Alumni Spotlight: Ardrell Mannings, LINK Class of 1986
As LINK celebrates 60 years of impact, we’re proud to shine the Alumni Spotlight on Ardrell Mannings, Class of 1986.
Ardrell attended Mount Carmel Catholic High School after first discovering LINK at Holy Angels Catholic Grammar School, encouraged by Sister Helen Struder and Father Paul B. Smith. Growing up in what was then known as the “low end” of Chicago’s South Side, now Bronzeville, Ardrell was motivated to apply to LINK for one powerful reason: opportunity.
“I think it was the opportunity to expand my horizons,” he shared, “to connect with other students of like minds and sponsors who could show us different lanes in life that we had not been exposed to.”
That exposure proved transformational.
His first sponsor, Adam Bourgeois, a prominent attorney and CBS legal analyst, helped him build strong academic habits and even gave him his first tape recorder to capture high school lectures. Later, Mentor Pat Ryan, founder of AON, pushed him to “think big,” encouraging him to broaden his aspirations beyond what he thought possible.
Ardrell’s journey eventually led him to Cornell University, where he studied industrial and labor relations, focusing on organizational behavior and workplace dynamics. Along the way, he also spent a formative year at Choate Rosemary Hall, a prestigious boarding school experience largely funded by his Mentor. He describes it as life-changing and horizon-expanding.
Since graduating from Cornell, Ardrell has built an impressive career in corporate America, holding leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase, Comcast, and NBC Universal. Today, he serves as a senior HR leader at AIT Worldwide Logistics, overseeing talent and leadership development across North America and internationally.
As a Black professional and leader, Ardrell says his identity shapes how he shows up in every space. Growing up in a single-parent household on the South Side instilled in him empathy and humility, qualities that guide his leadership philosophy today.
“People are your biggest competitive advantage,” he said. “If people don’t feel like they can open up and be their authentic selves, they’re not going to stay.”
When reflecting on his time with LINK, Ardrell recalls the retreats at St. Dorothy’s Parish as especially meaningful. Those gatherings created space for vulnerability, connection, and genuine support. He also speaks with deep gratitude about Father Thomas Suede, who provided paternal encouragement and care during pivotal moments in his life.
“The retreats were where we could take off our masks,” Ardrell shared. “That was a powerful experience.”
The values Ardrell carries with him today, including forgiveness, empathy, and the courage to aim higher, are rooted in his LINK experience. In LINK’s 60th anniversary year, he expresses profound gratitude to the founders for creating a blueprint that secured resources, opportunity, and community for generations of Black youth.
“I would thank them for their sacrifice,” he said. “I know it was not easy.”
Looking ahead, Ardrell is passionate about reconnecting older alumni and ensuring that the same village that supported him continues to uplift future Scholars.
Congratulations, Ardrell! Your leadership and legacy embody the very spirit of LINK!
