Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 12-24-21

FLORIDA SENTINEL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021
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2022 42nd Annual TOBA Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Breakfast Co-Chairs, Speaker Announced
The Tampa Organization of Black Affairs (TOBA) is hosting its 42nd An- nual TOBA Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Breakfast on Monday, January 17, 2022, at 6:45 A. M. at the Tampa Marriott Water Street, 505 Water Street, Tampa, FL 33602. This year’s keynote speaker will be the Reverend (Rev.) Emanuel Cleaver, now serving his ninth term representing the State of Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, which is also the home district of President Harry Truman.
Rev. Cleaver is a member of the House Committee on Financial Serv- ices and serves on several sub-com- mittees of Congress. He also served as a member of the Kansas City, Mis- souri City Council (the largest munic- ipality in the state of Missouri) for 12 years. Rev. Cleaver was elected as Kansas City’s first African American Mayor in 1991. In 2009, in addition to many other accomplishments, Rev. Cleaver introduced the most ambi- tious project of his political career — the creation of a Green Impact Zone. During the 112th Congress, he was unanimously elected the 20th chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
In 2018, Rev. Cleaver received the Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Harry S. Truman Good Neigh- bor Award Foundation. He has re- ceived five honorary Doctoral Degrees augmented by a bachelor’s degree from Prairie View A & M, and a Mas- ter’s from St. Paul's School of Theol- ogy of Kansas City.
Reverend Cleaver, a native of Texas, is married to the former Di- anne Donaldson. They have four
REV. EMANUEL CLEAVER ...Speaker
children and grandchildren.
The Co-Chairs selected for the
breakfast are Ms. Lorrin Rucker and Mr. Luke Washington.
Ms. Rucker is the Philanthropic Advisor of Health Equity for Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation. Lorrin has assisted in raising over a million dollars in funding to close the gap on cancer disparities in the Black com- munity under Moffitt’s George Edge- comb Society.
Ms. Rucker’s work in the field of health equity has provided funding for education, research and outreach directly affecting underserved com- munities within the Tampa Bay Area. She received her undergraduate de- gree from Florida A&M University and holds a Master’s degree in human services from Webster University. Ms. Rucker is a graduate of the 2021 TOBA Leadership Institute.
LORRIN RUCKER ...2022 Breakfast Co-Chair
Lukendric A. Washington (“Luke”) was born in the Mississippi Delta in July 19, 1989 to Luke Sibley and Annette Washington. The youngest of three children, Mr. Washington earned his undergrad- uate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He ob- tained his Juris Doctorate from the Florida A & M University College of Law. After passing the Florida Bar Exam in July 2014, he received his L.L.M. Degree in Tax Law from the University of Miami, School of Law. Mr. Washington started his career in bankruptcy and estate planning law before opening his own financial planning practice. He now continues to grow his practice by educating and assisting professionals and their fam- ilies with their financial and wealth planning needs.
He currently resides in Riverview,
LUKENDRIC (LUKE) WASHINGTON ...2022 Breakfast Co-Chair
FL with his wife, Vanessa Wash- ington. The couple is expecting a new addition in February.
The Annual TOBA Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Leadership Breakfast brings together an audience of ap- proximately 1,000 attendees consist- ing of corporate sponsors, politicians, members of grassroots organizations and the community-at-large. The pri- mary mission of this event is to honor the principles espoused by Dr. King and to foster positive community re- lations.
TOBA is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to nonparti- san political education, economic and youth development within the African American toward the betterment of the entire community. Individual tickets and corporate tables may be purchased on-line at TOBANetwork.org.