THE 2022
EXCELLENCE AWARD
RECIPIENTS

Presented By
AFROGLOBAL TELEVISION
Saturday, October 29th, 2022

The 2022
LEADERSHIP AWARD

JEFFREY L. ORRIDGE
Chief Executive Officer
TVOntario
Jeffrey L. Orridge is the CEO of TVOntario (TVO). He served as Commissioner of the Canadian Football League (CFL), making him the first Black Commissioner of any major professional sports league in North America. Orridge was the Executive Director of CBC Sports and General Manager, where he secured media rights to four Olympic Games, and oversaw the 2014 FIFA World Cup. He served as General Counsel for Basketball USA, and became Director of Global Sports Marketing for Reebok. He helped build a global consumer products division for Mattel. 

Orridge has also held senior leadership positions with other iconic brands such as Canadian Tire, Warner Brothers and other Fortune 500 companies. A graduate of Harvard Law School and Amherst College, Orridge is the a recipient of Historica Canada’s Trailblazer Award and the National Bar Association Sports Attorney of the Year Award. He serves on the boards of WarChild Canada, Canada Post Foundation, BlackNorth and others. He has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians, and receives the 2022 Leadership Award from the Excellence Awards program of Afroglobal Television.

The 2022
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AWARD

CLAUDETTE MCGOWAN
Global IT Leader &
CEO, Protexxa
Claudette McGowan is a global information technology leader with over 20 years of success in leading digital transformation to improve service and cybersecurity. She has worked at Deloitte, Metropolitan Police Services, Bank of Montreal and TD Bank. Claudette is the Founder and CEO of Protexxa, an cybersecurity company. She has co-led Phoenix Fire & The Firehood, a multi-million-dollar women-focused angel investment fund and network for women in technology. She its on the boards of MaRS, SickKids, Black North, Elevate and First Book Canada.

Claudette has been named Toronto Life Top 50 Most Influential Torontonians, Digital Finance Institute Top 50 Canadian Women in FinTech, IT World Canada Top 20 Canadian Women in Cybersecurity, and the Women’s Executive Network recognized her as one of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada. She has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians, and she receives the 2022 Science & Technology Award from the Excellence Awards program of the Afroglobal Television channel.

The 2022
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

HON. WANDA THOMAS BERNARD
Canadian Senator from Nova Scotia
The Honourable Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard, PhD, C.M., O.N.S., is the first African Nova Scotian woman to be appointed to the Senate of Canada, representing the province of Nova Scotia and her hometown of East Preston. She was awarded the Order of Canada in 2005, and the Order of Nova Scotia in 2014. Senator Bernard served as a professor at the Dalhousie School of Social Work, where she held the position of Director for 10 years. During her time at Dalhousie, she developed a curriculum for the ‘Africentric Social Work’ course. 

Senator Bernard was honoured with the Frank McKenna Award for Leadership in Public Policy in 2021. She has continued to pursue social and racial justice issues in the Senate of Canada. She sits on the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights and the Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology. Senator Bernard has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians, and she receives the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Excellence Awards program of Afroglobal Television.

The 2022
PROFESSIONAL
ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

CHARLES OSUJI
CEO and Managing Partner
Osuji & Smith Lawyers
Charles Osuji is an award-winning lawyer. He is the CEO & Managing Partner of Osuji & Smith Lawyers. He was named one of the top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in Canada and one of Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40. With over 45 local and national recognitions, he leads one of the fastest growing law firms in Calgary. By the age of 30, Osuji, an internationally trained lawyer from Nigeria, bought a 37-year-old firm where he had served as an articling student two years before. 

Under Osuji’s leadership, the firm has received the Top Choice for Business Law Services in Calgary for three consecutive years, the 2021 Best Employment Lawyers, and the 2021 Best Real Estate Lawyers in Calgary. Osuji mentors other young professionals, and runs a free legal clinic that primarily serves Calgary’s newcomer population. Osuji has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians, and he receives the 2022 Professional Achievement Award from the Excellence Awards program of the Afroglobal Television channel.

The 2022
GLOBAL IMPACT AWARD

MICHAEL “PINBALL” CLEMONS
The Pinball Clemons Foundation
Michael Pinball Clemons and his wife Diane Lee Clemons are the founders of The Pinball Clemons Foundation, an organization that provides marginalized and racialized youth with educational resources and options to integrate into mainstream of society. The ultimate goal is to see youth successfully entering the workforce, and gainfully employed in careers they desire. Since 2007, the foundation has been responsible for the construction of a hospital in Uganda, over 200 schools in developing countries, two orphanages in Haiti, and has locally awarded more than 200 scholarships.

Michael serves as General Manager for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Clemons received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Meritorious Service Cross, and is a Member of the Order of Ontario. He has also been inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. Michael is named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians, and receives the 2022 Global Impact Award from the Excellence Awards program of the Afroglobal Television channel.

The 2022
RENAISSANCE AWARD

DR. OPIYO OLOYA
Associate Vice President
Western University
Dr. Opiyo Oloya is the Associate Vice President of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Western University in London, Ontario. Previously, he was Interim Associate Director of Education with the York Catholic District School Board, where he spent 32 years as a teacher, principal and Superintendent of Education. He obtained a teaching degree at Queen’s in 1986 and Master’s degree in education at the University of Ottawa in July 1988. In October 1992, he pioneered the Karibuni African music show at CIUT 89.5 FM. His weekly column, Letter from Toronto has been published since July 1996 in Uganda’s New Vision newspaper. 

He founded “I Read ABC”, a charity supporting deaf and blind students in Africa. He was awarded a PhD for his work on child warriors in Northern Uganda. He is the author of Child to Soldier and Black Hawks Rising. In 2012, York University awarded Dr. Oloya an honorary Doctorate of Law (LLD, honoris causa) for his humanitarian and social justice work. In June 2016, he was awarded a Uganda Heroes Medal by H.E. President Yoweri Museveni. He is named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians, and receives the 2022 Renaissance Award from the Excellence Awards program of Afroglobal Television.

The 2022
MEDIA AWARD

JOAN JENKINSON
Executive Director
Black Screen Office
Joan Jenkinson is a highly accomplished media executive and an influential member of the Canadian screen industry. She is Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Black Screen Office, where she works to empower Black Canadians working within the screen industries to thrive and share their stories. Joan was Vice President of Independent Productions for VisionTV, where she commissioned, developed, and executive produced hundreds of hours of award-winning content in all genres.
 
A recipient of the Reelworld Tony Stoltz Memorial Visionary Award, Joan spearheaded VisionTV’s DiverseTV/NSI initiative. She is the co-owner of Artemis Pictures. She served as Executive Director of Women in Film and Television, Toronto for five years. She sits on the boards of Hot Docs and the Reelworld Film Festival. She is been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians, and receives the 2022 Media Award from the Excellence Awards program of the Afroglobal Television channel.

The 2022
VISIONARY AWARD

DR. RUSTUM SOUTHWELL
Chief Executive Officer
Black Business Initiative
Dr. Rustum Southwell is the founding CEO of the Black Business Initiative (BBI). One of the first Black franchisees in Nova Scotia, he owned and managed various restaurants before becoming the Executive Director of the African Canadian Business Development Centre. Dr. Southwell has helped build communities through his involvement with the Black Cultural Centre, Co-Chair of the African Heritage Month Committee, and Chair of Hope Blooms Youth Ventures.

Dr. Southwell has served on boards of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Halifax; Board of Governors of Nova Scotia Community College, Black loyalist Heritage Society, and the Community Consultative Committee of the Halifax Stanfield International Airport Authority. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, honorary Doctor of Laws from Dalhousie University; and honorary Doctorate of Civil Laws, Saint Mary’s University. Dr. Southwell has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians, and receives the 2022 Visionary Award from the Excellence Awards program of Afroglobal Television.


The 2022
RISING STAR AWARD

OLUNIKE WENDY ADELIYI
Film and Television Actress
Olunike Wendy Adeliyi was born in Toronto, Canada, to Sunday Adeliyi, a Nigerian computer scientist and Roxiana Bell Adeliyi, a Jamaican nurse. Raised in both Jamaica and Canada, Olunike ultimately earned a place at the highly coveted American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. She returned to Toronto to pursue a film, television, and theatre career, which landed her the series-regular role of Leah Kerns in the popular television series, Flashpoint.

Olunike’s popularity rose after appearances in films and TV shows such as Titans, American Gods, and Workin' Moms. Recognised with 2021 Canadian Screen Award nomination for her performance in the drama series Coroner. Olunike has performed in theatres throughout Canada and the U.S. playing leading roles in many productions including Blue Window and Michael Cristofer's play The Shadow Box. She receives the 2022 Rising Star Award from the Excellence Awards program of the Afroglobal Television channel.
The 2022
MARTIN LUTHER KING
LEGACY AWARD

STEVE ANDERSON
Deputy Mayor
Town of Shelburne
Steve Anderson is the Deputy Mayor for the Town of Shelburne and a Regional Councillor for the County of Dufferin in Ontario, Canada. He is a senior practicing litigation lawyer with over 17 years of experience with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). He has served as Vice President of the Ontario College of Kinesiology, Board Member of Community Care Access Centre, and Citizen Appointment for the City of Brampton Task Force. He is a Board Member for the Town of Shelburne’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and Defence Construction Canada. 
 
Steve was named by the Toronto Star as one of the Top 50 Jamaicans in the GTA in 2013, and acknowledged by the Parliament of Canada for his community service. A mentor for Operation Black Vote and the 1834 Fellowship, Steve is the author of Driven to Succeed, which chronicles his journey of growing up in the infamous Jane and Finch community of Toronto to becoming a leader and a mentor. He has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians, and receives the 2022 Martin Luther King Legacy Award from the Excellence Awards program of Afroglobal Television.


The 2022
ENTERTAINMENT AWARD

EMMANUEL JAL
Singer, Actor & Activist
Emmanuel Jal is a South Sudanese rapper, singer, actor, activist, and public speaker. From his traumatic start in life as a child soldier in the war-torn Southern Sudan of the 1980s, Emmanuel has overcome struggles to become a recording artist and peace ambassador. He achieved acclaim for his style of Hip Hop and Afro pop with its message of peace and reconciliation. He Has done Ted Talk, co-starred with Reese Witherspoon in the motion picture "The Good Lie", and launched the super food "Jal Gua”.

Emmanuel has 2 Juno nominations in the 'Best International Album' category and has released six studio albums, including Gua, Ceasefire, Warchild, See Me Mama, The Key and Naath. He performed at Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Concert and the One Concert for the Dalai Lama. He has collaborated and performed alongside Lauryn Hill, Peter Gabriel, Nelly Furtado, "DMC", Ed Sheeran and Alicia Keys. Emmanuel receives the prestigious Entertainment Award for 2022 from the Excellence Awards program of Afroglobal Television.
The 2022
NELSON MANDELA
HUMANITARIAN AWARD

SHOLA ALABI
President
Africa Missions Canada
(AMCA)
Shola Alabi is a founding members of Africa Missions Canada (AMCA), a chapter of the Africa Missions Global. She served as Vice President from 2004 until 2013, when she became President. Under her leadership, AMCA has built water wells in Kenya, instituted two schools and Empowerment Centres in Uganda, and through the Rwanda Cow project, many have seen their status change, become financially independent, and grown in their Christian faith.

Shola is also the Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities, working with communities, NGOs, and government agencies. Shola holds a Bachelor of Science in Administration from Providence College, Rhode Island, USA; a postgraduate certificate in Psychosocial Rehabilitation in Mental Health at Humber College; and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Windsor. She receives the Nelson Mandela Humanitarian Award for 2022 from the Excellence Awards program of Afroglobal Television.
The 2022
MARCUS GARVEY
MEMORIAL AWARD

KENNETH DANIEL
Coach, Mentor &
Community Leader
Kenneth Daniel is a coach, mentor and community leader. One of the original members of the Scarborough Caribbean Sports Club Basketball program of the 1980’s, his talents on the court were celebrated, earning him MVP titles and as a player with George Brown College. Kenneth formed the Making Hoops / High Flyers Basketball Program, a community-based initiative for children and youth. Kenneth has received the International Year of Volunteers by the City of Toronto and Scarborough’s 150th Commemorative Award for Community Service.

Kenneth was a part of the coaching and mentorship of the Tatum children Patrick, Tamara and Alisha. Patrick received a basketball Scholarship to Cleveland State University and went on to play professionally. Tamara and Alisha competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Tamara competed professionally in the Canadian Women's Basketball team for the 2015 Pan Am games and the 2016 Olympics. Kenneth receives the Marcus Garvey Memorial Award for 2022 from the Excellence Awards program of Afroglobal Television.
The 2022
COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT AWARD

DR. ROZ ROACH
Founder & Executive Director
The Dr. Roz’s Healing Place
Dr. Roz Roach holds a Nursing Degree, Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Social Science, a Master’s Degree in Trans-Cultural Psychiatry, and a Doctorate in Health and Human Sciences. A certified Psychotherapist, Psychoanalyst, Raw Food Scientist, and Acupuncturist, she is the Founder and Executive Director of Dr. Roz’s Healing Place, a Centre for Empowerment and Healing for women and children survivors of domestic violence. Dr. Roz Roach negotiated with three levels of government to raise 5 Million dollars to change lives.

An athlete, mountain climber and marathoner, she completed a 120-kilometre walk from Collingwood to Owen Sound in 2022, and a 462-KM climb across seven cities in China, to raise awareness of violence against women in 2008. An artist, vocalist, songwriter, producer, playwright and designer, Dr. Roz is a mentor with the Scotiabank Women Initiative. She receives the 2022 Community Development Award from Afroglobal Television’s Excellence Awards program.

The 2022
ENTERPRISE AWARD

ANDREW ENOFE
Real Estate Professional
Investor & Business Leader
Andrew Enofe is a Real estate professional, investor and business leader, with a successful career as one of the leading realtors in Canada. He has vast industry knowledge with over a decade of professional experience in Real estate and wealth management. He has received awards of excellence and performance, including the Right At Home 2017 Directors Award, 2018 President’s Club Award, 2019 Diamond Award and the 2020 and 2021 Chairman’s Award. Andrew is among the top 1% of Realtors in the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.

Each year, Andrew hosts the Enofe Clients and Partners Appreciation Dinner, an event to celebrate his clients, referral partners, family and friends. Andrew holds a BA in in international development studies from York University and certificate in non-profit management from the Schulich School of Business. Andrew receives the 2022 Enterprise Award from the Excellence Awards program of the Afroglobal Television channel.

The 2022
HERITAGE AWARD

GRACE CARTER-HENRY LYONS
Founder & Musical Director
The Heritage Singers
Grace Carter-Henry Lyons is the Founder and Musical Director of the Heritage Singers. The 30-member group is a reflection of the Canadian mosaic, with members hailing from many parts of the world. The Heritage Singers have developed a rich repertoire of music, from sacred to secular, work songs to lullaby, seasonal ditty to perennial ballads. Grace was tutored in singing by former Julliard School of Music Graduate, the Late Joyce Britton. She worked for 15 years in the banking industry, and served as Manager at Citi Bank.
  
Grace has she has also worked as a real estate professional for 35 years. Grace has received the BBPA Harry Jerome Award for Business Excellence, the Women of Excellence Award from the Congress of Black Women, and was recognized in the Who’s Who of Black Canada. Grace is on the Board of Directors of the Community Folk Arts Council of Metropolitan Toronto. She receives the 2022 Heritage Award from the Excellence Awards program of Afroglobal Television.
THE 2022
EXCELLENCE AWARDS

AS WELL AS THE
100 MOST INFLUENTIAL
BLACK CANADIANS PROGRAM

THIS IS A 2 IN 1 CELEBRATION
HIGHLIGHTS 

Date: Saturday, October 29th, 2022, 7.00 PM
Time: Red Carpet, 7.00 PM; Awards Show, 8.00 PM

Venue: Meridian Arts Centre (Formerly Toronto Centre For The Arts)
Address: 5040 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 6R8, Canada

Tickets: $80 each

Telecast: Afroglobal Television and OMNI TV
Profiles: Excellence Magazine

Afroglobal Television, a 24-hour global super channel, presents the awards gala with other partners. The sixteen recipients of each year are role models for youth in the Crossover Mentorship Program. The premier cable network also runs the 100 Most Influential Black Canadians initiative. Honourees are celebrated at the Excellence Awards gala.

Sponsors: Have included Royal Bank of Canada, Ethiopian Airlines, TD Bank, Chevrolet, Canadian Armed Forces, York Regional Police, Dream Maker Realty, Toronto Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Sterling Dental, Afrocan Foods, FreshCo, Mosaic Foods, Bank of Montreal, Western Union, World Remit, OMNI Television and MoneyGram International. Sponsorship opportunities are available. 

Inquiries: 
info@afroglobaltelevision.com 
www.AfroglobalTelevision.com  

www.Ticketmaster.ca
Search: Afroglobal Excellence Awards