The 2011 Community Leadership Awardees
Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, Gonzalo Rucobo, John Santos, Jordan Simmons, and Ravenswood Family Health Center
Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, founder and director of Ark of Refuge, for courageously addressing the issues of HIV/AIDS prevention, response, and care within the African American faith community. As a pastor, scholar, teacher, and activist, she has united gospel and social ministries to create unique programs that improve the quality of life of some of the most marginalized in our community.
In the spirit of the Robert C. Kirkwood Award, made to an individual in recognition of outstanding community service, commitment, and inspired leadership.
Gonzalo Rucobo, co-founder and executive director of Bay Area Peacekeepers, for helping former gang members reach their potential and successfully contribute to society. By intervening with gang-affiliated communities in the East Bay, he helps channel grief and anger into activism, creating positive alternatives to violence.
In the spirit of The San Francisco Foundation Award, made to an individual demonstrating exemplary commitment to improving human relations in the Bay Area.
John Santos, musician and cultural activist, for making music that transcends cultural barriers and serves as a tool for social justice. As an educator, scholar, performer, and composer, he celebrates and promotes Latin music and understands that art has the power to inform and nurture.
In the spirit of the Helen Crocker Russell Award, made to an under-recognized, mature artist who has made a significant and ongoing contribution in the Bay Area.
Jordan Simmons, artistic director of the East Bay Center for Performing Arts, for building a better future for young adults through music and cultural programs. As a musician and arts administrator, he has changed the lives of thousands of people in Richmond’s Iron Triangle through rigorous artistic training, school-based outreach, and performances of traditional and original work.
In the spirit of the Helen Crocker Russell Award, made to an under-recognized, mature artist who has made a significant and ongoing contribution in the Bay Area.
Ravenswood Family Health Center, for providing high quality, cost-effective healthcare to southeast San Mateo County, and for advocating for the need to address health disparities and inequities. Through its innovative health education programs and Health Navigators outreach, Ravenswood serves as a model for tackling complex community health issues locally and nationally.
In the spirit of the John R. May Award, made for organizational initiatives in response to a significant contemporary problem.