GVSU will present award to pillar of the Battle Creek community

Throughout a distinguished career at Kellogg Co. and then as co-founder of STEWART Industries, longtime Battle Creek resident Joseph Stewart has been a champion for education, believing, as he said, it "provides the greatest opportunity to improve one generation over the next."

Stewart, his advocacy and legacy will be honored with the Action and Impact Award on June 11 during GVSU's Black Boys and Men National Symposium. The award recognizes an individual who is a pillar in the Battle Creek community and who has helped create meaningful change and support for Black boys and men.

The fifth annual symposium is June 10-12 at the DoubleTree Hilton in Battle Creek. 

Now living part-time in Florida with his wife, Clara, Stewart is chair emeritus and co-founder of the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation. Stewart was a GVSU Board of Trustees member from 1991-1998. He served as a senior executive for Kellogg Co. until his retirement in 2000. Two years later, he was appointed to the board of trustees of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and stayed in that role for 14 years. 

B. Donta Truss, GVSU vice president for Enrollment Development and College Futures, said Stewart's legacy and values epitomize the symposium's Action and Impact Award.

"Mr. Stewart often speaks of the principle of Ubuntu, the belief that humanity is bound together and that we have a responsibility to give back what has been given to us," Truss said. "It is a value he has modeled throughout his life and instilled in his family. We are honored to present Joe Stewart with the Action and Impact Award. 

"Throughout his career, he has invested in others, opened doors of opportunity and lifted countless people through mentorship and service. His commitment to empowering future generations reflects the mission of the Black Boys and Men National Symposium."

Stewart's son, Erick Stewart, will be in attendance during the June 11 benefit gala when his father accepts the award. Stewart is the CEO of Lagniappe Strategic Consulting and serves on the boards of the Transportation Authority of Calhoun County, Battle Creek Unlimited and others.

"One lesson I learned from my dad that impacts my work is how to be a steward of humanity and the oneness of humankind through social justice, equity and education for all," Erick Stewart said. 

Tickets for the Action & Impact Award Benefit Gala on June 11 are available to purchase.