2024 HONOREES

Carmen Anderson - Civic Leadership

Carmen Anderson is a Civic Leadership awardee. As senior program officer with the Heinz Endowments’ Children, Youth & Families Program, Carmen’s focus is advancing the program’s primary emphases: targeting the critical needs of children in the first eight years of life, addressing the special needs of adolescent youth and strengthening families as a means to promoting healthy development among children. Carmen’s work includes identifying innovative programs to strengthen parents’ skills in child rearing and supporting their children’s health. She began her career at as Executive Director of Healthy Start, an agency designed to improve infant health.

Leah Lizarondo - Community Leader

Leah Lizarondo has won the Community Leader award. As the co-founder and first CEO of 412 Food Rescue, Leah is an active advocate for food, health and innovation. Leah trained at the Natural Gourmet Institute and received her Certification in Plant-based Nutrition from Cornell University. The Brazen Kitchen, Leah’s blog and Pittsburgh Magazine column, won the 2013 National City & Regional Magazine Awards. The 412 Food Rescue movement has become a national model, with thousands of energized volunteers saving millions of pounds of food each year and ensuring that food gets where it’s needed most.

Derrick Tillman - Civic Leadership

Derrick Tillman is a Civic Leadership awardee. His desire to energize and capitalize healthy community development has made a mark on our city. Mr. Derrick L. Tillman is CEO and President of Bridging the Gap. He is a thought leader, forging ahead to create new opportunities for community development. He leads BTG in its mission to rebuild healthy and sustainable communities through residential and commercial development. 

Alexandra Jones - Emerging Leader

Alexandra Jones has won the Emerging Leader award. Alexandra is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Urban Studies and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management. She has an extensive background volunteering her time and talents to local nonprofits that focus on supporting children (Jeremiah’s Place, Western Pennsylvania Diaper Bank, and RIF Pittsburgh, to name a few). In 2019 Alexandra co-founded Aliquippa Green Inc, a grassroots nonprofit organization based in her adopted home of Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. The organization is focused on creating educational opportunities to empower local individuals. Most notably, Aliquippa Green runs a Saturday Computer Science program throughout the school year for middle and highschool students, exposing them to the world of tech and fostering critical and creative thinking.