Huntsville, Ala. ---- The 12th Annual Black Tie Scholarship Gala hosted by Alabama A&M University has “sold out” for the second consecutive year, says Wendy Kobler, AAMU’s vice president for marketing, communication and advancement. The 6 p.m. event will be held Thursday, April 12, at the Von Braun Center-South Hall Ballrooms.
Finalists have been announced for awards to be presented in recognition of achievements in the following categories: Large Organization of the Year (Finalists PPG Industries, Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne and NASA); Small Business of the Year (Finalists Victor Tyler, P.E., TEAM Entrepreneurship and Wilbrook Solutions, Inc.); Advocate of the Year (Finalists Eugene Edwards of AMRDEC, Phil Coker of NGC and Erskine McKinnon, AAMU alumnus and retiree); Diversity Award (Finalists Lee Rosenburg of MDA, Alice Williams of ACC and Lea Gradford of Boeing); and the Koinonia Award, which recognizes an individual and/or religious organization that has created a mutually beneficial partnership with Alabama A&M and/or its students (Finalists Church Street Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Fellowship of Faith Baptist Church and St. John AME Church).
“The Gala allows AAMU to express appreciation to individuals and organizations that play key roles in student academic, social and professional development,” Kobler adds. “We're also very excited to have the Army Materiel Command Jazz Orchestra performing at this year’s Gala.”
The 2012 Gala co-chairs are Miranda Bouldin, president/CEO of LogiCore of Huntsville, Ala., and John O. Hudson III, vice president for public relations, Alabama Power, Birmingham, Ala. The honorary co-chairs are alumni Dr. Bernice Richardson, former chair of AAMU’s Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and Robert Holmes, former corporate administrator and AAMU trustee.
Major General James E. Rogers, commander, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Command (AMCOM), Redstone Arsenal, Ala., will be the keynote speaker. For additional information, call (256) 372-8344; e-mail blacktie@aamu.edu; or visit http://www.aamu.edu/blacktie.
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