Julie Wright Changemaker Award

Armond Corshawn Lee exemplifies the City of Richmond’s motto as “The City of Pride and Purpose.” Armond’s involvement in the community spans both his professional and his personal life. He’s the Senior Director of Restoring Neighborhoods at the Richmond Community Foundation, where he spends his full time job leading initiatives including securing housing for the unhoused, empowering young people in the community, overseeing an electric vehicle car sharing program to help people access reliable transportation and fixing up homes to provide more options for first-time home buyers. In his free time, he teaches swim lessons, particularly to those in the Black and Brown communities, where drowning rates are much higher. He also spends time substitute teaching, spending time with the elderly, and mentoring students in the West Contra Costa Unified School District. His tireless commitment to knocking down barriers to opportunity embodies the spirit of courageous action at the heart of the Julie Wright Changemaker Award.

Ann Guiam has come full circle in life, despite still being a young adult. She works tirelessly to build community for young people, just as others helped her do when she was a teen. She grew up in Richmond, and first learned about youth organizing as a student in West Contra Costa schools. She started as an intern at RYSE Youth Center in 2018. She’s now a full-time Youth Power Building Coordinator there, where she spends her days helping support and encouraging young people in the community. She also currently serves as a staff representative on the YO! Cali Steering Committee, working to build connections with youth leaders, organizers and funders at both regional and state levels. She makes a difference in the lives of young people on a daily basis, which is why she was selected as a Julie Wright Changemaker Award recipient.

Rob Kirker has been an educator for 25 years, the most recent 15 of those at Lincoln Elementary in Richmond. He’s known for his unwavering focus on making decisions guided by student learning and equity. He sets a high bar for excellence and integrity in his classroom, which has led to significant improvements in student success. Currently, he teaches 6th grade and he’s also a member of the school’s Instructional Leadership Team. He’s been leading the math instructional program at the school for nearly a decade, working to find best practices for both students and educators. His dedication to his students and Lincoln Elementary embodies so many of the traits the Julie Wright Changemaker Award celebrates.