Meet the Honorees
From board rooms to classrooms, offices to community spaces, these leaders embody resilience, innovation, and lasting impact. Men of Excellence continues the Courier’s proud legacy of uplifting Black men whose work transforms institutions, empowers generations, and moves our city forward.
Legacy Award Honoree
Chris Moore
Retired Television/Radio Producer & Talk Show Host, The Chris Moore Show, Legacy Honoree.
J. Thomas Agnew
Co-Owner/Operations Director, BOOM Concepts
Charles Anderson
Career Services Manager, Grant Associates Inc.; Owner, Chuck8301Music LLC
Rhyan Cochrane
Director of Substations & Grid Protection/Control, Duquesne Light Company
Justin Dixon
Owner & Chef, 1403 Ent. Catering Co. LLC
Drew J. Ellerbee
Internal Audit-IT Specialist, Howmet Aerospace; Community Outreach Liaison, Howmet African Heritage Network
Edgar Folks
Owner Folks, Development LLC
David E. Freeman
Financial Advisor, Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC
Quentin Frye Jr.
Chief Operating Officer, Gloria’s Haven Home Care; Chairman & CEO, Fryeday Knights Youth Sports Association
Curtis Fuqua
Talent Driver, Teamsters Local 249
Dennis Garner Jr.
K-12 Team Lead, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust- Arts Education; Musician/Drummer, Mount Ararat Baptist Church
Robert L. Gatling III, MBA
Senior Associate, Business Technology Liaison/AI Practitioner BNY
Kirk Gilbert
Senior Case Manager, Trade Institute of Pittsburgh
Kyle Haden
Senior Associate Head and Associate Professor of Acting, Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama
Khalid H. Harper
Manager of Benefits Administration, Pittsburgh Regional Transit
Lyle David Harris
Founder; Champions Are Built, Not Born; Football Coach, Woodland Hills High School
Pastor Robert C. Holmes
Supervisor, The Monessen Beyond Grad Program, Southwestern PA Human Services; Senior Pastor, Christian Life Ministries
Ron Ogbonna Idoko
Associate Director, Center on Race and Social Problems, University of Pittsburgh; Director, Office of Social Innovation, David C. Frederick Honors College—University of Pittsburgh
Salim Jackson
Corporate Compliance Program Manager, ZOLL Medical Corporation
Rick Jackson
Program Coordinator, Focus on Renewal; Outreach Professional, REACH
Tim Kelly
ACTES Site Staff Supervisor, Auberle
DS Kinsel
Co-Founder/Artistic Director, BOOM Concepts
Marty Langford
President, West Side Mustangs Youth Athletic Association; Owner, 412 Entertainment
Sam Lothard
Actor/Producer
Lenny McAllister
Host, KDKA Newsradio; Author
Thomas McClellan
Accounting Specialist, Penn Hills Charter School of Entrepreneurship
Anthony Mitchell Jr.
Special Education Teacher/Behavioral & Conflict Specialist, LIFE Male STEAM Academy
Raymond Moore
Education & Outreach Coordinator, Fair Housing Partnership of Greater Pittsburgh
Sam Morant Jr.
Co-Founder/Director of Programming, 1Nation Mentoring; CyberBus Director, Boys & Girls Club of Western Pennsylvania
Calvin ‘Coach Cal’ Murphy
Director of Community Violence Prevention, Intervention and Culture, Center for Victims
Sylvester Omeje
President & CEO, AYAG LLC; Founder, TAARi Diaspora Media
Emeka Onwugbenu
Owner & CEO, E Properties & Development
John Parker Sr.
Team Leader/ Violence Interrupter, South Pittsburgh Coalition for Peace/CURE Violence
Michael L. Pattillo
Owner, Michael’s Manna LLC DBA and Michael’s Table PGH/MaestroChef’s Products
Cue Perry
Visual Artist
Ramone Lee Pierce
Owner, Bonez Barbershop, Bonez Barbershop 2 and Bonez Barber Academy
Christopher Ralph
Executive Director, West End Boxing Academy Langley; Violence Prevention Outreach Worker, REACH
Pastor Jonathan H. Robinson
Pastor, Kingdom Come Ministries
Rico Delorean Rucker
Founder & President, PGH SK8 Collaborative; Founder & President, RR EliteServices
Irvin G. Ruffin Jr.
Warehouse and Logistics Manager, Sylvan Bio Inc.
Duey Saxton
Owner, Ketchup Socials; Founder, Lamar Clan
Mohamed Seedahmed
Assistant Professor of Medicine—Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; Staff Physician and Researcher, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
John D. Thomas
Board President, Family Life Center; Retired Superintendent of Schools, Aliquippa School District
Marcus DeWayne Thompson
Supervisor, Distribution Operations, United States Postal Service
Derrick Turner
Chief of Police, Eastern Regional Mon Valley Police Department
Aaron Wade
Founder & Executive Director, A’s Vision
Simeon Weatherby Jr.
Senior Acquisition Analyst, ProSource360 Consulting Services, Inc.; Founder & CEO, Q-Sax Entertainment
Walter Were
Executive Director, Everyday Community Resources
James Williams III
Senior Director, City and County Governmental Relations and Advocacy, University of Pittsburgh
Vann L. Williams
Director of Digital Workplace Operations, Wabtec Corporation; Vice President, 100 Black Men of Western PA
Marcus Woodard
Director, Product Sales Support and Analysis, Comcast
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