Every year, community members doing great deeds and delivering outstanding services to good ol’ regular folk are recognized for their hard work and enduring effort.
This year marks Ford’s 7th consecutive year of participation in the annual awards show hosted by Ford Partner, Comedian and Best-Selling Author Steve Harvey.
“The Ford Neighborhood Awards continues to represent a mainstay within the African American community,” said Shawn Thompson, manager, Ford multicultural marketing. “Each year this show gets even bigger and for us at Ford we are excited to be able to present this year’s ‘Community Leader Award’ recipient with a check for $30,000 to ultimately give back to their local community. Our goal as a brand is to not only go further when it comes to our products, but also as it relates to our communities. With this award, we are able to play a role in directly impacting the local community of this year’s winner, extending our involvement beyond the actual awards show.”
This year, Ford presented Stan Richards author of “From the Bus to the Bentley” with the Community Leader of the Year award. Along with the accolades, Richards also received a $30,000 check to be donated to a nonprofit organization of his choice, a first for Ford and the Neighborhood Awards. Typically, Ford gives away a car, but instead, the company recognized the importance of embracing and uplifting businesses and supporting the community in a different way.
Richards has motivated and inspired thousands through his story and consistent work in the community. The author and motivational speaker is the epitome of rags to riches, coming from impoverished Washington D.C. to becoming one of the most impactful leaders in business.
Since launching his career, he’s helped join other entrepreneurs in the D.C. area to begin an entertainment company, Positive Black Men Coalition in 1992.
He also became a mogul of sorts with Metro, becoming a top executive. Eventually he and his wife joined a business venture 5LINX, a global telecommunications and energy company. Within 18 months, he garnered enough success to leave his post as double platinum senior vice president at Metro, where he nurtured an 18-year career.
