The University of Jamestown’s Leadertown is ongoing today, September 25th. The conference started with speeches by President Polly Peterson, Dr. Elizabeth Hunt, and other speakers, including Emily Ford and Jake Havron—entrepreneurs who do motivational speaking. Ford is an influencer, brand builder, and speaker. Havron played basketball at UJ and earned a nursing degree but decided instead of getting people out of the hospital, he wanted to keep them out by becoming a personal trainer.
Manny and Tracie Ohonme operate a nonprofit called Samaritan’s Feet, which supplies shoes to communities in Africa. Manny Ohonme came from Nigeria to North Dakota to play basketball, took his career into the software industry, and has since become a self-described “professional foot washer,” but giving away 12 million shoes is no small act—he has been recognized by Pope Francis and Maya Angelou for his efforts.
The main event happens tonight at 6:30: David Brooks, a New York Times columnist, bestselling author, and PBS News Hour host, will offer the keynote speech. Leadertown drew in an estimated 1,600 people. Attendees took part in workshops and attended service in a newly-renovated Vorhees Chapel. This event showcases the culmination of efforts in creating the Unruh School of Character in Leadership, and the speakers today reflect character as being driven by faith, purpose, and service to others, paving the way for great work to be done by the school’s future students.
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