The not-for-profit organization Accelerate Auto announced the names of the four winners of its first inaugural Black Automotive Professional Awards (BAPA) last week at the Automotive News Congress in Toronto, Ont. that took place at the Canadian International Auto Show.
Accelerate Auto created BAPA to honour Black individuals showcasing exemplary service, and who have made substantial contributions to the automotive industry and their communities.
“We couldn’t be more proud to announce the names of these winners,” said Christopher Nabeta, Executive Chair of Accelerate Auto, in a statement. “They come from across all sectors of the automotive industry. Their achievements speak for themselves, and their hard work is an inspiration to others.”
The 2024 BAPA award categories and winners are:
- Yolanda Biswah for the Women’s Leadership Award: Canadian Black Book’s President is an active volunteer for Accelerate Auto, volunteers with organizations like Tropicana and The Boys and Girls Club, and mentors Black youth through Accelerate Auto’s Mentorship Program.
- Shannon Miller for the Young Professional Award: Project Lead, Workforce & Talent Strategy at the Ontario Vehicle Innovation Network (OVIN)
- Mark Donaldson for the Emerging Leader Award: the CEO of Quantuity Analytics, Accelerate Auto has described him as having a strong commitment to community involvement, which includes mentoring BIPOC students and contributing to the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce.
- Dwain Samuels for the Leadership Excellence Award: As the Director of Sales — Data Licensing at CBB, Samuels provides a weekly market analysis and recently received a Harvard Business Publishing Corporate learning certification.
Nominations were open to both current and retired professionals whose careers stem from the automotive industry. Accelerate Auto also encouraged self-nominations.
For more information about Accelerate Auto visit: www.accelerateauto.ca
