Dr. David DuBois

Lifetime Achievement

David DuBois is a Professor Emeritus in the Division of Community Health Sciences in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois Chicago. Reflecting his passion for mentoring, he led a Faculty Mentoring Program for several years and, currently, provides mentor training to faculty from across the university. David received his doctorate in clinical-community psychology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. His extensive research on the effectiveness of youth mentoring programs has been influential in shaping best practice guidelines in the field. He also has been instrumental in supporting and elevating the work of numerous other mentoring researchers both as lead editor of the award-winning Handbook of Youth Mentoring and as the Director of the National Mentoring Resource Center’s Research Board. David has a long-standing association with Big Brothers Big Sisters which includes chairing the organization’s Research Advisory Council, serving on the Program Committee of the BBBS affiliate in Chicago, and being a Big Brother himself.

Chef Aarón Sánchez

Public Elevation

Aarón Sánchez is an award-winning chef, TV personality, author and philanthropist. He is chef/owner of Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans, and was a judge on FOX’s hit culinary competition series MasterChef and MasterChef Junior. He is partner/creative director of Cocina, the first online content platform dedicated to celebrating Latin lifestyle through its vibrant culinary culture. Aarón grew up in the restaurant business and is passionate about preserving his family’s legacy through food and encouraging diversity in the kitchen.

Aarón has starred in multiple Food Network shows, most notably as a judge on Chopped and Chopped Junior. He was the host of Cooking Channel’s Emmy-nominated series, Taco Trip, and has appeared on numerous other shows including Iron Chef and Best Thing I Ever Ate. Additionally, Aarón hosted two Spanish-language shows on Fox Life, 3 Minutos con Aarón and MOTOCHEFS.

Aarón has won a James Beard Award for Television Studio Program and was recognized by the Hispanic Federation with the Premio Orgullo Award for being a leader in the Hispanic community. In 2016, Aarón founded the Aarón Sánchez Impact Fund, a program of Emeril Lagasse Foundation that uplifts the lives of Latino youth through food. ASIF initiatives support culinary arts education and mentoring, nutrition education and food access.

Motion Picture & Television Fund

The Echo Award

Passing The Torch is the Motion Picture and Television Fund’s intergenerational mentorship program that connects retired film and television professionals with students from underrepresented communities who aspire to behind-the scenes careers. Rooted in the belief that mentorship transforms lives, the program promotes meaningful connections where retirees share their wisdom, guidance, and encouragement, and students gain access to the wide range of career paths, insider knowledge they would never learn in school, along with a sense of belonging in an industry that can feel out of reach. For retirees, it’s a meaningful way to share their stories, stay connected, and find renewed purpose and relevance. Passing The Torch is a model for other industries that bridges generations, reduces social isolation, and celebrates the impact of mentorship.

Mayor Paul TenHaken

State & Local Public Service

Paul TenHaken became the 32nd Mayor of Sioux Falls, South Dakota in May 2018. His leadership has emphasized public entrepreneurship, innovation, employee culture, and fiscal responsibility. Created and established during his time in office, his One Sioux Falls framework prioritizes investments for strategic community growth through safety and health, accessible housing, workforce, and kids and families.

In 2019, Sioux Falls earned the “Age-Friendly Community” designation from AARP, a first for any city in South Dakota. Under his tenure, the city has enhanced its urban appeal with the completion of the State Theater, increased arts funding, and the launch of one of the nation’s first 5G networks. He has helped secure historic public/private partnerships for parks and development projects, all while maintaining fiscal responsibility and achieving the lowest debt per capita in over a decade.

Mayor TenHaken has prioritized public safety, bolstering police staffing, training, and resources, which has led to record drug seizures and opening the city’s first triage center for mental health and drug-related crises. He also secured $55 million for a new Public Safety Campus for training that opened in 2023 and includes a state-of-the-art Metro 911 Dispatch center. Reimagining public transit has also been a cornerstone of TenHaken’s time in office through the introduction of new routes and micro transit strategies, leading to increased ridership and citywide coverage for the first time ever.

Mayor TenHaken has launched several successful community-driven initiatives while in office. The Sioux 52 Mentoring Initiative was announced in January 2020, aiming to recruit 5,200 new mentors by 2026. The first Mayor’s Youth Council was established in 2021 with a small cohort of high school juniors and seniors to make their voices heard in city government. An avid athlete himself, Mayor TenHaken founded the 100 Miles, 100 Days fitness challenge to encourage the community to get active to support their physical and mental health.

Selected for the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative, Mayor TenHaken has focused on innovation and gained access to a global network of municipal leaders. He has served on the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee and as Chairman of the FCC’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee.

Re-elected in April 2022 with 73% of the vote, a record for Sioux Falls, Mayor TenHaken founded a run across South Dakota called The 437 Project to promote suicide awareness and prevention. Before his mayoral tenure, he founded and successfully exited Click Rain, a leading digital marketing agency known for its innovative products and unique workplace culture.

Mayor TenHaken is the recipient of numerous business and entrepreneurial awards, but he considers his family—wife Jill and their three children—his greatest achievement.

Eli Lilly and Company Foundation

Impactful Philanthropy