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Entrepreneurs, Judge, Musicians and Rochester Police Chief Inducted into MCC Alumni Hall of Fame (11/07/2019)

Note: This is an ARCHIVED news release. Information in this article may have changed since this was published.

Carlton Campbell ' '06At the 30th Annual Salute to Excellence, Carlton Campbell '06 (pictured right) was inducted into the MCC Alumni Hall of Fame along with four of his siblings--marking the first time a family was inducted together.

Eight individuals were inducted into the MCC Alumni Hall of Fame at the Monroe Community College Foundation’s 30th Annual Salute to Excellence dinner held at the Floreano Convention Center. The inductees were honored for their leadership, professional achievement, support of MCC, and giving back to their respective communities. Their stories reinforced how their respective MCC experiences opened doors to careers in business, criminal justice, law and music.

Inductees include five members of the Campbell family, Carlton Campbell ’06 (Buffalo), Charles Campbell ’96 (Haines City, Fla.), Danette Campbell-Bell ’95 (West Henrietta), Darick Campbell ’87 (Stone Mountain, Ga.) and Phillip Campbell ’87 (West Henrietta); Pietro Giovenco ’86 (Macedon); the Honorable Alecia Mazzo ’87 (Webster); and Rochester Police Chief LaˈRon Singletary ’00 (West Henrietta).

Campbell Family
For the first time in MCC’s history, five alumni from the same family were inducted together into the hall of fame. Four of the family members constitute The Campbell Brothers, the acclaimed African-American gospel music group whose accomplishments are featured within the Sacred Steel exhibit at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C., as well as recognized by the National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc. and the Rochester Music Hall of Fame.

      Carlton Campbell ’06
      Carlton Campbell began playing drums for The Campbell Brothers at a young age. His musical aptitudes led him to produce albums for Upstate New York artists and, ultimately, to becoming a music educator. Campbell is a professor and the assistant director of technical arts for Houghton College’s Music Industry program. He established a mentoring program in the City of Buffalo for young aspiring sound engineers. He is also an artist consultant with the Strings for Life Music Project in Rochester. He earned an MCC associate degree in liberal arts and sciences-general studies prior to studying industrial engineering at University at Buffalo and leadership development at Houghton College.

      Charles Campbell ’96
      Charles Campbell served as a senior service man for Rochester Gas & Electric (a subsidiary of AVANGRID) and as a mutual aid helper during natural disasters while playing with The Campbell Brothers in international venues. He is a master steel guitarist as recognized by the New York State Folklore Society. Campbell received a National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship—the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts—for demonstrating artistic excellence, cultural authenticity, and contributing to the field. He is also a member of the American Federation of Musicians. He inspires Rochester youth through his work as an artist mentor with the Strings for Life Music Project. He holds an MCC associate degree in heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

      Danette Campbell-Bell ’95
      As owner of Campbell-Bell Consulting, Danette Campbell-Bell provides strategic and creative solutions for clients such as the United Way of Greater Rochester, the Greater Rochester After School Alliance, the New York State Network for Youth Success, and the City of Rochester Department of Recreation and Youth Services. In addition to her consulting work, Campbell-Bell is managing partner at Strings for Life, LLC, and project founder of the Strings for Life Music Project, a collaborative youth-driven partnership with The Campbell Brothers, and other ministries, programs, and clubs in Greater Rochester. She earned an MCC associate degree in liberal arts and sciences-general studies before earning a bachelor’s degree in counseling, with a minor in biblical studies, at Atlanta Christian College. She gives back through MCC’s Launch Your Business! and Entrepreneurship Day initiatives.

      Darick Campbell ’87
      Darick Campbell is a professional musician, a master steel guitarist as recognized by the New York State Folklore Society, and a member of the American Federation of Musicians. Along with the many awards and recognitions he has received through his work with The Campbell Brothers, he is a member of the Sacred Steel Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Ga. As an artist mentor for the Strings for Life Music Project, Campbell teaches children utilizing the steel guitar to encourage self-confidence, develop life skills, and build their spirits through music. He also mentors fellow musicians in the Atlanta area, and created an instructional DVD to teach his unique lap steel guitar technique.

      Phillip Campbell ’87
      While pursuing a 25-year career in the semiconductor industry, Phillip Campbell achieved NXP Semiconductors’ Diamond Club Award for Top Salesperson for the Americas three times and the Black Engineer of the Year Award in Technical Sales and Marketing. He is a recipient of Rochester Institute of Technology’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering’s Industry Recognition Award. Campbell is a master guitarist, as recognized through the New York State Folklore Society, who marries his love of music and engineering. As an artist mentor with the Strings for Life Music Project, he helps young people make connections between math and music. After earning his MCC associate degree in liberal arts and sciences-general studies with a focus on mathematics and science, Campbell earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Morgan State University.

Pietro Giovenco ’86
Pietro Giovenco is a professional engineer and president and chief operating officer for Bergmann, a national architecture, engineering and planning firm, where he has worked for 30 years. Giovenco gives back to the community by serving on the boards of the MCC Foundation, St. John’s Home, and Rochester Downtown Development Corporation. He is chair of the Dean’s Advisory Committee for Rochester Institute of Technology’s Saunders College of Business and the American Heart Association’s 2020 Walk & Run. He is recognized as an outstanding volunteer for mentoring at the Dr. Walter Cooper Academy School. Giovenco holds an MCC associate degree in civil technology, a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from RIT, and a master’s of business administration degree from RIT’s Saunders College of Business.

The Honorable Alecia J. Mazzo ’87
The Honorable Alecia Mazzo has worked as a public servant for over 24 years, from serving as a sole practitioner of family law to her current role as a Monroe County Family Court judge. Within the community, Mazzo is a member of the Webster Chamber of Commerce, Webster Central School District PTSA, and the Italian American Sports Club. She served a term as a council member for the Webster Town Board. She supports the Challenger Miracle Field, an inclusive playground and baseball field for children of all abilities, and the Angels of Mercy, which assists women and young girls affected by issues such as human trafficking. She holds an MCC associate degree in liberal arts and sciences-general studies, a bachelor’s degree in political science from University at Buffalo, and a juris doctorate from Ohio Northern University’s Claude W. Pettit College of Law.

La’Ron Singletary ’00
From a young age, La’Ron Singletary was interested in criminal justice and in serving his community. He has served in the Rochester Police Department (RPD) as neighborhood patrol officer, patrol sergeant and commanding officer of administrative services, aide to the police chief, public information officer, and chief of community affairs. He is the youngest police chief in RPD’s history. Singletary was part of the 30th anniversary class of United Way’s African American Leadership Development Program. A passionate community advocate, Singletary serves on the boards of Leadership Rochester and the Levine Center to End Hate. He is a member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and the Latino Advancement in Public Safety Coalition. He is a recipient of the International Association of Chiefs of Police’s “40 Under 40” Award. Singletary holds an associate degree in criminal justice from MCC, a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Keuka College, and master’s degree in public administration from The College at Brockport. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

The MCC Alumni Hall of Fame was established in 1992 to honor the outstanding achievements of MCC graduates. Including the newest inductees, there are 110 members of the hall of fame.

The Monroe Community College Foundation seeks philanthropic investment to advance academic achievement, innovation, and the mission of excellence at the College.

Media Contact:
Rosanna Yule
Government and Community Relations
585-292-3024
ryule@monroecc.edu