Local Mother and Advocate to Receive Baltimore's Top Neighborhood Mom's Award


PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: Contact:
May 8, 2008 Kimberly Armstrong
1-800-485-8214


Baltimore, Maryland -- Kimberly Armstrong has had many roles in her life: author, activist, advocate, and entrepreneur. To Diamond, Eric, and Mike - she has had the most important role of all - Mom. And on Thursday, May 8th Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake will honor Kimberly Armstrong as one of Baltimore's Top Neighborhood Moms at a luncheon in Fells Point.

Kimberly Armstrong is the President of Diamond Development Inc., a consulting and training organization in Baltimore which provides services to families, professionals and community-involved individuals on stress and anger management, self-esteem, leadership, diversity and other life enhancement skills.Ms. Armstrong has completed trainings and received certificates from The Professional Woman Network and the Women's Entrepreneurs of Baltimore (W.E.B). Her advocacy regarding youth violence has led her to become a sought-after speaker and commentator. She has appeared in many venues including The Marc Steiner Radio Show, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, and The University of Maryland's Capitol News. Ms. Armstrong has participated in the Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition's Monthly Speakers Forum, the Women's Entrepreneurs of Baltimore's Work Force Development Workshop, and the Maryland State Assembly (provided testimony for legislated bills to help reform the Maryland Juvenile System). She has also appeared in many exhibits and documentaries. Additionally, Ms. Armstrong has served as the guest and keynote speaker for a number of organizations.In September 2004, Ms. Armstrong suffered a tragic loss when her youngest son, Eric, was murdered. This unfortunate event led her to embark on a journey as an author and inspirational speaker. Ms. Armstrong is one of 25 women who co-authored two books - The Christians Woman's Guide For Personal Success and Women as Leaders: Strategies for Empowerment & Communication. Ms. Armstrong thrives on and believes that the best way to help others is to help them find the brilliance in helping themselves. In December 2004, Ms. Armstrong received the 2004-05 Pollin Award from the Washington Wizards for Outstanding Dedication to the Community. In 2007, she was honored by the National Juvenile Justice Network and the Campaign for Youth Justice with The National Mother of Distinction Award. These accomplishments have made Ms. Armstrong an ardent proponent for positive, constructive and immediate reform of the entire juvenile justice system in Maryland.
Ms. Armstrong continues to fight injustice by helping youth and families help themselves through education and empowerment. The former Interim Co-Chair for the Maryland Juvenile Justice Coalition, Founder/Executive Director of the Just 4 Me Mentoring Program for Girls, and a former professional bus operator with the Maryland Transit Administration, Ms. Armstrong is currently a board member of the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention (GOCCP) and The Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative (JDAI) with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Department of Juvenile Services in Baltimore, Maryland.

To contact Ms. Armstrong, visit http://www.diamonddevelopmentinc.net/ or call 1-800-485-8214.

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