Recognizing 100 of the region’s change-agents at Celebration of Excellence
This year marks the Michigan Chronicle’s 80th birthday, on Friday, May 13 in Cobo Center’s Grand Ballroom at 5 p.m. we will host the Celebration of Excellence Awards Ceremony and Alumni Reunion. What is Celebration of Excellence, you ask? In honor of the Michigan Chronicle’s 80th birthday, we’ve decided to celebrate this years class of Men and Women of Excellence together in one massive Celebration of Excellence. The night will feature an awards ceremony, live entertainment, great fellowship and an alumni reunion. We’re calling on all past honorees and supporters of the Michigan Chronicle to join us in celebration
The Michigan Chronicle’s Celebration of Excellence Awards celebrates local African-American men and women who inspire others through vision and leadership, exceptional achievements, and participation in community service. Those who have been nominated have shown exceptional success in business, community involvement, and philanthropy. Honorees were chosen from hundreds of nominees and will be joining an elite group comprised of the area’s most influential men and women. “These distinguished men and women not only have professional success to their credit but who are beacons for the African-American community through-out the region,” said Hiram Jackson, CEO of Real Times Media and publisher of Michigan Chronicle.
Guess who’s coming back to host … renowned comedian and actor, Kim Coles. Best known for her five-season turn as the unforgettable “Synclaire” on FOX’s ground-breaking comedy series, Living Single. She has starred on numerous hit television programs including Frasier, Six Feet Under, In Living Color, One on One, amongst other roles. Coles has hosted this event in years past, which makes it befitting for her to host the 80th anniversary kick-off at the Celebration of Excellence Awards.
This year’s sponsors for the Celebration of Excellence are Henry Ford Health System, St. John Providence Health, Bank of America and Coca-Cola. Sponsorship opportunities, tables and tickets are still available, call your account representative at 313-963- 5522. Tickets are $85 and Honoree Tables of ten are $850. Follow the conversation @michronicle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram #MOEWOE2016
Women of Excellence: Myra Anderson, Chief Executive Officer, Sean Anderson Foundation; Paula Autry, Chief Executive Officer, DMC Sinai-Grace Hospital; The Honorable Janee Ayers, Council Member at Large, City of Detroit; Ivy Bailey, Interim President, Detroit Federation of Teachers; Paula Bridges, Communications Director, Wayne County Sheriff; Delores Brown, Executive Director – Finance, Detroit Public Schools; Erin Reese Burks, VP, Orthopedic Center of Excellence and Minimally Invasive Institute, St. John Providence Health; Remonia Chapman, Executive Director, Gift of Life MOTTEP/Detroit MOTTEP Foundation; Melinda Clemons, Senior Loan Officer, Capital Impact; The Honorable Irma Clark Coleman, District 5 Commissioner, Wayne County; Kathleen Colin, President, National Association of Securities – Detroit; Dr. Tonya Corbin, Medical Consultant, Lilly; Patricia Dolly, Ed.D., Senior Advisor to the President on Diversity & Inclusion, Oakland University; Stacie Durant, CPA, Chief Financial Officer, Detroit Wayne Mental Health Authority; Shawna Forbes, Vice Chancellor, Wayne County Community College District; Jenice Mitchell Ford, Senior Counsel, Clark Hill PLC; Dr. Pauline Furman, Executive Director/Owner, Center for Individual & Family Counseling; Leslie Gordon, Senior Manager of Diversity Communications, General Motors; Cara Griffin, Director, Global Commercial Compliance & Counsel, Guardian Industries Corp.; Carol Guyton, SVP, Financial Center Sales Market Manager, Bank of America; Glinda Bridgforth Hodges, Board of Directors, Green Dot Corporation and Green Dot Bank; The Honorable Denise Page Hood, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court – Eastern District; Nichelle Hughley, Deputy CFO – Office of Grants Management, City of Detroit; Wendy Lewis Jackson, Deputy Director, Kresge Foundation; LaNeice Jones, Vice President of Programs, Neighborhood Service Organization; Lynne Carter Keith, Associate Medical Director, Blue Cross Blue Shield; Charise D. Key, VP & District Manager-West Oakland District, Comerica Bank; Angeline Lawrence, Founder, Entrepreneur Exchange Group; Tiffanie Y. Lewis, Director, Design & Business Architecture, Global Business Services, General Motors; Tiffany Love, Director of Advertising, MGM Grand Detroit; Dr. Tonya Matthews, Chief Executive Officer, Michigan Science Center; Mary Mbiya, Vice President/Area Manager, Flagstar Bank; Pamela McClain, Executive Assistant to the Mayor, City of Detroit; Shirley Mobley-Woods, Former Chief of Staff – Academics, Detroit Public Schools; Jane F. Morgan, President/Chief Executive Officer, JFM Consulting Group, Inc.; Carlynn Nichols, Chief Clinical Officer, The Children’s Center; Stephanie Nixon, Director of Program and Service Innovation, Detroit Employment Solutions Agency; Dr. Earlexia Norwood, Chief of Family Medicine/Director of Practice Development and Community Health Education, Henry Ford Health System; Marlin Page, Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles; Dr. Glenda Price, Retired President, Detroit Public Schools Foundation; Freda Sampson, Director – Diversity & Inclusion, Blue Cross Blue Shield; Tanisha Sanders, Senior Director, Global Government Relations, Kellogg Company; Denise Shannon, Campus President/Chief Academic Officer, Wayne County Community College District; Dr. Derschaun Sharpley, Founder, Helping Individuals Succeed (H.I.S. Agency); Linda Smith, Executive Director, U-Snap Bac Inc.; Katrina Studvent, Executive Director/Breast Cancer Special Programs, Susan G. Komen Detroit Race for the Cure/Karmanos Cancer Institute; Bishop Dr. Corletta Vaughan, Pastor/Author, The Holy Ghost Cathedral/Go Tell It Evangelistic Ministry Worldwide; The Honorable Deirdre Waterman, Mayor, City of Pontiac; Ruthie White, Associate Global Director, Central Michigan University; Seana Williams-Page, Director of Resident Services, Detroit Housing Commission
Men of Excellence: Ronald W. Bettie, Jr., National Relationship Manager/Enterprise Philanthropy, State Farm Insurance; Wayne Brown, Chief Executive Officer, Michigan Opera Theatre; Rev. Tellis Chapman, Pastor, Galilee Baptist Church; Kenneth Cole, Director, Governmental Consultant Services Inc.; Derrick D. Coleman, Owner/President, Derrick Coleman Elite/Retired NBA Players Association – Detroit Chapter; Derrick R. Coleman, Superintendent, River Rouge School District; Wheeler Coleman, Retired SVP/Chief Information Officer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan; Jim Comer, Founder/Owner, Comer Holdings, LLC/Comer Foundation; Charles Crews, Vice President of Gas Operations, Consumer’s Energy; Douglass J. Diggs, President/Chief Executive Officer, The Diggs Group Heritage; Edmond Douglas, Jr., Vice President, Avis Ford; John Draper, Sr., President, Viridian Group Inc.; Walter C. Elliott, Jr., Commercial Lender, Level One Bank; Walter L. Epps, Retired Sheriff SWAT Commander, Wayne County Sheriff; Joel Ferguson, President/Trustee, Ferguson Development/Michigan State University Board of Trustees; Rev. Kenneth Flowers, Pastor, Greater New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church; Victor A. Green, Director of Community Affairs, Wayne State University; Ronald Hall, Jr., Vice President & General Counsel, Bridgewater Interiors; Troy A. Hammie, Vice President, Slot Operations, MGM Grand Detroit; Stan Hannah, Senior Manager, Talent & Organizational Development, Plante Moran; Eric Hardy, President/Chief Executive Officer, W3R Consulting; Dale Harvel, Head Football Coach, Martin L. King Jr. Senior High School; Richard Hosey, Owner, Hosey Development; Link Howard, III, Chief Executive Officer/Chairman of the Board, Powerlink; Dr. Richard Huggins, Senior Staff Physician, Henry Ford Health System; Arthur Jemison, Director, Housing and Revitalization, City of Detroit; Arvin L. Jones, Manufacturing Manager, General Motors North America; Eric Jones, Executive Fire Commissioner, City of Detroit; Mark K. Jones, J.D. Public Affairs Manager, Faith-Based Initiatives, DTE Energy; Alex Kimbrough, Director, WJBK Fox2; Wright L. Lassiter, III, President/Chief Executive Officer, Henry Ford Health System; Angelo Leslie, Vice President, Wealth Advisor, Comerica Bank; Rodrick T. Miller, President/Chief Executive Officer, Detroit Economic Growth Corp.; George N’namdi, Chief Executive Officer/Art Dealer, N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art; Alex Parrish, Partner, Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn LLP; Attorney Byron Pitts, Partner, Pitts & Associates; Rev. Greg Roberts, Senior Executive-Faith Based Director & Community Engagement, Wayne County Executive; Rudy Roberts, International Representative, UAW-GM; Dr. George Shade, Jr., SVP/Chief Medical Officer, Detroit Community Health Connection; Jerome Sheppard, Chief Executive Officer/Chairman, The Epitec Group Inc.; John David Simpson, Esq., Attorney, Simpson, Morton & Cross Attorneys & Counselors at Law; Toney Stewart, Executive Director- City of Detroit, Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters; Robert E. Thomas, J.D., Vice Chairman, City of Detroit Board of Zoning Appeals; Ed Welburn, Vice President, Global Design, General Motors North America; Fran Westbrooks, Managing Partner, BLVD Content; Rev. Charles E. Williams, II, President/Chief Executive Officer, National ACTION Network – Detroit Chapter; Stefan Wilson, President, Global Human Resources Services, UPS; Terrance E. Woods, Entrepreneur, Massive Entertainment
About Post Author
