The Black Achievers Society honored 15 new members into the prestigious society at its 45th Annual Black Achievers in Business and Industry Award Ceremony held Jan. 17 at the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City, MO.
To become a member of the Black Achievers Society, African-Americans professionals in business and industry are nominated by their employer for their corporate leadership, significant accomplishments, community involvement, and educational achievements. A committee comprised of representatives from the SCLC Board of Directors and the Black Achievers Society selects the honorees from persons nominated.
The group was founded by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver in 1974, five years before the former KCMO mayor was first elected to the City Council. The organization’s mission is “to actively respond to the educational, social and economic needs of the community by providing role models for Black and minority youth, and sharing knowledge gained through academic and corporate experience.”
This year’s list of outstanding honorees includes:
Dr. Kimberly Beatty
Chancellor, Metropolitan Community College
D. C. Broil
Director, Forensic Lab, Kansas City Kansas Community College
Mattie Brown
Senior Project Manager, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
C. Michael Cozart
Director, TRIO Student Support Services, Kansas City Kansas Community College
Dr. Shawn Derritt
Dean of Student Services, Kansas City Kansas Community College
Darwin D. DuPree
Protective Force Training Manager, Honeywell FM&T
Angelique Hill
Procurement Operations Manager, Hallmark Cards, Inc.
Olivia Ighoyivwi
Lean Expert, Honeywell FM&T
Paul C. Jones
Administrative Associate, The University of Kansas Medical Center
Nick Kabongo
Project Manager, Burns & McDonnell
Tyjaun A. Lee, Ph.D
President, Metropolitan Community College
Calvin Mayfield
Manager, Network Analytics & Application Development, Sprint
Justin McCoy
Customer Experience Manager, Blue Cross and Blue Shief of Kansas City
Walter Andre’ Redd
Senior Supervisor/Master Coach, Alliance Data
Tiffany Willis, PsyD
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City