The African American Business Association of Will County held its 2026 Juneteenth CEO Celebration & Awards Gala on June 20 at the Renaissance Center in downtown Joliet.
The evening featured a formal awards presentation, networking, stories of achievement and “a celebration of culture, leadership, and economic empowerment,” according to the event description.
The 2026 honorees included:
Quintin Randall – Micro-Enterprise of the Year Award
Joseph Awinongya Jr. – Young Professional of the Year Award
Terry & Deidre Morris – Long-Standing Business Award
Lloyd & Estella Craig – Michael Austin Clark Lifetime Achievement Award
Jaron Nabors – New Business of the Year Award
Dr. Nicole Graves – Business of the Year Award
Wayne & Denise Duncan – Juneteenth Dream Big Award
Javier Garibay & Alejandro De La Luz – Corporate Partnership Award
Melissa Brown – Corporate Partnership Award
For more information, visit aabaconnect.org.
We welcome news about business developments in our communities. We appreciate hearing about local business comings and goings, new hours, expansions, and milestones in the Joliet area. If you have a tip to share for Eyes on Enterprise, email news@theherald-news.com.