The Annual Knox County Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Breakfast will take place on January 19 at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU), inviting the community to honor Dr. King's legacy. The event, held in Foster Hall at Ariel Arena, is scheduled for 9 a.m.
This year’s theme is “The Audacity to Believe.” Ronald C. Todd, Chief of Social Impact & Opportunity at the Ohio Department of Development, will serve as the main speaker. According to organizers, Todd will address Dr. King’s vision and its relevance today.
Todd has a background in public service and community leadership. He currently serves as Governor DeWine’s Minority Affairs Liaison and co-chairs the Governor’s RecoveryOhio Minority Health Working Group. Previously, he worked as a senior advisor in the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office under Jon Husted.
A third-generation entrepreneur from Dayton, Ohio, Todd attended Belmont High School before earning a football scholarship to Bowling Green State University. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio Dominican University and completed diversity training at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.
Todd is also an ordained elder in the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International and oversees Governmental Affairs for the Fellowship of Christian Churches United in Service.
Mount Vernon Nazarene University sponsors this event alongside Kenyon College and the MLK Legacy Committee. The university was founded in 1968 in Mount Vernon, Ohio as a co-educational liberal arts institution with a Christian mission [source]. MVNU operates as an evangelical Christian liberal arts university affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene [source] and emphasizes community service and global outreach through its programs [source].
Local leaders are expected to offer remarks during the breakfast, which aims to bring together residents, civic officials, educators, and students to reflect on Dr. King’s impact.
The event is open to all members of the public who wish to attend or participate.
