Two From Sinclair Named 2015 Top 10 African American Males

At the Parity, Inc. annual Top Ten awards luncheon at the Sinclair Conference Center on Thursday, February 19, two from Sinclair were among the honorees.  Norm Barksdale and Christopher Welch are part of Sinclair's School and Community Partnerships Division. Their careers have been dedicated to providing support, guidance, motivation and encouragement to young people so they have the tools to succeed.

Norm Barksdale joined Sinclair in 1995 and has served as a coordinator for the Young Scholars Program, the Academic Resource Center (ARC) and Advanced College Entry (ACE).  He recently moved into a coordinator position with College Credit Plus.  He is a graduate in Economics from the University of Cincinnati and has also taught Economics at Sinclair.  In addition to his work at the College, he is a community leader, participating in many organizations such as the National Forum of Black Public Administrators (NFBPA); the Dayton Black Cultural Festival (DBCF); and African American Visual Artist Guild (AAVAG). He is an active Mentor for the Sinclair sponsored Urban African American Mentoring Program (UAAMP).

Christopher Welch is the Project Director for Educational Talent Search at Sinclair, providing services to more than 500 students at Belmont High School.   His work experiences include Upward Bound African-American Male Initiative (AAMI) coordinator; Chairman of TRIO Achievers; and service on the Executive Board of Mid-American Association of Education Opportunities Program Personnel.  He attended Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO on a football scholarship, graduating with a degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology.  He later earned a Master's degree in Social Work Administration and worked as an administrator at the MonDay Correctional Facility. He is also a graduate of the Dayton Urban League Parity Black Leadership Development Program and has volunteered with numerous community organizations.

See video from TV coverage provided by Fox45. Congratulations!