College Announces Community Champion and Outstanding Advisory Committee Award Recipients

Awards recognize outstanding individuals, organizations and committees

CLEVELAND — Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C^®) announced its 2026 Outstanding Advisory Committee and Community Champion award recipients during a celebration on July 30.

The Community Champion Awards recognize an individual (a staff member, faculty member, community member or student) who exemplifies community leadership by demonstrating the best of volunteerism, character, leadership and a sense of caring and responsibility for others. The Community Champion Awards also recognize small and large businesses that contribute to student success at the College. Outstanding advisory committees provide exemplary service and include Northeast Ohioans from a wide range of professions who use their expertise to aid the College's mission.

Nominations come from Tri-C faculty and staff.

Recipients of the 2026 Community Champion Award include four local organizations and two individuals recognized for exemplary community service in the past year.

Corporate Community Champions, Large Business (more than 50 employees):

• Rock Entertainment Group and the Cleveland Cavaliers have quickly become engaged partners with Tri-C, supporting initiatives that elevate student success and community impact. Their contributions to the Presidential Scholarship Luncheon included sponsorship, promotion, event support and leadership involvement through Cuyahoga Community College Foundation Board member Alberta Lee. They also supported Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland, presented by KeyBank, and broader student-focused initiatives.
• Medical Mutual has partnered with the Tri-C Foundation since 1994, investing millions of dollars in scholarships, workforce training and student support programs. Through endowed scholarships, emergency assistance funds and support for the Western Campus Pantry, Medical Mutual has helped hundreds of students pursue education and overcome barriers to success while strengthening the College's mission.

Corporate Community Champions, Small Business (50 or fewer employees):

• Even Kings Feel Healing Community (formerly Project LIFT), led by founder LaToya Logan, provides trauma-informed mental health, prevention and restorative justice services throughout Cleveland. The organization has served thousands through innovative programs, including the LIFT Lounge mobile wellness van. As a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) alumna, Logan maintains a strong connection to Tri-C while advancing community healing.
• ICA–Art Conservation is a small nonprofit organization making a significant impact on Tri-C students through a hands-on internship partnership launched in 2025. ICA staff mentor and train students in conservation techniques, collections care and exhibition preparation, providing paid workforce experience and professional networking opportunities while creating direct pathways from classroom learning to career exploration.

Individuals honored as Community Champions include:

• Chef Saidah Farrell, a Tri-C Culinary Arts alumna and adjunct instructor, is recognized for her volunteerism, mentorship and entrepreneurship. She coaches aspiring business owners, mentors women entrepreneurs and helped secure a $60,000 award for a Tri-C student food truck project. Her commitment to helping others creates new opportunities for students and the broader community.
• Lindsay Milam, an English professor at the Metropolitan Campus, has organized volunteers for the Greater Cleveland Food Bank since 2008. Through her leadership of Tri-C Helping Hands, faculty, staff and their families have contributed thousands of volunteer hours. In 2025, the group was recognized as the Food Bank's Volunteer Group of the Year for its impact on hunger relief.

This year's Outstanding Advisory Committee winner is the Plant Science and Landscape Technology Committee. This marks the second time the PSLT Committee has won the award. It was first recognized in 2004.

Learn more about the awards on the Tri-C website.

August 03, 2026

By Anthony Moujaes, 216-987-3068 or anthony.moujaes@tri-c.edu