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Kimberly Burnett
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Salem State University inducted four new members into the Civic Engagement Hall of Fame on Wednesday, April 25. The new members include Salem Mayor Kimberley Driscoll, Dericka Canada, PhD, Noel Healy, PhD, and Leeanna Singleton. The induction ceremony will take place at the Ledger Restaurant and Bar.
The induction ceremony is an annual event which honors four individuals’ sustained commitment to civic action and strengthening their communities. Every year, recipients are chosen from four categories: alumni, staff/administration, faculty and student. Each recipient also chooses a community partner of great importance to them who is then honored with a gift in recognition of the collaboration.
Cynthia Lynch, director of the Center for Civic Engagement says, “The Civic Engagement Hall of Fame is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the important work our faculty, staff, students and alumni do with our community partners to promote the common good and bring about positive change in our local, regional, national and global communities.”
According to the Cynthia, “Past nominees were recognized for: advocating for and leading programs that support marginalized communities; participating in ongoing service-learning initiatives; coordinating events and programs that address social justices issues and support civic causes; and being involved in nonprofit and other civic-minded organizations.”
The Center for Civic Engagement is the nexus for community-based initiatives and civically-engaged learning at Salem State. The Center develops and supports programs that connects students, faculty, staff, and alumni to the greater community. Through reciprocal collaborations designed to address public issues and enhance academic learning, the Center promotes the importance of community involvement and the privileges and responsibilities inherent in civic participation.
About the Recipients
Alumni Recipient, Mayor Kimberley Driscoll: An alumna of Salem State University, Mayor Driscoll earned her bachelor’s degree in political science, and remained in the city as a resident. After earning her law degree, she spent time as Chelsea’s Chief Legal Counsel and the Deputy City Manager. In 1999, she ran for Salem City Council representing Ward 5. When she was elected as mayor of Salem in 2005, the first female mayor in the city’s history, she made it her mission to repair the city’s schools, roads, and open spaces. She is dedicated to the continuous improvement of the city’s safety programs, as is clear from her involvement in the Salem High School After-Prom Program. The program involves volunteers focused on ensuring the safety of students the night of their prom.
Staff/administration Recipient Dericka Canada, PhD: After completing her PhD in counseling psychology at Boston College, Dericka Canada, PhD, returned to Salem to complete her clinical fellowship with a focus on diversity. She now serves as a staff counselor, as well as the multicultural specialist for counseling and health services at Salem State University. Passionate about giving voice to the issues that communities of color face, Canada enjoys working with adolescents and young adults. She is committed to working with underserved communities as she engages in all of her work with social justice and sociocultural lenses.
Faculty Recipient Noel Healy, PhD: Noel Healy earned his PhD at the National University of Ireland, Galway, and spent a significant amount of time conducting research at the Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management at University of California, Berkeley. He is now an assistant professor in Salem State’s geography department where he is dedicated to the education of the current climate crisis and responses to the global changes. He has taken part in the efforts toward renewable energy transition, and is actively involved in the fossil fuel divestment movement across the US.
Student Recipient Leeanna Singleton: A junior at Salem State University, Leeanna Singleton is a communications major concentrating in public relations and minoring in business administration. Leeanna is actively involved on campus, and a representative of the advocacy group Black, Brown and Proud, as well as a stepper in the Urban Arts Theatre step team. She is also a member of the student success initiative BEES and enjoys mentoring younger students through Girls Inc., an organization that inspires girls to be strong, smart and bold through direct service and advocacy.
For more information on the induction ceremony, email Cynthia Lynch.