The Transplant Heroes Project acknowledges and celebrates people who “adopt the city as their new home and positively impact the community’s wellbeing,” according to Urban Light Ministries.
“The Springfield Mayor’s Breakfast is an annual opportunity to celebrate the many blessings of our community, and to recognize the contributions of some of our neighbors who’ve chosen our area as their home,” said Eli Williams, president and CEO of Urban Light Ministries.
Credit: Bill Lackey
Credit: Bill Lackey
The 10 people who will be honored this year include:
Wes Babian, from Michigan, was ordained in 1971. He later joined First Baptist Church of Springfield in 1984 and was there for 19 years before joining First Baptist Church of Birmingham, Michigan, in 2003. He retired in 2015 and returned to Springfield and became pastor Emeritus of First Baptist Church.
John Brown, who moved to Springfield about 10 years ago, serves as Park National Bank’s Western Ohio Regional President. He became president of Security National Bank in April 2016 and has held positions with Park National Bank in Newark, Piqua and Mansfield.
Sunil (Sunny) Dhingra arrived in Cincinnati in 1983 after getting his green card. He worked at multiple jobs to pay his way through college and spent most of his adult career as a sales and general manager at Monte Zinn Auto Mall. He now owns and operates four businesses, including Always Sunny Realty, which has a Springfield office.
Levi Duncan, born in Trinidad and raised in Brooklyn, New York, had a 24-year career in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force that brought him to Springfield in 2020. He serves as CEO of Liberty Remolding Company, DeLong Heating & Air, and The Springfield Metropolis.
Adam Groshans, market president for Bon Secours Mercy Health’s Springfield Market, has served on the administrative leadership team at Tennova Healthcare Lebanon in Tennessee and as senior director of marketing and business development at Dallas Regional Medical Center.
Moses Mbeseha is co-founder of The Conscious Connect Community Development Corporation (CDC) since 2015, is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, has been recognized by the Library of Congress, city of Springfield, and numerous other institutions for his leadership in equity and place-based transformation.
Jeff Pinkleton, born in Nashville, Tenn. but grew up in Springfield, founded Springfield City Youth Mission and serves as executive director/founder of The Gathering of the Miami Valley. His career spans the financial industry, sports journalism, retail and college admissions, with focusing on nonprofit ministry for the last three decades.
Rose Ann Pratt, who grew up in Harlem, New York City, leads The Church of Jesus Family Worship Center in Springfield. She operated the Springfield Academy of Excellence, served as national lay director, assistant general secretary, and currently serves on the Bishop Board, and as an ambassador and advisor for Aenon Bible College.
Daniel Snow, born in Wooster, has served 52 years with Northwestern Mutual. He worked at the Oesterlen Home for Children before opening Springfield’s first Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance office in November 1973 and the District Office in 1976.
Dr. Yamini Teegia earned her medical degree in India and moved to the U.S. in 2001. She has been a member of Rocking Horse Community Health Center since 2007 where she served as chief medical officer for more than a decade before becoming CEO in 2024. She also serves as a clinical assistant professor of Family Medicine and Pediatrics at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine.
The program will feature a welcome and opening prayer by Bishop Kevin McCraney, followed by a breakfast, a tribute to transplant heroes from Pastor Kermit Rowe, musical selections, an address by Springfield Mayor Rob Rue, prayers and remarks from Williams, and closing reflections by Pastor Cozette Snead.
For more information or to buy a ticket, visit https://urbanlight.org/mayor-breakfast.
Urban Light Ministries sponsors this annual event to honor Springfield residents, their contributions and the community on the Thursday before Thanksgiving each year. They identify qualifying people with recommendations from community leaders in various sectors.
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