The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and its Board of Directors recently hosted the inaugural CEO Impact Awards Breakfast and #HERImpact evening reception in Charlotte to honor the influence and actions of two outstanding role models to the Black collegiate community. The events raised nearly $300,000 to support deserving students.
The #HERImpact reception honored Zandra Sue Johnson for her impact and trailblazing spirit of community activism. The CEO Impact Awards Breakfast honored Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison for his dedication to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and its students.
“Since 2018, Lowe’s invested over $6 million to the TMCF. Since 2022, we’ve invested $9 million to colleges and universities, including HBCUs,” Ellison said. “Luck is when opportunity meets preparation. What I think matters most is an opportunity that provides a lifetime of change.”
Ellison said he is the son of a maid and uneducated sharecropper.
“Don’t let your meager surroundings determine where you end up,” Ellison said.
Funding from Lowe’s has supported scholarships, internships and career development opportunities, including the Lowe’s Retail Immersion program.
“You’re always reminded at events like this that leadership matters,” Robert A. Engel, chairman of banking, corporate and investment bank at Wells Fargo and co-chair of the events, said. “People like Marvin leading a company can have such a dramatic effect on not only the business results, but on the culture and people results.”
Dr. Harry L. Williams, president & CEO of TMCF, commended Ellison and Lowe’s for investing in diversity.
“When you’re the first in your family and first in corporate America, you need someone in your corner to guide you,” Williams said. “Thank you for saying, ‘Yes, HBCU students are important.’”
Williams also noted that 97% of TMCF scholars graduate and find incredible jobs.
“TMCF is a beacon of mentorship, development and opportunities that has guided my collegiate journey,” Matthew Harris, a TMCF and Lowe’s scholar and Tennessee State University student, said. “Your contribution makes an impact and is important aid for students like me.”
Engel thanked Lowe’s for hosting the event at the Lowe’s Tech Hub.
“Six months ago, we talked about trying to pull together a breakfast like this with great corporate leaders, great business leaders and folks from the community,” Engel said. “We could not be more excited about the turnout. You look at the room and you can see we have a packed house.”
Dr. N. Joyce Payne, the founder of TMCF, recognized and thanked the event sponsors.
“Rob (Engel) and Wells Fargo have been with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund probably for 25 years now and have continued to make the kind of contribution, the kind of support, that has sustained us,” Payne said. “We could not be here today without Rob’s support.”
Engel applauded those in audience for supporting the Black college community.
“Your dedication to uplifting TMCF and the HBCU community is truly inspiring and incredibly impactful,” Engel said. “(TMCF) is an amazing institution led by superb people who care about the world and care about where we’re going in the world. I can tell you by supporting TMCF, you are changing people’s lives. You are changing people’s lives day in and day out.”
Racquel Oden, TMCF board chair, welcomed guests to the event. Oden also noted that North Carolina has more public HBCUs than any other state, including Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, North Carolina A&T University (our country’s largest HBCU), North Carolina Central University, and Winston-Salem State University.
