Minorities in Business group to honor five

Five Springfieldians are slated to be honored for their contributions to the community and economy during the fourth annual Minorities in Business Heritage Awards.

Presented by a Springfield networking group of the same name, the awards recognize advocacy, networking, community development and capacity-building efforts for minority businesses and entrepreneurs in the Springfield area. A ceremony is scheduled Feb. 18 at DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in north Springfield, according to a news release.

Award honorees are:

• Bishop David Knox Jr., founder and senior pastor of Deliverance Temple Ministries, who will receive the Achievement Award for four decades of leadership, counseling and advocacy for people in need;
• Jennifer and Arthur Turner, owners of Rib Shack, who have been picked to receive the Small Business Owners of the Year Award for using their business to support community causes including the Springfield Mavericks Volleyball Club, Victory Mission and the Missouri Hotel;
• Lola Butcher, a community volunteer, who will receive the Advocacy Award for her working in starting the Greater Springfield Center for Diversity and Reconciliation, organizing Straight for Equality events in conjunction with Parents & Friends of Lesbians and Gays, and serving as a member of the city's task force to determine whether to extend anti-discrimination protection to the LGBT community; and
• Calvin Allen, founder of Springfield Community Center, who has been selected for the Community Service Award in recognition of more than three decades serving Springfield youth.

“We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding Springfield citizens who have done so much to make our community a wonderful place to conduct business and promote economic development," said Minorities in Business President John Oke-Thomas, owner of Oke-Thomas & Associates Inc., in the release.