African-American Affairs Commission

2005 AAAC Classic Awards Honorees

Woman of the Year

Michelle R. Dunlap, Ph.D

Michelle R. Dunlap, Ph.D. is a tenured associate professor of Human Development at Connecticut College. She has served in that capacity for the past 11 years. Dr. Dunlap’s academic pursuits have led her to publish more than a dozen scholarly articles and two books, all designed to help people work more effectively with children and families of color. Her first book, Reaching Out to Children and Families: Students Model Effective Community Service is used as a primary resource by faculty, students, and volunteers nationwide.

Dr. Dunlap’s work is particularly focused on the frequently misunderstood observance of African-American mothers and their discipline and communication styles with children. Dr. Dunlap has been repeatedly invited to make presentations of her work in locations as distant as Finland and Russia.

She is currently working on a book about the stress that minorities endure when shopping and conducting other business in the marketplace. Dr. Dunlap is a member of the Association for Higher Education (AAHE) as well as the Campus Compact Consulting Corp., which consists of 17 senior community service-learning scholars from across the nation.

For the past 10 years, Dr. Dunlap has successfully applied her academic and personal passion to benefit children and families in New London, Norwich, and southeastern Connecticut. She has, and continues to participate on many boards, including the Strategic Planning Committee of the New London Public Schools, Steering Committee of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut Women and Girls Fund, the Shiloh Development Corporation (New London), Board of Directors of the Child and Family Agency of Southeastern Connecticut, and the Advisory Board of the New London Office of Youth Affairs.

Additionally, Dr. Dunlap works with the NAACP of Norwich, serving for more than a year as the Youth Council Advisor. She is a former youth church teacher for Shiloh Baptist Church (New London), and currently instructs an ongoing parenting class at Tabernacle of Deliverance and Praise in Norwich, Connecticut.

Man of the Year

Rodney O. Powell

Rodney (Rod) O. Powell is President and Chief Operating Officer of Western Massachusetts Electric Company (WMECO), a subsidiary of the Northeast Utilities (NU) System. Among his many responsibilities are the overall operations of the company, its electrical system, and the needs of its 200 customers in 59 communities in western Massachusetts. Mr. Powell is also NU’s principal regional officer. Prior to his current position, he was Vice President for Customer Relations for the Connecticut Light & Power Company (CL&P) where he managed CL&P’s distribution organization, customer support functions and 1.1 million retail electric service customers in 149 towns throughout Connecticut.

Despite his demanding professional life, Mr. Powell continues to connect with the community in tangible ways. Last year, the Hartford Construction Jobs Initiative (HCJI) Steering Committee acknowledged his longstanding support of its mission to provide Hartford residents with marketable construction skills. Since HCJI’s beginning in 1999, Mr. Powell has taken an active role in the program’s success. Nearly 600 Hartford residents have been placed in both construction and non-construction jobs as a result.

Due to Mr. Powell’s support and advocacy, more than 30 North Hartford merchants are using computer skills gained from training provided by the Spanish American Merchants Association, made possible by a grant from CL&P. Since 1999, Mr. Powell has been CL& P’s sponsoring officer for the Special Olympics Connecticut Winter Games. The event attracts nearly 700 athletes, 170 volunteer coaches and 900 other volunteers each year.

Under his leadership as president of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE), an ambitious scholarship fundraiser was held at The Bushnell’s Belding Theatre. Proceeds from the event benefited five African-American high-school students pursuing energy related careers. Each received a $2,500 scholarship. Officers of Northeast Utilities System companies were so impressed with the caliber of the scholarship recipients, they committed to continue the $2,500 scholarships for the remainder of each student’s undergraduate program, and to offer them internship opportunities with various NU System companies.

A Norfolk State College graduate, Mr. Powell mentors Connecticut students attending historically black colleges during their internships at NU. To date, three of his mentees have been offered employment with NU System companies.

Mr. Powell is a longtime resident of Connecticut and Chairman of Liberty Christian Center’s (Hartford) Trustee Board. He has three children, two daughters Joel and Jasmine, and a son, Taylor.

Youth of the Year

SHARON IBRAHIM
YOUTH OF THE YEAR AWARD

Chelsea B. Smith

Chelsea Smith is a junior at Waterford High School and has continuously been on its honor roll. Most recently she scored in the 91st percentile on the PSAT qualifying her as a potential National Merit Scholar. She has been accepted into Duke University’s Gifted and Talented program and plans to attend either Duke, George Washington, or Emory Universities. Her career goal is to become a physician and work with minority women and children in medically underserved communities.

Chelsea has received several awards including selection as the runner up in the Local N.A.A.C.P. African-American Cultural Scientific Olympic Poetry Competition. As a contest finalist she earned the opportunity to represent Connecticut at the NAACP National Convention. She is a published poet and is the principal member of Writer’s Block, a community-based organization of teen writers and performers. The group addresses important matters plaguing the minority community.

A youth leader, community volunteer, and activist, Chelsea serves as the Waterford Youth Commission’s Communications Committee Co-Chair. The Commission assists town decision makers relative to issues affecting its youth. She is also a member of the school’s Chorus, Year Book Committee, Class Council, Debate Club, and Foreign Exchange Club.

Chelsea is an intern for Congressman Rob Simmons. Additionally, she and has been selected to assist in research experiments at the Science Epicenter and DNA Learning Center in New London, Connecticut.

Business & Economic Development Award

Ronald Williams

Ronald V. Williams is Senior Vice-President of Richardson Communications, Inc. (RCI). RCI is a multi-faceted business enterprise offering print solutions, manufacturing, wholesale products, telecommunications, as well as facilities management and consulting services.

For more than 25 years, Mr. Williams gained a wealth of experience in business and government relations. He served as President of W & R, LLC, a management, marketing, public and government relations consulting firm, specializing in establishing strategic alliances between companies and emerging markets. During his career, Mr. Williams demonstrated his commitment to help others realize their dreams by assisting Minority Business Enterprises (MBE) secure more than $400 million in contracts. Further, since 1996 he has participated as a Senior Partner in Williams Partners, an investment banking placement firm responsible for securing investment funds exceeding $1.25 billion dollars.

From 1994 until 1996 Mr. Williams was the Executive Director of the Connecticut Minority Business Development Center. Earlier he had been the Associate Director of the Connecticut Small Business Development Center where he counseled more than 300 businesses and provided training to 2000 entrepreneurs. For four years Mr. Williams was the Small Business Government Liaison for United States Senator Christopher J. Dodd.

Mr. Williams currently serves as Chairperson of the Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee (MBEIC) of the Connecticut Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (CMSDC), a position he has held for the past eight years. MBEIC is a standing committee of the CMSDC whose mission is to provide advice and guidance to the Council in its efforts to enhance minority economic development.

Mr. Williams’ longstanding commitment to community service is evidenced by his participation on numerous boards and committees including but not limited to being Chairperson of the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Regulatory Fairness Board for Region I (1996-Present), Executive Board Member of the Minority Business Enterprise Legal Defense and Education (1989-Present), and the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights Opportunities’ (CHRO) Economic Development Advisory Committee (1987-1990).

Lifetime Achievement

Connie Wilson Collins

Connie Wilson Collins may be a native of New Yorker, but for as long as people in Connecticut can remember, her heart has been at the very core of New Britain, Connecticut. Ms. Collins was the first African American elected to public office in the City of New Britain, serving three terms as Alderwoman on the Common Council, and many years on the City Planning Commission. Among her most memorable accomplishments is her successful sponsorship of the resolution to change Hartford Avenue in New Britain to Martin Luther King Drive.

Mrs. Collins is the founder and past president of Opportunities Industrialization Center of New Britain, and Chairperson of Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America, Inc.’s Board of Directors.

Mrs. Collins serves as Chairperson of the New Britain Foundation for Public Giving (Community Foundation of Greater New Britain), as a member of the Advisory Board of American Savings Bank, Chamber of Commerce, Mid-Connecticut Workforce Partners, Inc. Board of Directors, Capital Workforce Partners Board of Directors, Board of Trustees of YWCA, New Britain General Hospital and Past Daughter Ruler of Anna Warmsley Temple #1073.

An accomplished educator, Mrs. Collins holds a masters degree in education from Harvard University. She is married to Alphonzo Collins. They are the parents of two grown children, Michael Alan of Killingworth, and Tonilynn of New Britain, as well as grandparents to four.