Project Title: Honoring Rhonda Sewell – AAF Toledo’s First African American Silver Medal Winner
Award: AAF Silver Medal Award (Lifetime Achievement)
Event Location: Toledo School for the Arts Black Box theater, Toledo, OH
Date: February 29, 2022
Background
In 2022, AAF Toledo made history by awarding its Silver Medal Award to its first-ever African American recipient, Rhonda Sewell, Director of Belonging and Community Engagement at the Toledo Museum of Art. The AAF Silver Medal Award is a prestigious lifetime achievement honor given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the advertising industry. While there had been many deserving candidates in the past, the challenge was a lack of nominations from outside of AAF Toledo’s existing networks.
Rhonda Sewell, with an extensive and impactful career in journalism, community engagement, social justice and a strong reputation across the city, stood out as an exceptional nominee. Her work in fostering inclusion at the Toledo Museum of Art and her extensive communications career made her a compelling candidate. Her nomination and eventual win marked a turning point for AAF Toledo in recognizing diversity within its community.
Objectives
- Recognize diverse leadership in the advertising and creative sectors by awarding the Silver Medal to a deserving minority leader.
- Increase diversity at AAF Toledo events by engaging Rhonda Sewell’s network and fostering a more inclusive environment.
- Demonstrate the impact of securing nominations from diverse audiences that inform AAF Toledo about underrepresented, yet deserving candidates.
Award Process
One of the main barriers in the past had been the underrepresentation of diverse candidates among Silver Medal nominees. However, a rich application showcasing Rhonda’s reputation and career achievements positioned her as a clear standout. Judges for the award, all of whom were past winners and highly respected in the community, quickly recognized her qualifications.
Once selected, Rhonda’s large and engaged network—spanning Toledo’s arts, business, and nonprofit sectors—was notified of her award. Word of her recognition spread quickly, leading to an overwhelming response from her supporters and the broader community.
Event Overview
Rhonda Sewell’s recognition drew significant attention to the 2022 American Advertising Awards ceremony, transforming it into a milestone event for AAF Toledo. The ceremony saw the most diverse audience in its history, as members of Toledo’s minority and creative communities turned out in strong numbers to celebrate her achievement. The event not only honored Rhonda’s contributions but also showcased AAF Toledo’s evolving commitment to recognizing and supporting diversity within the industry.
Impact
Historic Milestone for Diversity: Rhonda Sewell’s win broke a long-standing barrier, marking the first time an African American was awarded the Silver Medal by AAF Toledo. This achievement demonstrated the importance of recognizing leaders from underrepresented communities.
Record Diversity in Event Attendance: Thanks to Rhonda’s influence and her strong connections, AAF Toledo’s American Advertising Awards saw its most diverse attendance to date. Also, due to Rhonda’s extensive social media following, her posts about the Award helped bring much-needed awareness about AAF Toledo to new networks.
Increased Nomination Awareness: Rhonda’s selection helped highlight the need for more inclusive nomination and judging processes. The recognition inspired more community members to actively nominate diverse candidates, encouraging future nominations from a broader spectrum of the advertising and creative industries.
Lessons Learned
Nomination Process Matters: The underrepresentation of diverse candidates had more to do with the nomination process than a lack of qualified candidates. By encouraging nominations from a broader range of communities, AAF Toledo can ensure that deserving individuals from all backgrounds are considered. Also, as a past winner, Rhonda will remain a judge for future Silver Medal competitions for the next 3 years, increasing the variety of perspectives on the judging panel.
The Power of Networks: Rhonda Sewell’s wide-reaching network was instrumental in driving a historic level of engagement and diversity at the awards ceremony. Her supporters’ enthusiastic participation, many who were unfamiliar with AAF, demonstrated the importance of leveraging personal and professional networks in promoting diversity and recruitment.
Visibility of Leadership: Honoring a leader like Rhonda not only celebrates her contributions but also brings visibility to the importance of DEI in the advertising industry. This visibility encourages future diverse leaders to aspire to similar recognition. In addition, The Toledo Museum of Art also became a corporate member of AAF Toledo.
Conclusion
Rhonda Sewell’s recognition as AAF Toledo’s first African American Silver Medal recipient was a groundbreaking moment for the chapter. Her selection not only honored a deserving leader but gained AAF Toledo a corporate member, and increased attendance at their American Advertising Award show. The event also set a precedent for a more inclusive award judging process. This case study showcases the transformative impact of honoring diverse talent and the potential for AAF chapters to break new ground in their DEI initiatives.