Martin Luther King Awards

LMC’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Luncheon is at 11 a.m. on Feb. 26, 2025,
Student Union Conference Center at the Pittsburg Campus, 2700 E. Leland Road.

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Guest Speaker

Reginald Richardson, Ed.D.

Pittsburg High School Principal

Reginald Richardson, Ed.D., is principal of Pittsburg High School. He is a dedicated educator and transformative leader with over 25 years of experience in shaping the future of education.

Richardson’s career trajectory has seen him serve as an elementary school principal, a middle school principal, and a high school principal, positively changing school communities across the Bay Area for nearly two decades.

His leadership is grounded in a collaborative, transformative approach, where he works side by side with educators, counselors, and families to create inclusive environments that foster student success. He is known for a leadership style rooted in love, empathy, and the belief that education is a powerful tool for creating lasting change.

Driven by a lifelong passion for learning and social justice, Richardson earned a bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University. He earned master’s degree in education and an administrative credential at UC Berkeley. He later completed his doctorate in educational leadership from California State University, East Bay.

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Emerging Leadership Award
Annisha Geran

Annisha Geran was born and raised in San Francisco and has been a Pittsburg resident since 2019. She graduated from LMC 2024. She is now a transfer student at California State University- Chico, pursuing a major in social science and a minor in career and life planning. Her goal is to return to LMC as a college counselor and serve as a living testimony to students, showing that despite tough circumstances, they can make it through and succeed on their academic journey.

Geran is a single mother of four who takes an active role in her children's education. She serves as chairperson on School Site Councils at Martin Luther King, Jr. Junior High School and as vice chairperson at Pittsburg High School. She successfully advocated Martin Luther King, Jr. Junior High School Scholars’ participation in the Pittsburg Holiday Parade for the first time in 2023 and again in 2024.

Since joining School Site Council at PHS, Geran worked to elevate awareness of the organization by designed shirts for the group to wear. Geran is now working to organize a parent appreciation night to recognize parents and their contributions to the school. She strives for continuous school improvement, takes the reigns, and makes it happen.

She promotes parent, teacher, and community engagement and frequently participates in PUSD class series/meetings such as SerenaMente and PIQE (Parent Institute For Quality Education).

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Beloved Community Award

Kolette Simonton

Kolette Simonton, director of Recreation for the City of Pittsburg, has been a long-standing resident and active community member. As the director of Recreation, Simonton is intentional about promoting resources for the community. She is steadfast in her efforts to encourage children from low-income families to participate in recreational activities and works obtain grants to ensure equal opportunities for those who might not otherwise be able to pay.

Simonton provides a summer program for students to participate in community service, she volunteers with the local track club annually. Her commitment to serving the community has increased the success rates of young people across Pittsburg and has helped to create a standard of excellence.

 

Simonton is a Pittsburg High School graduate. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies from California State University, Sacramento. She is the daughter of former Pittsburg Mayor Merl Craft.

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Visionary Leadership Award

Diana Becton

Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton is a true Visionary and Leader. Elected in 2022, Diana Becton is both the first woman and African American to be elected district attorney in Contra Costa County.

Her message of reform and restoring trust in the justice system includes a vision for an office that is fair, transparent, forward-thinking, committed to safeguarding all communities from crimes that threaten our health, well-being, and livelihood, and working on positive outcomes for youth.

Becton serves on the Board of Directors for The Family Justice Center, the West Contra Costa Youth Services Bureau, and the Castlemont High School Alumni Association.

She is a member of the Omega Upsilon Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, that serves East Contra Costa County community members. In her sorority, she serves on the Social Justice Committee where she educates youth and community members on voting and registering. She also serves on the Uplift Our Local Community committee, which provides Foothill Elementary students who rely on free lunch from school with meals on weekends when school is not open.

Becton became a judge on Nov. 28, 1995, where she served for 22 years on the Contra Costa County Superior Court as Presiding Judge.

A native of California, Becton is a product of Oakland public schools. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from San Francisco State University and graduated from the Golden Gate University School of Law. In 2015, Becton earned a Master of Theological Studies at Pacific School of Religion.

Becton is past president of the National Association of Women Judges, the nation’s leading voice for women in the judiciary, and past chair of the State Bar Council on Access and Fairness. She has spent her career serving the Contra Costa community all while breaking barriers and creating a path for African Americans and women to use as a guide to create their own path.

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