Photo courtesy of the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce.
Community members gathered Thursday, Feb. 19 to celebrate the best of our neighborhood for the Oak Cliff Chamber of Commerce’s annual Spotlighting the Cliff awards ceremony.
Hosted by Chamber President Kiyundra Jones, the event featured honorees who serve Oak Cliff locally and on a national scale.
The Capital One Café at Wynnewood Village was named the Business of the Year, with the New Development of the Year going to Metrocare.
Sheri Mathis, founder of Mammogram Poster Girls, Inc., was named Community Advocate of the Year for her role with the nonprofit that helps raise funds to provide “mammograms and follow-up diagnostics for underinsured and uninsured women across North Texas.”
The South Oak Cliff State Championship was recognized as the Event of the Year. The Trailblazer Award was presented to Andrea Sanders with Oncor and the Chairman’s Award was presented to John Phillips of Methodist Dallas Medical Center.
For the President’s Award, selected by Jones, she honored both Rebecca Lopez of WFAA and Christopher Lewis with Builders of Hope.
Teresa Coleman Wash, executive artistic director and founder of the Bishop Arts Theatre Center, presented the Public Servant of The Year Award to U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crokett “for her unwavering commitment to advocacy, equity and delivering meaningful results for the communities she serves.”
“Her deep roots in Dallas and dedication to uplifting historically underserved neighborhoods, including Oak Cliff, are evident through her hands-on engagement, accessibility and responsiveness to her constituents,” Wash said. “Congresswoman Crokett’s bold leadership, integrity and tireless service embodies the very essence of public service, making her a deserving recipient for this honor.”
For the first time, the Spotlighting the Cliff awards presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Tracy Lynn Curry, known as The D.O.C.
Founder of Death Row Records and D.O.C. Cares, The D.O.C. has helped remove barriers and expand opportunity for the community, Jones said.
“It’s been an extraordinary journey, but I can’t take credit for any of it. It all goes to the father. He did it. I didn’t do any of it. I’m just a vessel he chose to do it through. And, the mission is incomplete,” The D.O.C. said. “I’ve come home and created D.O.C. Cares and an initiative called the Dreams Experience Academy … to introduce kids in the neighborhoods that I’ve come from to the $3 trillion dollar a year business, and the job forces of tomorrow, and give these kids an opportunity to be in spaces that I didn’t get a chance to be in when I was a young man.”
