MLK Legacy Breakfast honors local volunteers

Pleasanton Community of Character Collaborative to Host 20^th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellowship Breakfast

January 27, 2020 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Pleasanton at the Club

Pleasanton, CA: The Pleasanton Community of Character Collaborative will be hosting the 20^th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Fellowship Breakfast on January 27^th from 7:30a.m. to 9:30a.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Pleasanton at the Club. The event, which draws community leaders from throughout the Tri-Valley is a gathering to remember and honor the legacy of Dr. King. This year’s keynote speaker will be Kym Johnson, Executive Director of BANANAS. The inspiration for this year’s breakfast is the Martin Luther King quote, “Never, never be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well‐being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.” Ms. Johnson will be speaking about care and compassion in our communities.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Awards will be presented to Jeffery and Danielle Pennewell, Todd Utikal and Ann King. A special award will also be presented to the Tri-Valley Haven.

Entertainment will be provided by Pleasanton’s newly appointed teen poet laureate, Kanchan Naik.

Tickets are available on the Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce Website (Pleasanton.org) by clicking on the events page and January 27^th.

Questions may be directed to Kelly O’Lague Dulka, Board Chair, Pleasanton Community of Character Collaborative.

2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellowship Breakfast Keynote Speaker

Kym Johnson, Executive Director at BANANAS

Profile of Kym Johnson

Kym Johnson is the Executive Director of BANANAS, Inc., an early care and education organization that provides resources for families in their parenting journey and child care providers so our youngest learners thrive. Prior executive level positions include CEO of Harambee Community Services and Executive Director of Rebuilding Together Oakland. Kym is also on the executive committee of the Oakland Starting Smart and Strong Initiative, a ten-year effort focused on creating universal access to high-quality early learning.

Prior to entering into the nonprofit sector ten years ago, she had a successful career in the private sector as a Business Development Manager in the information technology and telecommunications sector working for Unisys Corporation, Wang Laboratory and Xerox.

She is on the Advisory Council of LeaderSpring Center, a leadership development program, a member of Oakland Rotary #3 and the Oakland Chamber of Commerce. Her previous volunteer experiences include board member of the Association of Fund-Raising Professionals – Golden Gate Chapter, the San Francisco Autism Society, Mentor with East Bay College Fund, board trustee at Head-Royce School, Advisory Board member Heads Up Program, co-founder of the Nia Endowed Scholarship Fund, board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the East Bay and co-founder of the San Francisco Alumnae Delta Community Foundation.

Kym is a member of the 2008-9 class of Leadership Oakland and a 2012 Fellow of LeaderSpring. She has an MBA from the University of San Francisco, a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from California State University – East Bay and a BA in Marketing from San Francisco State University. Originally from the Bronx in New York City, Kym has been a longtime resident of her adopted hometown of Oakland and the proud mom of a Fulbright scholar who works in the social justice sector in the Bay Area.

2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellowship Breakfast Entertainment

Kanchan Naik, Teen Poet Laureate, City of Pleasanton

Kanchan Naik is our newly appointed Teen Poet Laureate for the City of Pleasanton. A 16 year old junior at The Quarry Lane School, she is the president of the school’s online publication (The Roar), the secretary of the speech and debate team, and participates in the City of Pleasanton’s Ptown Life News Team. Kanchan is an avid reader and writer. She has been using poetry as an expressive tool since her early childhood. Kanchan has found poetry as a way in discovering herself; she hopes other people can too.

2020 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Award Winners

Jeffery and Danielle Pennewell

Jeffery and Danielle Pennewell are changing the world one kind word at a time. As a part of a "Choose love" curriculum, Jeffery Pennewell and his 5th grade dual immersion class at Junction Avenue K-8 School in Livermore created a project called Words Matter. It was designed to show students the power of their words — good and bad — and how a small act of kindness can have a positive impact on someone's day.

The kids decorated small cards with motivational quotes and compliments and Jeffery and Danielle Pennewell recently handed them out in the middle of Union Square in San Francisco. They were able to record the reactions of some of the recipients in order to show the kids the impact of their work.

Jeffery Pennewell

Jeffery Pennewell is a 5th Grade Spanish Dual Immersion Teacher at Junction Avenue K-8 School. He earned his undergraduate degrees in Political Science and History, and his Masters of Public Policy and Administration from Baylor University. He is one of 22 black non-hispanic teachers with a Bilingual Credential. Jeffery is the creator of a “mathematical” model called Calculus of an Inspired Student, which utilizes key variables that contribute to a student’s engagement and willingness to take ownership of their learning.

Danielle Pennewell

Danielle Pennewell is an HR professional, long-time Googler, and life coach. She has a degree in Economics and Mathematics, and her MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. Danielle recently founded Core Connection, an Equus coaching program that uses the proven connection between humans and horses to develop emotional intelligence and identify growth opportunities for all individuals and teams. She is also the Vice Chair on the board of the Community Tech Network, a non-profit in the Bay Area and Austin that unites organizations and volunteers to transform lives through digital literacy.

Todd Utikal

Todd Utikal is always giving back. He volunteers with a variety of nonprofits, helps others raise funds through his new restaurant and is always willing to call out the good he sees in the people around him and community in which he lives. He also has the courage to call out the things that need to change. His energy and positivity are contagious and he inspires others to serve both through his encouragement and through his humor.

Born and raised in the Tri-Valley, Todd Utikal has called Pleasanton home since 2003. After completing a degree in business and accounting from Saint Mary’s College, he took on jobs in the hospitality and service space – first as a banquet waiter for a hotel and later bartending and waiting tables on private rail cars to Reno.

He was also dedicated to community service as a young student – helping coordinate blood drives and weekly meal service for the homeless in People’s Park in Berkeley. After graduating, he worked three years for Holland America Cruise Lines and was the youngest Assistant Cruise Director in their fleet, traveling to more than 40 countries. He went on to manage Stony Ridge Winery’s restaurant and tasting room and later left the Bay Area to briefly live and write comedy for a show in Las Vegas (it’s a long story).

Leveraging his background in travel, Todd began booking cruises with Frosch Travel while simultaneously pursuing his real estate license. He has worked in the mortgage industry for nearly 20 years while still maintaining his travel business, booking getaways for clients from Alaska to the Baltic. While both of these roles allowed Todd to work with people, he always felt a calling back to the hospitality industry, deciding to make his move in 2015 by conceptualizing SideTrack Bar + Grill to fulfill the need for a casual, family friendly restaurant in downtown Pleasanton. Three years later, SideTrack Bar + Grill opened with the help of his friend and mentor Skip Hinsley.

In addition to his professional career path, Todd continued to be an active member of the community, joining the Rotary Club of Pleasanton, chairing multiple committees and sitting on their foundation board. For the last decade, he has volunteered as an emcee and auctioneer for numerous schools and non-profit organizations in the area. His dedication to community and service has also become part of the mission of SideTrack where he has created a restaurant space that regularly gives back to the community, raising more than $25,000 in 2019 for local charities and organizations.

Todd continues to live, work and play in Pleasanton – a city that has become his home with Erica, his wife of more than 15 years, and his two daughters - Lyla (age 12) and Mayson (age 9). Todd finds great joy in not only providing a place for people to share experiences at SideTrack Bar + Grill but also giving back to the community – both personally and professionally.

Ann King and Tri-Valley Haven

Ann is a highly respected nonprofit leader in the Tri-Valley and the Tri-Valley Haven is an essential component of the safety net for families in need in the Tri-Valley.

Ann King grew up with 5 brothers, no sisters, in a traditional Irish Catholic family in the Midwest. Social issues were common dinner topics (debates) and community involvement was the norm for her family. Courses she took in college introduced King to feminist principles and a different perspective on men and women’s possibilities in life. Following a voracious curiosity about women’s lives, she stumbled onto the earliest books about violence against women. Immediately engaged in the effort to end violence, this same passion set in 1977 has driven her work and has not waned since.

Earning an MSW with an administrative focus on families in 1987, King has had the opportunity over the years to hold several service and leadership positions in the work for peace. She is currently the Executive Director of Tri-Valley Haven in Livermore, CA.

Tri-Valley Haven

Now in the fourth decade, Tri-Valley Haven continues to be a vital community resource serving adults and children who have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, or homelessness.

They are a safe place, above all, for people who need to be protected before they can begin moving forward. But they are also a place that is committed to doing more than merely healing a life that's hurting; they are committed to helping strengthen that life, and building a culture of personal empowerment for those who are most vulnerable.

They envision a world without violence. But rape, physical and mental abuse, and homelessness occur all too often - and in every community, regardless of class or color. It is likely, in fact, that in your neighborhood someone is alive because the Haven was there to help.

And so they stand strong here, a beacon in the Tri-Valley, protecting those in need, helping them to grow again, and seeking to build a more peaceful society. One person, one family, one community at a time.

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The Mission of the Pleasanton Community of Character Collaborative is to create a community culture built on values, goodwill, and community accepted traits of responsibility, compassion, self-discipline, honesty, respect and integrity.