Pittsburgh, PA – The August Wilson African American Cultural Center (AWAACC) is proud to announce the addition of three new members to the Board of Directors. Mr. Derrick Wilson, Dr. Andre Perry, and Lt. Col. Michael Walker were elected in November 2024 to serve three-year terms. All have supported the Center before assuming Board leadership.

The AWAACC was established in 2015 as a nonprofit, multidisciplinary arts center, open to all, and has been led since 2017 by Janis Burley as President and Chief Executive Officer. Tracey McCants Lewis has served as the Chair of the Board of Directors since 2021, and Rex Rideout and Shiv Sethi were recently named Vice Chairs.

McCants Lewis says “All three of our new Board Members are leaders in their respective fields and bring a wealth of knowledge to the Center’s Board leadership. They each have a strong desire to advance Black arts and culture in innovative ways. We are thrilled to have an opportunity to expand the Center’s impact with their expertise.”

Derrick Wilson has been in the workflow solutions industry for over 30 years. He has held numerous positions, including Major Account Representative at Copy World, Sales Manager at Business Alternatives, Print Management Specialist at Global Solutions Group and most recently, Vice President of Sales at Xerox. In 2011, Derrick decided to put into motion his desire to own a family business based on his beliefs and values. He also wanted to leverage his passion for establishing a partnership with his customers. On July 26, 2012, he launched The Wilson Group, an MBE with a decentralized business model that streamlines business processes, increases employee productivity, and decreases hard and soft costs. Derrick produced a 644% growth in the first three years of business, earning The Wilson Group 1st place in the Pittsburgh Business Times “Top 100 Fastest Growing Companies” for 2016 and 1st place in the “Best Places to Work” (mid-size category) for 2018.

Derrick holds a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, 1988. Derrick is an active community member and sits on several boards, including Bridgeway and Focus on Renewal. Derrick appreciates the struggles and challenges of nonprofits because he and his family have a 501c3 charity in the honor and memory of his son Kyle.

Lt. Col. Michael D. Walker (retired) is the founder and Managing Partner of TW Capital Group, a boutique advisory firm offering specialized services in mergers and acquisitions, due diligence, and strategic advisory to start-ups, micro-cap, and mid-size companies. Walker has had a storied career as a consultant and provider of advisory services. He has built a reputation for delivering high-impact solutions tailored to his client’s unique needs.

In 2008, Walker co-founded The PCT Companies, where he spearheaded efforts to provide intellectual property advisory services to Fortune 500 companies, including Microsoft and American Express. His leadership helped PCT establish a strong track record of success in the intellectual property domain. Prior to founding The PCT Companies, Walker served as CEO of Ocean Tomo Federal Services, an IP consulting firm focused on servicing, valuing, and monetizing government intellectual property assets.

In addition to his accomplishments in the private sector, Walker had a distinguished career in the United States Air Force Reserves. A decorated combat pilot, NASA selected him to fly Pathfinder missions for the Space Shuttle program. With over 20 years of expertise in science and technology, Walker’s military service included project management and advisory roles for the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) Chairman.

Walker has also demonstrated a commitment to leadership and service through his involvement with numerous corporate, government, and non-profit organizations. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National CARES Mentoring Movement, founded by Susan Taylor, Chairman Emeritus, ESSENCE Magazine, and the Thornhill Rites of Passage Foundation. He is the former chairman of the board of DC Innovates, further highlighting his dedication to fostering innovation and supporting meaningful causes.

Dr. Andre M. Perry is originally from Wilkinsburg, PA. He is a senior fellow and director of the Center for Community Uplift at the Brookings Institution. He is also a professor of practice of economics at Washington University in St. Louis. A nationally known and respected commentator on race, structural inequality, and education, Perry is the author of the forthcoming book “Black Power Scorecard: Measuring the Racial Gap and What We Can Do to Close It,” published by Henry Holt, available April 15, 2025 wherever books are sold. In 2020, Brooking Press published Perry’s previous book, “Know Your Price: Valuing Black Lives and Property in America’s Black Cities.”

Perry is a regular contributor to MSNBC and has been published by numerous national media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Nation, Bloomberg CityLab, and CNN.com. Perry has also made appearances on HBO, CNN, PBS, National Public Radio, NBC, and ABC. Perry’s research focuses on race and structural inequality, education, and economic inclusion. Perry’s recent scholarship at Brookings examines well-being across racial groups and regions in America, focusing on how investments in critical assets can lead to thriving.

Perry’s pioneering work on asset devaluation has made him a go- to researcher for policymakers, community development professionals, and civil rights groups. Perry co-authored the groundbreaking 2018 Brookings Institution report “The Devaluation of Assets in Black Neighborhoods,” and has presented its findings on the price of homes in Black neighborhoods across the country, including to the U.S. House Financial Services Committee. He has extended that report’s focus on housing in Black neighborhoods to include other assets such as businesses, schools, and banks.

ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a nonprofit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 100,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today.

Major support for AWAACC’s operations is provided by Richard King Mellon Foundation, Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Heinz Endowments, and the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD). AWAACC’s programming is made possible by generous support from its donors.

Media Contact: Amanda Brandes
412-567-2956 | abrandes@awaacc.org