Black Achievers honored at banquet for contributions to community
Black achievers Twenty honored for contributions to their community
Twenty Western New Yorkers were honored Saturday night at the 36th annual Black Achievers in Industry awards banquet in the Adam’s Mark Hotel.
The dinner, sponsored by 1490 Enterprises, recognizes outstanding contributions in community service, volunteer-ism, corporate leadership and entrepreneurship in the African- American community.
The Rev. Darius G. Pridgen, pastor of True Bethel Baptist Church, was given the Award of Excellence. George K. Arthur, retired president of the Buffalo Common Council, received the Legends Award.
The other award winners were:
•Ronal R. Bassham, executive director and chief executive officer of NICYO. During the 1990s, he helped write the Living Wage Law for the City of Buffalo and was instrumental with Chapter 681, Vietnam Veterans, in opening the first residential post-traumatic stress clinic in Western New York.
• Stephen L. Clifford, a director at General Motors Powertrain Tonawanda Engine plant, where he schedules build and ship plans daily for engine production, delivering to seven GM assembly plants. His job also includes managing supplier issues and budgeting for several departments.
• James K. Cornelius, a radio personality on 1400 AM Solid Gold Soul. He previously was a disc jockey at WBLK Radio as well as stations in Georgia and Alabama. Cornelius owns LShaDi Production Co., where he produces a gospel show, commercials, special programs, and voice-overs
• Rozalind Fuller-Forman, assistant executive housekeeper at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, where she began working in 1999 as a room attendant. The next year, she was promoted to inspector overseeing 486 rooms. In 2001, she was again promoted, this time to office coordinator.
• Brenda E. Hicks-Russell, a social studies teacher at her al-ma mater, East High School. She previously taught in grades from prekindergarten through high school. A cum laude graduate of the University at Buffalo, Hicks-Russell was inducted into the Golden Key National Honor Society and became the first African-American inducted into the university’s Alpha Delta Theta Chapter of the Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society.
•Glenn S. Jackson, vice president in the retail deposit division of M&T Bank, where he manages $22 billion in retail deposits. Also, he consults with the bank’s president weekly on deposit strategy and performance, prepares the chief financial officer for quarterly analyst conference discussions and, last year, helped the bank earn an additional $13 million in net interest income.
• Kawanza A. McCall, a vice president and market manager for HSBC Bank, who is responsible for seven branch offices in Buffalo. She focuses on leading, coaching and developing teams to achieve allocated sales, revenue development and customer service targets. She also participates in the Leadership Buffalo 2008 Rising Leaders class and serves as the branch network chairwoman for HSBC’s African Heritage Diversity Subcommittee.
• Emma McFayden, who has worked for Buffalo State College for 27 years, currently as assistant director for outreach and retention activities in the Arthur O. Eve Educational Opportunity Program.
She also is an active member of Antioch Baptist Church, where she is the church clerk, president of the scholarship committee and sings in the senior choir. She also volunteers in the church’s after-school tutoring program and coordinated an adult computer class for members of the congregation after obtaining donated computers from her employer.
• Maureen Minicucci, corporate receptionist at Tops Markets. She also serves on the Niagara Falls Human Rights Commission and is a former member of the Niagara Falls Black Achievers.
• Folasade Oladele, chief academic officer for Buffalo Public Schools. She previously was a programs manager for the Consortium of Reading Excellence in Emeryville, Calif. She also served as literacy director and language arts coordinator for the Oakland Unified School District in California, where she directed the English Language Arts program for kindergarten through 12th grade.
• Sabrina C. Perry, director of Upward Bound, a federal program designed to assist income eligible and/or first-generation college students to earn baccalaureate degrees within six years. As director, she is responsible for the overall administration of the project.
• Brandon A. Portis, confidential law clerk for Erie County Family Court Judge Kevin M. Carter. He is also a partner in CGP Properties, a minority-owned business enterprise. He previously prosecuted criminal cases as an assistant district attorney.
• Marlene Pryor, owner of Mars Nails & Spa, which employs two licensed massage therapists, two licensed aestheticians, a salon coordinator, a salon manager and a head custodian. Pryor began her career in a back room of her home that was turned into a small salon. She saved money and purchased equipment, furniture and products piece by piece until she was able to rent her first commercial property in the Towne Gardens Plaza.
• Pamela E. Reid, a supervisor with the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority who oversees Metro Bus drivers. She started with NFTA as a part-time Metro Bus operator and advanced to full-time mechanical technician, an operator and her current position as a supervisor.
• Veronica Rucker, an analyst in the State Unified Court System assigned to the Supreme Court legal staff. Her duties include providing paraprofessional assistance to unrepresented litigants on both civil and criminal matters.
An 8th Judicial District representative, Rucker is the official contact for the Office of Court Administration Public Events Calendar, a Web site that informs the public of court events, cultural programs and career and employment opportunities.
• Gerald Seals, service technician for Time Warner Cable. Seals, who has been in the cable industry for 20 years, mentors new technicians by volunteering to oversee new hires on ride-alongs.
A recipient of Time Warner Cable’s Summit Award for his commitment to diversity, Seals is an active member of the company’s Diversity Council, organizing the company’s participation in the Juneteenth Parade and the Puerto Rican Day Parade.
• James Singleton, who started as a bagger for Tops Market on Portage Road in Niagara Falls before becoming customer service manager, human resources manager and a certified manager on duty at the store. He’s also the store’s community champion, leading all of the store’s fundraising activities, and he coordinates all events and cultural celebrations at the store throughout the year.
• James C. Smith, a member of the Buffalo Urban League senior staff, where he has been vice president of finance since 1999. He previously was executive vice president for Health Management Group, chief finance officer for Horizon Health Services and coordinator of fiscal affairs for the City of Buffalo’s Division of Drug Abuse Services.
• Jamye L. Smith, a volunteer at 1490 Enterprises, where she teaches senior citizens about computers. Smith is a member of True Bethel Baptist Church, where she is a trustee and a member of the Community Service Award Committee.
• Charice Thompson, owner of Sittin Pretty Hair Salon, which opened in 1999. In 2002, she and her husband purchased the five-unit building that houses the salon, which serves African-American women.
