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2005 AAAC Classic Awards Honorees |
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Woman of the
Year
Michelle R. Dunlap, Ph.D
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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. |
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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