Dwayne Pinkney

Who inspired you to give back— and how are you carrying that forward today?

“Family is the first influence for most people and on this dimension of “giving back” family is where it starts for me. My mother and father both had large families and their orientation was influenced by the notion that family members have a responsibility to support each other and others in the community. That was a bedrock value for them and they instilled that in me from an early age.

The organizations and the activities to which they exposed me and the community leaders they respected were focused on building stronger communities and serving others. The path to distinction was always predicated on service and the measure of success was consistently tied to impact on the community and society and also on the family.

This basic orientation and framework has always served as the foundation for my personal development and professional aspirations. There are too many individuals to name who have reinforced this outlook but chief among them are my parents.”