(BALTIMORE – August 10, 2022) – RSVP for “Recognizing Black Business Month” on Monday, August 22, 2022, from 6 to 8 pm at Darker Than Blue Grille, located at 413 N. Charles Street in downtown Baltimore. The event, presented by BmoreNews.com as a part of its 20th Anniversary list of events, will feature the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards. RSVP to https://blackbusinessmonth.eventbrite.com/.
Honorees include Cherie Brooks Wallace.
Who is Cherie?
Cherie Brooks Wallace, a native Baltimorean, is the Visionary Co-Founder, President & CEO of Power52 Foundation (Power52, Inc) a 501c3 non-profit. As CEO, Cherie brings clean energy access and economic empowerment to historically marginalized communities by way of resiliency hubs, clean energy resources, education, training, and sustainable jobs. Cherie serves on the frontlines of the intersection of environmental and economic justice.
Ms. Brooks’ flagship accomplishments have been the development and oversight of Power52 Energy Institute, the first Clean Energy focused Private Career School in the State of Maryland. Power52 Foundation is one of two non-profits to ever receive approval from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to own and operate a private career school in the State’s history. Cherie also managed the development to convert Living Classrooms’ community center, POWER House, into a Resiliency Hub, serving a public housing community in East Baltimore, whose residents are commonly at the highest risk during emergencies. The POWER House is the first solar-powered, community-based resiliency hub in the nation.
Before launching into the 501(c)(3) world, Cherie worked as a Site Acquisition Manager in the wireless industry leading a team of consultants, contractors, and legal counsel through the build process. This included managing subcontractors, and site acquisition specialists on all project phases (leasing, zoning, compliance, A&E, and Regulatory) on AT&T’s LTE Project as well as Verizon’s New Site/Raw Land Builds. Ms. Brooks developed over 200+ telecom sites and oversaw each site through leasing to construction milestones.
Cherie’s greatest strengths are her creativity, drive, and leadership. She thrives on challenges, particularly those that expand the company’s reach. Philanthropy and ministry are Cherie’s passions and one of her visions for Power52 Foundation is that it will become the primary on-ramp to careers in solar and renewable energy addressing under-employment and climate justice nationally, for persons from marginalized communities.
Ms. Brooks, a recent graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10KSB Executive Program, attended Bowie State University for undergraduate studies, and has obtained her Master Trainer credentials from the National Center for Construction and Research (NCCER) as well. Cherie is a member of Alpha Nu Omega Sorority, Inc. as well as an active member of Jack & Jill of America, Columbia, MD Chapter where she has held various chair positions during her ten-year tenure. Cherie lives in Maryland with her four kids and adorable dog, Snickerdoodle Hudson Wallace.
