Latest “Freedom Achievers” presentation features Kingsville mayor

Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers (centre) was surrounded by Black student leaders from high schools within the Greater Essex County District School Board. Rogers was the latest speaker in the Amherstburg Freedom Museum’s “Freedom Achievers” series last Thursday morning.

The Amherstburg Freedom Museum held the latest in its “Freedom Achievers” series last week and it featured the story of an Essex County mayor.

The featured speaker was Kingsville Mayor Dennis Rogers and he spoke to students from around Essex County and Windsor who are part of the Black Student Leadership Committee. That group is made up of students from high schools from the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB).

Rogers was introduced by museum board member Cari-Lynn Ristic as a man with an extensive business background. He and his wife Haley have three children and started the Green Heart Lunch Club, which provides healthy lunches to children. It has branched out to Green Heart Kitchen and Green Heart Inn.

Rogers detailed his early years, from moving with his family from Michigan to Florida and the challenges that forced their move back. Describing his mother as his hero, Rogers detailed the work his mother put in.

Rogers noted their move to Kingsville and becoming a part of the community, including as the only person of colour in his class. He told students never to judge anyone nor to take anyone for granted. Recalling what he tells his own children, Rogers encouraged the students in attendance to learn from their efforts, even those that don’t go well.

“Ten per cent of life is what happens to you. Ninety per cent of life is how you react to it,” he said.

Rogers attended Wayne State University and would lead to a business career. He said he learned more from failures he has had than the successes he’s achieved.

Jobs included stops in Ohio and, when his family moved back to Kingsville from there after that opportunity concluded, at a restaurant company in Michigan. He would leave there to start his own business with his family, a decision others in his life questioned at the time.

“I believed in me, my wife believed in me and that’s all that matters,” he said.

Rogers encouraged students to approach job interviews with a positive attitude and energy.

“If you bring those into a job interview, I promise you that you’ll be successful,” he said. 

Delegating to Kingsville council on community issues led to him running for council and, in 2022, he believed his leadership style would make him a good option for mayor. He ran and was elected.

“The best way to predict the future is to create it,” he said.

One of the projects that Kingsville has helped undertake was a new strategic plan. Getting a new nurse practitioner-led clinic was another accomplishment he listed.

Rogers added while people differ in terms of policies, they should never differ on their principles. He added there has to be a cohesiveness between council and administration as well as among themselves.

“Ruling for the whole will never make everyone happy,” he said. “We had to accept that.”

Telling the students the importance of leadership, Rogers said they have to have a vision and the willingness to make it happen.

“Don’t make excuses as to what can’t happen,” he said. “Don’t put obstacles in front of yourself.”

Rogers added being nice to people has its benefits.

“Be kind. Change the world one person at a time,” said Rogers. “It sounds hokey. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true.” Latest “Freedom Achievers” presentation features Kingsville mayor

By Ron Giofu