NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER
MEN OF EXCELLENCE 2019
FEBRUARY 20-26, 2019
RELIGION
ENTREPRENEUR
REV. JAMES E. HUNT
ANTHONY JEFFERSON Owner/Operator Mark Anthony Hair Salon
Senior Pastor First Baptist Church of Penn Hills Revrerend James E. Hunt has mentored many, especially men, in a number of ways. As a high school English teacher, he academically challenged teens to be their best in the classroom and also on the nationally-ranked Gateway Forensic Team, which he coached. In Penn Hills, Rev. Hunt founded Western Penn Hills Community Action Inc., whose flagship Summer Youth Employment Program has trained and placed over 600 teens in 24 years. As a pastor, Rev. Hunt has mentored young preachers, taught seminary courses and provided opportunities for clergy to grow in their preaching craft. As a college student activities administrator, he was pivotal in the development of student leadership skills outside of the classroom. Reverend Hunt has excelled as educator, community advocate and pastor. His pastorate at First Baptist Church of Penn Hills has impacted local, national and international communities. The congregation has financially,
and through service activities, supported missions locally to the homeless, nursing homes, Children’s Hospital and Veterans. Nationally, First Baptist Church of Penn Hills has financially assisted in the water crises in Flint, Michigan, flood victims in the southern United States and
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sent a mission team to assist after Hurricane Katrina. He has trained congregants and led mission trips to the countries of Haiti (three times), Germany, Jamaica and Kenya. First Baptist Church of Penn Hills was part of the first African American mission team to Russia after the fall of the Iron Curtain. In 2018, Rev. Hunt led his congregation in the debt-free completion of extensive church renovation. In addition to being the founder and Board President of Western Penn Hills Community Action Inc. (WPHCA), he serves on the Duquesne University Institutional Review Board, has served on the board of AAMI (Afro-American Music Institute) and member and past president of the Penn Hills Association of Christian Clergy. He received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and doctoral studies at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Anthony Jefferson is the proud owner, operator and creative director of Mark Anthony Hair Salon. For 21 years he has owned and operated the salon, located in Oakland. A zealous advocate of ongoing hair care training, Jefferson’s mission is to help a diverse array of men and women, young or tenured, realize their inner beauty that makes their outer appearance shine that much brighter, with original hair fashions that are customized for every individual that sits in his chair. His passion for hair and beauty has brought Jefferson much success in the hair and beauty industry. According to Jefferson, “every customer is a celebrity” and he provides top notch hair care service to each and every client he serves. With a business philosophy built on teamwork, he encourages his staff to adopt the same model and best practice with clients, which has resulted in the establishment of Mark Anthony Hair Salon as a premier hair care service in the region. Jefferson’s passion for hair care
began at the ripe age of 12. By age 15, he began mastering the barbering craft, by combining his creative and artistic abilities. Shortly after graduating from high school, Jefferson attended the Pittsburgh Beauty Academy (PBA) in the early ‘90s where he continued to build upon his creative skills, which also became the turning point in
his life for making a lifelong career in the beauty industry. Jefferson currently manages a team of 16 dynamic individuals. Together they create breathtaking hair designs that attract people from across the country to receive such customized hair care services from natural twists and braid styles, to press and flat iron designs, to one-of-a-kind hair color creations. Jefferson and his team, which includes his wife, Karmyn, have participated in numerous photoshoots in Pittsburgh, New York, and Miami to name a few. In 2017 his team also won the Pittsburgh City Paper “Best of Pittsburgh Hair Salon.” Jefferson has been an active member of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church for 20 years. Jefferson and Karmyn have worked side-by-side along this entire 30-year business journey and share multiple benefits in the beauty industry and in life, as they share the most glorifying accomplishment of raising two phenomenal children, Te’Sia and Anthony.