Vaughn Bell has lived in the Westerville area for more than 40 years, nearly all of that time contributing to the community as a representative of the faith community, and in service through Leadership Westerville and the Westerville Martin Luther King, Jr. (MLK) Breakfast Celebration. Since 2008, he has led the volunteer and programming effort for the Breakfast, an event that honors the ideas of MLK and speaks directly to their implementation in the Westerville community.

Now serving on the Westerville City Schools Board of Education, Bell says he felt compelled to continue his service to students, parents, district staff and the community. “Education is the great equalizer,” he says. “...it is the key that unlocks the door to future possibilities, and once obtained, it can never be taken away.”

In these roles, and with a long and committed record of service in the community, Bell was asked to share his perspective on how Westerville navigates cultural and social issues on which disagreement may exist. The question is: What do we do when we don’t agree? 

For the full article, click here.

To register for the 16th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Virtual Celebration "The Moral Imperative to Love" on Monday, January 18 at 8 a.m. click here. 

MLK's Dream Revisited

The Westerville Partnership presented "King's Dream Revisited: Where do we go from here - Chaos or Community?” a virtual community discussion in August 2020. The event featured the broadcast of the 17-minute "I Have a Dream" speech, 57 years to the day after it was originally delivered.

The Westerville Partnership is made up of the City of Westerville, Westerville Area Chamber, Westerville City Schools, Otterbein University and Westerville Public Library.