The Honorees for 2025
A Look into the Selection of our African Americans of Excellence​
Scott Ambush
Musician
Bassist, composer and luthier, Scott Ambush has been performing since the age of twelve. A native of Frederick County, Maryland, Scott began playing electric bass when he discovered that the drum slot in the band he wanted to join was filled. Scott has no regrets. Scott has performed on stage and in studio with a veritable who’s who of the DC/MD/VA music scene; saxaphonists Tim Eyerman, Marshall Keys, and Al Williams, Singer/songwriters, John Carroll and Mary Ann Redmond, Guitarists, Carl Filipiak, Alan Scott and Michael Fath, and even the legendary Root Boy Slim. In addition, Scott has played hundreds, if not thousands, of Jazz, Pop, R&B, and Funk gigs throughout the region, especially adept at performing or filling in on short notice.
As an ongoing member of contemporary jazz super group, Spyro Gyra, he has garnered five Grammy nominations, and has become widely known for his versatility, sensitivity and lyrical playing. Scott is equally at home in a wide range of musical contexts, having played with such luminaries as Stanley Turrentine, Dizzy Gillespie, Omar Hakim and Special EFX. He has backed R&B jazz instrumentalists, Chuck Loeb, Kirk Whalum, and Pieces of a Dream; R&B vocalists Maysa Leak and Angela Bofil, as well as award winning Blues artist Deanna Bogart, among others. Whether doing live dates or recording projects with Bogart, Jason Miles, Teresa DeSio (Italy), Misato Watanabe (Japan) or renowned Bollywood composer and producer, Sandeep Chowta, Mr. Ambush's varied experiences have served him well. When not touring with Spyro Gyra, Mr. Ambush fronts his own group, and designs, builds and sells the custom bass guitars that carry his name.
Earl Robbins
Director of State and Local Affairs, Retired
Earl Robbins earned a B.S. Degree in Accounting from Hampton Institute. He worked in the manufacturing industry for over forty years as an accountant, a production supervisor and a manager. He retired as the Director of State and Local Government Affairs from Alcoa, Inc. During this time, he was very active in business and community organizations. He served as president and board member of the Frederick County Board of Education, the United Way of Frederick County, the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce and the Hood College Board of Associates.
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In September, 1995, he partnered with his fraternity, the Frederick (MD) Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. to start the Necktie Club at Frederick High School. The purpose of the club is to teach young men how to tie a necktie, how to dress for success, how to run a meeting using Robert’s Rules to Order and how to be a leader, especially young Black men. The Necktie Club expanded to five high schools.
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Later, he was one of the founding board members of Eliminating the Achievement Gaps, Inc. (EAG). EAG was a community organization that worked with the Frederick County Public System to identify problems and develop solutions to help all students be successful.
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Today, he is still involved in the community recently serving on the Board of Trustees of the Community Foundation of Frederick County and the Board of Directors of I Believe In Me.
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Earl believes that all students can learn and should have equal opportunity to be successful in school.
Earl and Olivia have been married for 55 years. They have three children and five grandchildren.
Kavonte Duckett
Vice President of County Council
Kavonté Duckett, a 7th generation native of Frederick, graduated from Tuscarora High School and Frederick Community College (FCC). He was FCC’s President of the Student Government Association and Student Representative on the Presidential Search Committee. He has been employed with the Rollins Life Celebration Center since 2011 where he currently serves as Director of Operations. He also served as the Director of Alan P. Linton Jr. Emergency Shelter for 4 years.
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Elected to the Frederick County Council - District 4 in November of 2022, Kavonté made history, becoming the first African American elected to Frederick County Government. After being sworn in, he was elected as the Vice President of the Council.
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He is a member of Improved, Benevolent, Protective Order of Elks of the World (IBPOEW), Mountain City Lodge # 382, President of Road Knights Car Club and serves on the board of directors for Fairview Cemetery Association, Downtown Frederick Partnership, and Community Action Agency. He has previously served on Frederick County Human Relation Commission, African American Resources Cultural and Heritage Society (AARCH), Eliminating the Achievement Gap, and I Believe in Me Inc. board of directors and as past president of the Young Democrats of Frederick County.
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Kavonté has received numerous awards including Rising Star Awards from BlackFrederick.com in 2012 and the Frederick Democratic Party in 2017, as well as the Dr. Dorothy I. Height Leadership Award from Frederick County Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., 2022 Frederick Magazine “People to Watch”, and the 2023 Dr. Earlene Thornton Award from The Frederick Club NANBPWC.
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His greatest achievement is his family. He and his wife Chantell want their son Micah to grow up embracing his culture and community. Kavonté’s mantra is “if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”
Dr. Denise Rollins
CEO of NonProfit
Dr. Denise Rollins’s background reflects her love for being a lifelong learner, community servant, leader, and visionary. Her education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting,Masters in Thanatology (the study of grief and death), PhD in Marriage & Family Therapy, and numerous certifications.
Professionally, Dr. Denise spent 25 years in the financial services industry with leadership roles in Accounting, Human Resources, Diversity, Training, Sales, and Consulting.
As an author, her first book, “2Grieve 2Gether” (later released as “Wholehearted Grief”) received an NAACP Image Award nomination for Best Nonfiction Book by a Debut Author. Dr. Denise is also a facilitator, consultant, and coach who has helped individuals and organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Her reputation and skills led her to an onscreen coaching role in three episodes of the 2021 season of the “Real Housewives of Potomac.” Dr. Denise founded her first nonprofit at age 22 and her first business at age 24. Currently, in alignment with her purpose and passion, Dr. Denise leads two nonprofits, the Whole Heart Grief & Life Resource Center and the Black Health Equity Coalition of Frederick, manages two businesses, the Rollins Life Celebration Center and BlackFrederick.com, and
serves on both the Ausherman Family Foundation and Frederick Health Hospital boards.
Dr. Denise, who was born, raised, and resides in Frederick, MD, is a proud, 38-year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. who also cherishes her roles as mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend.
Gayon Sampson
Senior Advisor
Gayon Sampson serves as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of the City of Frederick, a role he assumed in July 2022. Before joining the City of Frederick, Gayon worked as a Community Outreach Advisor in the Office of Government and Community Affairs at Johns Hopkins University & Medicine. Prior to that, he served as a Policy Associate at the Greater Baltimore Committee, focusing on education and workforce policy. Gayon’s professional experience also includes roles on Capitol Hill and within the Maryland General Assembly.
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Gayon has been actively involved in statewide initiatives and leadership roles. He was appointed by Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley to the Governor’s P-20 Leadership Council and the Maryland State Board of Education. He has also served as President of the University System of Maryland Student Council, Chair of the Maryland Youth Advisory Council, and Chair of the Maryland Higher Education Commission Student Advisory Council. Additionally, Gayon contributed as a staff member for Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh's transition team.
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As an eighth-generation native of Frederick County, Gayon is deeply committed to his community. He played pivotal roles on the transition committees for Mayor Michael O'Connor and County Executive Jessica Fitzwater. Gayon currently serves on the boards of the United Way of Frederick County, Baltimore Public Media Corporation, and the Ausherman Family Foundation IDEA Grant Committee. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and the Sons of the American Legion.
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Gayon holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Towson University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Maryland, College Park, School of Public Policy.
Dr. Renee Thomas-Spencer
Physician
Dr. Renee Thomas-Spencer provides Obstetrics and Gynecology services to patients in Frederick, Urbana and Mount Airy, MD. Dr. Thomas-Spencer, an experienced physician and a member of the staff at Capital Women's Care (Division 33), earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in biology from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she graduated in 1993. She also served in the 2290th United States Army Reserves Unit during the Desert Storm War in 1991.
After receiving her undergraduate degree, Dr. Thomas-Spencer attended medical school at Howard University College of Medicine, where she graduated in 1999. She completed her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Morehouse School of Medicine and Grady Memorial Hospital in 2003. Dr. Thomas-Spencer's areas of interest include laparoscopic procedures, minimally invasive procedures, and adolescent gynecology. She's Board Certified from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is a fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologist.
In 2009, Dr. Thomas-Spencer became the first African American, as well as the first female managing partner at Capital Women’s Care. She has taken pride in practicing medicine for the past 22 years in her hometown. She approaches every patient with empathy and compassion and believes regardless of their economic or social status should be treated with dignity. Dr. Thomas-Spencer is deeply committed to continuing her service in the Frederick Community and inspiring future generation of African American doctors to pursue their dreams.
Dr. Thomas-Spencer believes that “We Have the Power to Make a Difference!” In the years leading up to its establishment in November 2014, Dr. Thomas-Spencer played a pivotal role in chartering the Jack and Jill of America, Inc. Western Maryland Chapter (JJWMC). She was instrumental in recruiting a diverse group of talented women from her personal and professional networks to join the chapter. As a native of Frederick, Maryland, Dr. Thomas-Spencer recognized the need for an organization like Jack and Jill of America, Inc. in the community. In addition to her work with Jack and Jill, Dr. Thomas-Spencer serves on the Board of Trustees for her daughter’s school Holton-Arms and the Blessings in a Backpack Frederick Chapter.
Dr. Thomas-Spencer in her spare time, enjoys volunteering in her community, reading, spending time with friends, and traveling. She has the loving support of her husband Rod and daughter Rachel who is a graduating high school senior.
Theresa Williams-Harrison
Author/Speaker
Entrepreneur/Author/Speaker
Theresa Harrison has established herself as a successful entrepreneur who has successfully founded, led, and nurtured over five highly competitive businesses with many focused on leading edge technology and national security. Her multi-million-dollar companies were composed of multiple verticals and employed scores of personnel with an emphasis on opening doors for young techies.
In December, 2024, Theresa founded Fayette Central, her venture studio company. Fayette Central is a company that actively creates and launches multiple startups in Frederick County Maryland by generating its own business ideas, assembling founding teams, providing initial funding, and actively guiding the startups through development to reach product-market fit, essentially acting as a "startup factory" that builds new companies from the ground up. The first Fayette Central company will be launched in February, 2025. Theresa’s goal is to grow a $1B enterprise.
Theresa is a founding member of The BOW Collective, an organization and sisterhood of the Nation's top 1% of small business owners. As "Business Philanthropists" BOW work together to bring awareness, business opportunities, and capital resources to entrepreneurs.
Theresa is the Founder and President of GEORGE STREET Services, Inc. (GEORGE STREET) which is a leading IT and technology company that provides digital services, software engineering, IT and management services.
Prior to GEORGE STREET, from 1996 – 2008, Theresa was co-owner and president of Athenyx, LLC, #7 on the Greater Washington Technology Fast50 list which was acquired in 2008.
As a motivational speaker, Amazon bestselling author, mentor and active community servant, Theresa is a servant leader. Some of the organizations she serves are: Frederick County Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Just A Kind Note, Founder, Hood College, Board of Trustees, Truist Advisory Board, BOW Enterprises, CDO and Touch the Black Breast Cancer Alliance, Board Member.
Theresa’s debut book, “Yes, You ARE Able,” brings the reader on a journey to reach their highest peaks and summits, achieving all their biggest goals and dreams. An accomplished wife, mother, business owner, cancer survivor, speaker and much, much, more, Theresa opens her heart and life to share the tips and tricks of reaching heights of which we’ve only ever dreamed. She guides us through the twists and turns the path might take, offers the perspective that led to her success, and pushes us to our limits, further than we knew we could go. No matter where you are or where you've gone, there's no limit on where you can go. Yes, you ARE able!
Theresa and her husband Roosevelt have two daughters and one granddaughter, Koffi, Kolbi and Koen, who are their legacy of love and respect, God and faith, service and dedication and life and living. Theresa holds a B.S. and MBA in Business Administration with a focus on technical communications with numerous post graduate school courses and certifications