Alliance honors 'Icons' in MLK holiday salute

The Alliance community gathered Sunday to celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday at Temple of Faith Church of God in Christ.

The annual event attracted a good crowd on a frigid holiday weekend to remember King’s work as a civil rights leader and minister who urged social change.

Speaker for the event was Pastor Aaron Hill Sr. of Tabernacle Baptist Church of Alliance. The event also includes honors for Alliance community members who are leaders.

“The Icon Award is given annually to individuals or groups that have gone beyond the norm,” the Icon Award Committee says. “To reach the status of extraordinary achievers, they have stood in the shadows of greatness, blazed trails of their own and made contributions to the community through leadership, loyalty and endurance for the betterment of others.”

Individual Icon Awards

Randall M. Flint – Health commissioner for Alliance City Health Department. Flint earned a bachelor of arts in biology from Youngstown State University in 1977; and a master of public health from the University of Minnesota in 1982. Earlier in his career, Flint worked for Mahoning County Health Department, as sanitarian, from March 1979 to January 1984. He joined Alliance City Health Department on Jan. 9, 1984. In addition to his work, Flint has served on American Red Cross of Alliance’s Board of Directors; Alliance Family YMCA Board of Directors; Association of Ohio Health Commissioners Board of Directors; Good Samaritan Medical Care Clinic Board of Directors; Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services Board of Stark County; and Alliance City Rural Opportunities Housing Corporation of Ohio Board of Directors.

Erica Kirksey Jackson – Assistant principal at Alliance Intermediate School. The 1999 graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas High School received her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Mount Union College. She earned a master’s degree in the science of education from Marygrove College. An Alliance native, Jackson was the 1999 Carnation Festival queen. For 14 years, Jackson served as a third-grade teacher at Northside Elementary School. She then worked as dean of students for the next six years before taking on the current role at Alliance Intermediate. “She is passionate about helping students. She loves to see students thrive academically and behaviorally. At Alliance Intermediate, she plans and organizes high-interest monthly incentives for students that motivate them.  She also coaches teachers on setting short-term motivational rewards and helps students set personal goals,” the Icon Award Committee said in its award ceremony. Jackson and her husband of 20 years, Rich, have two sons – JR is a sophomore at Alliance High School; and Ty is a second-grader at Alliance Elementary School.

Portia Ann Johnson – Longtime teacher and 1997 graduate of Alliance High School. The daughter of Samuel and Lelia Hairston was born in Alliance and grew up primarily in Syracuse, New York. At 16, she moved back to Alliance and began her teaching career at Noble Street Church of God in Christ. Under the direction of Pastor John E. Avery and Superintendent Jerome Hill, Johnson instructed the young adult class. After high school, she attended Miami University, making the dean’s list and was part of service sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha. She earned her teacher’s license and worked in Cincinnati Public Schools for 15 years. Johnson relocated to Alliance in 2014 to serve as caregiver to her beloved grandmother, Annie Kirksey Grimes; aunt Dorothy Kirksey Boone; and mother, Lelia. Johnson joined Alliance City Schools, where she served as an intermediate school principal for four years until she was asked to create a new alternative school, where she served as principal for an additional six years. She currently serves in the administration of Alliance City Schools as student success coordinator. In addition to her career, Johnson serves as secretary for the Kirksey, Young, Hawkins Family Reunion Committee. Johnson is married to Kevin Johnson Sr., and has four children – Jeffrey, Lelíann, Autumn and Kevin Jr. The grandmother of four also is a stepmother.

Icon Group Award

Salvation Army of Alliance serves the men, women and children who are at-risk and in need of financial, social service, and spiritual support. The agency offers services of different types throughout the year. Most recently, the Christmas Assistance helped Carnation City-area families with food and gifts for the holiday season. Also offered regularly are hot meals, bread giveaways and an emergency food pantry. The agency also performs as a ministry to youth, women and men at various times throughout the week. “We work every day to elevate individuals up from despair to provide hope and assistance. In teaching life skills, we provide individuals with an opportunity to maximize their physical, emotional, and spiritual being to affect life change,” Salvation Army of Alliance leaders said in a questionnaire that was read during Sunday’s public event.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Alliance honors 'Icons' in MLK holiday salute