For Immediate Release

Contact: Anthony Twyman
Public Relations Coordinator
Community College of Philadelphia
Office: (215) 751-8082
atwyman@ccp.edu

COMMUNITY COLLEGE OF PHILADELPHIA BESTOWS LEADERSHIP AWARDS ON COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS LEADERS

PHILADELPHIA, May 11, 2007 - The Community College of Philadelphia's three Regional Centers will present distinguished leadership awards to 18 community, civic and business luminaries at 8 a.m., May 16 through May 18.

The awards are given to individuals who have demonstrated outstanding commitment to the College and the community at large. The College believes in the importance of regularly acknowledging those who have made positive contributions to academic and civic life in Philadelphia.

The Northwest Regional Center will hold its award ceremony at 8 a.m., May 16 at 1300 W. Godfrey Avenue.

The West Regional Center will hold its award ceremony at 8 a.m., May 17 at 4725 Chestnut Street.

The Northeast Regional Center will hold its award ceremony at 8 a.m., May 18 at 12901 Townsend Road.

The 2007 awardees for each of the centers include:

Northwest Regional Center
Business- Dr. Timothy R. Robinson is the owner and director of the Robinson Academy of Martial Arts. He coordinates lectures, seminars and personal and corporate programs to reach different members of his community. Educators and school administrators have expressed their appreciation for his ability to work with young students who have had challenges with their focus and behavior while in a school setting.

Education - John Fitzsimmons has been the guidance director at Cardinal Dougherty High School for the past 22 years. A former teacher and coach at the school, he has assisted countless numbers of students in applying to college and with the college selection process. Mr. Fitzsimmons has also provided his expertise as an educator to the Curriculum Development Committee for the Philadelphia School District in the areas of African- American history, ethnic studies and urban anthropology.

Elected Official - Hon. Tony Payton Jr. is state representative in the 179th Legislative District. He was elected in 2006. Representative Payton is dedicated to educating youth about the political process and developing future leaders. He holds memberships in Philadelphia's Young Nonprofit Leaders (PYNL), the Philly Young Democrats, the Young America Political Action Committee and the Social Action Committee. He served as treasurer of Pennsylvania Political Action Committee for Progress and completed a fellowship with the Center for Progressive Leadership.

Faith-Based - Tracey A. Barnard is co-pastor of Impacting Your World Christian Center. Co-Pastor Barnard and her husband, Co-Pastor Ray Barnard, founded Impacting Your World Christian Center in their home in 1994. Today, they have 2,500 members with locations in Germantown and in Northeast Philadelphia. She has worked as a greeter, secretary, accountant, a singer with the praise team and served as a children's ministry leader. She also oversees the women's ministry and the church's finance team.

Community Service - S. Archye Leacock is co-founder and executive director of the Institute for the Development of African-American Youth, Inc. The institute, opened in 1991, has grown from a small discussion group for adolescents to six core programs serving more than 14,000 multi-ethnic youths and their families in Philadelphia and Montgomery counties. The organization offers at-risk youth help to succeed in school, job training and teen parenting skills. Currently, programs exist within 17 public schools, 19 Philadelphia Housing Authority sites and the School District of Cheltenham Township. The institute is the only organization in Pennsylvania to operate a youth gun violence reduction program.

Youth - Jessica Barbour, a graduating senior at Central High School, earned academic honors in all eight of her high school semesters and ranks in the top 20 percent of her graduating class. She has twice received the Barnwell Award, which is a special recognition for outstanding academic performance. She will attend Hampton University on a full tuition scholarship, majoring in biology. At Central, she serves as a student representative for the student association, president of the school's Rotary Club and is a member of the African-American Student Union. She has helped raise funds for children who are HIV positive, made dolls to comfort children at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and crocheted hats for people who lost their hair due to cancer treatments. In addition, she has raised money for the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation and participated in two AIDS walks.

West Regional Center
Business- Alisa Orduna Sneed is executive director of The Partnership CDC, a nonprofit corporation founded in 1992 that is dedicated to the preservation of affordable housing, commercial corridor revitalization, consumer education and workforce development. The CDC develops affordable housing for low- to moderate-income families and provides financial literacy and homeownership education to first-time homebuyers. The CDC also works to attract new businesses to West Philadelphia and helps to retain existing businesses.

Education - Ozzie Wright, who recently accepted the position of temporary principal at West Philadelphia High School, is principal of Philadelphia Military Academy at Leeds. He has served as principal of West Philadelphia High before, from 2002 to 2003, before his 16-month deployment to Iraq as an Army reservist. His previous positions include principal of the Youth Study Center, Juvenile Detention Alternative Education; assistant principal at Samuel S. Fels High School; and assistant principal at Hamilton Elementary School. He is a member of the National Education Association, the Pennsylvania Association of Secondary Administrators, the NAACP National Region and the St. Joseph's University Alumni Association. In addition, he is a tutor, a volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America and the Girl Scouts of America and a martial arts instructor.

Elected Official - Hon. Ronald G. Waters is state representative in the 191st Legislative District and was elected to his post in a special election in May 1999. He is a member of the Professional Licensure, Labor Relations, Liquor Control and Health and Human Service committees. In addition, he is the vice chairman of the Gaming Oversight Committee and the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus. He is the founder of the Command Performance Drill Team for area youth and is on the board of directors of the Cobbs Creek Civic Association. He is a founding member of and is active with Men United for a Better Philadelphia, Organized Anti-Crime Community Network (OACCN), the Cobbs Creek Anti-Rape Network and the Cobbs Creek Revitalization Project.

Faith-Based - Reverend John E. Midwood is executive director of Episcopal Community Services, which teaches parenting skills, provides services to struggling families, educates youth and strengthens communities through advocacy and pastoral care. He is also a member of the ECS' board of trustees. Before his appointment as executive director in July 2003, Reverend Midwood served as associate director of Episcopal Community Services, an organization dedicated to helping individuals and families overcome the impact of poverty. Prior to working for ECS, he served as archdeacon of the Episcopal diocese of Pennsylvania for 11 years, focusing on mission strategy and urban ministry.

Community Service - Anthony Thoai Nguyen is executive director of the Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition, Inc. The coalition is a partnership of refugee and immigrant agencies in Philadelphia and includes member organizations from the West African, Asian and Eastern European immigrant communities. Since 1984, the coalition has provided services and resources to thousands of immigrants and refugees in the Greater Philadelphia area. The coalition is the largest Asian-American, nonprofit, social service agency in the Greater Philadelphia area.

Youth - Antoine Miller, a student at the 21st Century Cyber Charter High School, has been listed in Who's Who Among America's High School Students for the past five years and listed in the National Honor Roll for the past four years. An active volunteer outside of school, he has served as a volunteer docent at the Academy of Natural Sciences and as a volunteer tour guide at the Franklin Institute. He also volunteers as an academic tutor, at homeless shelters and at a day care center.

Northeast Regional Center
Business - Bruce K. Foulke has been president/CEO of American Heritage Federal Credit Union since 1979. In addition to his years of service to the Pennsylvania Credit Union community, he founded and chairs the Kids-N-Hope Foundation, a charitable organization that raises funds to benefit children receiving specialized care at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Education - Dr. Thomas Mills is a retired educator and public servant. Among his many positions, he served as the first deputy finance director for the city of Philadelphia and first deputy managing director of the city of Philadelphia. He also was director of education at the Fels Center of Government at the University of Pennsylvania and professor of Public Administration at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He is also a former trustee of Community College of Philadelphia.

Elected Official - Hon. Patrick Murphy is U.S. Representative for the 8th Congressional District. He took office on January 4, 2007. Representative Murphy served in Bosnia and Baghdad after September 11 as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was also a JAG Corps attorney. For his service in Iraq, he earned the Bronze Star, and his unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation.

Faith-Based - Jacques Lurie is executive director and educational director of the Congregations of Shaare Shamayim, one of the largest and most active synagogues in Philadelphia. Mr. Lurie has committed his time and effort to various interests at the local, national and international levels. He has served several organizations, including B'nai B'rith and its international executive board and the Philadelphia school board.

Community Service - Edward William Kelly is a community activist who has been a resident of Northeast Philadelphia for more than 75 years. His first public service position was executive director of the Northeast Chamber of Commerce. He continues to serve as a member of the Mayor's Advisory Council, a post he has held for more than three decades.

Youth - Robert Voigt is a senior at George Washington High School and president of his graduating class and the school's National Honor Society chapter. He ranks number six in a class of 521 students. He has committed his time and energy to numerous musical ensembles in George Washington High School. He is an outstanding member of the Marching Band, Jazz Band and Concert Band and also lends his voice to the Chamber Choir.