About the Event
Every year students throughout Pinellas County are honored for their commitment and dedication to community service, volunteerism, and civil rights, as well as perseverance in overcoming challenges. In 2026, the 7th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Banquet drew more than 100 people to the University Student Center ballrooms for an evening filled with powerful talks about the meaning of Dr. King’s life and ideals, and an award presentation to students following in his footsteps.
the 8th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards
"A productive and happy life is not something you find; it is something you make."~ Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King
Featuring a keynote presentation from St Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway
When: January 21, 2027 at 6pm
Where: USF St. Petersburg Student Center Ballrooms
The award will be presented to select Pinellas County elementary, middle and high school students, and USF St. Petersburg campus undergraduates who:
- Exhibit extraordinary commitment and dedication to community service, volunteerism, and/or civil rights
- Exhibit leadership that has significantly impacted their community
- Have persevered to overcome challenges, either at school or personally
About the keynote presenter
Anthony Holloway began his law enforcement career with the Clearwater Police Department in 1985. Upon retirement in 2007, he was selected as the Chief of Police for the City of Somerville, Massachusetts. In February 2010, he rejoined the Clearwater Police Department as Chief of Police. In August 2014, he was selected and serves as Chief of Police for the St. Petersburg Police Department.
Chief Holloway earned his Bachelor of Arts degree (Business Management) and his master’s degree (Business Administration). He completed the Executive Strategic Management program through the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police at Boston University. He received a Certificate of Completion from the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Executive Education. He completed the Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security. He graduated from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Executive Institute.
Chief Holloway has provided law enforcement training to national and international governmental, military, educational, and community organizations. He serves as Chair of the Florida Police Chiefs Association Subcommittee on Accountability and Societal Change and Co-Chair of the Law Enforcement Committee on Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association, and Co-Chair of the Governance Board of the Executive Committee of the Law Enforcement Information Exchange (LInX). In addition to his professional roles, Chief Holloway serves as a trustee emeritus for Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services and sits on the Board of Trustees of St. Anthony’s Hospital.
In May 2018, Chief Holloway was named a Distinguished Fellow at the Joint Special Operations University (JSOU) at MacDill Air Force Base. He was named the 2020 Outstanding Chief Executive of the Year by the Florida Police Chiefs Association and in February of 2024, Chief Holloway was presented with the Florida Holocaust Museum’s Loebenberg Humanitarian Award. In January 2026, Chief Holloway was honored with the 'Man of the Year' award by the American Albanian Law Enforcement Association (AALEA).
Chief Holloway is married to Clearwater attorney Andra Todd Dreyfus.
Thank you to our sponsors!
Interested in sponsoring? Please contact Kyonna Henry at henryk2@usf.edu
Special thanks to our planning committee: Kyonna Henry, Carolina Nutt, Samantha Fiore, Daniel Wood, Colleen Cherry- Vallin, Savannah Smith, Larissa Jones