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BOSTON – This afternoon, October 24, the Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women will honor Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer and Brenda Thompson Stuckey of Marlborough at the 27th Women of Courage and Conviction Awards.
Mayor Spicer will receive the Liberating Vision Awards.
Thompson Stuckey will receive a Women of Courage and Conviction award for her community service.
The two MetroWest residents are among the six honorees.
“We are thrilled to showcase our awardees and their outstanding contributions. These women are tireless leaders, exhibiting excellence in giving back to the Greater Boston community. They approach volunteerism with grit, enthusiasm, and passion,” said Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women President Lis Braxton.
“Our theme: Fortified by the Past…Focused on the Future, exemplifies our resolve to sustain the rich legacy of service and activism from our national organization. Younger generations will be inspired and fortified by the accomplishments of our honorees and fueled to move into the future with hope and promise,” said Braxton.
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“Thompson Stuckey has been employed by Atrius Health for more than 20 years and recently was appointed to the position of Director, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She is responsible for the Affirmative Action Plan for the entire organization and is now even more involved in her passion of
diversity, equity and inclusion as it relates to the patient population, the workplace and the community,” according to the awards program book.
“Thompson Stuckey has been very involved in community action programs and presented workshops on Resume Writing, Informational and Behavioral Interviewing and Job Fair Preparation. She supported most of this work by working through her association with various boards, including Metro West Health Care Foundation, Access Framingham TV, John Winslow Institute, the Employer Advisory Committee for Jewish Vocational Services (JVS), Operation ABLE, the Red Cross Association of Massachusetts Bay and the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission.”
“Thompson Stuckey is a former Vice President of the Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women (GBS-NCNW). As a member of GBS-NCNW, she offered office space for the group to hold meetings at various Atrius Health sites. Ms. Thompson Stuckey takes great pride in her work both professionally and personally and tries to mesh the two whenever possible. Creatively, Brenda started crafting greeting cards and Auntie Brenda’s Cards was created in January The first generation of cards featured pictures with spiritual undertones. Later, she added Bible verses when in September of 2007, she received news that she had breast cancer. She found solace in God’s word,” stated the program book.
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She “attends Greater Framingham Community Church (GFCC) and currently co-leads the video ministry and live streams the church services. She started filming her church services for cable television in 2013. She later started live streaming them on Facebook in 2016. She wanted to use social media to reach those who were homebound, ill or otherwise unable to attend the services in person. Little did she know how much that initial step would advance the church during this pandemic. Her church is now reaching many more in the USA and in several other countries and territories. Brenda also has served in the Mission and Outreach ministry and on the Board of Christian Education. As a member of GFCC, she often shares her employment knowledge and skills to bridge the gap between parishioners and employment opportunities,” stated the program book.
“Thompson Stuckey has received three Diamond Awards from Harvard Vanguard/Atrius Health for her individual and team contributions. She also received the YMCA Black Achievers Award. She was the first person to receive the Greater Boston Business Council’s Member of the Year Award, and
as such the first non-LGBTQ+ recipient. She received this award for efforts, ideas and results produced to promote an LGBTQ+ inclusive
workforce. Brenda attended Lesley University and is a proud graduate of New York University (NYU),” stated the program book.
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Mayor Yvonne Spicer
“Spicer is the first Mayor of the City of Framingham. She was sworn into office on January 1, 2018, the same day Framingham officially became a city. A 32-year Framingham, Massachusetts resident, and long-time educator, Mayor Spicer was previously the Vice President for Advocacy and Educational
Partnerships at Boston’s Museum of Science. While there, Mayor Spicer was known for building partnerships in STEM education with policymakers,
school districts, municipalities, business and other non-profit organizations. Prior to that, she was an administrator in both the Framingham and Newton
public schools, after beginning her career as a teacher in Framingham,” stated the program book.
“Appointed to the Massachusetts Governor’s STEM Advisory Council in 2010 by Governor Deval Patrick as the co-chair of the council’s teacher development committee, she was reappointed in 2017 by Governor Charlie Baker and served on the Computer Science and Engineering and Career Pathways committees. Mayor Spicer was instrumental in establishing the 2001 Massachusetts Technology/engineering curriculum framework and the first ever Kindergarten through 12th grade assessment for technology and engineering. She has also served as an advisor/content expert to the National Governors Association. Mayor Spicer has been a consultant to numerous states on technology and engineering standards, strategic leadership
development and business engagement,” stated the awards program book.
“Committed to sustainable economic growth, the Mayor served on the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, the Massachusetts Office of the Treasurer Economic Empowerment Trust Fund, was a Town Meeting Member, and served on the Standing Committee on Ways and Means. She is the 2017 President-Elect to the International Technology Engineering Education Association (ITEEA) an international organization designed to build capacity for technology and engineering education globally working with Kindergarten through 12th graders, higher education and business and industry,” stated the program book. “The Mayor is on the Board of Directors of the Plumbing Museum.”
“Mayor Spicer grew up in Brooklyn, New York and attended Brooklyn Technical High School where she developed a passion for architecture and building structures from drawings. She accepted a scholarship to the State University of New York-Oswego, graduating with a B.S. in industrial arts and technology and an M.S. in technology education. She earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership at University of Massachusetts, Boston,” concluded the write up of the Mayor in the program book.
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Nia Hamm, a general assignment reporter for NBC10 Boston, served as the Master of Ceremonies for the awards today.
Other honorees today include:
- Claudine Bruff-Lopes, a registered nurse
- Dr. Jeanette Adele Callahan is an Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School, a Clinical Associate at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children and a General Pediatrician at Cambridge Health Alliance.
- Marcia Kimm-Jackson is a certified Senior Human Resources Specialist with leadership and consulting experience including with the Federal Reserve System, the TJX Corporation, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare and The Partnership, Inc
- Presidential Award honoree – Laura Stephens has been a faithful member of the Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women for almost six years, having most recently served as 2nd Vice President of Membership
Founded in 1992, Greater Boston Section of the National Council of Negro Women is one of more than 200 community-based nonprofit, charitable sections chartered in 32 states. The program initiatives include an annual career awareness day for youth, helping to support and empower
black-owned businesses, supporting literacy, health awareness campaigns, and donating monthly to a local church food pantry.
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MetroWest Medical Center