Justen Daniels Honored with Black Excellence Award for Prevention Leadership

We are proud to share that Justen Daniels, Prevention Manager at the Alliance, has been recognized with a 2026 Black Excellence Award from the Oakland County Board of Commissioners.

 Presented during the Board’s annual Black History Month celebration, the award honors residents making a deep and meaningful impact in Oakland County. Out of 52 nominees, Justen was selected as one of five honorees for his eight-year career in public health, serving more than 10,000 community members across Metro Detroit.

 As the Prevention Manager at the Alliance, Justen leads local and state-level prevention efforts, including initiatives to reduce youth tobacco and vape use. Under his leadership, Oakland County passed state and federal tobacco compliance checks for three consecutive years, exceeding the required 80% pass rate and protecting youth from illegal tobacco sales.

 “When it comes to prevention, prevention is a proactive approach, and we need to make sure that we’re being proactive instead of reactive,” Justen shared.

 For Justen, the award is deeply personal. “I am someone who is connected to my culture, to my history, to our lineage, and who continues to try to fight and be a positive representation of our community. It’s nice to be recognized, but it’s also an honor to be in great company with folks from different disciplines who were also awarded. It really shows the breadth of talent that we have in the Black community.”

 At the Alliance, our mission is empowering healthy communities through innovative prevention, wellness, and recovery support. Justen’s leadership reflects our mission by valuing the diversity of our communities and ensuring this work resonates with the people we serve.

 “Our communities are not a monolith. We have so many different folks, different cultures, different communities. We have to make sure that we’re doing what works best in meeting the authentic needs of different communities. When we say, empower healthy communities, we have to do it for all communities,” Justen said.

 His long-term vision speaks to systems change and prevention at its highest level. “My ultimate professional goal is to not be needed, because that means that we have systems in place that benefit all people.”

 We congratulate Justen on this well-deserved honor. His leadership helps us aim higher, reach more, and continue empowering healthy communities together.