Outstanding Black Alumni Award

Anton Gunn is a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and a leading expert on Socially Conscious Leadership. Early in his career, he was the first African American from his district elected to the South Carolina Legislature.

Anton is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he played football for the Gamecocks. He also earned a master’s degree in Social Work from USC and was a Resident Fellow at Harvard.

He is the bestselling author of The Audacity of Leadership and The Presidential Principles and has been featured in TIME Magazine, the Wall St Journal, INC Magazine, BBC, NPR, and on Good Morning America.

Anton was named one of the Ten Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare by Fierce Healthcare.

An international keynote speaker and the CEO of 937 Strategy Group, Anton has worked with renowned organizations like Mercedes-Benz Vans, KPMG, Rock Ventures, Highmark Health, Verizon Wireless, Aetna, T-Mobile, Sonepar, Danaher, Emory Healthcare, Blue Shield of California, and The Boeing Company.

Anton is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), a designation earned by the top echelon of professional speakers and held by fewer than 10% of the members belonging to the International Federation for Professional Speakers.

As a business management consultant and serving on multiple boards, he has spent his life helping leaders build diverse, high-performing teams, and world-class workplace culture.

2010, Doctor of Philosophy in Education Administration, College of Education, University of South Carolina

1996, Master of Education, College of Education, University of South Carolina

1994, Bachelor of Arts in English, College of Arts and Science, University of South Carolina

Dr. Hope Rivers is a three-time alumna of the University of South Carolina earning her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Administration, a Certificate in Higher Education Leadership, a Master of Education in Community and Occupational Programs in Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in English.

In January 2021, Dr. Rivers assumed the presidency at Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, South Carolina. She is the first woman and person of color to serve as president of the technical college.

Dr. Rivers is a Riley Fellow and a graduate of LeadershipSC. In 2019, she was named SC Woman on the Move by the SC Chapter for American Association for Women in Community Colleges.

In addition to her professional accolades, Dr. Rivers has been married for 20 years to her husband, Thomas, and they are the proud parents of two daughters, Taylor, and Hannah, a current USC student. Dr. Rivers is an avid reader and loves the arts. She enjoys college football, and in her spare time, she loves taking long walks with her family. She is an active member of Brookland Baptist Church and active in her community as a Rotarian and through the Columbia SC Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

1991, B.S. Management, Darla Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina

1994, Master of Arts in Teaching, Graduate School, University of South Carolina

1999, Master of Education, College of Education, University of South Carolina

2014, Ph.D. Education, College of Education, University of South Carolina

Dr. J. R. Green is a product of parents who instilled high values, especially to education. As a young man, he embraced their core principles and gave his best in all educational pursuits.

Dr. Green strongly believes he is purposed to work with and to inspire young people.  He impresses upon students that education is the foundation of their future.  Dr. Green leaves quite a lasting impression on others and enriches their lives with his noble deeds.

Dr. Green began his duties as Superintendent of Fairfield County Schools in July 2012, after a successful tenure as an assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction for the Chesterfield County School District.  He spent several years as a principal in Pageland, South Carolina after serving as both an assistant high school principal and a teacher.   Dr. Green earned a doctorate degree in Education Leadership from the University of South Carolina. He also received a Master’s of Arts Degree, a Master’s of Education Degree, and a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of South Carolina.

A native South Carolinian, Dr. Green currently resides in Winnsboro with his wife Tonya and daughters, Jamara, Janelle, and Jacia. He is an active member of many organizations to include: the Omicron Iota Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Providence Health Board of Trustees, Board of Directors for Midlands Education & Business Alliance, Mt. Pisgah Baptist Church, Bow Tie Mentoring Club, and the Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentoring Organization.

Dr. Green’s philosophy is simply, “Do your best.”

Leroy Chapman Jr. is the editor-in-chief at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

He is the first Black journalist to hold the newsroom’s top job in its 155-year history.

Prior to this promotion, Leroy was managing editor, where he directed the newspaper’s daily print and digital news gathering. Reporting teams that cover local, state, and federal government, politics, education, crime and public safety, the economy, sports and breaking news reported to him in that role.

Chapman has held a variety of editing and leadership roles at the AJC since his arrival in 2011. During his tenure, Leroy has been among the newsroom leaders who transformed the AJC into a more efficient, digitally focused breaking news and digital operation. He has put the AJC on the frontlines of some of the biggest breaking news nationally and has built reporting teams to deliver around-the-clock breaking news, and timely enterprise on emerging topics and hyperlocal news.

Under his leadership, AJC reporting teams have won local, regional, and national journalism awards for local news, business, education and politics coverage.

As editor-in-chief, Leroy is leading the AJC’s transformation into a modern media company, as it invests in digital storytelling, podcasting and documentary film.

Chapman lives in Lawrenceville, GA with his wife Dawn. They have three adult children and a dog.

As the City Manager of Columbia, South Carolina, Teresa Wilson stands as one of the few women in the nation to manage and lead a capital city—an achievement that speaks volumes about her vision, resilience, and transformative leadership. A native daughter of Columbia, Wilson is a proud graduate of the University of South Carolina—with Honors from the SC Honors College and degrees from the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences and the Joseph F. Rice School of Law. She has become a pioneering force, shaping the city’s growth through bold innovation, inclusive community development, and fiscal excellence. Her commitment to public safety led to the strategic revitalization of city operations, including her appointment of a strong and respected police chief, creation of the city’s first Emergency Management Director position, and alignment of neighborhood safety with quality of life initiatives. Her foresight in hiring Columbia’s first Chief Financial Officer and elevating financial integrity has resulted in Columbia earning the Government Finance Officers Association Award for Excellence for twelve consecutive years.

Wilson’s leadership during moments of crisis—most notably the historic 2015 flood— revealed a deep sense of duty and compassion as she coordinated recovery efforts with clarity and resolve. Equally passionate about economic empowerment and housing, she has championed initiatives that renew neighborhoods, increase homeownership, and build equity for working families. An active leader in state and national government associations and a graduate of prestigious leadership fellowships, Wilson is a Past President of the SC City and County Management Association, a Senior Executive Institute graduate, Liberty Fellow, Riley Fellow, and is the recipient of a remarkable list of accolades and awards. She is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Steve and Teresa H. Wilson and the proud mother of Teresa Alexandria Florence, a 2025 graduate of the University of South Carolina with Honors from the SC Honors College.

Teresa Wilson is a visible and engaged presence in the community—from youth mentorship programs to civic celebrations. Her work exemplifies the power and promise of women in executive roles, where excellence, empathy, and accountability drive transformational change for all citizens.

Judge J. Michelle Childs was appointed to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in July 2022. She holds her undergraduate degree in Management from the University of South Florida Honors College, a law degree from the University of South Carolina School of Law, a Masters in Personnel and Employment Relations from the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, a Masters of Judicial Studies from Duke University School of Law, and an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Public Service from the University of South Carolina.

Judge Childs is active with various local, state, and national bar organizations, as well as community organizations. She is the President of the Federal Judges Association, a former Chair of the American Bar Association’s Judicial Division, and a former Secretary of the American Bar Association’s Labor and Employment Law Section. She currently serves on the American Bar Association’s Administrative Law Council. She serves as a fellow with the American Bar Association’s Litigation Section and its Committee on the American Judicial System. Judge Childs is also a member of the American Law Institute, having served as an Advisor to the Restatement (Third) of Employment Law, and is currently a member of its Council. Judge Childs also serves on the 2023 Bolch Judicial Institute (BJI) Advisory Board. She joins the class of 2022 Rodel Judicial Fellows.