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Our 2025 Honorees
Each year, in addition to providing scholarships, we recognize members of our community who have made significant contributions to our community.
Below are our 2025 Honorees, who have each distinguished themselves in their careers.
Susan Springsteen
Susan is Co-founder and CEO of H2O Connected, LLC, and a leader in Coatesville's revitalization.
In 2006, Susan co-founded nth Solutions LLC, a product development, business incubation, and manufacturing company in Coatesville that advances innovation from concept to commercialization with “Made in America” products.
An early Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) enthusiast, she is part of a team that renovated and expanded a vacant historic Lukens Steel office building located in Coatesville – the first QOZ real estate project in Chester County, PA. Now known as the nth Innovation Center, and recently designated as a Keystone
Innovative Zone, this project supports the growing entrepreneur community in Coatesville.
Susan and her companies are well known for their multi-year paid high school engineering and marketing internships, in which over a dozen students work alongside the professionals to develop products and launch them into the marketplace. Interns frequently become named inventors on revenue-generating patents because of their contribution to the inventive process. The Company’s manufacturing workforce is predominantly returning citizens and those in recovery from the community.
Susan is a Board Member of The Coatesville Second Century Alliance. Her latest initiative, Eggs 4 All, distributes surplus eggs from local chicken owners directly to Coatesville food pantries and homeless shelters.
Abigail Sikes
Abigail Sikes RN, BSN CS, is a Registered Nurse, Author, Entrepreneur, and Forgiveness Coach. With 25 years of nursing experience, she currently holds a position as a Post Acute Care Nurse at Penn Medicine.
She started her own business, Forgiving Gifts, where she speaks to encourage forgiveness and healing through traumatic experiences with a focus on Unforgiveness and Illness when we cannot
let go.
Abigail is a Certified American Red Cross instructor who assists with training and education on providing emergency care to individuals when needed. She is an active community services leader and
currently holds the position of President of the Minority Nurse Educators of Chester County, Oversight committee member for The Alliance for Health Equity, Wellness Coach for Arts Holding Hands and Hearts-Step Up, Step Out SUSO program, Black Women in Chester County in Action member.
She is a member of Coatesville First SDA Church, where she serves as a Deaconess and Community Health Leader.
Dr. Brittney Brooks
Dr. Brittney Brooks has recently reached the pinnacle of educational achievement.
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After receiving her Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Studies from the West Chester University of Pennsylvania, where she also minored in Business and Technical Writing, Professional Education, and Health Services.
She then went on to receive a MBA, also from WCU. After that, she earned a Doctor of Public Policy and Administration from WCU, in May of 2025, as well as an Industrial Organizational Psychology Certificate.
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She has many Research Achievements, and has presented at multiple Conferences, specifically focusing on Adaptive and Operational Leadership in HBCUs.
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While at WCU, she worked as an Entrepreneurial Assistant, an ICAMO Summer Academy Project Coordinator, and a Autism Skills Specialist. She has also worked for the past several years at Lincoln University, first as a Financial Program Coordinator, then as ACT101 Coordinator, and most recently as the ACT 101 Director.
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She was also an Adjunct Faculty member at Lincoln University, and is currently an Adjunct Faculty Member at Goldey Beacom College in Wilmington DE,, where she teaches English Composition.
Joe J. Lewis, Jr.
Joe is a lifelong resident of Coatesville. He graduated from Coatesville Area Senior High in 1972, where he excelled as an athlete and won numerous sports awards. After high school, Joe attended Cheyney State University, the first Historically Black University (HBCU), where he continued his football career, and graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in English in 1976.
Joe coached for many years in the Coatesville Midget League and the Coatesville Little League, and he was assistant coach for the CASH football teams.
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In October of 1983, Joe joined the popular gospel quartet The Golden Tones, in which he has been a member for over 41 years, and the leader since 1991. He is very proud of the success of the group, and how far God has brought them. They have been on programs with a long list of some of the best groups in gospel music.
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Joe joined the First Baptist Church of Passtown in 1986, and became a Trustee in 1990, and he was ordained as a Deacon in 1996 - a position he has held for almost 30 years. He has served as the Chairman for 2 Pastoral Search Committees, leading the Church with honor and integrity. He always answers the call when anyone is in need.
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Joe has shared 41 years of marriage with Pamela Norman, and they have 2 children, and 3 beautiful grandchildren. They keep him going,