Rep. Maxine Waters was honored by Loyola Marymount University’s African American Alumni Association at its 11th annual awards reception and scholarship fundraiser on Saturday, March 16.
Waters, a Democrat who represents California’s 43rd Congressional District, was re-elected in November 2012 to her 12th term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her party elected her to the top Democratic spot on the House Financial Services Committee, as well as chief deputy whip and membership on the Steering and Policy Committee.
“Waters’ 37 years of public service have been devoted to confronting issues such as poverty, economic development, equal justice under the law and other areas that affect people of color, women, children and the poor,” said Zakkoyya Lewis-Powell, an LMU senior who presented the award to Waters.
The congresswoman has also been a strong supporter of both education and the environment. She has fostered partnerships between the schools in her district and LMU for the past seven years starting with LMU’s Family of Schools organization in the Westchester area. In addition, she has offered a number of initiatives to preserve the unique environmental qualities of the Ballona Wetlands and bluffs.
Waters received this year’s Hon. Irma Brown Dillon Community Service Award.
Other honorees at this year’s reception were:
- Gail Mitchell, ’75, a senior editor of Billboard Magazine since 1999 overseeing coverage of R&B and hip-hop. As part of her responsibilities, Mitchell writes and edits a weekly column, feature stories, special supplements and album reviews. She also serves on the board of the African American Alumni Association and is on the advisory board of LMU Magazine. Mitchell received the William L. Strickland Excellence Award in recognition of her professional achievements.
- Glen Milus Jr., ’98, is chief executive officer of Mindlab Business Solutions Inc., a private financial planning firm in Century City that serves clients in the entertainment and sports industries. Milus is on the board of directors of the Dare to Dream Foundation and has served as treasurer of the Pasadena-based Foundation for Living Beauty, which supports cancer hospitals. He received the association’s Rising Leader Award.
KTLA’s morning co-anchor, Chis Schauble, hosted the event.
The awards mark the association’s commitment to academic excellence and the spirit of community service. About 6 percent of LMU’s student body is African-American, and the university has been cited by the prestigious Education Trust as one of the most successful universities at graduating African-American students. Proceeds from the reception go to scholarships for deserving students. In the past 11 years, LMU’s AAAA has raised almost $1 million in scholarship funds that have been awarded to 205 students.