Community Leader Award

Each year since 2008 the Melwood Prince George’s County Open presented by Under Armour has recognized someone in our community who has been a true leader through economic development, charitable giving and community outreach.

2010
The son of hard-working blue-collar parents, Jack B. Johnson took his mother’s advice to heart: Education opens the doors to dreams and aspirations. He embraced his father’s rule of standing up for what is right and wrong. Together his parents instilled in him a set of core values that Mr. Johnson honors to this day: Live in faith, do good deeds, and make a difference in the community.

In 2002, the voters overwhelming elected Mr. Johnson to become the sixth County Executive for Prince George’s County to represent more than 800,000 residents living in the wealthiest African-American county in the nation. Four years later they elected him again.

Mr. Johnson has transformed Prince George’s County into Gorgeous Prince George’s. He has increased the budget by more than $1 billion by building a strong economic base and vibrant job market. He fully funded the school board’s budget for two consecutive years; built nine new schools; rebuilt the police force into the largest in the county’s history; and helped make Prince George’s County become the gateway for the entire state by paving the way for the Gaylord International Hotel and Convention Center and National Harbor, a $2 billion 300-acre mixed-use development project that created more than 3,000 jobs.

2009
Thomas Graham, who is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Maryland Chamber’s Board of Directors, has been with Pepco for 23 years, serving in many leadership positions that include Regional Vice President, Manager, Strategic Accounts and Manager, Billing Services & Investigations.

In recognition of his community support he has earned many accolades. In 2006 he received the Friend of Community Action Award from the Maryland Community Action Partnership and also the Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year Award.  In 2004, he was recognized by the Boy Scouts of America as the “Good Scout” Award recipient and by the United Communities Against Poverty for contributions to the community.

2008
Albert W. Turner built his first 75 single-family homes before World War II. After returning home from his term in the service, he built an additional 125 homes in Montgomery and Prince George's Counties, Maryland. He then created MCD Enterprises to develop premier residential communities, such as: North College Park, Lewis Heights, The City of New Carrollton, Kettering, Calverton, Enterprise Estates, and Kingsford in Prince George's County; Olney Mill in Montgomery County; Prospect Plantation in Queen Anne County; and several small developments in Howard and Anne Arundel Counties.

These residential communities created a need for near-by shopping and neighborhood centers. In response, Carrollton Enterprises was created and began building shopping centers to support neighborhood growth and economic development. Currently, Carrollton Enterprises is the developer, owner and manager of eight shopping centers, totaling over 947,000 square feet of retail space; approximately 250,000 square feet of office building space; and Millsboro Ford located in Millsboro, Delaware. In addition, Albert W. Turner, owner, in partnership with Montgomery Developers is building Oak Creek, a gated golf course community in Prince George's County, consisting of 1,100 residential units.