music program, The Judah Project, which she established in 2005.

In addition to her full-time vocational music ministry, Rev. Porter travels throughout the U.S. and in Europe singing and teaching Gospel music, including the annual Gospel Connection conference in Assisi, Italy, where she and fellow clinicians teach and conduct a 350-voice mass choir comprised of singers from all over Italy. Here at home, she serves as the Lift Every Voice Unity Choir director for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, performs solo and with her band at events, such as Juneteenth, the Pittsburgh Black Music Festival and this past summer, Pittsburgh Prays – the last event at Heinz Field (now Acrisure Stadium).

Rev. Porter holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Duquesne

University where she also studied piano, jazz voice with the late Maureen Budway and founded Duquesne’s Gospel Choir, the Gospel Joynotes. Her private music studies include flute, piano with Dr. Alton Merrell, and classical voice with Eugene Perry. She also studied at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Rev. Porter is a member and elder of Potter’s House Ministries where she was ordained in 2008 by Bishop Otis L. Carswell. Prior to that, she was a member of Pentecostal Temple Church of God in Christ under the leadership of the late Bishop Loran E. Mann for 16 years where she was called to ministry, licensed as an Evangelist, served in the music ministry and as teen Bible study teacher.

Rev. Porter has been married to the love of her life, Pastor Raymond Porter Jr. for 16 years and is the proud mother of their 14-year-old son, Raymond Porter III.

STACEY E. RANDOLPH

Emergency Preparedness Training & Exercise Coordinator and Allegheny Medical Reserve Corps Director

Allegheny County Health Department

Stacey Randolph is a wife and the mother of four beautiful children. She was born and raised in Worcester, Mass., daughter of civil rights activists and community forward parents. She learned from an early age the meaning and virtue of civic duty.

Randolph graduated from Clark University where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Spanish. Randolph speaks, reads, and writes Spanish fluently. Prior to coming to Pittsburgh, Randolph started her community service as the official vocalist for the Worcester annual Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast for more than 10 years. She also worked with at-risk youth, and HIV/AIDS prevention and health promotion agencies directly on the frontlines. Stacey Randolph and her family relocated to her husband’s

M. REYNOLDS, PH.D.

hometown of Pittsburgh in 2001. Here she was quickly able to find a niche to continue her civic duty at Mercy Hospital as Prevention Coordinator, Community Programming and Outreach, where she worked closely with funding organizations assisting her staff in developing creative ways to deliver the message of abstinence. She served as community liaison with area schools, collaborating organizations, community groups, and violence prevention initiatives. She also worked with interstate agencies erecting safer parks for children, collaborating with football legends Franco Harris and Lynn Swan and other celebrities. She was a founding member and became Project Director of the South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace, a grant-funded program working to put an end to youth violence. She is currently a member of the Disaster Crisis Outreach and Referral Team (DCORT), Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD), Allegheny County Immunization Coalition (ACIC), Minority Emergency Preparedness Task Force (MEPTF), and Unit Director of the Allegheny County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC).

Since 2014, Randolph continues to serve the community in her current role as Emergency Preparedness Training & Exercise Coordinator for the Allegheny County Health Department.

Angela Reynolds, Ph.D, a native of New Haven, Conn., is committed to racial justice and gender equity. She started her career as a Testing Coordinator for the Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh. For 12 years, she was an Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh, where she taught statistics and performed research on housing policy, specifically affordable housing and fair housing. In 2012, she changed careers and joined the United Way of Southwestern Pa. where she most recently served as the Senior Director of United for Families and 2-1-1. Under her leadership, 2-1-1 expanded to cover 30 counties in the state and provided coverage for Southern Kentucky. She served on the state PA 2-1-1 board and 2-1-1 National Steering Committee.

On February 24, 2020, Dr. Reynolds transitioned to YWCA Greater Pittsburgh where she serves as Chief Executive Officer. YWCA Greater Pittsburgh aims to eliminate racism, empower women, and is com-

mitted to advance educational opportunity and financial stability, particularly for girls and women of color.

Under her leadership, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh has solidified bringing an intersectionality lens (race and gender) to all of their work, launched monthly Action Conversations on Race, and strengthened community partnerships to promote gender equity and racial justice throughout the region including a YWCA Greater Pittsburgh Fellowship Program, joint Pay Equity Campaign with Black Women’s Policy Agenda and Women and Girls Foundation, expanding capacity for organizations working in intersectionality, expanded organizational capacity to help families meet basic needs and move towards financial stability, and launched a statewide racial healing initiative (Unite to Heal PA) with YWCA TriCounty, YWCA York, and YWCA Lancaster. YWCA Greater Pittsburgh was named 2022 Standing Firm Employer of the Year.

Dr. Reynolds is the 2020 ATHENA award recipient, a 2021 Pittsburgh Business Times

Woman of Influence, Pittsburgh Smart 50 Class of 2020, and has received awards for her mentorship and community and housing work, including a Proclamation from Pittsburgh City Council declaring Thursday, October 22, 2020 “Dr. Angela Reynolds Day.” She is a member of the Board of Directors for Sustainable Pittsburgh and Highmark Western Region Advisory Board. Former board memberships include: East End Cooperative Ministries and Trustee of the Falk Foundation.

She is a mother of four (three adult children and an 8th-grader) and associate pastor of her church. She resides in the Windgap neighborhood of Pittsburgh with her husband, youngest child, and her mother.

Dr. Reynolds holds a Ph.D. in Public Policy Analysis from the Heinz School at Carnegie Mellon University; M.S. in Statistics also from Carnegie Mellon University; and a B.A. in Mathematics (Sociology minor) from Bryn Mawr College.

Health Plan

Alicia L. Scott is a healthcare veteran with more than 20 years of healthcare experience. She has established a proven track record of leading national and local teams. Her nursing foundation is a bachelor’s degree in nursing, later earning an MSN in Administration from Waynesburg University.

Her contributions to the healthcare field include hospital inpatient nursing, primary nurse care coordinator, and administrator on duty. After working full-time as an inpatient administrator on duty, she assumed a role in the healthcare insurance area in Utilization Review (UM) where she worked in various roles from floating UM nurse to Supervisor of UM. She

continued working in the insurance sector as a manager of the Medicare business where she was responsible for a large team of telephonic case managers, and Behavioral Health social workers. In this role she was responsible for working closely with regulatory entities including DHS, NCQA and CMS. National work included the role of Assistant Vice President where her team and span of control consisted of nurses, social workers, system implementation specialists, trainers, and auditors. One of her national team’s core responsibilities was the CMS Model of Care, and in this role, her and her team were able to successfully clear 4/5 Chapter 4 regulatory findings and her system’s implementation team was responsible for and provided successful training and education for implementation of the company’s new electronic health record. In her recent role as the Executive Director, Care Management

she focused on all aspects of the care continuum with a team that consisted of nurses and social workers who provide case management in an inpatient setting. She is currently the Director of Clinical Services at Ohio Health System working the Commercial line of business.

During Scott’s career tenure she has been recognized in several capacities including being named the recipient of Who’s Who in Black Pittsburgh, Corporate Brass recognition, and Employee Resource Group Leader where she was recognized with the Nursing Inclusion Award. She is a Six Sigma Green Belt and member of the Chi Eta Phi, Kappa Sorority.

ANGELA

CEO YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh

ALICIA L. SCOTT, MSN, RN Director of Clinical Services Ohio Healthy

RONNIECE

Ronniece L. Shealey–Sirmons is the proud daughter of Ronald Shealey and Denise Shealey. She has three younger sisters Jenise, Kelly, and Kenise and a bonus sister Dawn. She married her first love and best friend Rico Sirmons Sr. on June 24, 2000, and they are the proud parents of five children: Rico, Jr., Ronnay, Rontay, Raniah and Raina.

Ronniece is a proud graduate of Oliver High School class of 1991 and Duquesne University class of 1995. She has been a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Theta Chapter since April 16, 1993, where she has served as the recording secretary, vice president, and president. She also served on the advisory council for a few years.

In her professional career, Ronniece is a dedicated middle school math teacher and

also an Instructional Teacher Leader for Pittsburgh Public Schools. For the past 25 years, she has loved teaching and building relationships with her students and their families. In addition, she was the leader of a girl’s mentor group Best Friend, for three years at Columbus Middle School, a site monitor for the E.S.W after school program at Pittsburgh Manchester, the girls’ basketball coach, FACE Coordinator, and serves on the Executive Board of Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers.

Outside of work, Ronniece serves as an Associate Pastor at Living Way Christian Fellowship in Pittsburgh, PA. She has been a licensed minister for fourteen years, serves as the head of the Trustee Ministry and president of the Praise & Worship Team.

She loves to spend time with family

and friends, and fellowshipping with women. She also encourages women to create a balance between family, work, and ministry. In her limited free time, Ronniece enjoys writing poetry, baking, and quiet time by herself, especially reading and studying the word of God.

Ronniece attributes her success in life to her faith in God and the strength of, Rico, her husband of 22 years, and her village, her family. Her mother Denise and her mother in love Wilma helped with their children after school throughout the years. She is blessed to have such amazing women to pour into her life; the late George and Gracie Mae Shealey her paternal grandparents; Thomas Eleam her maternal grandfather, and many aunts, uncles, older cousins, teachers, mentors, and friends have also embraced Ronniece and her family.

Her favorite Scripture is 1Corinthians 15:58: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.

Andrea Clark Smith is the Associate Chief Legal Officer and Senior Vice President Employment Law, Labor Relations & Physician Contracting for UPMC. At UPMC, Ms. Smith leads a team of employment, labor, immigration, HR compliance and physician/ health law specialists. Her law practice focuses on nearly every element of the employee/employer experience. In addition to her law practice, Andrea serves as an Executive member of the UPMC Corporate/International Executive Employee Experience team, as well as Co-Executive Sponsor for UPMC’s Employees of Color Employee Resources Group.

With a strong personal commitment to making her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA the best place for everyone to live, Ms. Smith has displayed a long history of community service—largely in support of the organizations that support the underserved people in Pittsburgh.

Starting in the early 90’s, Andrea supported children caught up in the juvenile justice system through her work as a pro bono child advocate while also working full time at the law firm of Reed Smith. Currently, she is on the Board of Directors for the Urban League of Greater Pittsburgh—an organization committed to social and economic power, parity and self-re-

liance within the African American Community. Earlier this year, she was elected to the position of Board Chair for the organization.

Andrea also serves as Board Secretary for the Sarah Heinz House (a Boys and Girls Clubs of America affiliate committed to providing a

self and healthy space for children to learn and grow) and on the Executive Committee of Literacy Pittsburgh, a nonprofit organization committed to improving adult literacy in the greater Pittsburgh area. Recently, Ms. Smith also joined the Board of Trustees for Pittsburgh Public Theater in support of its mission to provide a high quality, artistically diverse, theatrical experience to its audience. As long time advocate for diversity and inclusion, Ms. Smith was recently honored for her work in the area by PA Women Work at is Circle of Hope event. Of the experience, Ms. Smith said, “ . . . it is a bit surreal to be recognized for my actions in the Diversity and Inclusion space because advocating for diversity and inclusion feels as natural and instinctive as breathing. . . You see, to me, advocating for diversity and inclusion means advocating for access, ac-

ceptance, opportunity, and development. I believe that we cannot learn and grow without exposure. . . learning requires including people who are different than me, inviting them to sit next to me, listening to their stories, sharing my experiences, appreciating our differences and identifying our commonality. And then taking what we learn and putting it into action by incorporating what we learn it into our personal lives, our work and our community.”

Ms. Smith was born and raised in the Hill District and completed her undergraduate work at Spelman College and received her law degree from Emory University School of Law. In 2019, she was identified by Savoy magazine as one of the Most Influential Women in Corporate America. In 2021, Ms. Smith was inducted into the College of Labor and Employment Lawyers.

Monica Tillman Smith is creative, versatile and passionate about her business and her craft. Smith has been able to establish herself as a successful curly & natural hair stylist + salon owner. Prior to that she was in the non-profit sector, before settling in Finance and Administration for over 25 years where she helped manage financial portfolios for the elderly. This is where she thought she’d retire before her company downsized and she took the risk to pursue her desires of entrepreneurship. Initially she just wanted to own

and operate a couple of salons but in the midst of running them fell in love with service and hair styling. After graduating from Bella Capelli, a Paul Mitchell School, Smith opened a 2nd salon and started out being a jack of all trades doing whatever new style was in demand. Burnout quickly set in while her salon also started to attract more natural clients looking for “quality haircare and natural styling.” While she absolutely loved this lane she didn’t think it could be as lucrative alone. Smith decided to follow purpose and passion

and hone into and love on what she was attracting, ultimately likeminded women that cared about their hair. Developing her skillset, curl culture, education and certifications, studying directly with some of the top curly/ texture brands and brand ambassadors such as Tippie Shorter of Mizani, Dr. Kari Williams, celebrity natural stylist/educator, Devacurl and the dynamic duo that is I am Black girl curls/Cut it Kinky. With her recent Trichology certification, Smith wants to help women struggling with alopecia, hair thinning and scalp issues letting them know they don’t have to suffer in silence and they have options. Smith also completed her initial training with Community Cares and is now a Mental Wellness Ambassa-

dor and Suicide Prevention Aid. “My life and work is all interconnected and it’s about more than just me and more than just hair.”

Smith says she’s addicted to forever learning and growing both

personally and professionally. In her spare time, she loves teaching community classes at the local YMCA and mentoring young girls through partnerships with local high schools, teaching life skills, self-love, respect, haircare and operations of the beauty industry. Monica Smith cherishes family time, church, traveling and encouraging other couples. Together with her husband of 17 years, she’s the mother two, a son and a daughter.

Smith is looking forward to continuously growing and teaching the next generation through her apprenticeship program Cocoa Queens and the expansion of her business through the Avenues of Hope, Centre Avenue Revitalization Project. Ashe’

ANDREA CLARK SMITH

DEBORAH

Deborah A. Starling is honored to be a recipient of the Courier’s “Women of Excellence” award. A graduate of Carlow University, Starling holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing. She is currently a recreational leader at Homewood Senior Center through the City of Pittsburgh’s CitiParks Department. But her most cherished role has been as mother to two amazing children —Kelly Starling Lyons, a children’s book author, and Kevin Sean Price Sr. (recently deceased), a former detail manager in Moon Township. She has five grandchildren and one great grandson.

Starling is a dedicated community worker and leader. She has served as Drama Ministry Director at Central Baptist Church in the Hill District for more than 15 years. Her community contributions include implementing a mental health and wellness and literacy after-school program called Bright Minds, in collaboration with Family Resources of Western Pennsylvania, development of a “Readers Theater” literacy program for youth summer camp in concert with the Hill House Association and production of

a theater and arts enrichment program for senior residents of Lemington Center.

One of Starling’s most acclaimed achievements is writing and directing a grant-funded violence prevention play in collaboration with the City of Pittsburgh and Divine Intervention Enterprises, titled, “Two for One, An Urban Drama.”

The play was received by an audience of 300 concerned community members at West Park on the North Side. The “talk back” session fostered greater understanding among participants as they shared their concerns about the increasing gun violence in our city.

Starling’s passion for the community is evident in the ways she gives back. An educator and former artistic director with the Ujamaa Collective, she introduced many authors, musicians and artists to the city’s Hill District community and beyond for the Collective’s Summer Series

As Carnegie Museum of Art’s first community liaison, Starling worked with the public relations team to generate greater visitation and diversity to the museums of art and natural history. She created a subsidized family membership program

ALEXIS JAMES STEALS

Alexis James Steals is a seasoned Financial Services professional with over 25 years of experience in Treasury Management and Commercial and Corporate Banking. Steals has spent much of her career working for financial service providers such as PNC, National City, and Bank of New York Mellon; Steals currently serves as a Senior Vice President at TriState Capital Bank, where she is a thought leader and product strategist for the bank’s Deposit and Liquidity business line. While she is hugely grateful for her incredible career in Financial Services, becoming a high school English teacher was Steals’ original career goal. Steals still has a strong desire to impact the lives of youth in a meaningful way through education, and as a result, Steals takes advantage of opportunities that place her in the classroom. Through TriState Capital Bank,

Steals has done meaningful work with Junior Achievement, The Educational Partnership, and Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship. Additionally, through the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Links, Incorporated, Steals serves as the NSBE Jr. STEM lead at Woolslair Elementary School and Services to Youth Program Coordinator for Gwen’s Girls. Steals has also volunteered as a teacher with Allegheny Center Alliance Church’s Student Ministries for many years.

Through her volunteerism and fundraising efforts, she fulfills her desire to uplift children and families residing in unrepresented communities. Steals has served on the boards of Shady Lane School, Healthy Start, Treasure House, and Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship. She has also recently initiated service activities that benefit Jeremiah’s Place, Family Links, and Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School programs.

Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated is an organization that is extremely dear to Steals. As an organization dedicated to nurturing future African American leaders, Steals finds great joy in being an ac-

degree in Community Ministry, from Carlow University with a Master’s in Education as well as her PA Instructional Certification and has earned her K-12 PA Administrative Certification through the Robert Morris Principal Preparation Program.

tive member. Locally, Steals has served as the President, Vice President, and Program Director for the Pittsburgh Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Currently, Steals serves on the regional level of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. overseeing the

for disenfranchised communities called “Stepping Stones” that introduced new low-income members and their families to the museum’s exhibitions, classes, tours and programs. Her work as community liaison was recognized by author Donna Walker Kuhne in her book, “Invitation to the Party: Building Bridges to Arts, Culture and Community.”

Starling has some published works as well: “When Life Gets in the Way;” an essay in an anthology of women writers titled, “When One Door Closes” (Sugati Publications) and “The Promise,” an essay featured in “Chicken Soup for the Soul: Navigating Eldercare and Dementia.” For more than two decades, she has been the lead singer with The Flow Band.

Starling’s creativity spans writing, acting with Kuntu Repertory Theater, singing in a Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera production to inspiring young people to showcase their talents and let their lights shine. From then to now, Starling’s impact continues to nourish our Pittsburgh community.

community service and fundraising efforts of 59 chapters in the Eastern Region. Steals also serves on the board of trustees for the Jack and Jill of America Foundation, where the vision is transforming African American communities, one child at a time.

Steals is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh School of Education. She is a national and local Association for Financial Professionals member and is participating in the Black Bankers ERG. As a continuous learner, Steals recently completed a Product Strategy course through Northwestern’s Kellogg Executive Education Program.

In addition to her career in Financial Services, Steals has successfully managed two businesses of her own, Paper Dolls Papery, featuring personalized stationery and invitations, and ADS Treasury Services, a Financial Services consulting company.

Steals resides in Pittsburgh with her loving husband, Melvin, of 22 years and her two wonderful children, Alanna and Drew. Faith, family, and service to the community are the pillars of her existence.

ers, entrepreneurs, creators/artists, and a wide range of excellence that too often goes unnoticed.

Michelle is a Homewood native who has always loved serving, teaching, inspiring, and transforming the lives of those she encounters. Michelle graduated from Geneva College with a Bachelor of Science

She has always had a deeply rooted connection to not just her community, but to also wanting to get back into her community to serve and work in hopes of being able to work alongside great stakeholders who are also invested in ensuring that Homewood is known for our rich history, phenomenal world lead-

Michelle leads the Homewood Community Engagement Center in the “heart” of our community ensuring that our doors are open, we are available, and that we create mutually beneficial partnerships resulting in greater opportunities for our community families and stakeholders.  Michelle is looking to continue in her passion and love for learning as well as advocating for Social and Educational change, by pursuing her EdD in Education Policy and Social Change.

REV. AISHA I. TATE, M.DIV.

Pastor, Brown Chapel A.M.E. Church/ Founder, The House of Glory

Aisha Tate loves the Lord! She believes one of her missions from God is to love others, and by doing so, people will be healed. Rev. Aisha Tate is the wife of Rev. Geoffrey E. Tate II, her Boaz, the pastor of Park Place AMEC Homestead and the proud mother of three beautiful girls; Ciara, Ayesha, and Nya, one son-in-law, Jhaymye, plus five grandchildren; Nevaeh, Cameron Jhaysun, Mia, and Noah, whom she loves and cherishes.

Rev. Tate graduated from Penn Hills Senior High School and received her cosmetology license. To further her education, she attended Pittsburgh Beauty Academy, receiving her Master Management Degree. She then progressed to Duquesne University and the Minority

Enterprise Corporation to obtain Business degrees to become an entrepreneur. Eventually, she opened her own salon called Aisha’s Beauty Salon in 2001. Years later, Rev. Tate experienced a life change and returned to school attending the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry, receiving her Associated Degree, and Geneva College where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services, specializing in family and marriage counseling.

Rev. Tate has been mentoring since 1996. She has mentored in programs within the Pittsburgh area, such as: “Creating Peace” youth program, as a trauma facilitator, with Pitt & Neighborhood Resilience, A Second Chance, The Amachi Program, Bloomfield-Garfield Corporation and The Lamp Program.

In 2010, the Lord gave Rev. Tate a vision, and she became the founder of The House of Glory, a safe home for children.

Rev. Tate’s goal is to make sure every child she can help has a safe home to live in. She continued her education, graduating from Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio, in 2017, receiving her Master of Divinity Degree which equipped her to preach internationally at Loula Barkington AME Church in Haiti, the first free Black republic in the world.

Today Rev. Aisha I. Tate is the pastor of Brown Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. Tate is the first African American woman to pastor this 185-year-old, historical church.

Rev. Tate also is a receptionist at the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh-URA.

Her power scripture is I Peter 4:8, “Above all, love one another deeply, for love coves a multitude of sins.”

NICOLE R. WEBSTER

Her focus has been investing in and empowering the next generation.

DR. TAMMY WASHINGTON

Program Manager of Portfolio Delivery & Operations, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield/ Entrepreneur, The SMG Lady, LLC

Dr. Tammy Washington has over 25 years of experience in the healthcare industry.  In her current role as a Program Manager, she is responsible for the successful implementation and delivery of strategic initiatives governed by the Portfolio Delivery and Operations area of Strategic Portfolio Management.  She influences and collaborates with employees and contractors who serve on project teams, to achieve the desired outcomes of the business units she supports. During her tenure at Highmark, she has been very active with its Community Affairs volunteer efforts. She also served as Chief Administrative Officer of Highmark’s first Business Resource Group, now known as BOLD.

In addition to her corporate career, Dr. Washington is also known as “The SMG Lady” (Sea Moss Gel). Founder and Owner of this company which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, she creates premium quality sea moss gel—an all-natural health supplement loaded with an abundance of vitamins, minerals and nutrients to revitalize and promote optimal health and wellness. The SMG Lady, LLC was built upon the fundamentals of Health & Wellness, Self-Worth, Happiness and Satisfaction with a desire to change and inspire lives.  With an online customer base that expands across the United States including Hawaii, she has secured placement in multiple local retail establishments as well as a celebrity endorsement. Dr. Washington holds a Ph.D. in Commu-

MELISSA K. WHARTON

Nicole Webster is the Workplace Solutions and Corporate Citizenship Manager for the Pittsburgh Office of Accenture. She is responsible for community outreach and engagement and works directly with the Employee Resource Groups to ensure they are working to create belonging and connection amongst their people. Webster is also responsible for advancing Accenture’s Inclusion and Diversity priorities and supporting initiatives to grow the business. She has led the local office’s efforts around building bridges and fostering an inclusive environment. Webster is known in the office for inspiring and influencing others, coaching and mentoring, cultivating positivity and championing change, because of her strong connections across roles, levels and generations. Along with running the local office, Webster manages the relationships with several diverse nonprofits to amplify the office’s impact in the region in alignment with Accenture’s commitment to support and empower people to take on the shifting landscape, by innovating to skill at scale.

Webster represents Accenture on several boards, including Gwen’s Girls, Healthy Start, the Professional Women’s Network and Best Buddies, all of whom focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and belonging, serving women and children of color and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Webster resides in the East Liberty area of the city and is the proud mom to her daughter, Monet.

Founder, President & CEO of The Church Online, LLC/ Co-Founder, President & CEO of Wharton Curtis, LLC

Breaking barriers in the corporate world, Melissa K. Wharton is the Founder, President and CEO of The Church Online, LLC (www.thechurchonline.com) and the Co-Founder, President and CEO of Wharton Curtis, LLC (www.whartoncurtis.com). Both agencies provide creative, marketing, technology and publishing solutions to the markets they serve. Since 2002, Wharton has become an essential strategic resource to some of the most influential business and ministry brands throughout the U.S.

She also serves as the Chairman of the Board for the Center for Urban Biblical Ministry, an organization that provides accredited Bible-based degree programs granted by Geneva College.

As a high school and college level athlete, she played Division I College Volleyball before playing professionally for the United States Dream Team. She has been honored with numerous awards, including the Bucknell University Christy Mathewson Award and Athlete of the

nity Engagement from Point Park University, focusing on stress experienced by single mothers in disadvantaged communities and their coping mechanisms. She also received a Master of Business Administration degree from Waynesburg University and a Bachelor of Science Degree from Penn State University.

Dr. Washington is the Board Chair of Willissae’s Agency for Vision and Empowerment (WAVE), a nonprofit organization striving to create housing and economic stability for atrisk individuals in low-income communities.

She is also the Vice-President of the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Pittsburgh Chapter as well as an active member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., where she engages in a variety of community service activities. Dr. Washington is a proud mom to her son, Paris, daughter, Dallas, and six grandchildren. She resides in Murrysville with her fiancé, Orin, whom she will wed in May 2023.

Year, inductions into both the Bucknell University Hall of Fame and the Penn Hills Sports Hall of Fame, and a selection to the Patriot League 25th Anniversary Team for women’s volleyball.

She earned a bachelor’s degree from Bucknell University where she was named a top ten graduate in her class.

Her faith guides her, and she strives to walk daily believing the words of Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

Corporate Citizenship Manager Accenture