(BALTIMORE – November 27, 2025) – I have to be honest. When we name our Woman or Man of the Year, it’s primarily from a Baltimore-centric perspective. Yes, we cover news about melanated people across the globe, and, sure, we host the Joe Manns Black Wall Street Awards in 9 U.S. cities, with followers worldwide. But our home is right here in Sandtown. The people who fueled BMORENews.com for the past 23 years are mostly right here in Maryland – from Baltimore City to Catonsville to Woodlawn, Randallstown to Owings Mills, Towson to Hunt Valley, Sparrows Point to Essex, and down to Gorgeous Prince George’s County, the most populated Black area next to DC and Baltimore. Our honorees come from the people we see most, the ones we cover, and the ones who support us.
Take Teresa Stephens, for example.
I personally worked with her back in the 90s on the Historic Pennsylvania Avenue Cadillac Parade and Royal Theater Show with the one and only George and Stephanie Gilliam. We brought energy to Pennsylvania Avenue that had not been seen in years. Teresa continued her work in Upton, as instructed by the late, great Lena Boone. I loved Ms. Boone. She was iconic. I can still see that stern look she had. She didn’t play. She loved her people and her community, and it showed for years. I remember we even had Little Willie Adams in the parade once.
That same commitment to community has defined Teresa’s entire career. Before joining WNADA as Public Affairs Officer in October 2023, she led the Neighborhood Development and Outreach department at Baltimore City’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD), expanding opportunities for developers, homebuyers, and investors through the City’s nationally recognized Vacants to Value program. Before that, she served as Marketing Director at Live Baltimore, helping to retain and recruit Baltimore City residents. All the while, she stayed connected to our community efforts in the broader West Baltimore.
But it’s her current role at the West North Avenue Development Authority (WNADA) where I see her impact most clearly. I am personally proud of this historic and all-important initiative. It is the first time in my life that any money has ever been invested in West North Avenue. State Senator Antonio Hayes, an early supporter of Gov. Wes Moore, has brought back the bacon. And Teresa Stephens makes things go smoothly.
I believe she is the glue – that unsung shero who holds it all together behind the scenes. She refuses the spotlight. And that is exactly the type of servant-leader we applaud most: the one who is in it to get the job done.
She does not want accolades. She does not want the camera and the lights. She toils patiently, making sure connections are made and, when necessary, amplified. Like I said, the glue.
A Baltimore native with more than 25 years of community service, Teresa has given her talents to Baltimore City 4-H, the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland, the University of Maryland’s Master Gardener Program, and Habitat for Humanity of the Chesapeake. Currently, she serves on the board of Baltimore Green Space. Frankly, WNADA is fortunate to have a person with impeccable integrity who cares this deeply in that position. And she knows the community.
Let’s be honest – a lot of people have a preconception when you mention North Avenue. I know. I grew up on North Avenue, East and West. I caught that #13 many a time going in both directions as early as ’73 when bus fare was 15 cents. Ha! But I digress.
We’re recognizing the heart and soul not only of WNADA, but of the entire West Baltimore. She is not new to this; she is true to this. We celebrate Teresa Stephens and her undying commitment to making Baltimore better.
In my book, she is the real-deal Holyfield: authentic. Highly intelligent. And she gives a damn.
Amen.
