The 10 Most Influential

2004 Recipients :

Arts & Entertainment

Kim Nalley
Actress, Jazz Vocalist and Owner, Jazz at Pearl's
San Francisco

With a formal background in classical music and theatre, vocalist Kim Nalley's star ascended upon switching to Jazz. Her resume includes 4 jazz-chart topping CDs, numerous rave reviews, awards and yearly concerts at the most prestigious jazz festivals in Europe, Japan & the USA, performing with everyone from the San Francisco Symphony to Jimmy McGriff. In September of 2003, Kim also became a local hero for reopening the beloved San Francisco jazz club "Jazz at Pearl's," which she owns, operates and programs musically, in addition to her singing and acting career.

Under Nalley's artistic direction, the diversity of musical programming at Jazz at Pearl's includes big names from around the world as well as the abundant world-class talent that resides locally. Nalley's policy of free admission for professional musicians and discounted student rates has fostered cross-pollination within the music scene, encouraging artistic collaboration and sense of community.

In 2004, Down Beat and Conde Nast magazines awarded Jazz at Pearl's as one of the top jazz clubs in the world. During 2004, Kim Nalley produced several benefits including fundraisers for her alma mater UC Berkeley for its Young Musicians Program, SFJAZZ All-Star High School Band, Berkeley High Jazz Band, and has sang and donated band services to a host of others including the Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation. She has fostered the continuance of jazz and music education by pairing youths with veterans in her "Future of Jazz: Youth Series" and donates time to give free vocal clinics at places such as City College of San Francisco.

Also during 2004, she starred in the leading role of "Madame Zinzanni" at Teatro Zinzanni in San Francisco; recorded her soon to be released CD "LIVE at Jazz at Pearl's" and as a sideman saw the release of the CD "Jumping at the Border with Josh Workman and "Jazz Dialogues with legendary pianist James Williams. She has produced several successful musical-historiographical shows in various venues including "Ladies Sing the Blues," "She Put a Spell on Me: Tribute to Nina Simone" and the multimedia presentation of jazz "Black History Month Concert Series."

Community Service

Colin P. L. Lacon
President and CEO, Northern California Grantmakers
San Francisco

Through his leadership in philanthropy, Colin Lacon has touched communities all over the Bay Area. Beginning in 1989, he worked as a Fiscal and Policy Analyst in the Legislative Analyst's Office in Sacramento. From 1991 to 1998, he held a variety of leadership positions for the City of Oakland. His assignments included work as Assistant Director in the Mayor's Office of Drugs and Crime, Assistant to the Mayor on Community and Economic Development, co-director of the Oakland Child, Health and Safety Initiative, and director of the HUD-funded Hope VI project with the Oakland Housing Authority. His last assignment was as Director of Strategic Grants Management for the Office of the City Manager, where he facilitated and developed interagency partnerships between governmental institutions and nonprofit organizations, including the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth. From 1998 until July 2004 Lacon served as a program officer at the Stuart Foundation where he led the Strengthening Communities to Support Families Program.

On July 1, 2004, Mr. Lacon became the second black to lead one of 30 regional associations of grantmakers. The organization he leads, the Northern California Grantmakers Association supports the activity of more than 140-member grantmakers with combined grantmaking of more than $1 billion annually. In addition, he led the merger of Social Venture Partners with Northern California Grantmakers' Association. Social Venture Partners is an organization made up of individual's with high wealth who want to be engaged in Grantmaking and involved in efforts that better communities. He also organized, planned and hosted the regional conference for the National Center for Black Philanthropy, a group that supports the development of black philanthropists and funds programs that address issues that are of importance to the black community. Additionally, he created, for the first time, a staffed organization for blacks in philanthropy, called Bay Area Blacks in Philanthropy. Previously, the organization had been staffed only on a volunteer basis.

Mr. Lacon has provided exemplary leadership in the field of philanthropy in his role as Board Chair of Bay Area Blacks in Philanthropy (BABIP) and as Program Chair and Executive Board member of the statewide Foundation Consortium of California for Children and Families.

Corporate

Cheryl L. Evans
Director, Community Relations Western Division, Citibank West, FSB
San Francisco

Cheryl Evans is the Director of Community Relations for Citibank North America's Western Division, which includes the states of California and Nevada. She manages a team of directors and officers within the Community Relations Western Division responsible for directing the bank's Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) program at the corporate level. She and her staff provide "best in class" products and services to meet the financial needs of all segments of the community. Community Relations provides guidance and assistance to business units in the bank with their efforts to increase the economic, racial and ethnic diversity of the bank's customers and geographic areas. The department also works with community development corporations, advocacy groups, and public sector agencies at all levels of government to strengthen communities in which Citibank businesses operate.

Under Cheryl's guidance, the Community Relations staff identifies strategic community partnerships, determines community needs, develops mutually beneficial innovative products and programs that target low and moderate income communities, and fulfills the bank's Community Reinvestment lending, investment, and service requirements. Citibank is known for having a leadership role and positive impact in the communities where it does business and where employees and its customers live and work.

During 2004, Cheryl led a team that partnered with over 100 nonprofit organizations in the Bay Area, which focused on community development, affordable housing, economic development, and financial education. Highlights of some of the partnerships include:

The creation of over 400 affordable housing units: One project involved the development of seven single-family homes in Bay View Hunter's Point, San Francisco for low- and moderate-income families. Two other projects in San Francisco (North Beach Place) and Oakland (Fruitvale Transit Village) provided 288 units of affordable housing; the Financial Education training of over 1,000 K-12 students in public schools in low and moderate income communities; and over 24 awards given to Citibank as recognition for our commitment in low and moderate income communities.

Cheryl L. Evans serves on the Board for San Francisco Housing Development Corporation and Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center Board.

Education

Linda Morris Williams
Associate President, University of California System
Oakland

As the senior-most administrative and policy advisor to UC President Robert C. Dynes, Ms. Williams has been at the helm of what is widely considered one of the world's finest public research universities since October 2003. The University of California (UC) system encompasses ten campuses, five medical centers, more than 200,000 students, 160,000 faculty and staff, and 1.2 million living alumni. Linda is a 16-year veteran of the UC system and has earned a reputation as a highly capable and personable administrator, who has made significant contributions in identifying and addressing the needs of staff throughout the University. Ms. Williams began her service at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 1988.

In 1997, she was appointed Associate Chancellor at UCSD. In her role as Associate Chancellor, Ms. Williams served as a member of the Chancellor's Cabinet, supporting the Chancellor in all areas relating to University activities. Williams administered hundreds of employees and multiple programmatic missions, providing oversight over the Chancellor's Office. She quickly became a respected administrative leader and invaluable asset to the UCSD campus, receiving multiple staff appreciation and leadership awards from her colleagues. In 2003, the San Diego County Board of Education echoed their sentiments by honoring Williams with the Visionary Leadership Award. Since assuming the role of Associate President for UC, Williams has played an instrumental role in driving President Dynes' agenda and promoting the growth and development of diversity efforts at UC.

Williams' most significant accomplishments during 2004 include: Academic Preparation of African American Students - Ms. Williams responded to the concerns of the Bay Area African American community by leading and coordinating on-going dialogue with community partners to solicit over $1.5 million to support academic preparation programs for African American students to facilitate their admission and enrollment in the University of California.

Sponsorship of the UCSF Women of Color Advisory Group for the Center for Gender Equity - Ms. Williams has inspired the development of the UCSF Women of Color Advisory Group for the Center for Gender Equity - a body of professional women who provide input on enhancing leadership development, mentoring, network support and resource needs for UCSF women of color.

Selection of University Leadership - Ms. Williams has led the recruitment and selection of various leaders within the university system, including three new campus Chancellors.

Entrepreneur/Small Busines

Michael E. Johnson
President and CEO, Em Johnson Interests Inc.
San Francisco

Em Johnson Interests, Inc. has been a leading San Francisco Bay Area real estate development company for more than 10 years. Founded as a minority business enterprise by Michael E. Johnson, the company began in Atlanta, Georgia in 1979, and now is headquartered in San Francisco. The company has focused on the development of mixed-income and affordable housing projects working with non-profit and for-profit organizations, and is involved in projects from the initial conceptual planning through the design and construction phases. The company also prepares the financial structure of each deal and identifies and packages the equity, construction financing and long-term debt. Mr. Johnson is the President and founder of Em Johnson Interest, Inc.

Mr. Johnson has over twenty five years of experience in urban real estate, which has resulted in the development of over 2,000 housing units valued at over $400 million. Over the past ten years while in the Bay Area, Mr. Johnson has provided direct project management and consulting services on over twenty affordable and mixed income housing projects throughout the Bay Area and the country. In most of these projects, Mr. Johnson has managed the full development process, from design through construction, as well as packaging the financing. In this position, Mr. Johnson's company is able to emphasize the maximum participation of minority and women owned businesses in these development projects.

His accomplishments during 2004 include the joint venture completion of North Beach Place, a $102 million, 341 unit, 30,000 square foot redevelopment of the North Beach Public Housing for City of San Francisco Housing Authority; completion of Palm Villas in east Oakland, a 78 unit, $25.0 million single family homeownership and revitalization project; and packaging the planned Fillmore Heritage Center Mixed Use complex, which will institutionalize Jazz back into San Francisco. The Fillmore project, with a cost of over $65.0 million will begin construction in March 2006, and will be largest African American developed project in the West Coast. Also in 2004, Mr. Johnson's company started construction on the $33 million Easter Hill Residential HOPE VI project with the Richmond Housing Authority, including 82 single family homes for mixed income buyers.

Recently Mr. Johnson received awards for the North Beach Place development project from the San Francisco Business Times and San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Johnson holds Bachelor of Science Degrees in Architecture and Urban Planning, and a Master of Architecture with a concentration in Urban Real Estate Development, from the University of Maryland and the Georgia Institute of Technology respectively. Mr. Johnson recently served on the board of Glide Community Housing, Inc. and is a member of the Black American Political Association of California.

Healthcare

Lloyd H. Dean
President and Chief Executive Officer, Catholic Healthcare West (CHW)
San Francisco

CHW is one of the largest non-profit health care systems in California. In this executive management role, Mr. Dean is responsible for overall management, strategy and direction of CHW's integrated health care system of 41 acute care hospitals, ancillary services, home health care and medical group foundations in California, Arizona and Nevada.

Mr. Dean has proven skills in multi-hospital system leadership, cultural integration, financial turnarounds, system operations, change management, service quality, business development and revenue growth. Since Mr. Dean joined CHW in April of 2000, the organization has gone from several years of steep losses to an operating profit in 2003; received ratings upgrades from Standard and Poor's, Moody's Investor Services and Fitch Ratings; and seen rising inpatient satisfaction and employee satisfaction scores across the system. Mr. Dean has a strong personal commitment to providing health care to the underserved and to developing services that enhance CHW's ability to deliver on its Mission and Values of collaboration, dignity, excellence, justice and stewardship. He believes in the importance of collaboration with physicians and recognizes that the success of CHW is an expression of each employee's contribution.

Mr. Dean also believes that CHW's role in community health and community benefits is essential to continuing its healing ministry. Mr. Dean has been appointed by Gov. Schwarzenegger to the California Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth He is the 2004 recipient of the Community Service Award from 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, Inc. He serves on the board of the Catholic Health Association USA, where he oversees advocacy efforts for Catholic health care in the United States; Premier, Inc., the largest Group Purchasing Organization in the country; Mercy Housing, Inc., and the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee .

Dean is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Health Research & Development Institute and the American Hospital Association's nominating committee. Previously, Mr. Dean was executive vice president and chief operating officer of Advocate Health Care, a faith-based integrated health care delivery system in Oak Brook, Illinois. During his tenure, Advocate Health Care was named one of the nation's Top 100 integrated networks by Modern Healthcare magazine. He was recognized with the W.E. Upjohn Award for management and operational excellence.

Media

Belva Davis
KRON-4 TV Special Assignment Reporter and KQED-TV Program Host
San Francisco

Belva Davis has more than 30 years of experience as a public affairs journalist in the San Francisco area. Now semi-retired, she continues to work as a special assignment reporter at KRON-4 TV and as host of This Week in Northern California on KQED-TV.

Davis began her journalism career at age 22, writing freelance articles for Jet magazine. She then wrote full time for Bay Area African American newspapers, including the San Francisco Sun-Reporter and the Bay Area Independent .

In 1966 she became the first African American woman television reporter on the West Coast when she was hired as an anchor at KPIX-TV.

She joined KQED-TV in 1977, where she hosted A Closer Look and Evening Edition . She moved to KRON-TV in 1981 as a news anchor and became co-host of the Sunday morning news and public affairs program, California This Week , which she hosted for 18 years.

Davis has won six local Emmy Awards and has received well-deserved recognition from numerous corporations, organizations and the academic world, including having received the Northern California Chapter of National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' highest lifetime achievement award, the "Governor's Award."

2004 was an outstanding year for Davis, who is vice president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Sonoma State University awarded Davis with her third Honorary Doctorate degree; the CORO Foundation presented her with its highest recognition, the "Eagle Award;" and the Legacy Foundation of Women's Forum West completed and published Davis' oral history as a book and DVD, and distributed it to colleges across the country. According to Davis, the crown jewel was to have received, in 2004, the International Women's Media Foundation's "Lifetime Achievement Award," which recognizes women journalists who have a pioneering spirit and whose determination have paved the way for future generations of women in the media.

Davis is well known for her work as a labor activist. She is also active in the Bay Area community, including currently serving on the Advisory Council of the International Museum of Women (slated to open in 2006) and as president of the Museum of the African Diaspora, charged with raising $5 million to construct and operate the museum, which is scheduled to open this fall. Davis is married and the mother of an adult son and daughter.

Political/Public Service

Alona Clifton
Trustee, Peralta Community College District
Oakland

Alona is quite influential with the Peralta Community College Board, as she serves as an elected member on the Peralta Community College Board of Trustees. She is serving her 2 nd term, having won her bid for re-election in 2002. From 2001 until 2002, Alona served as President of the Board where she worked to ensure that mandated student support services were given highest priority and provided the major voice in establishing the Small Local Business.

During 2004, through her involvement with a multitude of organizations, Alona engaged in several political initiatives. She actively pursued major efforts to get the electorate involved in increasing the voter turnout for the 2004 presidential election, local, and statewide propositions. Further, Alona worked to ensure, through facilitating educational forums, that voters were informed about local elections and propositions. She presided as President of Black Women Organized for Political Action - Oakland/Berkeley Chapter, co-chaired John George Democratic Club, participated as a Board Member on Oakland Vote, and chaired the 16 th Assembly District Committee. In addition, Alona chairs the Peralta - Board's Affirmative Action Committee, Peralta's - Board's Policy Committee and is affiliated with over 12 additional Boards, Commissions and Organizations in the Oakland area, including the Black Elected Officials of the East Bay.

Ms. Clifton's 30 years of activism engages her in political, social and economic grassroots efforts. Her activism centers on providing better access, opportunity, and equity to African Americans in particular and to the greater community as a whole. Her desire to be involved and to be an active participant in social justice was shaped in the movements of the 1960's during her teenage years.

She has spent the last 10 years employed in areas that have allowed her activism to continue to flourish. Most recently Vanguard Public Foundation employed Alona as the Director of the Grants Program. Prior to that position she was Chief of Staff to Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson for over seven years.

The Berkeley native was reared in Berkeley and attended Berkeley High School. She received an AA Degree in Administration of Justice from Merritt College, a BA in Pre-Legal Studies from Golden Gate University, and attended Armstrong College of Law. She is the mother of an adult daughter who is a doctoral student at the School of Education at University of Pennsylvania.

Spiritual

Reverend Calvin Jones, Jr.
Pastor, Providence Baptist Church
San Francisco

As pastor of Providence Baptist Church for the previous 14 years, Reverend Jones works tirelessly as he ministers to families and youth involved in or affected by crime in San Francisco. In 1997 he formed a collaborative foundation with the church to provide a multitude of services including: tutorial program with Department of Human Services; health services for youth in collaboration with the Department of Public Health; Youth Leadership Program with Tides Foundation; Homeless Shelter Program serving 100 persons; and Weekly Feeding Program to homeless and poor. Reverend Jones ministers with an open mind. He sees a need and creates the solution to fill the void.

In 2004, Reverend Jones established a youth outreach program at the San Francisco Juvenile Hall in which he ministers to youth and their families to assist with communication and life-altering skills. In collaboration with the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, his dream of several years became a reality as he received authorization to proceed with building senior housing. The architectural design was completed and approved during 2004, and groundbreaking begins in 2006. In collaboration with Department Health Services, he expanded the Homeless Shelter Program to include dinner each evening, as no one goes to bed hungry. In addition, he obtained funding for continuing the Mentoring Program, Providence Opportunity Program (POP), with the San Francisco Unified School District, when the school district significantly reduced funding. The San Francisco Chronicle featured Reverend Jones in an article describing his community service, reaching young people, and his desire to service those families grief stricken in the wake of San Francisco violence. In this article, he was dubbed 'The Funeral Preacher'.

Pastor Jones was born and raised in San Francisco and graduated from Balboa High School. Ho obtained a BA Degree from the University of Washington (Seattle), and a Masters of Divinity Degree from Harvard Divinity School (Cambridge, Massachusetts). Affiliations include being an officer of the California State Baptist Congress of Christian Education, the Commissioner of the National Baptist Convention Prison Ministry, and a member of the Mayor's Citizen Advisory Committee for the Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard. He is married to Eunice P. Davis-Jones and has two children, Rena Marie Jones and Aisha Simpson.

Youth

Myia Jones
President, Multicultural Youth-in-Action
Vacaville

Myia Jones is 13 years old and attends Christian School in Vacaville. In 2002, she created the Multicultural Youth-in-Action (MYIA) company. The goal of her organization is to produce community service activities that encourage young people to be intimately involved with positive societal events that ultimately teach them leadership/citizenship life skills. She is both the visionary founder and president of the MYIA company.

At the end of 2004, Myia worked with the YMCA of San Francisco (North Bay) to create a " MYIA Model United Nations" (MMUN) program. The MMUN program will help young people to assume the role of ambassadors to the United Nations. As an educational exercise, it simulates the "real-life" United Nations Assembly. MMUN p articipants will seek ways, through diplomacy and negotiation, to help their local communities deal with complex global concerns such as the environment, economic development, refugees, AIDS, conflict resolution, disarmament and human rights. Young people from diverse backgrounds will participate in these educational exercises to experience first-hand decision-making processes and diplomatic work as displayed at the United Nations. In 2004, Myia was selected as a top five finalist in the nation for the " 2004 SportsGirl of the Year Award" along with being named the "California 2004 SportsGirl of the Year" by both Wrigley Company and the Women's Sports Foundation .

After having become an Ambassador for the Women's Sports Foundation GoGirlGo! National Outreach program, Myia continues to be a girl who leads others. The goal of this program is to seek one million girls with the target of helping them to become physically active in sports. Myia Jones is either a current or past member of the several organizations including National Junior Basketball (NJB); Junior Basketball Association (JBA); Lil Ringers Northern California Golf Association; Vacaville Christian School Marching Band (Clarinet player); Math, Engineering and Science Academy (MESA-UC Berkeley). She is on the honor roll at Vacaville Christian School.