Hamilton Hill Arts Center Gala

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 I had the honor of hosting the Hamilton Hill Arts Center Gala at Key Hall, Proctors Theater Thursday evening. The Hamilton Hill Arts Center has been in the community since 1968 providing a vital outlet for the African American artistic community. The first ever Legacy Award was awarded to Dr. Marshall Jones.

Jones came from a humble beginning to become a doctor working at General Electric's Global Research Center in the area of laser-fiber optic integration. He has received 54 U.S. Patents and 32 Foreign patents; authored or co-authored more than 45 publications and has been a member of many community organizations. He has worked tirelessly to encourage our youth, in particular underserved youth, to discover their passion and consider a career in science, technology, engineering and math. He has been married more than 40 years to his beautiful wife who (sweetly) got choked up when he said first and foremost he wanted to thank her for supporting him all these years.


Former Schenectady Police Chief Mark Chaires took over as Executive Director of the Hamilton Hill Arts Center in January of this year. He personally reached out to seek my involvement in this event and I know he is working hard to pump excitement into the center.




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I love participating in events where we have an enthusiastic crowd and this was one of them. From the lively invocation from Pastor Bill levering to the joyful crowd in colorful attire it was truly a wonderful event.

Another highlight was the entertainment. The Umoja Drummers and Dancers and the Schenectady Brass Band Mentorship had the crowd on their feet. Umoja is open to children ages 6-17 and parents can even join- making it a true family affair!

If you'd like to learn more about the Hamilton Hill Arts Center please click HERE and be sure to check out the video of Umoja Drummers and Dancers performing.

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