2025 Wendall Thomas Award Recipient

The Kentucky Association of Blacks in Higher Education (KABHE) has announced that Brittney Hernandez-Stevenson, Ed.D., campus manager of Madisonville Community College’s Muhlenberg Campus, is the 2025 recipient of the Wendall Thomas Award. This honor is awarded in recognition of outstanding efforts in advancing opportunities for African Americans in higher education and promoting equal opportunity for all. 

Outside of her professional role at MCC, she has made significant contributions to community development and social justice. She re-established the NAACP Muhlenberg County Branch and currently serves as its president. Her work at MCC includes advising students, leading sustainability efforts, and implementing long-term planning that earned the college national recognition from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. 

Her academic background includes a Bachelor of Science in human resources management and a Doctorate in educational leadership from Western Kentucky University, as well as a Master of Science in organizational communication from Murray State University. Her doctoral research focused on student involvement and African American student retention in community colleges.

Hernandez-Stevenson is active in many civic organizations, serving on the Felix E. Martin Jr. Advisory Council and as 2nd Vice President of the NAACP Kentucky State Conference. She is also a member of the Hopkinsville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a former board member of the United Way of the Coalfield and the Greater Muhlenberg Chamber of Commerce, and a member of First Missionary Baptist Church in Greenville.