^ ? V*' Photos by Felecia McMillan
Honor Natasha Nimmons of the Winston-Salem Foundation poses with her father, Tony Nimmons (from left), and James
Gore and Scott Wierman , who also work at the foundation.
Jaycees salute professionals at
first-ever young leaders banquet
BY FELECIA P. MCMILLAN. PH.D.
THE CHRONICLE
r
The Winston-Salem Jaycees
are celebrating 75 years of serv
ice to the community this year.
Founded in 1929 at the Robert
E. Lee Hotel by a group of
young men who promoted com
munity service, the organization
focuses on leadership develop
ment for those aged 21 to 39.
In this same spirit of leader
ship, the Jaycees honored 13
young leaders aged 21 to 39 and
three emerging leaders aged 17 -
18 at the first Outstanding
Young Leaders Awards Banquet
Monday night. More than 200
supporters attended the affair
held at the Hawthorne Inn and
Conference Center.
The purpose of the gathering
was to honor those making a dif
ference in the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County commu
nity through their chosen career,
community service or volun
teerism. Friends, colleagues and
family members made nomina
tions for the awards.
The honorees were Wanda
Allen-Abraha. director of
human relations, city of Win
ston-Salem; Lou Baldwin Jr..
president. Baldwin Companies;
Brent Campbell, reporter,
bureau chief at Fox 8 WGHP;
April Canter, teacher of academ
ically gifted children. Ward Ele
mentary School; Brian Cole,
event manager, Winston-Salem
Events; Joe Curran, chef and
owner. 1703 Restaurant; Andrea
Kurtz, managing attorney. Legal
Aid Society; Lori Mercer, pri
vate banker. BB&T; Natasha
Nimmons, program officer.
Winston-Salem Foundation;
Gary Robinson, executive direc
tor. KidCommerce USA; Samir
Shah. Ph.D. candidate in bio
medical engineering at Wake
Forest University School of
Medicine; Jeff Smith, founder of
SCN Triad Event Communica
tions, which publishes Smitty's
Community Notes; Anessa
Warehime, work force develop
ment manager at Winston-Salem
Chamber of Commerce; Jenifer
Eller, senior at Ledford High
Mayor Allen Joines gives Shannon Davis her award.
School; Ashley Hart, senior at
Mount Tabor High School; and
Shannon Davis, senior at Park
land high School.
According to Renee Boyd of
the Jaycees. the banquet offered
a new twist on a historical event
that has taken place for the last
73 years.
"In 193 1 . the Winston-Salem
Jaycees began recognizing lead
ership in our community when
the chapter started the annual
Distinguished Service Awards
banquet. Former mayors, com
munity leaders, police officers,
and educators are included
among the lengthy list of DSA
award recipients over the past 73
years," said Boyd. "This year, in
an attempt to continue promot
ing the work of our community's
yOung professional generation,
the Winston-Salem Jaycees
stretched our minds and broad
ened the banquet to be more
community-inclusive.'*
Mayor Allen Joines assisted
Angie Ferree, president of the
Winston-Salem Jaycees, in pre
senting the awards to the hon
orees. Joines congratulated the
efforts of the Jaycees to nurture
local young professionals,
"Most of you know how
committed I am to involving
young people in the life of Win
ston-Salem. I have the dubious
honor of announcing that our
community is losing a segment
of the population ages 18-34 to
other cities. I am working with
the Chamber of Commerce to
get these people involved in the
community." said Joines. "We
did a survey and have found that
it is difficult to figure ot how to
get them involved. So 1 am so
grateful for Jeff Smith's efforts
and those of the Jaycees who are
recognizing young leaders."
Natasha Nimmons, 26. was
nominated by her colleague
James Gore from the Winston
Salem Foundation. Nimmons
researches issues that affect
young professionals and has
become an advocate for the
young professional movement
in the local area. She has devel
oped a training module for the
foundation's new employees
and co-facilitates yearly leader
ship retreats for UNC-G stu
dents. She is also involved in the
black philanthropy initiative and
the Piedmont Triad Amateur
Ballroom Dance Association,
among other activities.
Nimmons is a 200(1 graduate
of N.C. A&T State University,
having earned a degree in public
relations/print journalism. She
received her master of public
affairs in 2002 from UNC
Greensboro. She was very glad
to receive the Jaycee award.
"I was excited, it is good to
be recognized by the Jaycees.
such a historical and established
organization," Nimmons said.
Jeff Smith was nominated
by Lou Baldwin Jr.. who was
also an honoree. Smith and
Baldwin have known each other
since high school at Forsyth
Country Day when they were in
the Key Club together. Smith
will tum 40 on April 2 and Bald
win will turn 40 on April 1 .
"We both made it by the skin
Qf our teeth." said Smith. "I was
very honored to get the award. I
have been a part of the young
professional effort in an attempt
to retain them in the community.
I (tried) to get organizations to
connect with the young profes
sionals since 1997-98. Last year,
I ended the effort. I'm getting
older. It was nic?% win this
award because it helps to bring
closure to another chapter in my
life."
"There are a lot of other peo
ple working to get young people
engaged in this community,"
said Smith. "Volunleerism along
with a daytime job can eat into
your personal time, but this
award is a testament thanking all
of the honorees for all of their
efforts in keeping this communi
ty moving."
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Wanna-be art collectors
sought for Diggs show
SPECIAL TO THK CHRONICLK
If you have ever been inter
ested in owning your own art
collection, a scheduled lunch
eon and auction of
Walker is a well-known art
collector and humanitarian.
His personal collection
includes works by Sam
Gilliam. Beauford Delaney,
Norman Lewis, Mil
African and Atrican
American art at Win
ston-Salem State
University's Diggs
Gallery on April 3 at
10 a.m. is a great
place to start, while
at the same time
benefiting one of the
region's leading gal
leries dedicated to
African and African
American art.
Tate
dred Thompson,
William T. Williams,
Frank Bowling and
Kevin Cole.
The auction will
be chaired by well
known members of
the Winston-Salem
community Denise
Hartsfield and Lisa
Menefee. Lunch
will be served at
noon, and the auction
Diggs Gallery is launching
its second annual African and
African-American Art Auction
and Benefit Luncheon. The
auction will feature fine quality
Ashanti, Songye, Senufo.
Mende and Baule works, as
well as works by Jacob
Lawrence, Richard Mayhew.
Sam Gilliam. Robert Colescott.
Varnette Honeywood, David
Driskell. Augie N'Kele and
many more.
The benefit will begin at 10
a.m. with seminars on collect
ing African and African- Ameri
can art by Charles of Charles
Jones African Art from Wilm
ington. and NBA star and art
collector Darrell Walker.
Walker is the 2004-2005
national ambassador for Diggs
Gallery. He is a former NBA
player and former head coach
of the Toronto Raptors and.
Washington Wizards. ' .
will commence at I p.m.
Works can be viewed at
www.wssu.edu/diggs and
online bidding will be available
at www.isada.org beginning
March 31.
"The benefit is the first in a
series of programs that will
allow art lovers to become
owners of art that will appreci
ate in value, while simultane
ously supporting WSSU's
Diggs Gallery." said Belinda
Tate, director of the gallery.
"The generosity of our commu
nity has enabled Diggs Gallery
to achieve tremendous success
resulting in a 30 percent
increase in attendance this
year. Proceeds from this bene
fit auction are critical to the
gallery continuing to host high
quality exhibitions and pro
grams for over 5.5(H) young
learners in our community."
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Employment
Fair & Career Expo
Tuesday, April 6 9flflA
10:00am - 5:00pm ? 1/I^T
UVM Coliseum Annex Winston-Salem NC
This year's Career Expo will feature careers in technology.
/
For information visit our Web site ot
www.accesspiedmont.com jobfair
sponsored by...
wivvnA-svu.MMHMi fa RKWICES gMAC Iasuzuco
Northwest ricdnton^Wuik forte Development Board
Including:
Nonhww AHEC Sonne ConwKmj. NanofecljJJbs. Inc ? Th? Wmuon-S*m *km
NC Biowchidojor Ctfw and Ctnw for N?notechnotojy.W?k? Form Unnnrwy