2026 Award Recipients

The Community Leadership Awards honor individuals and organizations whose service, sacrifice, and leadership continue to strengthen our city and move us closer to the vision Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called us to live out. These honorees exemplify what it means to lead with purpose, compassion, and courage in the face of today’s challenges.

Guided by this year’s theme, One Community. One Purpose. One Dream: A Call to Action, the 2026 Awards recognize those who do more than believe in the dream. They answer the call. Through their commitment to unity, justice, and collective responsibility, they remind us that progress is not achieved alone, but together.

Their work inspires action, builds bridges, and helps transform shared values into lasting impact for generations to come.

ADVOCACY AWARD

The League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County

The League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County (LWVKKC) is a nonpartisan civic organization of nearly 200 members that empowers voters, defends democracy, and influences public policy through education, advocacy, voter registration, candidate forums, issue-based discussions, local government observation, and community dialogue initiatives, while carrying forward the national League of Women Voters’ mission, established in 1920, to engage all Americans in informed decision-making on issues affecting families and communities.

The League of Women Voters of Knoxville/Knox County (LWVKKC) is a nonpartisan political organization that encourages the informed and active participation in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy. With almost 200 members, the League focuses on empowering voters and defending democracy.

LWVKKC partners with other civic organizations in Knoxville to register voters and educate voters through candidate forums and issue-based discussions. Through the reestablished Observer Corps, members provide timely updates on local government meetings. A new initiative, Coffee, Donuts, and Democracy, facilitates discussion with local officials and members regarding current activities.

LWVKKC is part of the League of Women Voters of the US, which was established in 1920 to improve our government and engage all Americans in the decisions that impact their lives. The League researches issues from many points of view and takes action on issues affecting our families and communities. Our members are men and women who want to make a difference.

ARTS AWARD

Artece Slay

Artece Slay is a Knoxville native and Fulton High School graduate whose nearly four-decade career in theatre, film, radio, television, and education spans performing, directing, producing, writing, and teaching, with formative roots in early stage and radio experiences, professional training at Tennessee State University, internships in film and television including selection by Spike Lee for Get on the Bus!, extensive work with regional theatres and cultural institutions, powerful portrayals of historic African American figures, and a continued commitment to using the arts to educate, inspire, and uplift.

Artece Slay is a Knoxville, Tennessee native and Fulton High School graduate whose lifelong connection to the stage and the arts began early. Her first performance came as a flute solo under the direction of Elias Askins, Sr., who was the band director at Beardsley Middle and Rule High School. The second time she performed was when she lip-synced and danced to “Candy Girl” in a talent show with a group of her friends. They didn’t win, but there was something magical about her being on stage.

Her first introduction to radio began in high school when she participated in a segment produced by on-air personality Stacy Powers on WBMK-1430 AM. The segment gave her and her friends on-air experience and exposure to the radio industry. This set the stage for Artece to work in various capacities at Knoxville’s WAHI-1580 AM, WKGN-1340 AM, and WJBE-99.7 FM radio stations.

After high school, Artece attended Tennessee State University in Nashville. While studying Radio and Television Production, she developed a strong interest in film after meeting Los Angeles-based set decorator Leon King. This led to internships with Third Eye Films and the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission. During her senior year, she was hand selected by Spike Lee to serve as a student intern on the feature film “Get on the Bus!” To be on stage, she competed in several pageants, but it wasn’t until she auditioned for the Thomas Edward Poag Players Guild that she realized the stage was calling her. Her early theatrical roles include Aunt Kezie / West African Dancer in Aminata! and Artie Seale in Servant of the People: The Rise and Fall of Huey P. Newton.

Upon earning her Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications and Theatre, Artece began building a diverse freelance career across film, video, theatre, radio, and television. Her work has included roles as Production Assistant, Key PA, Production Coordinator, Producer, Assistant Stage Manager, Stage Manager, Actress, Voice-Over Talent, Assistant Director, Director, Writer, and Educator.

Her professional acting career launched in 2003 with the WordPlayers’ touring production of God’s Trombones. Artece served on their Board of Directors and was a company member for several years. She has also performed with Carpetbag Theatre, Bijou Theatre, Clarence Brown Theatre, Cumberland County Playhouse, Theatre Knoxville Downtown, KnoxCAM, and Kids on the Block of Knoxville. More recently, she has collaborated with the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, bringing to life historical figures such as Mamie Till, Shirley Chisholm, Delia Delaney, Miss Maggie Lattimore, and Rosa Parks.

As a writer and educator, Artece has written and performed several stories highlighting the achievements of African Americans. Her favorite script is her one-woman show entitled Marching On!, which was created for the MLK Commemorative Commission’s Youth Symposium in 2009. At last year’s MLK celebration, she portrayed Coretta Scott King at the Prayer Breakfast and the Night with the Arts Tribute.

For nearly four decades, Artece has been successful as a performer on the stage and as a production member behind the stage in theatre, film, video, radio, and television. She will continue to use her gifts in the arts to minister, educate, inspire, and uplift.

BUSINESS AWARD

Cassandra Denton
SanSational Creations and Events

Cassandra Denton is an accomplished entrepreneur, educator, and community leader from Greenville, South Carolina, and a proud Knoxville College graduate who is the founder of SanSational Creations and Events, the longtime owner of Smart Kids Early Learning Center for nearly three decades, an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. for over 40 years, a devoted mother and grandmother, a faithful praise team member at Community Evangelistic Church, and a visionary leader committed to uplifting and empowering her community through creativity, education, service, and excellence.

Cassandra Denton is an accomplished entrepreneur and community leader originally from Greenville, SC, with a deep commitment to creativity, education, and service. She is a proud graduate of Knoxville College.

Cassandra is the founder and owner of SanSational Creations and Events, where she brings elegant visions to life through stunning décor for weddings, corporate gatherings, and special events. Her refined design expertise and dedication to excellence have earned her a reputation for creating unforgettable experiences.

For 29 years, Cassandra has owned and operated Smart Kids Early Learning Center, a trusted pillar in early childhood education. Through her leadership, the center has provided a safe, nurturing, and high-quality learning environment for countless children and families in the community.

Beyond her entrepreneurial work, Cassandra is a devoted mother of three and a proud grandmother. She is also an active member of the Illustrious Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., where service, sisterhood, and scholarship have guided and inspired her mission for over 40 years.

Driven, disciplined, and deeply grateful for her journey, Cassandra remains committed to building businesses and initiatives that uplift, empower, and leave a lasting impact.
She is also a dedicated member of Community Evangelistic Church, where she serves faithfully on the praise team.

CHAIR’S AWARD

Valentino M. Jefferson

Valentino M. Jefferson is a Knoxville resident and seasoned professional with over 30 years of leadership experience who has dedicated three decades to community service through youth mentorship, church ministry, and nonprofit leadership as Executive Director of the Crain/Jefferson Enrichment Foundation, earning multiple community service awards while impacting disadvantaged youth locally, nationally, and internationally as an entrepreneur, husband, father, and follower of Christ.

Valentino M. Jefferson is an accomplished professional with over 30 years of career experience providing leadership, management, training, and quality assurance support across multiple industries. The majority of his career has been in the Oak Ridge area, and as a resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, he has actively engaged in serving and supporting the local community for three decades.

His community involvement includes participation in Big Brothers Big Sisters, coaching youth sports, feeding the homeless, and serving in multiple church ministries. He serves as the Executive Director of his nonprofit organization, the Crain/Jefferson Enrichment Foundation (C/JEF), which focuses on educating, encouraging, and equipping disadvantaged youth to help them be successful in life. Through this organization, he has had a positive impact on youth across the United States and abroad.

Jefferson has received several awards for his community service, including the 1993 Lockheed Martin Company Award for Community Service, the 1995 Boys & Girls Club Youth Mentor Award, the Inaugural Beta Theta Boule Tribute to Fathers Award in 2016, and the 2024 UT-Battelle Company Award for Community Engagement. He also maintains an entrepreneurial spirit and is a husband, father, and follower of Christ.

Community Service

Dr. Rev. Vivian Williams

Dr. Rev. Vivian Williams is a Cuba, Alabama native and longtime Knoxville resident whose life’s work as an associate pastor, educator, Master Gardener, agricultural advocate, and community organizer has centered on advancing children’s welfare, food access, and faith through leadership in education, urban agriculture, youth mentorship, and outreach initiatives that empower inner-city families and glorify Jesus Christ.

Dr. Rev. Vivian Williams was born and raised on a farm in Cuba, Alabama and received all her public school education in Cuba. Her family members, with her help and advice, currently raise organic vegetables on their family farm. She moved to Knoxville, Tennessee in 1965 and attended Knoxville College briefly before earning her BS and Master’s degrees from Tusculum College, she received her Doctor of Divinity degree from Covington Seminary and currently is an associate pastor at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Dr. Williams has always been an advocate for inspiring the welfare of children. She worked for Project GRAD, which was a program in the Knox County School system, until her retirement in May 2013. Since her retirement, she has become a Master Gardener. Dr. Williams is chairperson of the Tennessee Chapter of National Women in Agriculture Association (NWIAA). She has also served on the Tennessee Advisory Council, and the Knoxville Food Policy Council.

Dr. Wiliams’ training and farm experiences have prepared her for her current endeavors. She serves as Cub Scout Master at two Knox County elementary schools. With the help of NWIAA, she directs The Eastside Sunday Market, which features home grown vegetables and other products. The objective of the market is to expose and offer wholesome foods to inner city children, who live in what has been called, the “food dessert”. The market is open from July through October,

Dr. Williams’ objectives include sponsoring outreach workshops, canning classes from produce, and teaching the boy scouts (“Agri Scouts”) and other children how to grow vegetables in above ground containers, Dr, Williams is an accomplished organizer, community leader, and advocate for children and for Jesus Christ.

Diversity Champion

Dr. Craig Steven Pickett, Jr.

Dr. Craig Steven Pickett, Jr. is a distinguished educator, workplace culture leader, and community advocate who serves as Director of Talent and Culture Development at The University of Tennessee Medical Center and has spent his career advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion across higher education, healthcare, nonprofit, and civic institutions through strategic leadership, community service, board and commission involvement, and scholarship, all driven by a steadfast commitment to expanding opportunity, strengthening culturally competent systems, and empowering individuals from every background to thrive.

Dr. Craig Steven Pickett, Jr. is a respected workplace culture leader, educator, and community advocate whose career has been defined by championing inclusion, expanding equitable access, and empowering individuals from all backgrounds to thrive. He currently serves as the Director of Talent and Culture Development at The University of Tennessee Medical Center, where he strengthens talent pipelines, equips employees with tools for personal and professional growth, and expands experiential learning programs that open doors for the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Before joining UT Medical Center, Dr. Pickett built a transformative legacy in diversity, equity, and inclusion across the University of Tennessee system. As the Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, he provided statewide leadership on DEI engagement, cultural competence training, inclusive program development, and faculty, staff, and student success initiatives across all 95 counties. Prior to that role, he served as the Coordinator for Student Life and Diversity within the UTK Herbert College of Agriculture, where he coordinated multicultural leadership programs, developed inclusive learning communities, strengthened recruitment efforts for underrepresented students, and taught courses that helped students understand group dynamics, communication, and cultural awareness.

Dr. Pickett’s commitment to diversity extends far beyond his professional roles. He serves on the African American Equity Restoration Task Force for the City of Knoxville, where he works to address historical inequities and expand economic opportunity for Black residents across Knoxville. As a Commissioner for the Knoxville Utilities Board, Dr. Pickett works to ensure equitable access to essential resources, ultimately promoting a long-term vision of stewardship, sustainability, and community-focused service. He serves on the Wisdom Council for the Apex Leadership Initiative, guiding efforts to cultivate the next generation of African American leaders. His service also includes leadership roles within the Knoxville Area Urban League, where he served as Vice President of the Young Professionals, as well as the Advisory Council Vice Chair for the National Achievers Society. As a proud member of the Alpha Mu Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., he continues the fraternity’s legacy of scholarly excellence, community service, and social justice. Dr. Pickett also serves as a Deacon at Overcoming Believers Church, where he supports ministries centered on spiritual growth, outreach, and service.

He is a former Board Member for Girl Talk Inc., where he helped support programs that empowered hundreds of elementary, middle, and high school girls to achieve academic and personal success through mentorship, career development, and leadership training. Furthermore, Dr. Pickett lent his expertise as a former DEI Consultant to the United Way of Greater Knoxville, where he helped nonprofit leaders build inclusive environments, strengthen cultural competence, and create equitable pathways for community members to access essential resources across Knoxville and East Tennessee.

His body of work consistently reflects a commitment to lifting marginalized voices, shaping inclusive systems, and ensuring that individuals across Knoxville—regardless of background—can flourish. A distinguished scholar and speaker, Dr. Pickett holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Tennessee, an M.A. in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. in Political Science from Davidson College. Across every sector—education, healthcare, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement—he remains steadfast in his mission to create culturally competent environments, expand opportunity, and help every person realize their full potential.

Distinguished Service

The Beck Cultural Exchange Center

Beck Cultural Exchange Center is Knoxville’s primary repository for African American history and culture, founded in 1975 through a grassroots community effort to preserve displaced Black histories, and today serves as a free, community-centered institution housed in the historic Beck Mansion that safeguards archives, elevates overlooked local history makers, confronts pivotal moments in the past, and advances education, dialogue, and preservation through initiatives such as the Beck Cultural Corridor.

Beck Cultural Exchange Center is Knoxville’s primary repository for African American history and culture, dedicated to preserving, interpreting, and sharing the stories that have shaped the city and East Tennessee. Established in 1975 in response to Urban Renewal projects that displaced Black families, churches, and businesses, Beck was born from a grassroots effort known as “The People’s Project,” rooted in the belief that community history must be protected and passed forward.

Named in honor of James G. and Ethel B. Beck, a prominent Knoxville couple, the Center is housed in the historic Beck Mansion at 1927 Dandridge Avenue. Inside, visitors encounter history at their fingertips through archival newspapers, rare books, photographs, artifacts, and oral histories that document everyday life, achievement, struggle, and resilience in Knoxville’s Black community.

Beck highlights the lives of local history makers often missing from traditional narratives, including entrepreneur Cal Johnson, whose racetrack became Speedway Circle, and Judge William Hastie, the nation’s first African American federal magistrate. The Center also preserves firsthand accounts of pivotal moments such as the 1919 Knoxville Race Riot, offering space to reflect, learn, and grow from difficult chapters of the past.

More than a museum, Beck is a free, community-centered space committed to education, dialogue, and connection. Guided by its mission to preserve, nurture, teach, and continue Black history and culture, Beck is also advancing the Beck Cultural Corridor, reclaiming historic sites across the city and restoring the ancestral home of renowned artist Beauford Delaney as a future museum.

Education award

Dr. Javiette Samuel

Dr. Javiette Samuel is a higher education leader and community-engaged scholar who serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and External Relations and adjunct associate professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, bringing nearly 30 years of experience advancing access, education, partnership-building, and community-engaged scholarship through strategic leadership, mentoring, and service while serving on multiple civic boards and organizations dedicated to improving educational attainment and quality of life across the region.

A higher education leader and relationship builder, Dr. Javiette Samuel serves as Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic and External Relations in the Division of Access and Engagement and adjunct associate professor in the Department of Counseling, Human Development and Family Science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Dr. Samuel provides strategic leadership for academic and external facing units including the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach, Advancement, and Communications; implements high-priority initiatives that advance access, education, and opportunities for all; provides leadership for community-engaged scholarship, advances UT’s Research 1 and land-grant mission; establishes and cultivates partnerships in mutually beneficial ways; and serves as a catalyst for addressing grand challenges.

Javiette is an experienced community-engaged scholar-practitioner with a unique combination of educational, interpersonal, and creative skills. She has worked with hundreds of students, faculty, staff, families, and communities for nearly 30 years focusing on community-engaged teaching and learning, engagement, outreach, and evidence-based programs.

Samuel is on a mission to help increase educational attainment and quality of life for students, faculty, staff, and communities. Her mentoring, sponsorship, guidance, and direction for students and faculty have helped change the trajectory of individuals, families, and their communities.

A compassionate and energetic thought leader who has built significant relationships and trust with various campus stakeholder groups, community leaders, and partners on initiatives that require broad commitment and sustained cooperation, Javiette’s pragmatic approach to decision making resonates with students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and community leaders alike.

The three-time University of Tennessee alumna earned her Bachelor of Science in 1996, Master of Science in 1999, and Doctor of Philosophy in 2002. Dr. Samuel serves on various boards including the United Way of Greater Knoxville, Leadership Knoxville, Girl Talk, The Restoration House, and YOKE. She is an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and the Alpha Pi Omega Foundation.

Grand Marshall award

George and Dr. Olga Welch

George and Olga Welch are lifelong community leaders whose shared legacy of faith, justice, education, and service spans civil rights advocacy, military and public service, academic leadership, church ministry, and community organizing, exemplifying a commitment to integrity, humility, and uplifting others that has shaped their family, strengthened Knoxville, and embodied the call to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.

With faith and love at the center of their lives, George and Olga Welch have built a legacy rooted in integrity, service, and community. They have lived out the principle that one’s words and actions must align, and they instilled in their daughters, Dr. Taja Michele Welch and Mrs. Stephani Amber Welch-Harris, the belief that serving others is life’s highest calling.

George’s commitment to justice began early. He participated in the 1963 March on Washington, an experience that shaped his worldview and lifelong dedication to equality and service. Born and raised in Knoxville, he completed Austin High School, served in the U.S. Army as a Heavy Equipment Operator, and later built a 35-year career with the Tennessee Valley Authority, where he especially cherished leading TVA’s Angel Tree Ministry. His community service has continued through leadership roles at the Cansler YMCA, Justice Knox, and as President of Knoxville Community Step Up. A lifelong member of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church, George has served as Sunday School Superintendent, Boy Scout Master, Deacon, and Chair of the church’s pastoral search committee. His passion for photography has also led him to document significant moments in Knoxville’s African American history and culture.

Olga’s roots in service and courage were shaped in Washington, D.C., where she was raised by her father, Dr. S. E. Barnes, one of the Navy’s Golden Thirteen, and her mother, Mrs. Olga Lash Barnes, a leader in desegregating interstate train travel. An honors graduate of Howard University, Olga earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Tennessee. She taught at Gallaudet University and the Tennessee School for the Deaf, where she became the first African American principal of the Middle and High School. At the University of Tennessee, she became a tenured professor and the first African American woman to lead two academic departments. She later served twelve years as Dean of the School of Education at Duquesne University, becoming the university’s first African American female dean. Olga continues to publish scholarly work and recently served as an Inaugural Fellow for Vanderbilt University’s Initiative on Race, Research, and Justice. A member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., she remains active in community service and the Justice Knox Network Welch Biographical Information.

Married since 1973, George and Olga share a life shaped by faith, integrity, and a deep commitment to uplifting their community. They affirm that all they have accomplished is guided by the truth found in Micah 6:8: “…what does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Youth award

Anaiah Murphy

Anaiah Murphy is an honors graduate of West High School and an accomplished scholar, leader, and artist who ranks among the top test takers nationally and globally, has earned over $1 million in academic merit awards, excels in rigorous IB and AP studies, the arts, athletics, and service, and is proudly committed to Hampton University on a full academic merit scholarship as she pursues a future of scholarship, leadership, global engagement, and service.

Anaiah Murphy is an accomplished scholar, leader, and artist who will graduate with honors from West High School in May 2026. Her achievements have captured the attention of every Black Ivy League institution she pursued, securing over $1 million in academic merit awards. As an academic, she ranks in the top 5% of test takers in the U.S. and the top 6% globally, demonstrating exceptional content mastery and scholarly aptitude.

With a 3.96 GPA (4.4 weighted), she is recognized as a national AP Scholar with a rigorous concentration of International Baccalaureate coursework. She has pursued five years of advanced French, achieving intermediate fluency, and is an inducted member of both the National Honor Society and the National French Honor Society. Her greatest near- and long-term aspiration is to experience complete French language immersion as part of her global academic and professional journey.

Beyond academics, she is a multidimensional performer and an artist at heart. She shines as a dedicated theatre and visual artist, and vocal ensemble singer who brings creativity and emotional depth to the stage. Athletically, she has competed in JV/Varsity lacrosse for three years, including one year as team manager, demonstrating her ability to blend creativity with leadership and service.

Anaiah mentored younger students through the Emerald Youth Foundation’s JustLead Program, is a member of the Knoxville Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, and is a member of the Women’s Advocacy Club at West. She has plans to major in Pharmaceutical Science with an industrial research focus, and she hopes to combine her analytical strengths with her empathetic, big-picture mindset. She is known for being observant, intuitive, and strategically minded; able to lead from the balcony while never hesitating to step onto the dance floor and do the hard work.

As a testament to her academic preparedness, she has earned the highest academic merit awards available at Fisk University, Dillard University, Tuskegee University, Hampton University, and Loyola University of Chicago, reflecting her standard of excellence and her intrinsic motivation to succeed.

She is proudly committed to Hampton University, which will become her “Home by the Sea”, as a legacy on a full academic merit scholarship. She is ready and well-prepared to continue her journey of scholarship, service, leadership, and global vision.