“Where does she find the time?” This was the comment most often made about Krista L. Allison. Allison appeared to never sleep. She could handle multiple projects at one time and still get home in time to have dinner with her family. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission has been blessed to have her as their Breakfast Chair for several years. Allison was innovative and not afraid to tackle event planning, lighting, media, ticket agencies, volunteers, Commissioners, politicians, dignitaries and keynote speakers, all at the same time. The pandemic did not deter her efforts to put on the Annual Mayors’ Breakfast; she created an in-person and a virtual gathering to accommodate everyone who wanted to participate in the Breakfast. She modernized the Commission with an updated website, flipbook program book, and the ability of participants to purchase and pick their own seats online. She created the annual VIP event gathering at the Twisted Olive, Holiday Inn and HOF Gold Room. Guest speakers were able to meet with Canton’s elite i.e. mayors, politicians and other dignitaries before the scholarships were handed out the next day at the Breakfast. Allison thinks about every detail, and every person . She left nothing undone. The Martin Luther King Charitable Fund at the Stark Community Foundation has grown from a few thousand dollars to over one hundred thousand dollars in endowment money under her guidance. Allison tirelessly worked with the surrounding schools to ensure that students in Stark County were able to participate. Students who wanted to be considered for a scholarship were able to upload the required documents on website. Allison style, smile, and dynamic leadership has caused the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission to soar to new heights, with expectations of something even greater in the future.
On behalf of Reverend Walter J. Arrington, Chair, Martin Luther King, Jr. Commissioners , volunteers and scholarship awardees, THANK YOU!
