Special to The Truth
The 20 Under 40 program focuses on individuals in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan under the age of 40 who have distinguished themselves in their career and/or in the community. An independent panel selects the 20 candidates for recognition. It is intended that the program will further motivate young leaders in our area. Since 1996, 540 young, community leaders have been recognized through the 20 Under 40 program.
This year’s awards ceremony was the 27th annual 20 Under 40 event and was held on October 25. The following individuals were among the honorees. They were among 20 selected from a field of 168 candidates.
Raina Dawson, attorney at Advocates for Basic Legal Equality, received a 2022 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award.
Dawson serves in the Housing practice group at ABLE and advocates for residents in the Junction Neighborhood. She has successfully garnered increased police surveillance at the Dorr/Collingwood Plaza and assists residents with legal issues.
Active in the community, Dawson was a member of the inaugural class of Engage Toledo and was the first chairman of the Humas Relations Commission. She currently serves as the Mediation chair and works as a neutral third-party in dispute resolution. She drafted the Cities for CEDAW legislation. CEDAW contributes to making Toledo a Welcoming City. Dawson is vice President of the Thurgood Marshall Law Association and is devoted to ensuring the well being of local attorneys and students. She is also the Unity Coalition liaison for the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus. Dawson serves on the board of Wholelistics and Self-E.S.T.E.A.M.
Following her graduation from of the University of Toledo, she earned a JD/MBA from the UT College of Law. She was awarded a full-ride undergraduate scholarship, Toledo Women’s Bar Association Scholarship and the Thurgood Marshall Law Association Scholarship and was the inaugural recipient of the Myron Duhart Scholarship. During law school, she taught the Law and Leadership program designed to introduce youth to law. She also interned in the Toledo public defender’s office representing indigent clients.
Rashadd Humes, Diversity Recruiting Manager at The J.M. Smucker Company, was also honored.
At J. M. Smucker Co., Humes is responsible for leading the company’s diversity recruiting strategy where he manages $150,000 budget and three direct reports. He also co-chairs the Black Leadership & Allyship Council. Previously at Marathon Petroleum Company, he increased intern diversity by 27.5% in IT services. He was the inaugural chair of Black Employee Network and managed a $1.25 million budget for diversity recruiting.
Humes was recognize by Yello as a Top 66 Early Talent Acquisition Leader in 2020, received a Hero Award from the Safety Council of Northwest Ohio in 2022, received a Core Award in 2017 from Marathon IT Services. He was the recipient of the Leadership Excellence award by the National Diversity Council at the Ohio Diversity & Leadership Conference.
His leadership includes Director of Finance for Wiley College Nation Alumni Foundation, Advisory Board Member for the University of Michigan Athletics Career Center, and a volunteer assistant basketball coach at Whitmer High School.
Hume is a graduate of Wiley College and is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Marjory Marshall, operations director at TutorSmart, received a 2022 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award.
In her role, Marshall, with a doctorate in education, hired and trained a team of tutors, team leaders, site coordinators and volunteers with the impact resulting in six months of academic growth in their student’s math and reading ability. There are currently 21 tutoring sites and TutorSmart is on tract to have 49 sites by October 2022. Her previous roles include Project Coordinator for Lucas County Juvenile Court where she spearheaded an initiative to improve educational outcomes of youth in foster care, the Assistant Principal at The Academy of Educational Excellence where she created a culture that encouraged academic rigor and equitable education for all students.
Marshall’s community leadership is centered on diversity and inclusion work. At the University of Toledo, she served as a Graduate Assistant in the Office of Multicultural Student Success and was appointed to the University’s Retention Research Committee. She has served as a Congressional intern, youth advocate, adoption recruiter and motivational speaker. She initiated and financially supported “Rebuilding Community Day,” a free event offering food, clothing, and information on community resources in the parking lot of Seaway Marketplace. Due to its success, Seaway has made this an annual event. She is currently focusing her time to advocate for foster care reform both locally and nationally.
Marshall earned a Bachelor of Arts in Women and Gender Studies, a Master’s in Public Administration, and a Doctorate in Education at the University of Toledo.
Kandice Saulsberry, managing funeral director at Dale-Riggs Funeral Home, Inc., received a 2022 20 Under 40 Leadership Recognition Award.
Saulsberry serves as Managing Funeral Director at Dale-Riggs Funeral Home, the oldest African American funeral home in Toledo which has been operating for over 100 years. She is licensed as a funeral director, preneed insurance agent and certified funeral celebrant. She is responsible for governmental compliance and licensure, overseeing inventory, budget, and payroll. Saulsberry is passionate about serving grieving families and educating the community about the benefits of preplanning.
At 28, Saulsberry became the youngest managing funeral director in Toledo and continues to hold that status. She is Treasurer of the Buckeye State Funeral Directors and Embalmers Association and a convention committee member facilitating approval by state officials for continuing education hours, securing reputable speakers for relevant topics and providing training. She also serves as the 40 Under Committee Chair acting as a liaison for students, recent graduates, and new licensees.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused Saulsberry to focus on social injustice and lack of resources. She serves as Assistant Secretary and Executive Board member for the Toledo Branch of the N.A.A.C.P., chair of the Women’s Healthcare and Wellness target for the Zeta Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and on the Faith Division of the YWCA Capital Campaign Project.
A native of Akron and first-generation college graduate, she graduated from the University of Akron and Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science.
Program sponsors include Eastman & Smith; Fifth Third Bank; Plante Moran; The Andersons, Inc.; University of Toledo; and Dana Incorporated. BCAN/Buckeye Broadband serve as media/broadcast partner, Leadership Toledo serves as the community partner, and Telex Communications, Inc. is the founding partner. Ulrich Pinciotti and THREAD are creative partners. Community support is provided by EPIC Toledo, Imagination Station, The Toledo Repertoire Theatre, Toledo Alliance for the Performing Arts, Toledo Lucas County Public Library, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo Opera, Toledo Rotary, Toledo Zoo, and the Valentine Theatre.