January 16, 2025

Community members to be recognized with Drum Major Award

11th annual award to be presented at MLK Regional Celebration

Three members of the Great Lakes Bay Region community will be honored with the Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major Award for Community Service. Jeff Dukes of Bay City, Kenneth Jolly of Midland and Gilberto Guevara of Saginaw will be honored during the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Celebration, which will be held Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m. at Saginaw Valley State University.

Dukes is a licensed journeyman with UA Local 85 Plumbers, Steamfitters and HVACR Service Techs and a member of the AFL-CIO of Saginaw and Bay County. Dukes said his involvement with these organizations has allowed him to be involved in the community. With the AFL-CIO, Dukes has built accessibility ramps for individuals and families in need. In addition, He has valued the opportunity to serve the United Way of Bay County and the Foster Families Navigation and Resource Center.

Jolly is a professor of history and chair of the Black Studies Program at Saginaw Valley State University. As a volunteer with the Midland Area Community Foundation’s Cultural Awareness Coalition, Jolly has helped conduct research for the We Hear You initiative’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) community assessment. In addition, he provides DEI workshops throughout the region, and volunteers at numerous events for inclusion and belonging in the community.

Guevara is the executive director of Artistas Latinx en Accíon Siempre (A.L.A.S.), a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for Michigan artists and performers to entertain in a judgement-free zone. Guevara’s history of community service in Saginaw spans more than 50 years, during which time he has served on more than 30 boards and commissions focusing on youth services, education and community service. He was recognized as an outstanding Chicano student alumnus by Delta College and received the 2023 Hispanic Heritage Month Award for Lifetime Achievement from the Hispanic/Latino Commission of Michigan.

The Drum Major Community Service Award was created by the Great Lakes Bay Regional MLK Celebration event committee. Honorees are selected from Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties. For more information and a list of past honorees, visit https://www.svsu.edu/mlk/drummajoraward/.

For more information or to register for the Martin Luther King Jr. Regional Celebration, visit https://www.svsu.edu/mlk/.