Usher's New Look Celebrates 15 Years At The 2014 President's Circle Awards Luncheon July 31, 2014; St. Regis, Atlanta

ATLANTA, July 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Usher's New Look, the non-profit organization founded by Usher Raymond IV committed to developing future leaders, will celebrate its 15^th anniversary at the 2014 President's Circle Awards Luncheon on Thursday, July 31, 2014 at the St. Regis, Atlanta. Rapper and Actor Ludacris will join Usher to emcee the event, and Josh Kaufman, season 6 winner of 'The Voice,' will perform. The Luncheon is an opportunity for New Look's supporters, community influencers, and high-profile individuals to come together and recognize the power of New Look and the incredible work that has transformed the lives of thousands of young people around the globe over the past 15 years. 

"What started as an annual week-long camp for kids from underserved communities to come together, make lasting friendships and feel empowered to become something one day, has evolved into a global organization that has impacted thousands of youth around the world," said Usher Raymond IV.  "I'm unbelievably proud of the accomplishments of each and every New Look youth leader, and I feel confident that we are truly shaping the next generation of leaders." 

Each year, New Look honors and recognizes the diverse ways individuals, organizations and corporations are empowering youth as leaders and change agents around the world. 

Mayor Kasim Reed will be presented with New Look's Service Legacy Award for his unwavering commitment to investing in initiatives that support youth education and their futures.  Cory Nettles, New Look Board Member and founder and Managing Director of Generation Growth Capital, Inc., will be honored with the Servant Leadership Award for his guidance and expertise in the strategic development of New Look's goals.  General Electric will receive the Youth Catalyst Award for their ongoing commitment to providing New Look youth leaders with incredible opportunities through their internship program.  Kami Luigs, Executive of Citizenship and Volunteerism at GE will accept the award on GE's behalf.  

Mary-Pat Hector and Jasmine Pollard, two dynamic New Look youth leaders, will be presented with the Global Youth Leadership Award.  Mary-Pat first became involved with New Look in 2011 and since then, has become a true model of New Look's mission.  From her steadfast dedication to activism and youth-targeted service projects, she has made it her duty to make the world a better place for young people.  In 2013, she launched her own anti-gun violence initiative called 'Think Twice', a campaign using statistics and graphic images about gun violence to encourage young people to say no to guns. She was awarded a $50k grant for this work from Peace First, a national nonprofit dedicated to teaching peacemaking skills to young people. 

Jasmine became involved with New Look in 2006 as a seventh grader, and despite hardships and many obstacles she has faced along the way, Jasmine's story has become one of New Look's most uplifting success stories.  She is constantly using her talent as a singer to create change in her community and raise awareness for a variety of causes that are important to her.  This spring, Jasmine will graduate from Georgia Southern University as a first generation college grad.

Supporters of the 2014 President's Circle Awards Luncheon include: Accenture, Bank of America, The Coca-Cola Company, Ford Motor Company, General Electric, Georgia Power Company, PayPal, Inc., Quarles & Brady, LLP, and Southwest Airlines. 

For more information about Usher's New Look and the President's Circle Awards Luncheon, please visit www.ushersnewlook.org.  For more information about how to purchase a ticket or how to get involved, please contact Melissa Ely at [email protected]. 

About Usher's New Look:
Established in 1999, Usher's New Look has trained and certified over 21,000 youth across its four leadership pillars – talent, education, career and service.  Through the development of innovative programs and a culture of consistent evaluation, reflection and refinement, New Look has achieved the gold standard in leadership development and success for youth.  Now, in its fifteenth year, New Look has seen 100% of participating youth graduate high school and go on to college.

Media Contact:
Jamie Kronfeld
Sunshine Sachs
212-691-2800
[email protected]

Chad Davis
Sunshine Sachs
212-691-2800
[email protected]

SOURCE Usher's New Look