Douglas County Treasurer John Ewing Jr. will deliver the annual keynote address to honor slain civil rights leader, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., on the UNMC campus on Monday, Jan. 21.
The event starts at noon, is free and open to the public. Ewing’s speech, which is sponsored by UNMC and The Nebraska Medical Center, will be in lower level of the Storz Pavilion in Clarkson Tower.
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John Ewing Jr. will speak at the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Event on Monday, Jan. 21. |
A history of service
Elected in 2006, Ewing is responsible for the collection of more than $1.7 billion dollars in taxes for the governmental entities in Douglas County.
Before he held elected office, Ewing served as a member of the Omaha Police Department (OPD) for more than 24 years and rose to the rank of deputy police chief.
Protecting the vulnerable
A passionate advocate for crime victims, Ewing developed legislation to more effectively address crimes committed against women and children.
Ten new state statutes became law as a result of this effort to protect residents. Ewing retired from the OPD in 2006.
Beyond the office
For nearly two decades, Ewing has dedicated his time as a community volunteer to several churches, as a youth mentor and on boards of organizations such as Girls Inc., Habitat for Humanity, Roncalli Catholic High School and United Way.
Honored with numerous community awards, Ewing received the NAACP Living Legend Award and was inducted into the Omaha Northwest High School Hall of Fame, both in 2010.
Known as a passionate, engaging speaker, Ewing titled his Martin Luther King Jr. Day speech, “Are You Living the Dream?”