Savannah State University (SSU) recently announced the inaugural Class of 40 Under 40 Awards recipients, a prestigious recognition to applaud the outstanding success stories of its young alumni and inspire current and future students. 

SSU will honor the recipients with an award ceremony on campus ncluding recipients, guests and faculty on Saturday, February 1, 2025. 

The award recognizes the contributions of individuals who have excelled in their respective fields before the age of 40. This year’s recipients work in a wide array of environments from municipalities to universities to federal agencies and Fortune 500 companies. The list includes company founders, executives, state representatives, doctors and lawyers. 

“We’re overjoyed to share with the world what these young alumni have accomplished in just a few short years since graduating from this beloved institution,” said SSU Interim President Cynthia Alexander. “These alumni are the best and brightest and truly reflect the values we hope to instill in all SSU graduates.”

The selection committee, which included alumni and staff, evaluated nominees’ professional accomplishments, leadership qualities, and their impact on their communities.  

“The committee was tasked with the difficult undertaking of choosing just 40 recipients from a large pool of extremely qualified alumni,” SSU Vice President Adrian Scott said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t choose them all, but we highly encourage them to apply again next year.”

By highlighting the achievements of these alumni, SSU aims to inspire its current and future students to aspire to greatness and to emphasize the university’s role in shaping future leaders across various fields. Each of this year’s honorees attended SSU and seeks to uphold their core values of collaboration, academic excellence, discovery and innovation, integrity, openness and inclusion and sustainability. 

“As SSU continues to grow and make strides in academic and professional spheres, the 40 Under 40 Awards reflect the continuous impact of SSU on the lives of its graduates and the broader community,” Alexander said. “As we honor these remarkable alumni, we celebrate not only their achievements but also reaffirm the value of an SSU education.” 

Savannah State University 2024 Inaugural Class 40 Under 40

1) Dr. Ndidi Akuta, Class of 2013, Griffin, Ga., Chief Information Officer at Fort Valley State University

2) Eunicia Baker, Class of 2013, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Director of Communications for the City of North Miami

3) Christopher Banks, Class of 2011, Lithonia, Ga., Owner of Mernae Media Group, LLC.

4) Cassidy Bass Jones, Class of 2007, Smyrna, Ga., Owner of LOL Burger Bar

5) Aaron Binion, Class of 2007, Mableton, Ga., Senior Vice President at Pinnacle Financial Partners

6) Tia Bolden, Class of 2017, St. Louis, Mo., Owner of Aspire to F.I.R.E. Investing, LLC

7) Dr. LaDena Bolton, Class of 2006, Decatur, Ga., Synthetic Organic Chemist and Dekalb County Commissioner

8) Anthony Bowden, Class of 2010, Riverdale, Ga., Founder & CEO of The Pivot Schools

9) Kelvin Bryant, Class of 2021, Savannah, Ga., Director of Police Administration for the City of Savannah Police Department

10) Rolando Cantrell, Class of 2007, Atlanta, Ga., Owner and Head Chef at Cantrell Occasions LLC and Saucy Aprons LLC

11) Angela Chambliss, Class of 2006, Atlanta, Ga., Information Technology Program Manager at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

12) Christelle Chiza M.D., Class of 2012, Grovetown, Ga., Doctor at Wellstar MCG/Augusta Health

13) Dr. Ruben Chiza, Class of 2012, Grovetown, Ga., CEO and Founder of The Right Capacity Consulting

14) John Clark, Class of 2007, Atlanta, Ga., Senior Product Analyst and Owner of JJ RE Group and CleanLeeNess

15) Dr. Stacy Cobb, Class of 2008, Austell, Ga., Mathematical Statistician at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

16) Raquel Curtis, Class of 2011, Decatur, Ga., Finance Executive & Data Analytics Director at Be Boujee Enterprises LLC

17) Dontre Douse M.D., Class of 2016, Rochester, Minn., Doctor at the Mayo Clinic- Rochester

18) Isaaq Drumgoole, Class of 2012, Dallas, Ga., Senior Environmental Analyst at Georgia Power Company

19) Meghan Dunn-Woods, Class of 2013, Atlanta, Ga., Vice President of Business Development at Paradies Lagardère

20) Art Gordon, Class of 2013, Boston, Mass., Senior Pastor at St. John Missionary Baptist Church and Director of Community Engagement in the Office of Governor Maura Healey

21) Bruce Harris, Class of 2013, Federal Agent at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement

22) Tiffani Hawes J.D., Class of 2006, Hoschton, Ga., Attorney at The Hawes Law Firm, LLC

23) James Anthony, Class of 2007, Studio City, Calif., Photographer/Director, Writer, Actor at James Anthony Media

24) Amber T. Jones-King J.D., Class of 2007, Macon, Ga., Attorney at Amber T. Jones & Associates

25) Dr. Quianna Lavant, Class of 2015, Albany, Ga., Director of Enrollment at Albany Technical College

26) Derek Mallow, Class of 2020, Savannah, Ga., Georgia State Senator  

27) Jahylin McKee, Class of 2017, Newark, N.J., Founder & Lead Publicist of J. McKee & Co.

28) Carl Miller, Class of 2017, Savannah, Ga., CEO of C.A. Miller Publishing Co.

29) Maurice Nelson, Class of 2016, New Haven, Conn., Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at Sacred Heart University

30) Lt. Chelsea Parrish, Class of 2013, Lakeland, Fla., Lieutenant and Aviator in the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps

31) Kier Prince J.D., Class of 2015, Palmetto, Ga., Senior Staff Attorney at the Superior Court of Fulton County

32) Donovan Ringo, Class of 2010, Ellenwood, Ga., Senior Manager of Emerging Markets at Genuine Parts Company

33) Taqwaa Saleem, Class of 2008, Savannah, Ga., English Professor at Savannah Technical College Liberty Campus

34) Ulyssa Salett, Class of 2015, Los Angeles, Calif., Production Manager at Netflix

35) Dr. ZaDonna Slay, Class of 2005, Richmond, Ky., Assistant Professor at Tennessee State University

36) Antoine Stewart, Class of 2008, Arlington, Va., Industrial Control Systems Engineer with Chugach Intelligence Solutions 

37) Dr. Michelle Tait-Allen, Class of 2008, Atlanta, Ga., Director of Learning and Communication at The Georgia Alliance and Owner of The Griot Collective 

38) Monroe Thornton J.D., Class of 2020, Birmingham, Ala., Trial Attorney at Hare Wynn Newell & Newton

39) Rashamod Torrance, Class of 2012, Charlotte, N.C., Senior Business Banking Relationship Manager and Assistant Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. and Founder of Active Dad Organization

40) Erika Troutman, Class of 2008, Charlotte, N.C., Chief Financial Officer at Wells Fargo Bank N.A.