Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga celebrated the winners of the 2025 City of Potential Awards at a breakfast gathering on Thursday, October 9, at The Westin Chattanooga. The annual awards highlight the “profound difference mentors and community partners make in the lives of young people across the region.”
This year’s honorees, chosen from a slate of finalists, exemplify leadership, compassion and a steadfast commitment to investing in Chattanooga through mentorship.
Allen Green, a Fire and Life Safety educator with the Chattanooga Fire Department and former foster youth, received the Chris Ramsey Mentoring Legacy Award for his long-standing dedication to mentorship–including founding the Read to Succeed literacy program and authoring a children’s book–while using his lived experience to empower at-risk youth and honor the enduring spirit of Chris Ramsey.
Green said, “All that I am, I owe! The path I had to travel was never for me, it was for those young boys and girls who would be traveling behind me. Thank you to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga for such an honorable award.”
Lawanda Hayes, a senior project manager at TVA and board member for Big Brothers Big Sisters, earned the Excellence in Mentoring Award for her creative approach and tireless advocacy–including transforming workplace mentoring into engaging experiences like etiquette classes and speed networking events for girls at Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy–providing extraordinary support that helps young women pursue their career goals and college aspirations.
This year also featured two special recognitions. The inaugural Chip Allen Award for Extraordinary Service, honors Chip Allen, a two-time Big Brother and former board member known as an exemplary leader and mentor. The award will be presented annually to a board member whose leadership and dedication exemplify Chip’s legacy.
The 2025 Defenders of Potential Award was presented to Pinnacle Financial Partners. Each year, Big Brothers Big Sisters recognizes a corporate partner whose support has been vital to advancing the mission, and Pinnacle’s commitment to empowering youth and strengthening community made them a deserving honoree.
“What I’ve always loved about Chattanooga is the generosity of its people, and our City of Potential Awards were a true celebration of that spirit. I’m inspired every day by our community’s commitment to mentoring, and our honorees show what it means to truly believe in others. That simple act is at the heart of this community and at the heart of everything we do at Big Brothers Big Sisters,” said Shadrina Booker, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga.
In addition to the awards, the event honored the organization’s Bigs of the Year, celebrating outstanding matches whose dedication and relationships reflect the very best of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Chattanooga mission:
Big Brother and Little Brother of the Year: Patrick Amos and Nicholas Raspberry
Big Sister and Little Sister of the Year: Kathy Martin and Phylicia Spikes
Big Couple Match of the Year: Blake and Andrea Ramsay with Little Brother Tyson Favors.
Community members who are inspired by the 2025 honorees are invited to learn more about becoming a mentor by visiting www.bbbschatt.org or calling 423-698-8016.