Media Advisory: Black and Gold Awards Honors Today’s Community Leaders While Sowing Fertile Ground for Leaders of Tomorrow

Contact: Linda Wallace, 215-751-8082, liswallace@ccp.edu
Rhonda L. Lipschutz, 215-751-8021, rlipschutz@ccp.edu

 

WHO & WHAT: Community College of Philadelphia Alumni Association will host a fundraising event to help Philadelphia students coming behind them. The 2017 Black and Gold Awards will recognize the individuals and organizations that impact our community in areas of education, business, social services and health. Proceeds will benefit the 50th Anniversary Scholars Program, which was established by the College in 2015 to ensure that every Philadelphia high school student who wants to go to college is able to do so with no out-of-pocket cost for tuition and fees. Proceeds from the Black and Gold Awards will go towards the 2017-2018 50th Anniversary Scholars class.

Award recipients include:

Romy Diaz, Vice President and General Counsel of PECO, who will receive the Corporate Leadership Award. Before joining PECO, Diaz held legal and management positions at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Department of Energy. Following unanimous confirmation by the U.S. Senate, he was appointed by President William J. Clinton to serve as assistant administrator for management at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Michael W. Banks, President of the Greater Philadelphia African American Chamber of Commerce, and a 2010 Community College of Philadelphia Alum, will be presented the Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award. Banks was the first African-American stock option specialist in the history of the then Philadelphia Stock Exchange and now Nasdaq OMX.

Terri Matthews, Founder and CEO of Jaden’s Voice will be presented the Community Hero Award. Founder of, Jaden’s Voice, a non-profit named after her autistic son, who was diagnosed at age 3, she delivers messages of hope and perseverance to parents and caretakers. Committed to promoting autism awareness, Matthews works within the public and private sectors and a variety of stakeholders to influence policy and culture.

WHEN: Wed. June 7, 2017, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

WHERE: Community College of Philadelphia, The Pavilion Building 17th Street (between Spring Garden and Callowhill), 2nd Floor

Tickets are $100, attendees may RSVP online.

 

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About Community College of Philadelphia

Community College of Philadelphia is the largest public institution of higher education in Philadelphia and the sixth largest in Pennsylvania. The College enrolls approximately 34,000 students annually and offers day, evening, and weekend classes, as well as classes online. Visit the College at www.ccp.edu. Follow us on Twitter. Like us on Facebook.