Jennifer Parker, editor and publisher of CrossRoadsNews, received the Pillar Award at the National Association of Minority Contractors’ 13th annual Hard Hat Awards Banquet on Oct. 2.

Parker was one of eight people recognized by the 30-year-old NAMC Atlanta chapter at the Atlanta Airport Hilton.

Gary McGaha, president of Atlanta Metropolitan College, got the Advocacy Award; Daniel Molloy, assistant general manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport, got the Catalyst Award; Johnnie Booker, director of Supplier Diversity at the Coca-Cola Co., got the Pacesetter Award; Joe Jackson, president and CEO of Greater Atlanta Economic Alliance Inc., got the Business Development Award; and Terry Landers, president of Landers Enterprises. received the Minority Contractor Award.

The group’s Public Sector Award went to Atlanta Public School Superintendent Dr. Beverly Hall, and the President’s Award, to Andres Bertrand, Morehouse College’s vice president of campus operations.

Michael Hayes, a Clark Atlanta University rising senior with a 3.81 grade point average got the group’s $2,500 Scholarship Award.

Art Queen, who co-chaired the event with C. David Moody, the Atlanta chapter’s president, said Parker got the Pillar Award because CrossRoadsNews has distinguished itself as a pillar of the community. The weekly community newspaper has been serving DeKalb County for 14 years.

“You are doing a great job,” Queen said. “We look for people in the community who go above and beyond to make sure that the community is served. That’s how your community gets served by people doing their best. Every week, you give the community good information.”

Queen, who owns EGM Inc., a Decatur-based engineering, glass and management company, said past recipients of the Pillar Award have included banks, football players and the late civil rights activist Hosea Williams.