The Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber is honoring seven Black leaders who are making a difference in the city through its annual We Are Making Black History campaign.
The campaign, introduced in 2019, is an effort to recognize Black leaders currently living and working in the Cincinnati region who are making a change in the local communities. The 2023 honorees include executives, creatives, founders, educators and community advocates.
A special tribute for the honorees will take place March 2 during the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber's 2023 Annual Dinner at the Duke Energy Convention Center.
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The 2023 honorees are:
- Claudia M. Abercrumbie.
- Derrick Braziel.
- Christie Kuhns.
- Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney.
- Rosemary Oglesby-Henry.
- Liza Smitherman.
- Marcus Thompson.
Continue below to read more about the seven honorees.
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Get to know the 2023 We Are Making Black History honorees
Claudia M. Abercrumbie: President and CEO of the Abercrumbie Group, an event-planning company in Evendale. She began her career in brand management and ethnic marketing at Procter & Gamble. Abercrumbie also managed Ethicon Endo-Surgery’s participation in over 100 national medical conventions and raised over $10 million for the University of Cincinnati Foundation. She was among The Enquirer's 2022 Women of the Year honorees.
Derrick Braziel: Co-founder and CEO of Pata Roja Taqueria, a Mexican restaurant in Pendelton. He also co-founded Mortar, an organization dedicated to enabling historically marginalized entrepreneurs to start businesses, change communities and build generational wealth. Braziel's work has been recognized nationally by Politico, the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Essence Magazine, NBC Nightly News and more. In 2016, he was included in Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List for social entrepreneurs. Braziel was also a 2019 Obama Foundation fellow.
Christie Kuhns: President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio. Kuhns, a two-time UC graduate, is a former Ohio state representative in the 32nd district. She also served as vice president of operations and community relations at UC Health.
Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney: Vice mayor of Cincinnati. She is also chair of the Healthy Neighborhoods Committee and vice chair of Public Safety and Governance. Kearney, a graduate of Walnut Hills High School, is the owner of Sesh Communications, a multimedia publishing company that owns the Cincinnati Herald, a Black newspaper based in Avondale.
Rosemary Oglesby-Henry: Award-winning educator, author and philanthropist. Oglesby-Henry, a Withrow University High School graduate, is also the founder and CEO of Rosemary’s Babies Co., an organization committed to helping teen parents.
Liza Smitherman: Chief people officer of her family-owned business, Jostin Construction, and president of Brewster Pumping. In these roles, Smitherman, an East Walnut Hills resident, has implemented highly effective initiatives, such as financial counseling, career ladders, peer support and more, that were atypical for small/mid-sized businesses. Smitherman was selected as one of The Enquirer's 2022 Women of the Year honorees.
Marcus Thompson: Director of corporate development at TriVersity Construction, one of the largest construction firms in Greater Cincinnati. Thompson also serves on several boards, including NewPath, Great Parks of Hamilton County Board of Commissioners, the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky African American Chamber, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden and more.
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