Slater set to speak at City Year event

Former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater will be the keynote speaker for City Year Little Rock’s third annual Red Jacket Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. May 8 in the William Grant Still Ballroom in the Robinson Center.

Scheduled in advance of the nonprofit’s 20th anniversary this fall, the luncheon will highlight how national service helps unify and strengthen communities.

Slater serves on City Year’s national board of trustees.

“Secretary Slater is widely recognized for his inclusive and innovative approach to tackling our country’s most pressing challenges,” said Jennifer Cobb, City Year Little Rock’s senior vice president and executive director. “From his childhood in the deeply divided Arkansas Delta to an incredible career in government, he brings a unique perspective on the power of national service in building a stronger, more equitable future.”

Along with Secretary Slater’s keynote, the event will include student-led entertainment, a panel discussion with AmeriCorps members and a presentation of the Susan Purvis Excellence in Teaching Award. A memorial tribute to City Year Little Rock founder and board chair Bruce T. Moore, who died last year, is also planned.

City Year currently has 40 AmeriCorps members serving in the Little Rock School District and Jacksonville North Pulaski School District. The 17- to 25-year-olds provide individual tutoring, small group instruction, skill building and after-school programming.

Details about tickets and sponsorships for the Red Jacket Luncheon are available here: https://support.cityyear.org/event/red-jacket-luncheon-2024/e565168