Anthony T. Stewart

Welcome to The Gary Academy of Professional & Civil Laureates. Our institution is dedicated to building an ironclad, peer-reviewed repository that audits and permanently secures the global intellectual diaspora of Gary, Indiana. Backed by an exceptional Board of Regents and rigorous empirical oversight, we bridge legacy historical preservation with future-state digital governance.

Institutional Oversight 

Board of Regents

Anthony T. Stewart, M.S., PMI-CPMAI™ – Founder, President, and Chief Executive Officer: Mr. Stewart is the innovative founder, executive architect, and chief strategist of the Academy. As a committed frontline Special Education Educator and higher education academic, he presently functions as an active instructional leader while also serving as an Adjunct Faculty member and University Supervisor in teacher education. Raised in Gary, Indiana, and an alumnus of Theodore Roosevelt High School, Mr. Stewart possesses a Master of Science degree from National University, along with advanced post-graduate training in both doctoral (DSW) and legal (JD) disciplines. With certification in AI Management, his specialized knowledge in behavioral data metrics and responsible AI governance constitutes the operational framework for the Academy's stringent peer-review processes. Mr. Stewart oversees the Academy's nominations process, peer-review standards, and overall institutional strategy. 

Pastor Dr. Derrick T. Simmons - Board Regent & Director of Development & Institutional Advancement:  Dr. Simmons is a distinguished theologian, senior administrator, and global community leader. Raised in Gary, Indiana, he is an alumnus of Theodore Roosevelt High School and holds advanced theological credentials from Vanderbilt University and McCormick Theological Seminary. Dr. Simmons currently serves as the Presiding Elder of the Chicago District and Pastor at St Mark AME Zion Church-East Chicago, Indiana . His extensive international governance record includes a historic tenure serving as the Presiding Elder of Trinidad and Tobago, bringing decades of executive leadership and cross-cultural diplomacy to the Academy. Dr. Simmons anchors the Academy's capital preservation, corporate sponsorship initiatives, and community foundation partnerships. 

Dr. Courtney E. Stewart – Board Regent & Director of Jurisprudence & Institutional Governance: Dr. Stewart is a distinguished judicial administrator, corporate consultant, and public policy strategist specializing in federal grants administration and court management. A former senior Grants Management Analyst for the Department of Justice Services, she brings a career spanning over two decades within the judiciary—including tenure as the Specialized Dockets Director for the Circuit Court and primary staff liaison to the Supreme Court of Virginia. Dr. Stewart anchors the Academy's regulatory compliance, fiscal stewardship, and institutional governance standards.

Steven Harper – Board Regent & Director of Archival Science & Registry Artifacts : Raised in Gary, Indiana, Mr. Harper is an alumnus of Theodore Roosevelt High School and an accomplished educator, journalist, and information systems specialist with nearly four decades of professional service within municipal and educational frameworks. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism from Indiana State University. Mr. Harper’s career bridges high-level media operations and academic curation, having served as a veteran Copy Editor for the Post-Tribune and an institutional Librarian for the Gary Community School Corporation. His deep expertise in text classification, information literacy, and specialized research methodologies is paired with extensive regulatory experience as a professional corporate Income Auditor. Mr. Harper is the primary custodian of the Academy’s permanent registry database and digital historical assets. 

Emeritus & Advisory Appointments

Steven E. LaBroi - Board Regent Emeritus & Academic Trustee in Applied Economics:  Mr. LaBroi is a prominent macro-financial strategist, bestselling author, and corporate executive based in Washington, D.C. Raised in Gary, Indiana, he is an alumnus of Theodore Roosevelt High School and studied Finance at Morehouse College. As the Founder and Chief Financial Strategist of the LaBroi Insurance Group, Mr. LaBroi has spent over 30 years engineering sophisticated wealth-preservation frameworks across more than 40 states. His groundbreaking financial literature serves as an institutional blueprint for closing structural wealth gaps. 

Nathaniel "Nate" Shaw Jr. – Board Regent Emeritus & Director of Access & Outreach Partnerships: Raised in Gary, Indiana, Mr. Shaw is an alumnus of Theodore Roosevelt High School and a seasoned financial services executive and community development strategist with more than 25 years of experience in business development, relationship management, and civic engagement across Northwest Indiana. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Tuskegee University. Mr. Shaw currently serves as Vice President, National Director of Access & Outreach at Notre Dame Federal Credit Union, where he leads national initiatives in consumer and commercial lending growth, deposit portfolio development, and employer-group partnerships. He also serves as an Executive Board Member of the NAACP Gary Branch and chairs the Small Business & Economic Development Committee of the Gary Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Shaw anchors the Academy's community access initiatives and regional financial-sector partnerships. 

The Office of Board Governance & Registry Operations 

The Academy’s day-to-day data systems and proprietary operational workflows are fully automated, operating under the strategic governance and strict human verification of our designated Directors of Record: 

• Archive & Intake Management (Director of record: Steven Harper)– Automated intake processing, systematic indexing, and standardized cloud archiving of historical records, public nomination profiles, and vintage multimedia artifacts.

• Historical Fact-Checking & Verification (Director of record: The Office of the Founder) – Algorithmic and open-source cross-referencing of public registries, digital newspaper archives, and historical timelines to ensure absolute credential and biographical integrity before peer review.

• Digital Media Production & Content Creation (Director of record: The Office of the Founder)  – Systematic orchestration of high-standard graphic announcements, cinematic event highlight reels, and formal press releases mirroring the prestige of an academic press.

• Global Diaspora Outreach Coordinator (Director of record: The Office of the Founder) – Data-driven lead generation focused on identifying, mapping, and connecting with global Gary expatriates who have attained elite professional or civic status.

• Institutional Fundraiser Coordination (Director of record: Pastor Dr. Derrick T. Simmons ) – Secure backend stewardship of the Zeffy fundraising portal, matching-gift initiatives with corporate sponsors, and regional or national grant opportunity tracking.

🏛️ Institutional Growth: The Academy is currently expanding its foundational operational framework. Qualified professionals interested in stepping into vacant leadership roles are invited to explore open opportunities on our Join Our Team page. We can also be reached at partners@garyapcl.org