Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton to speak at MLK program
EUREKA – Eureka College is pleased to announce that Juliana Stratton, the 48th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, will be the keynote speaker at EC’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. program on Thursday, Jan. 18.
The program, which is presented by the Eureka College Inclusive Excellence Committee, will take place inside the Becker Auditorium of the Donald B. Cerf Center at 6 p.m. Lieutenant Governor Stratton will discuss the leadership legacy of Dr. King and how her Justice, Equity and Opportunity Initiative is building stronger, healthier communities. The event is free to attend and open to the campus community and the public.
“As the first Black woman Lieutenant Governor in the state of Illinois, I am committed to furthering progress and delivering opportunities to all communities, especially those who have been historically disinvested or ignored,” said Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton. “There is more work ahead to ensure that all of our communities are afforded the equity and justice they deserve. Thank you to Eureka College for honoring and celebrating Dr. King's legacy."
Juliana Stratton serves all of Illinois as the 48th Lieutenant Governor. She is dedicated and highly qualified, committed to showing that the way we move forward is together.
In her role, she leans on empathy and expertise to open doors and expand pathways uplifting communities statewide. She brings her visionary leadership to more than a dozen councils, commissions, boards, and agencies as Chair or executive liaison. These span the Illinois Council on Women and Girls; the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council; the Military Economic Development Committee; and the Rivers of Illinois Coordinating Council.
Among several responsibilities, Stratton’s portfolio includes overseeing the administration’s Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative; chairing the board of the Restore, Reinvest, and Renew Program; and leading office initiatives that address the needs of Illinoisans—ranging from efforts to build a strong diverse teacher pipeline, to helping create pathways to economic empowerment for women, to establishing the Ag Connects Us All Agricultural Equity and Food Insecurity Initiative.
The Lt. Governor is the immediate past Chair of the National Lieutenant Governor’s Association, is a White House appointed member of the federal Route 66 Centennial Commission and is actively engaged in The Chicago Network; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; and The Links, Incorporated. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with her husband Bryan and four daughters.
About Eureka College
Located on nearly 70 wooded acres in Eureka, Illinois, and chartered in 1855, Eureka College cultivates excellence in learning, service and leadership while providing students uniquely personalized educational opportunities.
Eureka College holds the unique distinction of being the first college in Illinois and among the first in the nation to admit men and women on an equal basis. The College, originally founded by abolitionist members of Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), is the smallest of only 24 colleges and universities to ever award a bachelor’s degree to a future President of the United States.