TOM ROBERTS

DAYTON — Tom Roberts has been re-elected as president of the Ohio Conference NAACP.

The former state senator was unopposed during voting held Aug. 23 at the Hilton Polaris Hotel in Columbus.

Derrick L. Foward, an NAACP Image Award-winning activist and president of the Dayton NAACP, also was re-elected unopposed as first vice president. Andre Washington, president of Ohio APRI, retained his position as second vice president without opposition. Annette McCoy, president of the Trumbull County NAACP, was re-elected unopposed as third vice president. Chais Ross, a member of the Stark County NAACP, was elected as secretary, defeating Dora Bronston, former vice mayor of Middletown, with 54.43 percent of the vote. Sheila Dawkins-Flinn, a member of the Akron NAACP, was elected unopposed as assistant secretary.

Danielle Sydnor, former president of the Cleveland NAACP, was elected unopposed as treasurer, and the Rev. Willie L. Perryman Jr., former president of the Toledo NAACP, was elected unopposed as assistant treasurer.

The newly elected officers will serve two-year terms that end Sept. 11, 2027.

The Ohio Conference NAACP Youth and College Division also held elections. Emari Edmonds, president of the Warren-Trumbull County Youth Council, was re-elected as president; Lynnisha Foster, vice president of the Toledo NAACP Youth Council, was elected vice president; Claudia L. Mason, a member of the Dayton NAACP, was re-elected as state youth adviser; and Matthew White, a member of the Cleveland NAACP, was elected as state youth co-adviser.

“I appreciate my colleagues all across the Buckeye State of Ohio for believing in my leadership and I’m ready to get back to work on behalf of all Ohioans from an advocacy standpoint,” said Roberts. “I ask every Ohioan to stand up and move forward by registering an alarming and unprecedented number of people to vote throughout our 88 counties and ensure they have rides to the polls on election day. I’m fired up and ready to go — are you?” said Foward.

Founded in 1931, the Ohio Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is the state’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization.