WS Chronicle

The Laymen’s League of Mount Zion Baptist Church of Winston-Salem is sponsoring its eighth annual NFL (Network, Fellowship and Learn) Father & Son Breakfast on Dec. 8, from 9 – 11 a.m. in the church’s File-Goodwin Center.

The theme is “Guiding our Boys to make Godly Choices.” Tommy L. Hickman, senior vice president of operations at R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, will be the featured speaker.

The NFL Father and Son breakfast is designed to be an enjoyable fellowship for fathers, father-figures, mentors, sons, men and boys. The event was founded by Ernest Squire, the current vice-president of Mount Zion’s Laymen League. Squire grew up in a fatherless home, but was influenced by many strong and positive male mentors. He started the breakfast as a way to explore and discuss ways to improve the quality of guidance of African-American men in the family.

Hickman joined R.J. Reynolds in 1987 as a quality engineer. He was named vice president of Operations Planning and Quality Assurance in 1997 and promoted to senior vice president of Manufacturing in July 2002. He was promoted to his current position in October 2008.

He and his wife, Patricia, are co-chairs of the Capital Campaign Committee for Experiment in Self Reliance and were instrumental in raising $2 million to construct a new building for the agency. Hickman is currently involved with the Brother to Brother Ministry at Oak Ridge First Baptist Church in Oak Ridge, N.C. The church is pastored by Dr. James Webster. 

Tickets to the breakfast are available for a $7 donation at Mount Zion Baptist, 950 File St., where Dr. Serenus T. Churn is the pastor. Tickets must be purchased by Friday, Nov. 30. Call 336-722-2325 for more information.