The Corporation for National and Community Service presents MLK Day Ambassadors of Service. The Ambassadors of Service program is composed of Americans from across the country who encourage volunteer service and civic participation on the Martin Luther King, Jr. federal holiday -- the King Day of Service.
Ambassadors of Service will:
- Encourage the recognition of outstanding volunteer service and civic participation by individuals, schools, and organizations and thereby encourage more such activity, especially on the part of America's youth as it relates to MLK Day of Service.
- Facilitate awareness of the ways in which Americans have helped to meet the vital needs of their communities and the nation through volunteer service and civic participation on MLK Day of Service.
2009 Ambassadors of Service
Isaac Farris, Jr.
Honorary Chair, Ambassadors of Service
President & CEO, The King Center
 Isaac Newton Farris Jr., nephew of Dr Martin Luther King Jr., was born in Atlanta, Georgia and attended his uncle's alma mater, Morehouse College where he majored in Political Science. Mr. Farris’ background has given him a unique prospective and real life experience on some of the most pressing issues of our times. Growing up in one of America's most socially and politically active families has provided him with a front row seat, witnessing how policy is formulated and implemented.
Mr. Farris has met and dialogued with countless heads of State, CEOs, religious leaders, academic leaders, and grass roots activists. In 1984, Mr. Farris got his first hands on experience as a political operative when he served as Georgia Field Coordinator for the Walter Mondale Presidential campaign. A year later he served as Deputy Manager for the reelection of Andrew Young as Mayor of Atlanta. In 1986 he was campaign manager for Martin Luther King III in his successful bid to become a Fulton County Commissioner. From 1987-1992 he served in executive level positions in government where he was responsible for implementing policy. In 1992 – 1996 Mr. Farris was tapped to become President and CEO of the Clean Air Industries Inc., a company who was not only involved in environmental clean up but also developed a patent technology which allowed combustion engines of truck, buses, and cars to run on clean burning natural (Methane) gas. Beginning in 1996, Mr. Farris was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center culminating in 2005 with his appointment of President and CEO of The King Center. Mr. Farris has participated in debates/ commentaries for print, radio and television media outlets ranging from CNN, USA Today, to WSB radio.
Bo Derek
Actress
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Bo Derek is a successful actress, who first came to prominence when she co-starred in the 1979 film 10, and received a Golden Globe nomination for new star of the year. Derek formed Svengali Productions with her late husband John. A horse lover and riding enthusiast since childhood, she is the owner of Iberian horses and is a Spokesperson for the Animal Welfare Institute's national campaign to end horse slaughter. Derek is National Honorary Chairperson for Veterans Administration's National Rehabilitation Special Events. In 2003, Derek was presented with the VA's highest honor by Secretary of Veteran's Affairs, Anthony Principi. Derek also is actively involved with the USA. The Special Forces Association has even named her an honorary Green Beret. Recently, she was appointed as Special Envoy of the Secretary of State for Wildlife Trafficking, working to create awareness of the dangers of wildlife trafficking. She also serves on the board of the NGOs WildAid and the Galapagos Conservancy, Ecuador. And is a member of the California Horse Racing Board.
Evern Cooper Epps
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Evern Cooper Epps was responsible for global philanthropic programs, corporate relations and community service initiatives for The UPS Foundation where she has worked for 32 years. Under her direction, The UPS Foundation expanded its support of programs in the crucial areas of literacy, hunger relief, and volunteering. In 1997, she was inducted into the YWCA of greater Atlanta’s Academy of Women Achievers, and was selected to be their 2005 Woman of Achievement. Ms. Epps serves as chair of the Northwest Georgia Girl Scouts Council and Atlanta Partners for Education, and is a member of the Points of Light Foundation. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Ms. Epps attended Michigan State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism, with continuing education at Emory University and Harvard Graduate School of Business.
Tony Dungy
NFL Coach
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Tony Dungy is the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Dungy took the helm of the club on January 22, 2002, after serving six seasons with Tampa Bay. The club earned its fourth World Championship in February 2007, the first title game appearance by the franchise in 36 years. While with the Buccaneers, Dungy was active in the community, working as a public speaker for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Athletes in Action. He launched Mentors for Life, a program that provided tickets to Buccaneers home games to area youth and their mentors. In Indianapolis, Dungy helped implement a local Baskets of Hope program that benefits Riley Hospital for Children. He teamed with others in assisting All-Pro Dad, a family-based organization, and he was a spokesman for Arby’s Combo to benefit Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Club. Dungy’s reach throughout the area include works and appearances with the Black Coaches Association National Convention and Indiana Black Expo.
Michael Eric Dyson
Activist, Author, Philanthropist, Professor
Robert L. Gordon III
Senior Vice President for Civic Leadership, City Year
 Robert L. Gordon III is the Senior Vice President for Civic Leadership at City Year, where he oversees the organization's people programs. He recently served as an Army Colonel and Head of American Politics at West Point. In 1993 he served in the White House Office of National Service to help found the AmeriCorps program. Colonel Gordon earned his BS from the United States Military Academy and an MA in public affairs from Princeton University.
Hill Harper
Actor, Activist, Author, Philanthropist
 Hill Harper is author of the New York Times bestsellers Letters to a Young Brother, which won two NAACP awards and was named Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association in 2007, and Letters to a Young Sister, which was released in June 2008. Currently starring in CSI: NY playing Dr. Hawkes, a role for which he won the 2008 Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a drama series, Hill has appeared in numerous prime-time television shows and feature films, including The Sopranos, ER, Lackawanna Blues, He Got Game, The Skulls, In Too Deep, The Nephew, and The Visit. Hill graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Brown University (and was valedictorian of his department) and cum laude with a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He also holds a master’s degree with honors from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He is a motivational speaker around the country. Named one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive, he lives in Los Angeles.
Harry E. Johnson, Sr.
President & CEO, Martin Luther King, Jr.
National Memorial Project Foundation
 Harry E. Johnson, Sr. is President and CEO of the Washington , DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation whose mission is to raise the funds and build a national memorial honoring the legacy of Martin Luther King , Jr. The Foundation under his leadership raised $100 million of the $120 million needed by developing strategic partnerships with corporate partners, a viable grassroots campaign and a faith-based component. The Memorial is projected for completion in 2010.
Betsy King
LPGA Legend
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Betsy King is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. From 1984 through 1989, King won a total of 20 LPGA events - more wins than any other golfer in the world, male or female, during that time period. After that first win in 1984, King won at least once each of the next 10 years, with a high of six victories in 1989. She finished in the Top 10 on the money list every year from 1985-95, and again in '97. Along the way, King was named Player of the Year three times, won two scoring titles and three money titles. With her 30th win in 1995, she gained entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame. King has been a tireless worker for charitable causes, organizing Habitat for Humanity house building projects and working in the former Soviet bloc countries with orphan relief agencies.
Art Linkletter
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Art Linkletter has been in show business for more than 60 years and has co-produced and acted in numerous dramatic shows and motion pictures. His best-known shows established records for longevity. In addition, Mr. Linkletter has extensive involvement in the health field where he is currently serving as National Chairman for United Seniors Association (USA) - an organization that works to expand retirement, investment, economic, and health freedoms for senior Americans and their families. Mr. Linkletter is also Chairman of the Executive Committee of the world-renowned UCLA Center on Aging, Chairman of the Board for the J. Douglas French Research Foundation for Alzheimer’s, Founding Board member of Kaiser Hospitals, and former Commissioner of the Presidential Commission for Health & Recreation. Mr. Linkletter has received numerous national honors, including the National Humanity Medal, from President George W. Bush.
Mary Jo Myers
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Mary Jo Myers is married to General Richard B. Myers, the recently retired Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Throughout Myers' career, she has been involved in teaching, mostly at the secondary school and adult education levels. She has worked with schools and police forces across the country to promote a children's safety program. Myers has also been active in officer's spouses' clubs, and has volunteered with charitable organization such as family support centers and installation thrift shops. A staunch advocate of host-nation relations, during an assignment in Japan, she proposed and spearheaded the publication of a book entitled, Obi Ties East and West, with all proceeds going to charity. In 2000, Myers began working with the international relief organization CARE. In 2004, Medisend awarded Myers with its first Humanitarian award for her work with the organization that delivers medical equipment and supplies to needy hospitals and clinics around the world. Myers continues to keep her ties with the military, working with the USO and serving on the board of the Fisher House Foundation. Myers graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor's degree in English.
Michelle Nunn
CEO, Hands On Network
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Michelle Nunn is the Co-Founder and CEO of Hands On Network. Prior to co-founding Hands On Network, Michelle was the Founding Director of Hands On Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals, families, and corporate and community groups find flexible volunteer opportunities at over 400 service organizations and schools. Hands On Atlanta volunteers, now 25,000 strong, are at work every day of the year building community and meeting critical needs in schools, parks, senior homes, food banks, pet shelters, low-income neighborhoods and more. Michelle was the organization's first staff person, and, under her leadership, the organization has grown from a grassroots startup in 1989 to become one of the nation's largest community-based volunteer organizations. Michelle graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Virginia in 1989 with a major in history and a minor in religion. She has studied at Oxford University and in India. She was a Kellogg National Fellow and has a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Michelle currently serves on the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. She has received a variety of awards and was recently named by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential Georgians." Michelle resides in Atlanta with her husband, Ron Martin, her son, Vinson, and her daughter, Elizabeth.
Chance Patterson
Senior Vice President, XM Satellite
 Mr. Patterson is the Vice President of Government Affairs for SIRIUS XM Radio. Prior to the merger of SIRIUS and XM, he was XM’s Vice President of Corporate Affairs, responsible for developing and implementing XM's overall corporate communications strategy. Prior to XM, Mr. Patterson was a Director for KPMG LLP. Mr. Patterson also practiced law in Cleveland, Ohio, and Washington, D.C., with a concentration in mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Patterson received his B.A. in economics from Boston University and a J.D. from Boston University School of Law.
Kelly Perdew
CEO, Rotohog.com
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Kelly Perdew is the CEO of RotoHog.com, a fantasy sports platform that builds fantasy sports games for the NBA and other large media companies. Mr. Perdew was the winner of the second season of "The Apprentice," with Donald Trump. Prior to winning the show, he was president of CoreObjects, a software development outsourcing company based in Los Angeles. Born in Lexington, Kentucky, Perdew attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. In 1989, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in national security and public affairs, where he was the number one ranked cadet in his field of study. In addition to his regular studies at West Point, Kelly completed Airborne training, interned with the House Armed Services Committee, spent a semester on "exchange" at the Naval Academy, and was a finalist in the Rhodes Scholar competition. Upon graduation, he completed Ranger School and served in the United States Army as a military intelligence officer for three years. After his honorable discharge as a First Lieutenant, Perdew attended UCLA where he earned a joint Master of Business Administration/Juris Doctor degree. Perdew spent a year in his job as the "apprentice" to Donald Trump in New York, where he managed several projects including a commercial real estate site in Manhattan, Trump Tower in Tampa, FL and Trump Ice, a bottled water company. Throughout his personal and professional life, Perdew has always looked for ways to give something back. He was a “big” for the Los Angeles Big Brothers Big Sisters program and serves as a national spokesperson for the national Big Brothers Big Sisters Program and the National Guard Youth Challenge Program.
Rey Ramsey
President & CEO, One Economy Corporation
 Rey Ramsey is chief executive officer of One Economy Corporation. Co-founded by Mr. Ramsey in 2000, One Economy Corporation leverages the power of technology and information to connect low-income people to the economic mainstream by bringing broadband into their homes, producing public-purpose media, and training and employing youth to enhance communities' technological capacity. Learn more at www.one-economy.com. Mr. Ramsey led the organization’s growth from four employees working in basement to a global organization that has taken root on four continents. Since 2000, One Economy has helped bring broadband access into the homes of over 300,000 low-income Americans. More than 14 million people have visited One Economy’s multilingual web properties and hundreds of youth have delivered nearly 50,000 hours of service to their communities. Mr. Ramsey has spent years creating innovative partnerships between nonprofits, government and the private sector. Mr. Ramsey is the author, with Ben Hecht, of the book ManagingNonprofits.org: Dynamic Management for the Digital Age (John Wiley & Sons). Prior to the founding of One Economy, Mr. Ramsey served as president and chief operating officer of the Enterprise Foundation. Before joining Enterprise, Mr. Ramsey served in the cabinets of two governors of Oregon as the state’s director of housing and community services and practiced law.
Michael W. Smith
Recording Artist
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Michael W. Smith is an award-winning, multi-platinum-selling recording artist who is known for his albums, Healing Rain and This is Your Time. He has spent more than 20 years singing, writing songs, and producing music, and has been credited with 10 pop hits including “Place In This World”, “I Will Be Here for You” in addition to 28 No. 1 Christian singles. Smith’s diverse portfolio includes pop, Christian, praise and worship, and instrumental music, as well as feature-film scores. Smith’s work accounts for more than 12 million albums sold, 13 gold and five platinum records, more than 40 Dove Awards, two Grammys and an American Music award. Apart from his music career, Smith travels the world, meeting with influential leaders and urging relief for hurting people and those in need. Smith currently travels as a spokesperson for the children’s relief agency Compassion International, and has worked with U2’s Bono in launching the “ONE” campaign to save Africa from the AIDS epidemic.
Jordin Sparks
Singer/Entertainer
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Jordin Sparks was the winner of American Idol, Season 6. Prior to American Idol, Jordin grew up in Arizona where she learned a great deal from her father and NFL football player Phillippi Sparks about being respectful, grounded, independent and understanding. Sparks released her first album in November 2007. In February 2004, Sparks was named the Overall Spotlight Winner at the Gospel Music Association’s Academy in Washington, D.C. In 2005, Sparks was a backup singer on Michael W. Smith’s Christmas Tour. As a spokesperson for Malaria No More, Sparks recently accompanied the President and First Lady on a trip to Ghana.
Roxanne Spillett
President, Boys & Girls Club of America
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Roxanne Spillett is President of the Boys & Girls Club of America (BGCA), the nation’s fastest-growing youth development organization with a primary focus on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Spillett’s 1996 appointment to the presidency of BGCA marks a career spanning more than 25 years in Boys & Girls Club work. Under her leadership, BGCA created generation-changing initiatives in education, technology, cultural diversity, citizenship and service. Her proudest accomplishments include uniting Clubs behind a common agenda and creating value for Clubs. In recognition for her achievements, Spillett was selected in 2004 as one of the “Power 50” by The Non-Profit Times, and received the Excellence in National Executive Leadership Award presented by the National Human Services Assembly. Spillett chairs “Leadership 18,” an alliance of executives from the nation’s most influential nonprofits, and sits on the board of the National Human Services Assembly – an association of the nation’s leading national nonprofits in the fields of health, human and community development, and human services.
Hasting Stewart
Vice President, Shell Oil Company Foundation
 As the VP, Shell Oil Company Foundation & Director, Social Investment, Hasting Stewart provides strategic leadership for company-wide reputation management using Shell’s corporate and Foundation partnerships and contributions, both locally and nationally. In this role, Hasting creates, implements, and maintains Shell’s vision, strategy and programs for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in alignment with the company’s strategic plan and business objectives. He is responsible for ensuring that all programs and partnerships are effective, measurable, and communicate Shell’s commitment to sustainability, a core attribute of the company. Hasting also directs and oversees all national, regional, and local efforts to identify, create, and maintain key relationships and partnerships with a broad and diverse array of government and issue leaders, community stakeholders from all demographically represented communities and groups, and others important to company interests. A resourceful, creative and dynamic marketer, Hasting Stewart has held positions with increased responsibility in advertising and marketing for over a dozen years. Those positions culminated in the role of Senior Brand Manager for Pennzoil Brand responsible for the full synthetic and synthetic blend product lines. He planned, managed and implemented a highly successful launch of new Pennzoil Platinum Full Synthetic Motor Oil. Hasting developed the pricing strategy, national promotions, packaging, media, and public relations for his product lines.
Hope Taft
Former First Lady of Ohio
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Hope Taft, married to Ohio Governor Bob Taft, became First Lady of Ohio in January 1999. As Ohio's First Lady, she has focused on three basic areas: mobilizing Ohio communities to promote positive youth development emphasizing drug and alcohol prevention, encouraging and recognizing volunteer service, and promoting Ohio's Bicentennial through Ohio's arts and history. She is co-founder of Ohio Parents for Drug-Free Youth, the Ohio Alcohol and Drug Policy Alliance, and Cincinnati's Citizens Against Substance Abuse. In 1999, she partnered with the Greater Canton Habitat for Humanity to volunteer and built the "House of Hope" as part of Habitat's First Ladies Build. In 2001, she partnered with Habitat to build 25 homes around the state of Ohio that have been entitled Circle of Hope. Mrs. Taft graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1966 with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration. She has also received numerous honors and both state and national recognition for her volunteer public service in the areas of mental health and substance abuse prevention and treatment.
Susan Taylor
Editorial Director, ESSENCE Magazine
 Susan L. Taylor is synonymous with Essence magazine, the brand she built—as its fashion and beauty editor, editor-in-chief and editorial director. For 27 years she authored of one of the magazine's most popular columns, In the Spirit. As the driving force behind one of the most celebrated Black-owned businesses for nearly three decades, Susan Taylor is a legend in the magazine publishing world.
She was the first and only African American Woman to be recognized by the Magazine Publishers of America with the Henry Johnson Fisher Award—the industry's highest honor—and the first to be inducted into the American Society of Magazine Editors Hall of Fame. She is the recipient of the NAACP President's Award for visionary leadership and has honorary degrees from more than a dozen colleges and universities.
A fourth-generation entrepreneur, Susan grew up in Harlem working with her father in his women's clothing store. She founded her own cosmetics company, a first for Black women, which led to the beauty editor's position at Essence. She is the author of four books: In the Spirit: The Inspirational Writings of Susan L. Taylor; Lessons in Living; Confirmation: The Spiritual Wisdom That Has Shaped Our Lives, which she coauthored with her husband, Khephra Burns; and her most recent, All About Love, Favorite Selections from In the Spirit on Living Fearlessly. She is a much sought-after speaker, inspiring hope and encouraging us to reclaim our lives and create sustainable communities.
She is an avid supporter of a host of organizations dedicated to moving the Black community forward, but her passion and focus today is the National CARES Mentoring Movement, a call to action, which she founded in 2006 as Essence Cares. The National CARES Mentoring Movement is a massive campaign to recruit one million able adults to help secure our children who are in peril and losing ground. "Not on our watch!" she says. "Our children are the mothers and fathers of our tomorrows, and their future is in our hands." The goals of the CARES Movement are to increase high school graduation rates among African American students, and end the violence in Black communities and the over-incarceration of our young. "Creating safe, top-tier schools in every underserved community in this nation is the mandate—and it's doable," Taylor says.
Susan is a cofounder of Future PAC, the first national political action committee devoted to providing a network of support and sources of funding for progressive African American women seeking federal and state-level political offices. She is co-chair with Danny Glover of Shared Interest, a capital campaign to raise money to build housing and encourage entrepreneurship in the rural areas of South Africa, and serves on the boards of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and Girl Scouts of the USA. She has worked passionately to help restore the lives of people in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region who were devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Guy Vickers
President, Tommy Hilfiger Foundation
 In his current role as President of the Tommy Hilfiger Corporate Foundation and Vice President of Community Affairs, R. Guy Vickers continues to build upon his broad experience in education and social work to better the lives of children across the country. Responsible for the continued growth of the corporate foundation and the expansion of the company’s involvement in the community, he also sustains Tommy Hilfiger’s commitment to original foundation activities such as the DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc, Fresh Air Fund and the Race to Erase MS.
Danny Wuerffel
CEO, Desire Street Ministries
President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation
 Danny Wuerffel was born May 27, 1974 in Pensacola, Florida. He grew up as the son of an U.S. Air Force Chaplin, living all over the country as well as three years in Spain. Danny graduated as valedictorian of Fort Walton Beach High School in Florida, where he led his football team to the state championship. While at the University of Florida, Danny led the Gators to four SEC championships and a National title. He won the 1996 Heisman trophy, the Draddy award (the Nation’s top student-athlete), and set 17 NCAA and University of Florida records. He graduated with High Honors and earned his bachelor’s degree in Public Relations. The New Orleans Saints drafted Danny in 1997. After three years with the Saints, Danny played with the NFL’s European league, winning the World Bowl Championship and was selected the league’s MVP by the European media. Danny played one season with each of the Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, and Washington Redskins. In February 2004, Danny retired from professional football to work in New Orleans with Desire Street Ministries, a faith-based, non-profit organization in one of America’s toughest and poorest neighborhoods. Danny now serves as Desire Street Ministries’ Executive Director and has led the ministry’s transition following Hurricane Katrina. Danny is a popular speaker, sharing how his experiences playing football have helped shape his life, and has written one book, “Danny Wuerffel’s Tales from the Gator Swamp: Reflections of Faith and Football.”
Board members of the Corporation for National and Community Service
The President's Council on Service and Civic Participation
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