Urban League of Nebraska
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Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Gala Awardees |
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Senator Ernie Chambers Youth Leadership and Community Award
Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers represents the epitome of community service and has served in the Nebraska Unicameral since 1970. Senator Chambers has introduced numerous legislative bills and advocated aggressively to level the playing field of African Americans in the State of Nebraska. This award will be given annually to a youth in grades 9-12 for their service to the community.
Awardee: Ms. Andrea Rice
Andrea Rice is a graduate of Millard West High School, she will be attending Spellman College in the fall to study Economics. Throughout Ms. Rice’s high school years she has been very active in the community and gained both leadership and community service skills.
She participated in the Creighton University Summer Research Internship Program during the summer of 2005 and 2006 and gained speaking, interacting, and work ethic skills. In 2005-2006 she participated in the Creighton University Saturday Academy for Minority Students enhancing both her test taking and work ethic skills. She received leadership skills while being a member of the Millard West Girls Varsity Basketball team from 2003-2007, she was also elected Co-Captain of the team and where she led them to two district championships and two state appearances, one of which ended the season as semifinalists in Class A for the state of Nebraska. Ms. Rice has also been a member of the Health Occupant Students of America Club (HOSA) from 2004-2007, in which she was elected to the executive council during her senior year, there she learned leadership skills and how working with others can help achieve goals for the greater good. Ms Rice has also been a member of the National Honor Society, African American Club, Lady Cats Basketball Camp Counselor (summer 2004), Cancer Walk-a-thon in Iowa (summer 2006), Goodwill Volunteer (2006-2007), Francis Sienna Homeless Shelter Volunteer (2006-2007), Lady Cat Tournament (Fall 2006), Alegent Healthcare Volunteer (2005), Omaha Habitat for Humanity Volunteer (Spring 2007), Red Cross Blood Drive Volunteer ( 2004-2007), Adopt-A-Highway Volunteer (Spring 2003) and has completed over 120 hours of community service during 2003-2007.
Whitney M. Young Jr. Community Service Award
This award recognizes an individual for their contributions in the community.
Awardee: Mr. Frank T. Peak
Frank is presently an Administrator for Community Outreach Services in the Creighton University Medical Center Partnership In Health. He completed an Under Graduate degree in Journalism/Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Frank has a long history in community activism/social justice leadership and has developed, coordinated, and facilitated focus groups for research projects and for identifying the health and human services needs for underserved and minority populations. He has developed programs and facilitated community needs assessments and cultural competency forums for various organizations and institutions in the field of health and human services. He has also presented at local, regional, and national conferences on various topics.
Frank is the co-founder and President/CEO of Nebraska Ethnics Together Working On Reaching Kids, Inc., (a Nebraska Non-profit prevention leadership organization addressing substance abuse and other high-risk behavioral issues for youth and communities of color in particular and all youth in general). He is an honorably discharged Vietnam Veteran who served eight years in the United States Navy as a still camera photographer and motion picture cameraman. He is a current member of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), and serves as a member of the Statewide Minority Health Advisory Committee of the Nebraska Health and Human Services System Office of Minority Health, a member of the Douglas County Board of Health, serves by appointment of the Governor to the executive committee of the Nebraska Partners In Prevention State Incentive Grant Project.
In the past he has served on many boards and committees as Chair, President, member and/or volunteer to include: President of the Board of Directors for New Creations Transitional Living, Inc., President of the Nebraska Minority Public Health Association, Chair of the Health Committee for the Omaha Branch of the NAACP, Co-founder and Chair of the North Omaha Family Preservation Team, Inc, Project Coordinator for Infants and Babies Project (“CRIB”, a child-health advocacy initiative between the Creighton University, the Bureau of Primary Health Care, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Nebraska’s Children and Families), a volunteer with the American Cancer Society (ACS) where he presented a workshop on cultural diversity for the 1998 ACS Volunteer Regional Training Project and developed and implemented the Omaha’s first African American Prostate Cancer Screening Campaign through the Creighton University Medical Center Partnership In Health. His pass times include spending time with his grandchildren, fishing, freelancing as a photojournalist, and supporting community social justice projects. Frank is married to Lyris Crowdy Peak. They are biological parents, grandparents, adoptive parents, foster parents, and neighborhood parents.
Whitney M. Young Jr. Leadership Award
This award recognizes an individual their leadership roles and contributions in the community.
Awardee: Mr. Ivan Gilreath
Ivan Gilreath is Chief Operating Officer for Employee Benefits at ING Group. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of Nebraska in 1982 where he was part of the Varsity Basketball Team. In 1989 he received his Master of Business Administration in Management from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In 1999 he was awarded the “Living the Dream” award from the city of Omaha and in 2002 was awarded as the University of Nebraska-Omaha’s Distinguished Alumni.
In the past, Mr. Gilreath has been a member of the Urban League of Nebraska Board, Omaha Chamber of Commerce 21st Century Steering Committee and Butler-Gast YMCA Board. He also served as Chairperson of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Board and was a member of the YMCA Black Achievers and Urban League Black Executive Exchange Program. In addition, he founded the Midwest Trailblazers mentoring and basketball organization that is still in existence today providing opportunities for young men and women.
Today, Mr. Gilreath is still actively involved in several community service organizations serving on the University of Nebraska, Medical Center Board of Counselors and the University of Nebraska-Omaha College of Business National Advisory Board, and is a mentor at Kellom Elementary School. Mr. Gilreath is happily married to his wife, Rita and has two children, Jerome and Mia.
