Gary Torgow, Chairman of Huntington National Bank and 2026 Dinner Chairman of The PuLSE Institute’s National Civil Rights Leadership Dinner, was honored with the Founder’s Medal of Conscience and Justice, one of The PuLSE Institute’s highest awards, during the organization’s signature national leadership gathering on Wednesday, July 29, at the Detroit Athletic Club.
The Founder’s Medal of Conscience and Justice recognizes extraordinary leaders whose lives and work exemplify moral courage, servant leadership, civic responsibility, and an unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity, strengthening communities, and advancing the American experiment.
As this year’s Dinner Chairman, Torgow, who was a previous keynote speaker at The PuLSE Institute’s annual Economic Justice Conference, opened the evening with a keynote reflection titled “The Moral Responsibility of Leadership,” calling on leaders across every sector to embrace the responsibility that accompanies influence and to use their positions to advance the common good.
The invitation-only event convened distinguished leaders from business, higher education, government, philanthropy, labor, faith, and the nonprofit community under the theme: The Promise of America: Advancing Justice, Expanding Opportunity, Sustaining Hope.
Founded by nationally acclaimed journalist, author, public intellectual, and economic justice advocate Bankole Thompson, The PuLSE Institute is a national, nonpartisan, independent anti-poverty and economic justice think tank headquartered in Detroit.
In presenting the award, Thompson praised Torgow as a leader whose influence extends well beyond the boardroom.
“Gary Torgow has demonstrated throughout his career that leadership is ultimately measured by service,” Thompson said. “He has shown that business leadership and moral leadership are not competing ideals but instead they are mutually reinforcing. His example reflects the values The PuLSE Institute seeks to celebrate and encourage in every generation.”
The evening also featured a special tribute to the late Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., one of the principal architects of the modern Civil Rights Movement and a longtime mentor to Thompson. A video tribute celebrated LaFayette’s enduring legacy of nonviolence, democracy, and leadership. Last year’s Dinner honored LaFayette who was presented with The Institute’s Global Civil Rights Leadership Award.
Attorney Tina M. Patterson, Esq., President and General Counsel of The PuLSE Institute, welcomed guests and reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to advancing economic justice through principled leadership, strategic partnerships, and civic engagement.
Special remarks were delivered by Jerry Norcia, Executive Chairman of DTE Energy and a member of The PuLSE Institute National Advisory Board, who reflected on Torgow’s leadership, his admiration for Rev. Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., and the importance of business leaders serving as partners in strengthening communities.
The PuLSE Institute also honored an accomplished class of leaders, including James Vincent, former President of the Providence Branch of the NAACP in Rhode Island, former White House spokesman Robert Weiner of Washington, D.C., Sarah Noet, an entrepreneur of Seattle, Washington, Gwen Swanigan, a racial justice advocate of Benton Harbor, Michigan, and Samantha Woll, the late President of the Isaac Agree Downtown Detroit Synagogue, whose parents accepted the posthumous Bridge Builder Award on her behalf.
As The PuLSE Institute approaches its tenth anniversary in 2028, the organization reaffirmed its commitment to convening national leaders around the enduring values of justice, opportunity, servant leadership, and hope.
About The PuLSE Institute
The PuLSE Institute is a national, nonpartisan, independent anti-poverty and economic justice think tank headquartered in Detroit. Through research, public forums, leadership convenings, and cross-sector partnerships, The PuLSE Institute advances solutions that expand economic opportunity, strengthen communities, and promote a more just and inclusive America.
