RISE - Public Allies

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“The Public Allies Pittsburgh ChangeMaker Awards are given to members of the Pittsburgh community

who have demonstrated leadership and a positive commitment to serving our region.”

Special thanks to our 2011 Sponsors

RISE, an event honoring organizations and individuals making a REAL change in the Pittsburgh community is a local adaptation of a national award titled the Changemaker Award. The local Pittsburgh Alumni and Advisory Board feel that there is a need for individuals and organizations whom are not normally recognized to be awarded and acknowledged by a national movement focused on change that is actual. Public Allies Pittsburgh believes that there are individuals and organizations seeking to create sustainable change in Pittsburgh and we want to be able to highlight those contributions to making Pittsburgh what it is today and where it will be in the future. To learn more about Public Allies, or Public Allies Pittsburgh, please click here.

2011 Individual & Organization

Winners

The five core values of Public Allies are as follows: Collaboration, Continuous Learning, Diversity & Inclusion, Focus on Assets, Integrity. Nominations were accepted for individuals and organizations that through their work, have created a sustainable impact on the Pittsburgh region through utilizing one or more core values listed earlier. There winners of the 2011 RISE Awards are:

Large Nonprofit Organization Nominees

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh works to make positive differences in the lives of children by providing one-to-one mentoring programs and related services that help youth discover their highest potential and grow to become responsible adults leading productive and rewarding lives. Since 1965 more than 13,000 children have been matched with responsible, caring adult mentors. Mentors in the program have been shown to be 46% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip class, 33% less likely to resort to violence and more confident in school performance and better connected with their families. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh serves the region's children by offering a variety of mentoring programs, by building strong relationships with individuals and organizations, by focusing on developing volunteers and mentors, and serving as an organizational trendsetter in terms of nonprofit leadership. More info at: www.bbbspgh.org

Small Nonprofit Organization Nominees

New Voices Pittsburgh: Women of Color for Reproductive Justice

New Voices Pittsburgh : Women of Color for Reproductive Justice exists to elevate Human Rights through Reproductive Justice educating ourselves, our families and communities. NVP connects women of color with the Reproductive Justice Movement, educates communities of color about Human Rights and develops new voices for leadership in Pittsburgh. New Voices Pittsburgh is deeply committed to building a local movement for Reproductive Justice to elevate the powerful voices of women of color on human rights, reproductive oppression and the totality of our experiences as women of color. More info at www.newvoicespittsburgh.org.

Government/Public Sector Leader Nominees

Tom Baker

Tom Baker works as the Vice President of Programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Pittsburgh. He is also the President of Baker Leadership, author of Get Involved! Making the Most of Your 20s and 30s and Get Involved! Give Our Passion and host and producer of Get Involved! Pittsburgh on PCTV 21. Since February 2008, Tom has spoken with over 18,500 students, young professionals, and community leaders at 135 colleges, corporations, professionals associations, and civic groups. His extensive speaking experience enabled Tom to become part of the National Speakers Association and he is currently the President-Elect of NSA Pittsburgh. Tom is the President of the Pittsburgh East Rotary Club, President-Elect of the National Speakers Association Pittsburgh, President of the Coro Pittsburgh Alumni Council, and Past President of the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project.

Public Allies Pittsburgh Alumni Nominees

Bekezela Mguni

Bekezela Mguni completed the 2006-2007 class of the Public Allies Pittsburgh program. As an AmeriCorps Public Ally, Bekezela served as the Education Outreach apprentice at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture as the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator for two years. Bekezela has also worked at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater as the Associate Producer. Currently, Bekezela is the Community Organizing Director for New Voices Pittsburgh where she manages the SistahSpeak! Youth Project, Environmental Justice Project, Women of Color HERStory HERStory Month and the LGBTQ Women of Color Reproductive Justice Series. Bekezela graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Africana Studies and Italian with a Certificate in Women's Studies in 2006. Bekezela is currently embarking on the next part of her educational journey as a Master's Candidate in Library Science at the University of Pittsburgh.

The RISE Award Nominees

La'Tasha Mayes

La’Tasha Mayes is the Founder and Executive Director of New Voices Pittsburgh: Women of Color for Reproductive Justice – the only Human Rights organization in Pittsburgh for women of color, led by women of color and about women of color. She has also been honored as a 2009 Choice USA Excellence in Leadership Award recipient, 2010 honoree for the City of Pittsburgh’s History in the Making: Honoring Our Young African American Leaders of Today exhibit, 2010 New Pittsburgh Courier’s 50 Women of Excellence awardee, 2011 Grinnell College Social Justice Prize nominee and 2011 Athena Pittsburgh Young Professional Award nominee. La'Tasha earned a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management in Reproductive Health and Justice Policy at Heinz School of Carnegie Mellon and is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh College of Business Administration. La’Tasha is an alumna of the Coro Center for Civic Leadership Fellows Program in Public Affairs and Center for Progressive Leadership Pennsylvania Leaders Program; La’Tasha currently participates in the Women’s Health Leadership Network at the Center for American Progress in Washington, DC

2010 WINNERS

Vernard Alexander (RISE AWARDEE)

Vernard Alexander has many years of experience as an Educator. He currently is a Manager for a local Workforce Development Company. Vernard is active in helping people "Network" for the future. Vernard has a high motivation to help people realize the dream of "Entrepreneurship". With positive feedback from other Entrepreneurs, Vernard decided to create the Minority Networking Exchange in 2006 which strives to increase the amount of successful minority owned businesses in the Greater Pittsburgh area. Vernard ultimately works hard to connect individuals with each other in the city of Pittsburgh in order to expand their current networks but also enjoy each others company in positive environments.

Kendra Jenkins (ALUMNI AWARDEE)

Kendra Jenkins completed the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 classes of the Public Allies Pittsburgh program. Kendra is a model of integrity and is a rising star in the social services industry and health policy. Kendra has worked on the development of the Schenley Heights Community Development Program and was able to apply her skills learned through Public Allies in a very deliberate and thoughtful way. Kendra has worked to not only fulfill the mission of Public Allies Pittsburgh but also to strengthen Pittsburgh-area communities, nonprofits and individuals.

State Representative Jake Wheatley (GOVERNMENT AWARDEE)

Jake Wheatley is in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing the 19th Legislative District. Jake is a recognized United States Marine combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm who received the Combat Action Ribbon, National Defense Service Medal and the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal, is a proud resident of the City of Pittsburgh. Rep. Wheatley holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University where he graduated with honors. He went on to receive a master’s of public administration from the University of Pittsburgh. Jake works hard to speak up for the community in which he represents and continually steps out to author key legislation that is designed to benefit the region. Jake calls his district office the People’s Office as a daily reminder of this principle to himself, his staff and the people he is honored to serve. More info at: www.jakeforstate.org

CivicsLab (PRIVATE SECTOR AWARDEE)

CivicsLab puts elementary and middle school students in virtual control of decision-making in their communities to encourage civic participation, critical thinking, and sense of place. hrough manipulation of real mapping information and current data sets, students navigate social and political pressures to explore the cause and effect of civic investment and public policy as they attempt to create a sustainable future for their region. The style of gameplay for CivicsLab is on the cutting edge of local focused gaming and digital media and has been recognized repeatedly by the local press and by the Digital Media and Learning competition funded by the MacArthur Foundation. More info at: civicslab.wordpress.com

Amachi Pittsburgh (NONPROFIT AWARDEE)

Amachi Pittsburgh is the only Pittsburgh-area organization dedicated to the approximately 7000 children in the region with an incarcerated parent through mentoring and empowerment. Since 2003, Amachi Pittsburgh has matched over 500 children of prisoners with carefully screened and trained mentors. Amachi also works to connect families to social services and provides educational and cultural opportunities throughout the city. Amachi strives to bring awareness to children of the incarcerated by combating intergenerational incarceration through mentoring of all different types of children, training, collaborating with other agencies/program and a strong and deliberate focus on mission. More info at: www.amachipgh.org