Jo Alice Blondin, Ph.D., congratulates J.J. Peck.
Clark State hosted its 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Luncheon and Awards Ceremony on Jan. 16, at the Hollenbeck Bayley Creative Arts and Conference Center in downtown Springfield. The annual community event honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while recognizing local youth, organizations, community members and Clark State employees who reflect his mission and commitment to service.
“We were honored to welcome the community for a program that inspired reflection and shared purpose,” said Jo Alice Blondin, Ph.D., Clark State president. “This event served as a reminder that each of us has a role in strengthening our communities through leadership, compassion and daily actions.”
Sponsored by Invenergy, the City of Springfield and Park National Bank, the luncheon featured the presentation of several awards recognizing service, leadership and community impact.
The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award, which honors a Clark State employee who leads by example through inclusive practices and forward-thinking approaches, was presented to J.J. Peck, Clark State coordinator of the peer recovery support program. Peck has trained more than 400 peer support specialists serving individuals and families across Clark County and the surrounding region. In addition to leading communitywide Narcan training initiatives, he volunteers with local homeless shelters, hospitals and the NAACP Springfield Chapter, and serves on the Clark County Substance Abuse Coalition.
The Hope Award, recognizing a local organization whose commitment to service has created meaningful community impact, was presented to Second Harvest Food Bank. Serving Champaign, Clark and Logan counties since 1981, Second Harvest partners with more than 60 agencies and, in 2024 alone, distributed nearly 5 million meals to more than 56,000 individuals.
The Peace Keeper Award, presented with CareSource, honored local high school seniors who demonstrate leadership, teamwork and community engagement. This year’s recipients were:
- Lakyah Anderson, Springfield-Clark Career Technology Center
- Trenton Barnett, Greenon High School
- Jordan Bias, Catholic Central High School
- Sierra Clay, Global Impact STEM Academy
- Grady Gruber, Kenton Ridge High School
- Katie Kouts, Tecumseh High School
- Carson Krieg, Southeastern High School / College Credit Plus
- Stephen Roddy, Northeastern High School
- Brock Rue, Emmanuel Christian Academy
- Craig Ruf, Shawnee High School
- Maya Steele, Northwestern High School
- Kimberly Tzintzun, Springfield High School
The program featured a keynote address by Michael Carter, Springfield native, senior advisor to the president at Sinclair Community College and longtime advocate for education and youth development. His address, “Are You a Catalyst for Change?”, explored five characteristics essential to meaningful progress: proximity, empathy, foresight, commitment and courage.
For more than 40 years, Carter has coached, mentored and advocated for young people throughout the Greater Dayton and Springfield regions. His leadership includes establishing the Youth Work and Restitution Program at Clark County Juvenile Court, helping Montgomery County become a national model for dropout recovery, expanding dual credit opportunities at Sinclair Community College and curating The Michael and Debbie Carter Center for American History: Our American Journey at Sinclair’s downtown Dayton campus.
“Michael Carter’s decades of service and dedication to expanding opportunity have created lasting impact across our region,” said Dawayne Kirkman, Ph.D., Clark State senior vice president for student affairs, enrollment management and regional locations. “His message challenged us all to reflect on how we can be agents of positive change.”
Additional support for the event was provided by the Springfield Foundation, Springfield Links and United Way of Clark, Champaign and Madison Counties.