2025 UNCF Mayor’s Masked Ball – Philadelphia

Stephanie Mays Boyd has over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry. She currently serves as a member of the Senior Management team as Director of Sales and Marketing with ASM at the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority (PCCA). Mays Boyd provides leadership to a dynamic sales and services team by creating sound strategies that yields $7 million dollars of revenue to the Center yearly.

As the economic engine for the city, state and region of Philadelphia, the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority boasts one million square feet of saleable meeting space. The sales divisions of the PCCA and Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB) work jointly to attract meetings and conventions for the city of Philadelphia.

A native of Macon, Georgia, Ms. Mays Boyd started her career path at the Macon-Bibb County Convention and Visitors Bureau in 1990 as a Convention Marketing Representative. There she was very active within the community serving on various boards to include, Boys and Girls Club of Central Georgia, Macon Arts Alliance, Society of Government Meeting Planners, and a graduate of Leadership Macon.

Mays Boyd has had a progressive career at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. To fully understand the day-to-day operations of the Convention Center, she began as an Event Coordinator in 1996. While having passion for the sales component of the hospitality industry, she joined the sales team as Sales and Service Coordinator then advanced to Convention and Tradeshow Sales Manager. Ms. Mays Boyd then broadened her scope to aspire to leadership roles within the Authority as Senior Sales Manager, Director of Sales and Marketing and currently, Vice President of Sales and Marketing. The Convention Center then joined forces with the management company, ASM, where she serves in the capacity of Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

She currently serves as a member of the Executive Board of Directors for the African American Museum of Philadelphia serving as Secretary. Mays Boyd is the Chair of the Leadership Council of the United Negro College Fund (Philadelphia). She is a former member of the Board of Trustees at Lincoln University and Peirce College. Mays Boyd also serves as a member of the Advisory Board for the Philadelphia Fashion Incubator and PHLDiversity and is the Founder of the Philadelphia Chapter of Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. She is a 2009 graduate of the National Urban League Leadership Forum and a graduate of the 2010 Class of Leadership Philadelphia.

Mays Boyd is a member of The Links, Incorporated (Philadelphia Chapter) and has the esteemed honor of serving as a member of the National Presidents Advisory Council. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Phi Beta Omega Chapter.

Mays Boyd was recognized by the Philadelphia Tribune as Philadelphia’s Most Influential and as one of the Philadelphia region’s “Leaders”.

She holds a BBA degree with a concentration in Marketing from Clark-Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia. She received her MBA degree from Lincoln University where she graduated magna cum laude.

She is an active leader, volunteer, philanthropist, fundraiser and contributor to the community of Philadelphia. She places a high level of interest and contributions with non-profit and academic organizations that advocate the welfare and advancement of women, diversity and inclusion, youth and the arts.

Steven Scott Bradley is a distinguished business leader and community advocate with a career spanning nearly four decades in the insurance industry. As the Principal and Senior Client Executive at OneDigital (formerly Bradley & Bradley Associates), he has demonstrated exceptional expertise in his field. Bradley’s leadership extends far beyond his professional role, as evidenced by his numerous board positions and civic engagements. He serves as the Vice Chairman of the World Trade Center Greater Philadelphia, is a delegate to the World Trade Center General Assembly, representing Philadelphia on the global stage, and holds the position of Chairman of OIC Philadelphia. His commitment to economic development and community empowerment is further exemplified by his roles as board member of FIFA Philadelphia Soccer 2026 and Chairman Emeritus of the African American Chamber of Commerce for PA, NJ, and DE.

Bradley’s influence and dedication have not gone unnoticed, as he has been the recipient of multiple prestigious awards. These include the 2023 Philadelphia Business Journal Diversity Lifetime Achievement Award, the 2023 African American Chamber Vanguard Award, and the Philadelphia Urban League Whitney M. Young Jr. Empowerment Award. His service extends to various sectors, including education, media, and the arts, with board positions at institutions such as WHYY Public Radio & Media, the Philadelphia Ballet, and Pierce College. Bradley’s multifaceted involvement in Philadelphia’s business, cultural, and community landscapes has established him as a pivotal figure in the city’s ongoing development and a champion for diversity and inclusion in the corporate world.

In this key leadership role to help create remarkable health experiences in southeastern PA (SEPA), Ken guides a comprehensive strategy to advance Highmark’s commitment to the region’s communities and strengthen its local presence. He works closely with the Segment President, Highmark’s Government Affairs, Community Affairs, Social Determinants of Health, and Corporate Communications departments, in addition to collaborating with strategic external stakeholders throughout Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.

Ken has an established track record of serving and improving communities across the Commonwealth. He most recently served as chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, the legislative and executive arm of Pennsylvania’s third-largest county that oversees more than 2,800 county employees, a $500-plus million budget, county property and health and human services programs. Prior to that, Ken enjoyed a successful decade-long tenure at Temple University during which he was VP of Alumni Relations and SVP of Government, Community and Public Affairs. He also founded and operated the consulting firm Public Affairs Strategies and held managerial positions with Merck & Co. He earned his bachelor’s in Political Science from Temple University and master’s in Public Administration from the University of Pennsylvania.

Ken currently serves as Chair of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Board of Directors, the Board of Visitors for the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University and the Schuylkill River Development Corporation. Previously, he served as chair of the Pennsylvania Election Law Advisory Board and treasurer of the Schuylkill River Passenger Authority. He also served on the boards of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association n. He has invested his time as a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters Independence Region, Committee of Seventy, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC), and Valley Forge Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Evelyn Sample-Oates is often described as a bridge builder, a motivator, a mover and shaker, a person of resource, the consummate advocate for the voiceless and ambassador for the hopeless. She is one of the “Go-To” people in Philadelphia to get the job done according to the Philadelphia Tribune newspaper. Sample-Oates is the Senior Vice President of Communications, Marketing and Policy for OIC of America (OICA). A national non-profit institution headquartered in Philadelphia and founded 60 years ago by the great Reverend Dr. Leon Sullivan. OICA intentionally builds economies that benefit all people, and fight to achieve economic justice and reduce poverty.

She has more than 25 years of executive leadership in both non-profit and for-profit organizations. Prior to accepting the role at OICA, Mrs. Sample-Oates served as Chief of Communications and Government Relations for the Fairmount Park Conservancy and prior to that, Chief of Communications, Chief of Family and Community Engagement and Executive Director of Government Relations and Advocacy for the School District of Philadelphia. She helped to establish Parent University at The School District of Philadelphia where thousands of parents graduated with the skillset to help their children with their daily academic studies.

Sample-Oates proudly serves on The National Board of Trustees for the Boys & Girls Club of America. She is deeply involved in community service and holds membership in Jack & Jill of America, The Links, Incorporated and is a lifetime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Additionally, she is an officer in her beloved church, Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Her awards and honors are numerous, and her appreciation is endless, because she lives her life knowing, “That to Whom Much is Given, Much Is Required.”

She is a proud graduate of the American University in Washington, DC where she received her degree in Broadcast Journalism with a minor in Business Administration. She has been married for 23-years to her best friend, Dr. Patrick Oates. To this day, her parents remain her role models and her heroes. Her biggest, brightest, and proudest accomplishment to date is being the mother of two wonderful children: Andrea-Rose Oates a Junior at Syracuse University and son John-Patrick Oates a Sophomore in High School.

Dr. Patrick Michael Oates is a fourth generation Philadelphian and a product of the public school system of the city. He completed his undergraduate training at Tuskegee University in Animal Science and a doctorate degree at Howard University in Washington, DC in Physiology & Molecular Biology. While attending graduate school, Patrick had the rare opportunity to hone his research skills at the world-renowned National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). After completing the Ph.D. degree, Dr. Oates returned home to work in the pharmaceutical industry- initially with GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals, at the bench as a researcher, in Medical Affairs, as a Medical Science Liaison, and later in Marketing & Sales as a Product Manager and as a Market Research Analyst. He continued his career at Aventis Pharmaceuticals in Bridgewater, NJ, in CNS New Product Commercialization and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals as the Director of Infectious Diseases, Global Medical Affairs where he led a team of MDs, PharmDs, and PhDs. Dr. Oates also worked at PRWT Services, Cherokee Pharmaceuticals as a Director of Business Development. He is presently the Senior Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Planning for EMSCO Scientific, Inc. a forty-four-year-old, local, minority owned and operated scientific enterprise. EMSCO Scientific sources chemicals, pharmaceutical excipients, proteins, antibodies, laboratory supplies & equipment to the pharmaceutical and biomedical research sectors. He is also the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of RecruitRx, a minority owned enterprise whose mission is to drive clinical success by connecting clinical trials with qualified subjects while accelerating patient enrollment, enhancing trial diversity, increasing compliance, and meeting the staffing needs of research organizations.

Dr. Patrick Oates understands the importance of giving back to the community that has given so much to him. He has served on the board of directors of numerous community-based organizations including the Columbia- North Y.M.C.A., the Philadelphia Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC), Ivy Leaf Schools, the American Diabetes Association, and the Philadelphia High School Academies. He is the past President of the Tuskegee University Alumni Club of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Club, Frontiers International- a community service, civic organization. He has served on the Board of Trustees of the University of the Sciences of Philadelphia formerly Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, the Philadelphia Tribune Charities, The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation, The Academy of Natural Sciences, and the Philadelphia Zoological Society. Dr. Oates was honored to serve as the Chairman of the Marian Anderson Historical Society Gala Committee. He is an active member of Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church where he serves as a member of the Board of Deacons and the past Chairman of the Community Re-Investment Ministry. Under his leadership, the fund contributed more than $1.5 million to non-profit entities serving the disadvantaged in the Philadelphia region. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity Inc., Alpha Boule. He serves as the Chairman of the Jackson-Minton Scholarship Fund that has raised over $1.4M in support of African American males enrolled in the Thomas Jefferson University Sidney Kimmel College of Medicine. Dr. Oates is the Immediate Past Sire Archon of Alpha Boule of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc., the oldest African American fraternity for professional men. Patrick serves as a member of the Wistar Cancer Research Institute Board of Trustees, the Thomas Jefferson University Research Sub-Committee, the Thomas Jefferson University Academic Affairs Committee, and the African American Museum of Philadelphia (AAMP) Board of Directors. Dr. Oates was recently appointed the Chairman of the PHL Life Sciences Advisory Board, a member of the Board of Directors of the Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Mayor Cherelle Parker’s Biomedical Innovation Roundtable.

In 2004, Dr. Oates was appointed by Governor Edward G. Rendell to the Pennsylvania Board of Drugs, Cosmetics, and Medical Devices. He had the distinct honor of serving on the Philadelphia Finance Committee, the Pennsylvania Finance Committee, and the Mid-Atlantic Finance Committee for Barack Obama for President.

He is married to the lovely Evelyn R. Sample-Oates- the Senior Vice President of Communications, Marketing for O.I.C. of America. They are the proud parents of two talented children, Andrea-Rose Sample Oates, a junior at Syracuse University and John-Patrick Urias Oates, a junior at Lasalle College High School.