Inaugural Class of Nominees Recognizes Achievements of Young Alumni
Savannah, GA – Savannah State University
(SSU) recently announced the inaugural Class of 40 Under 40 Awards recipients,
a prestigious recognition to applaud the outstanding success stories of its
young alumni and inspire current and future students.
SSU will honor the recipients with an
award ceremony including recipients, guests and faculty on Saturday, Jan. 11,
2025.
The award recognizes the
contributions of individuals who have excelled in their respective fields
before the age of 40. This year’s recipients work in a wide array of
environments from municipalities to universities to federal agencies and
Fortune 500 companies. The list includes company founders, executives, state
representatives, doctors and lawyers.
“We’re
overjoyed to share with the world what these young alumni have accomplished in
just a few short years since graduating from this beloved institution,” said
SSU Interim President Cynthia Alexander. “These alumni are the best and
brightest and truly reflect the values we hope to instill in all SSU
graduates.”
The
selection committee, which included alumni and staff, evaluated nominees’
professional accomplishments, leadership qualities, and their impact on their
communities.
“The committee was tasked
with the difficult undertaking of choosing just 40 recipients from a large pool
of extremely qualified alumni,” SSU Vice President Adrian Scott said.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t choose them all, but we highly encourage them to
apply again next year.”
By
highlighting the achievements of these alumni, SSU aims to inspire its current
and future students to aspire to greatness and to emphasize the university’s
role in shaping future leaders across various fields. Each of this year’s
honorees attended SSU and seeks to uphold their core values of collaboration,
academic excellence, discovery and innovation, integrity, openness and
inclusion and sustainability.
“As SSU continues to grow
and make strides in academic and professional spheres, the 40 Under 40 Awards
reflect the continuous impact of SSU on the lives of its graduates and the
broader community,” Alexander said. “As we honor these remarkable alumni, we celebrate
not only their achievements but also reaffirm the value of an SSU education.”
###
About SSU:
Established in 1890, Savannah State University is
the first public historically black college and university in Georgia and the
first institution of higher learning in the city of Savannah. Students select
majors from 30 undergraduate and five graduate programs in four colleges —
Business Administration, Education, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, and
Sciences and Technology. Learn more by visiting savannahstate.edu.
Savannah State University 2024 Inaugural Class 40
Under 40
1) Dr. Ndidi Akuta, Class of
2013, Griffin, Ga., Chief Information Officer at Fort Valley State University
2) Eunicia Baker, Class of
2013, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Director of Communications for the City of North
Miami
3) Christopher Banks, Class
of 2011, Lithonia, Ga., Owner of Mernae Media Group, LLC.
4) Cassidy Bass Jones, Class
of 2007, Smyrna, Ga., Owner of LOL Burger Bar
5) Aaron Binion, Class of
2007, Mableton, Ga., Senior Vice President at Pinnacle Financial Partners
6) Tia Bolden, Class of
2017, St. Louis, Mo., Owner of Aspire to F.I.R.E. Investing, LLC
7) Dr. LaDena Bolton, Class
of 2006, Decatur, Ga., Synthetic Organic Chemist and Dekalb County Commissioner
8) Anthony Bowden, Class of
2010, Riverdale, Ga., Founder & CEO of The Pivot Schools
9) Kelvin Bryant, Class of
2021, Savannah, Ga., Director of Police Administration for the City of Savannah
Police Department
10) Rolando Cantrell, Class
of 2007, Atlanta, Ga., Owner and Head Chef at Cantrell Occasions LLC and Saucy
Aprons LLC
11) Angela Chambliss, Class of
2006, Atlanta, Ga., Information Technology Program Manager at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
12) Christelle Chiza M.D.,
Class of 2012, Grovetown, Ga., Doctor at Wellstar MCG/Augusta Health
13) Dr. Ruben Chiza, Class of
2012, Grovetown, Ga., CEO and Founder of The Right Capacity Consulting
14) John Clark, Class of 2007,
Atlanta, Ga., Senior Product Analyst and Owner of JJ RE Group and CleanLeeNess
15) Dr. Stacy Cobb, Class of
2008, Austell, Ga., Mathematical Statistician at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention
16) Raquel Curtis, Class of 2011,
Decatur, Ga., Finance Executive & Data Analytics Director at Be Boujee
Enterprises LLC
17) Dontre Douse M.D., Class
of 2016, Rochester, Minn., Doctor at the Mayo Clinic- Rochester
18) Isaaq Drumgoole, Class
of 2012, Dallas, Ga., Senior Environmental Analyst at Georgia Power Company
19) Meghan Dunn-Woods, Class
of 2013, Atlanta, Ga., Vice President of Business Development at Paradies
Lagardère
20) Art Gordon, Class of 2013,
Boston, Mass., Senior Pastor at St. John Missionary Baptist Church and Director
of Community Engagement in the Office of Governor Maura Healey
21) Bruce Harris, Class of 2013,
Federal Agent at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and
Customs Enforcement
22) Tiffani Hawes J.D.,
Class of 2006, Hoschton, Ga., Attorney at The Hawes Law Firm, LLC
23) James Anthony, Class of
2007, Studio City, Calif., Photographer/Director, Writer, Actor at James
Anthony Media
24) Amber T. Jones-King
J.D., Class of 2007, Macon, Ga., Attorney at Amber T. Jones & Associates
25) Dr. Quianna Lavant, Class of
2015, Albany, Ga., Director of Enrollment at Albany Technical College
26) Derek Mallow, Class of
2020, Savannah, Ga., Georgia State Senator
27) Jahylin McKee, Class of
2017, Newark, N.J., Founder & Lead Publicist of J. McKee & Co.
28) Carl Miller, Class of
2017, Savannah, Ga., CEO of C.A. Miller Publishing Co.
29) Maurice Nelson, Class of
2016, New Haven, Conn., Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Sacred Heart
University
30) Lt. Chelsea Parrish, Class of
2013, Lakeland, Fla., Lieutenant and Aviator in the National Oceanic
Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps
31) Kier Prince J.D., Class of
2015, Palmetto, Ga., Senior Staff Attorney at the Superior Court of Fulton
County
32) Donovan Ringo, Class of
2010, Ellenwood, Ga., Senior Manager of Emerging Markets at Genuine Parts
Company
33) Taqwaa Saleem, Class of
2008, Savannah, Ga., English Professor at Savannah Technical College Liberty
Campus
34) Ulyssa Salett, Class of 2015,
Los Angeles, Calif., Production Manager at Netflix
35) Dr. ZaDonna Slay, Class
of 2005, Richmond, Ky., Assistant Professor at Tennessee State University
36) Antoine Stewart, Class
of 2008, Arlington, Va., Industrial Control Systems Engineer with Chugach
Intelligence Solutions
37) Dr. Michelle Tait-Allen,
Class of 2008, Atlanta, Ga., Director of Learning and Communication at The
Georgia Alliance and Owner of The Griot Collective
38) Monroe Thornton J.D.,
Class of 2020, Birmingham, Ala., Trial Attorney at Hare Wynn Newell &
Newton
39) Rashamod Torrance, Class of
2012, Charlotte, N.C., Senior Business Banking Relationship Manager and
Assistant Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Founder of Active Dad
Organization
40) Erika Troutman, Class of
2008, Charlotte, N.C., Chief Financial Officer at Wells Fargo Bank N.A.
Comments
Post a Comment