.- The first African American elected to a statewide executive office in Ohio will be the key speaker at the breakfast meeting of the Men’s Leadership Forum speaker series next week.
The event, featuring Ohio Secretary of State J. Kennneth Blackwell, will be held Jan. 19 at the Tyson’s Corner Ritz-Carlton in Falls Church, Virginia. The breakfast starts at 7 a.m.
A committed Catholic, Blackwell has a distinguished record of achievement as an educator, diplomat and finance executive. Blackwell's public service includes terms as mayor of Cincinnati, an undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
In 1994, he became the first African American elected to a statewide executive office in Ohio when he was elected Treasurer of State.
He also serves as a member of the national advisory boards of Youth for Christ.
The Men’s Leadership Forum is a program designed for professional leaders in the Washington D.C. area. It provides a venue in which to address important issues, deepen professional friendships and enhance spiritual solidarity among one’s peers.
Its goal is to offer men guidance and encouragement in the application of Christian principles to daily life. Speakers provide thought-provoking and challenging material. Topics include the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John Paul II, and Saint Josemaria Escriva.
