This Annual Meeting features highlights from the Ambassadors’ year, stories of success from local business-people and community members, the announcement and presentation of the Everyday Awards and things to look forward to.
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2024 Annual Meeting (Celebrated 4/12/25) Speakers
– Devin Forbes & Stephen Ewashko – Waughtown Studios –
Stephen Ewashko: Waughtown Studios Co-Founder and a former professional footballer with a passion for connection and community building. After dealing with injuries and mental fatigue as a professional soccer player, Stephen realized there was a significant need for support of professional soccer players in building the foundation for their post-soccer career. His own post-soccer career carried him on a journey through the branding and marketing world. Eventually he combined the two worlds of soccer and branding and began developing an agency dedicated to supporting young soccer players in their preparation and transition from the game.
Devin Forbes: Waughtown Studios Co-Founder and a seasoned cinematographer with a passion for education and career development. Devin graduated from one of the top 10 film schools in the nation (UNCSA), alongside nine other highly talented Cinematography majors. 12 years later, only two of them are working in the role they were trained to fill, and 50% of them aren’t even in the film industry at all. He seeks to combine his years of experience and motivation to help young media professionals to provide an effective solution to the gap we see right here in our own backyard, while leaning on all the resources we already have here for us.
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– Alexia Mitchell- Reset and Heal/The Black Mental Health Summit-
Chief William Penn – Winston-Salem Police Department
Chief Penn began his career with the Winston-Salem Police Department in 1997. He was promoted to Corporal in 2005, Sergeant in 2009, Lieutenant in 2014, Captain in 2017, Assistant Chief in 2019, and was appointed Chief of Police in January 2023.
Chief Penn has served in the Patrol Division, Foot Patrol, Vice and Narcotics, Crime Prevention, Recruiting Unit, and as Division Commander of District One. He also served as the Bureau Commander for the Support Services Bureau. Most recently, Chief Penn served as Bureau Commander of the Investigative Services Bureau.
In 2006, he was recognized by Ashley Elementary School as Volunteer of the Year for his work in the school. Chief Penn is an Assistant Scoutmaster with the Old Hickory Council Boy Scout Troop 912. He serves as a mentor at his former high school Carver High School in Winston-Salem, NC. In August 2019, he was recognized by the HBCU Living Legends Board as one of Winston-Salem State University’s very own Living Legends. Chief Penn has served on the Liberty Street CDC Board and the HBCU Living Legends Board. He currently serves on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity and Experience in Self Reliance.
Chief Penn is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and earned his Master of Business Administration from Winston-Salem State University. He is a graduate of the Administrative Officers Management Program at NC State University, the Piedmont Leadership Academy in Greensboro, NC where he now instructs and has earned the trilogy award from the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association. Chief Penn is a certified General Instructor through the North Carolina Justice Academy.
Chief Penn has one son. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family, listening to jazz music, and cycling.
Winston-Salem Ambassadors 