Neighborhood Leaders Honored at Community College of Philadelphia’s Northwest Regional Center

PHILADELPHIA, PA, APRIL 22, 2003 – In keeping with its mission of serving the community, Community College of Philadelphia will present awards to members of the Northwest community who have made outstanding contributions. Interviews will be available with the honorees at the awards breakfast on April 30, 2003 at 8 a.m. at the College’s Northwest Regional Center, 1500 West Godfrey Avenue. Awards will focus on business, community service, education, faith-based, and elected officials. Now in its fourth year, the awards are held at each of the College’s three Regional Centers: West, Northwest, and Northeast. Local leaders who will be honored at the Northwest Center are:

Reverend Herbert H. Lusk, II, is serving in his twentieth year as Senior Pastor of the Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia. After a professional career with the Philadelphia Eagles, Reverend Lusk became involved with numerous community based organizations including the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board, The Philadelphia Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Red Cross, National Society of Nehemiah, City Team Ministries, GS Capital, Philadelphia Baptist Association, Pierce College, and Innovation Philadelphia. Lusk has received the Daily Point of Lights award from former President George Bush, and also citations from former President Bill Clinton and HUD secretary Andrew Cuomo.

Senator Allyson Y. Schwartz is serving her fourth term as State Senator from the 4th Senatorial District. First elected in 1990, she is the senior woman legislator in the Pennsylvania Senate and a leading Pennsylvania member of the Democratic Leadership Council. She has led a successful effort in the Senate to create and expand the Children’s Health Insurance Program, allowing the parents of more than 110,000 uninsured children to receive private health insurance.

Mary V. Lawton serves as CEO of M. Lawton Associates, a family-owned and operated business that deals with financial management. Lawton received her bachelor of science in business administration from La Salle University. In addition to being an astute businesswoman and entrepreneur, Lawton is involved in many civic and community activities. She serves as a Board Member for the Germantown Housing Development Corporation, the National Association of Accountants, and the Pennsylvania Association of Public Accountants. She also volunteers for Junior Achievement of Philadelphia and for the Greater Philadelphia Mentoring Partnership.

Georgette King is licensed Practical Nurse, and has worked in the mental health profession for over twenty-five years. Her extensive history of community service includes volunteerism for Helping Hands, Adopt-A-Grand, and Youth Enrichment Services. In 1997, King founded the Creative Kids Club to provide educational, recreational, and cultural activities and events for individuals and families of those with developmental, emotional, and economic issues.

M. Christine Young Thomas Wiggins is founder of the Imhotep Charter School, Philadelphia’s first African centered public high school and the first in the country to receive the Gear Up Grant, which enabled her to offer scholarships to her students. A veteran educator of twenty-eight years, Wiggins had her first career as a home economics
teacher at Martin Luther King High School Wiggins has a master’s degree in computers and technology from Arcadia University. She received the Frederick D. Patterson Award for outstanding educators given by the Philadelphia Inter-Alumni Council of United Negro College Fund.

James E. Mack is a graduating senior and honor student at Imhotep Institute Charter High School. Mack is a top-ranked graduating senior, a member of the National Honor Society, Vice President of the Student Government Association, and a respected peer mentor. He has also played a significant role in his community and in his church. The Champlost Avenue Association selected James for its “Outstanding Youth Award” and the YMCA Black Achievers awarded him a certificate of achievement. The Church family elected Mack to serve as junior deacon where he ministers to elderly members of the congregation, particularly the sick and shut-ins.