King Holiday Tampa honors community heroes

COMMUNITY HEROES HONORED

The Dr. Martin Luther King Parade Foundation was formed in the year 2014 to expand, improve and strengthen efforts to make the City of Tampa’s Martin Luther King Day Parade an event the city could be proud of year after year—carrying on a 33-year tradition. Each year, the Parade Foundation sets aside some portion of the proceeds from fees and donations to provide scholarships to a diverse set of deserving high school students. The Foundation also recognizes community leaders who go beyond the call to make Hillsborough County better. This year, ONYX Magazine is a sponsor of the event. The 2022 Community Honorees are:

SHERRI BROWN

Sherri T. Brown is the vice-president of Multicultural Sales & Development with Visit Tampa Bay. Sherri has been in the Hospitality Industry for 36 years. Sherri displays courage, selflessness, humility, patience and caring in all organizations in which she serves. Sherri’s success over the past 12 years has successfully made a strong impact at Visit Tampa Bay with an instrumental role in bringing the largest events, conventions, and meetings to Tampa. In 2019 she was award ONYX Magazine’s Women on the Move award. She is involved with her community and an Honorary Past Imperial Commandress (HPIC) of Harram Court No.96 Daughters, an auxiliary of the AEAONMS; in Leadership Tampa Class of 2022; Women in Tourism; and the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners, and on the board of directors of Cristo Rey High School, and MLK Foundation Parade.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER

A veteran law enforcement officer, Sheriff Chad Chronister has served with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office for the past 28 years. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy's 260th Session. He became the top law enforcement officer in Hillsborough County on September 30, 2017, upon his appointment by Governor Rick Scott, was elected by the citizens of Hillsborough County on November 6, 2018, and overwhelmingly re-elected on November 3, 2020. He is Co-Chairman of the Regional Domestic Security Task Force for Region IV Tampa Bay, Council Member of the Florida Attorney General’s Statewide Council on Human Trafficking and Chairman of the Criminal Justice Sub-Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Hillsborough County Public Safety Coordinating Council, and Vice-Chairman of Hillsborough County Public Schools Citizen Oversight Committee.

DR. MARK T. JONES

Dr. Mark T. Jones Sr. is the senior leader and founder of Manifestations Worldwide, Inc., Dr. Jones was born again in 1992, called and licensed to the gospel ministry in 1994, ordained as a church Elder in 1997, and consecrated as an Apostle in 2004. Dr. Jones was directed of the Lord to establish a church, and the first service was held on July 15, 2001. Dr. Jones has been in upper-level management for over 32 years, and teaches leaders how to live debt-free, and to operate debt-free corporations. Armed with an anointing to destroy the spirit of religion, to break the vice of traditionalism, and determined to make a difference in the lives of people, Dr. Jones launched “The Center for Manifestation” and the local outreach of the church, Manifestation City. Manifestation City is a sprawling operations campus currently comprised 14 buildings serving educational, housing, spiritual, and social service needs in the community.

CELESTE ROBERTS

Celeste Roberts is the president and executive director of The Skills Center, a nonprofit organization she co-founded with partners Chris Ward and John Arroyo in 2007. The sport-based youth development & education non-profit organization intentionally utilizes the power of sports to create change through academic success, life skills, and mentoring for youth ages 3 to 18. Roberts is eager to help young people learn how to transfer lessons learned through athletics to everyday life—just as she learned by participating in high school sports. Roberts is scaling the organization and spearheading a $13M+ development facility project to create equity in education, health and job training for young people in Tampa. Roberts has received the Tampa Bay Lightning Community Hero Award and was recognized as Tampa Organization of Black Affairs (TOBA) Martin Luther King Jr.’s Unsung Hero, and Bay News 9’s Everyday Hero.