LaTosha Brown

LaTosha Brown delivered an impassioned presentation March 26 about how the legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. has influenced her and imprinted her work with voter rights.

It was appropriate that most members of the audience that filled the Louis Armstrong Theatre in the Haas Center for Performing Arts were high school and college students as Brown called on them to take ownership of the country's future and "envision what the United States would look like if all people were valued and respected."

A recognized expert in Black voting rights and voter suppression, Brown is the co-founder of Black Voters Matter, Black Voters Matter Fund and the Black Voters Matter Capacity Building Institute. Her presentations in West Michigan during Grand Valley's King Commemoration Week in January were postponed due to severe weather.

Read more about Brown's presentation in this GVNext story.

POSTPONED: Dar Mayweather, '07 and '09

Dar Mayweather is a two-time GVSU graduate. 

Mayweather, '07 and '09, is the founder and CEO of Good Mayweather Consulting and a leadership studies faculty member at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

As a first-generation college student, Mayweather pushed beyond challenges to earn a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, master's degree in education and a doctorate in educational leadership.

As a speaker, Mayweather guides organizations and individuals past the fear of “doing inclusion perfectly” by fostering trust, empathy and meaningful human connections.

As a faculty member, he empowers college students to identify their unique talents and articulate those strengths to industry leaders, ensuring they secure jobs or graduate school placements before graduation. His coaching has led to a 100% success rate in helping students achieve these milestones. He credits his professional growth to the Social Justice Training Institute, the University of Michigan’s Program on Intergroup Relations, and Dr. Eric Thomas’s Game Changers Speaker Certification Program.

Joe Jones

The Hauenstein Center is excited to welcome Joe Jones who will share his leadership philosophy and defining experiences as a leader in West Michigan.

Jones will give a presentation on Friday, January 24, from 4-6 p.m. in the DeVos Center, Loosemore Auditorium, on the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. RSVP for the event using this link.

Jones is the founder of the Hekima Group, a value-added consultancy located in Grand Rapids whose primary mission is to provide sound wisdom + strategy to a myriad of industries. Jones is a seasoned executive who is passionate, strategic-minded and a servant leader with over two decades of experience leading teams and managing diverse organizations and individuals while using an equity lens in the public and private sector.

Jones also served as a Grand Rapids City Commissioner representing the Second Ward. He was first appointed in February 2016 and later elected in August 2017. He serves as a pastor with Brown Hutcherson Ministries in Grand Rapids. Jones serves on many corporate and civic boards, including Mercantile Bank of Michigan, Axios Incorporated, Spectrum Health’s Grand Rapids Community Board, Economic Club of Grand Rapids, and Experience Grand Rapids.