Ronald L. Jones, a consultant, motivational speaker, youth mentor and catalyst for change, will be the keynote speaker at the Dream to Achieve Leadership Summit’s “Banquet of Achievement,” sponsored by the American Dream Movement, Friday, July 24, at the Pullman Plaza Hotel.
The banquet will take place at 7 p.m. in the hotel’s grande theater.
Jones is a graduate of Marshall University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and International Affairs.
“Having Ronald L. Jones as a speaker is very important to me,” said Charles Meyers, coordinator of the event and director of the American Dream Movement. “He has been my mentor since my first semester of Marshall University in the fall of 2009, and he continues to help me grow into my potential and understand the importance of paying forward everything that I learn. My first leadership summit that I attended was conducted by him called the iLead Black Student Leadership Summit in 2009, and it is a humbling experience that he is able to be the keynote speaker for the Dream to Achieve Leadership Summit.”
Jones is a native of Charles Town, WV, and a graduate of Jefferson High School. He received his Master of Arts in Psychology for leadership and organizational development from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
The American Dream Movement is made up of a group of African American male students in the community, in grades 8-12. Meyers, a 2013 Marshall graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree, developed the American Dream Movement for African American male students in this community whom, he said, “just need a sense of hope and direction to become successful individuals.”
The dinner will honor American Dream Movement’s new president, vice president, and secretary of the treasury.
The importance of the leadership summit is for the members of the American Dream Movement, Meyers said, “to realize the challenges that African American males need to overcome in society, understand that we are charged with the responsibility of succeeding at a high level, and know the importance of being committed to our achievement in every aspect of our lives.”
The summit will be conducted by the American Dream Movement of the Huntington Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. It will be supported by the Nu Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Huntington Chapter of the NAACP, Office of Intercultural Affairs at Marshall University, Antioch Missionary Baptist Church of Huntington and First Baptist Church of Huntington, W.Va.
It starts on Thursday, July 23 and runs through Saturday, July 25.
“The American Dream Movement celebrated our one-year anniversary on July 12th, 2015,” Meyers said. “Being able to have the Dream to Achieve Leadership Summit the summer of our first year was a goal of mine from the start of the American Dream Movement, and I am very proud that we are able to have the summit for the members.”
According to Meyers, day one of the summit will focus on the challenges that African American males face in society, and the members will participate in exercises and team building activities that will enhance their awareness of the challenges in life.
“Day two consists of breakout sessions that focus on the areas that we are charged to succeed in as African American males,” Meyers said. “Each session is conducted by the mentors that I have been blessed with in life and had an impact on my life, so it is a great feeling to know that they will be able to impact the lives of the American Dream Movement members as well.”
Day three, Meyers said, will focus on the term commitment with the installation ceremony for the new officers of the American Dream Movement (at 10:30 a.m. at the Pullman Plaza) and the members giving presentations on what was learned throughout the summit. The members will understand the importance of being committed to utilizing the knowledge they have obtained not just for themselves but for the individuals that come into their lives as well.
The complete schedule is below:
Thursday, July 23, at the Marshall Recreation Center
3-3:30 p.m. – Check-in
3:30 – Welcoming
4 p.m. – Team building Challenges
6 p.m. – Free time at the Rec.
8 p.m. – Dinner at the Pullman Hotel
9 p.m. – Presentation practice
10 p.m. – Movie Night
Friday, July 24, at the Pullman Plaza Hotel
9 a.m. – Breakfast
1030 a.m. – Welcoming
11 a.m. – 6 p.m. – Breakout sessions on third floor
The schedule:
11 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Our History: Byron Holmes
11:55 a.m. – 12:35 p.m. – Our Entrepreneurship: Troy Lopes
12:35 p.m. – 1:25 p.m. – Lunch
1:35 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
(Members are split into two groups)
Group 1 – Our Career planning: Maurice Cooley
Group 2 – Our Finance: Zack Meyers
2:25 p.m. to 3:05 p.m.
(Members are split into two groups)
Group 1 – Our health: Justin Ross
Group 2 – Our community outreach : Jason Shepherd
3:15 p.m. – 3:55 p.m.
(Members are split into two groups)
Group 1 – Our church: Rev. Robert Young
Group 2 – Our communication skills: Bruce Felder
3:55 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. – break
4:25 p.m. – 5:05 p.m. – Our Love and Relationships: Dr. Keelon Hinton
5:15 p.m. – 6 p.m. – Our education: Terick Thomas
7 – 8:30 p.m. – “Banquet of Achievement,” with Keynote Speaker Ronald L. Jones (RSVP only)
9 p.m. – Presentation practice
10 p.m. – Bowling night
Saturday, July 25, at the Pullman Plaza Hotel
9 a.m. – Breakfast
10:30 a.m. – Installation ceremony for ADM officers
Noon – Lunch
2 p.m. – Group presentations and scholarship awards
4:30 p.m. – Closing remarks
