Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 5-17-19

FLORIDA SENTINEL
David ‘Dave’ Brown To Be Honored For Years Of Service To Community
BY GWEN HAYES Sentinel Editor
When the name Dave Brown is mentioned, people automatically re- call the gospel announcer on radio station, WTMP- AM.
But there is much more to David Charles Brown. Brown is being honored this weekend by his family for his many years of service to the community as a gospel radio announcer and ser- vant in his profession.
The tribute to Brown will be held on Saturday, May18,2019,6p.m.at Macedonia M. B. Church, 3410 E. Wilder Ave.,
Tampa (33610). His wife, Barbara and daughters, Carol and Sheryl Brown are spearheading the tribute.
For 13 years Brown was the voice of Gospel Music in the Tampa Bay area, sharing the latest music on radio station WTMP, 1150-AM.
Born June 25, 1941 in Hawkinsville, GA to the late Rosa Talton Brown, David attended elementary school in Hawkinsville. At the age of 16, he came to Tampa to further his education, tak- ing night classes at Mid- dleton High School.
After graduating high school, he enrolled at
DAVID CHARLES BROWN ...BKA, Dave Brown, Former WTMP Radio Gospel Announcer
Hillsborough Community College, graduating in June, 1996 with an AA de- gree in Business Adminis- tration and a minor in Accounting.
Brown’s 40-1/2 years of commercial, Institu- tional and hotel laundry operations began in 1958 when he became em- ployed with Dixie Linen and Uniform Supply as a Projection Supervisor and Maintenance Mechanic. He spent 10 years there before moving on to Tampa General Hospital, where he spent 20 years before retiring in 1997. Brown became the Direc- tor of Textile Services, managing the laundry plant and textile distribu- tion. He quickly moved up the ladder to Fleet Man- agement Services. Before retiring, he was a paer of the design and building of
a new laundry plant, to in- clude procurement of all goods and equipment. He developed, implemented and supervised produc- tion, maintenance and de- livery services for the entire warehouse.
A former member of the Florida Institutional Management Association (FILMA), Brown once served as the President of the organization, and in 1975, he was named Man- ager of the Year. He served as a member of the Board of the Hillsborough County Hospital Authority Employee Federal Credit Union; and Chairman of the Hospital United Way Campaign.
Keith Harris Is Helping To Lead The Boys & Girls Club To New Heights As Board Chair
BY MONIQUE STAMPS Sentinel Feature Writer
Keith Harris is an ex- perienced executive in corporate America, but it’s his position as the Chair- man of the Board for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay that fills his voice with excitement and purpose.
Mr. Harris is a true home-grown Tampan, proud of his native city and passionate about serving the city he loves so dearly. As a father of four, he is very invested in en- couraging youth in dy- namic, positive ways.
Over Mr. Harris’ tenure at the helm of the Boys and Girls Clubs, he has continued to see the same thing he saw grow- ing up – increased com- mercial development in downtown and West
Tampa. This has led to the underserved commu- nity being pushed farther and farther away from areas that were once the places they called home.
Because of this, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa have worked dili- gently to maintain the connection with children. Clubs in Wimauma, Town ‘N Country, Plant City, and Pasco County, now carry on the tradition of servicing children and helping meet the needs of area youths.
The Board’s goal has been to continually de- velop strategies to reach more children every year. Strategies such as bring- ing clubs into schools to provide after school care and guidance.
Harris believes that the stronger participation in schools helps the chil- dren and their parents, who pay a small fee, to
KEITH HARRIS Boys and Girls Club, Tampa Bay Board Chairman
have kids in after-school programs.
In conjunction with the Boys and Girls Clubs, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office collabora- tes with the clubs to have deputies present in the clubs.
Deputies operate their own offices within the clubs and interact with the children in the clubs di- rectly.
Through this partner- ship, Mr. Harris has seen dramatic crime re- ductions in those commu- nities based on the relationships built with the families. He has also seen dramatic improve- ments in grades and in- stances of teen pregnancies within all clubs, regardless of loca- tion.
Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronis- ter, who is a Board mem- ber, is also a big supporter of additional sub-stations within clubs.
New Tampa Mayor, Jane Castor has histori- cally supported the Boys and Girls Clubs’ mission during her tenure as Chief of Police and has agreed to meet to discuss how the city and the clubs might collaborate to positively impact children.
Mr. Harris and the B&G Club Board feel this
will ideally expand their presence in existing city locations without having to build additional build- ings.
This summer, the clubs will have a presence with Foster Elementary School and Sligh Middle School.
Mr. Harris is also looking forward to the clubs’ collaboration with his friend, Thaddeus Bullard, better known as WWE Superstar, Titus O’Neil.
Mr. Bullard, along with the Bullard Family Foundation, will be heav- ily involved with programs benefitting the children of Foster Elementary School and Sligh Middle School and their surrounding communities.
Leading the charge, Keith Harris, native son, is committed, and feels the future looks bright for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tampa Bay.
FRIDAY, MAY 17, 2019
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