Student Tribune
Entrepreneurs, Judge, Musicians & Rochester Police Chief Inducted into MCC Alumni Hall of Fame
Eight individuals were inducted into the MCC Alumni Hall of Fame at the MCC
Foundation's 30th Annual Salute to Excellence dinner last evening 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 an MCC education opens doors to
careers in business, criminal justice, law, and music.
Inductees include five members of the Campbell family, Carlton Campbell '06,
Charles Campbell '96, Danette Campbell-Bell '95, Darick Campbell '87 and
Phillip Campbell '87; Pietro Giovenco '86; the Honorable Alecia Mazzo '87; and
Rochester Police Chief LaˈRon Singletary '00.
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.
Shaw, Karen
MCC Foundation
11/11/2019