Pat Tillman Foundation (PTF) honored Mayor Adrian Perkins and the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, for their remarkable leadership and commitment to service at Tillman Honors on Friday, Nov. 8, in Chicago, Ill.
Tillman Honors, presented in partnership with the NFL, celebrates Pat Tillman’s legacy by honoring those who exemplify his fortitude and spirit of service, and who have carried that legacy forward through remarkable civic contributions. The annual benefit includes the presentation of the Champion and Make Your Mark Awards and showcases the global impact of Tillman Scholars as the next generation of leaders committed to service beyond self.
Ahead of Veterans Day, this year’s event brings together hundreds of Tillman Scholars and supporters from around the country to present the 2019 Champion Award posthumously to Sen. John McCain for his lifelong service, leadership and moral fortitude.
“In his commitment to the American people, Sen. McCain’s life of service offers an incredible example to the Tillman Scholars as they, too, strive to impact their communities through humble leadership and dedication to service,” says Marie Tillman, Board Chair and co-founder of PTF. “We’re honored to present the Champion Award to Senator McCain’s family in his memory.”
PTF is proud to present the 2019 Make Your Mark Award to Tillman Scholar Adrian Perkins for his innovative vision, leadership through action and commitment to address policing reform, economic development, and smart-city initiatives to empower the citizens of his hometown, Shreveport, La.
“Adrian Perkins embodies the core values that guided Pat’s life and the work of our Tillman Scholars,” says Dan Futrell, CEO of PTF. “In his first year, he’s already succeeding by leading with those values to bring communities together, drive down the crime rate, and create an economic and social environment where the people of Shreveport can thrive. Adrian’s early work is a much-needed example of how leadership can solve problems and bring communities together.”
Adrian Perkins was born in the Cedar Grove neighborhood of Shreveport. He is grandson of a sharecropper and the youngest of three boys raised by a single mother.
After 9/11, Perkins felt compelled to join the Army. He accepted a nomination to West Point, where he was the first African-American cadet elected class president in school history, and subsequently fought multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After serving, Perkins graduated from Harvard Law School where he was elected its student body president. While a law student, he focused his scholarship on criminal justice reform and the importance of innovation in small and mid-sized cities. While in law school, he assisted Governor John Bel Edwards on criminal justice reform.
Perkins announced his candidacy for mayor of Shreveport on April 26, 2018. During the campaign, he stressed policing reform, economic development, and smart-city initiatives. Perkins was installed as the 56th mayor of Shreveport on Dec. 29, 2018.
The Tillman Honors event is made possible thanks to the generosity of the NFL, TEKsystems, Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, LLP, William Blair and individual supporters.
This Article was published in the November 8th issue of The Inquisitor.