Independence Homecoming
"Reunited and It Feels So Good"
Independence Homecoming 2019 held July 5-7, 2019.
2019 Speaker
SAM FORD
The Homecoming Committee is pleased to announce the speaker for this year’s Banquet, Sam Ford.
Mr. Ford is currently in Washington, D.C. working as a general assignment reporter for ABC7 and WJLA 24/7.
He has been with WJLA-TV for 30 years. He has been a broadcaster for 45 years, starting with radio stations in Kansas and Minnesota before moving on to television.
Previously, Sam spent nine years as a correspondent for CBS News. During his tenure at the network, he was stationed at CBS bureaus in New York, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. Prior to CBS, he reported for WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Sam is a founding member of the National Association of Black Journalists. He has a number of journalistic awards AP, New York, Edward R Murrow and several regional Emmys.
In his 35 years in the nation's capital, he says he has covered everything from the White House to the crack house. His focus at WJLA has mainly been District of Columbia government, life and crime. His title is DC Bureau Chief for ABC7 and WJLA 24/7.
He is extremely interested in history, particularly Black history. He was able to trace some of his ancestry to slaves owned by American Indians in Oklahoma. It turns out that his father’s ancestors likely came from Nigeria. Ford learned that by the new method of tracing roots through DNA. Ford has traveled to Nigeria twice looking for further clues as to his ancestry.
He's been married to Gloria Murry since 1981. They have a son and a daughter: Murry Ford, a hospital executive, in Atlanta Georgia and Gina Ford, a strategic communications specialist.
Sam, Kansas native, is a graduate of the University of Kansas William Allen White Journalism School. He did graduate studies at the University of Minnesota.
Sam is an active member of the historic Ebenezer United Methodist Church on Capitol Hill, where he is a trustee, a member of the historical committee and an occasional organist for Sunday morning worship services.
2019 Banquet Mistress of Ceremonies
Laflace Adams
Born and raised on the East of town, Z. LaFlace Adams(Allen) is a native of Independence. She loved the Lord and decided to join Pleas Temple Church of God in Christ at an early age. She matriculated through the Independence school system from Headstart through ICC (Independence Community College). After graduation, LaFlace decided to continue her education at Wichita State University obtaining a bachelors degree in the Healthcare field while minoring in Business. It was her lifelong calling to care and help others so going into that field only made sense.
Her career started with Via Christi Health Systems as a Human Resource Professional while gaining knowledge in medical technology and laboratory billing. Once she mastered that area, LaFlace advanced to a Human Resource leadership role that positioned her to better lead and manage others. Within this new role, she was able to see the inner workings of the financial industry. Currently, she is still able to fulfill her calling of helping and guiding people within this new industry, for over 6 years.
LaFlace is constantly finding ways to continue her growth. After over two decades in the healthcare field, she went back to school to obtain a Masters degree in Business Law from Friends University as well as a certification in Diversity and Inclusion training. She is a current member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated. As she has grown educationally, she has also grown spiritually as well. She is an active member of Surazal Christian Center in Wichita, Kansas.
As LaFlace navigates through life, spending time with family, and inspiring her five distinctive children; she has a motto she lives by and teaches to others that states "Feelings are not Facts. Because feelings are determined by your circumstances, and both can be changed, but the Truth, can’t.” Therefore always seek understanding for the Truth, because that is what matters.
2019 Choir Director
Amber Jones
The 2019 Choir Director for Independence Homecoming will be Amber Jones. She is a former resident of Independence, KS where she attended Independence High School and Independence Community College. Amber was blessed to live the small town life in Independence where she spent her summers at the local pool and enjoying the ballparks and being able to celebrate Homecomings with her family and friends. She now resides in Fort Worth, TX, with her husband Steven Jones and her son Rhayme Jones. Amber is employed by the Boy Scouts of America where she is a Help Desk/ IT representative for the company. Amber and her husband also own a catering business, Love Jones Catering. Amber’s love for music started at the historical Pleas Temple COGIC in Independence where she was apart of the youth choir and grew over the years singing in her church at the local and state level. Amber loves to spend time with her family and has a passion for serving God and his people. Amber is an active member of her local church serving in the choir , kids and Women’s ministry. In her spare time Amber loves to develop new recipes with her husband and mother, attend arts festivals and spend time with her new baby boy. Amber believes in doing her best to do her duty to God and her community and to help other people at all times.
2019 Community Church Service Speaker
Superintendent Melvin Simpson
The 2019 Independence Homecoming Community Church Service sermon will be brought to us by Superintendent Melvin J. Simpson. Supt Simpson is a former resident of Independence, Kansas. He was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas to Walter Simpson, Sr and Clara (Pegues) Simpson and moved to Independence at the age of two. He attended Independence Schools graduating from Independence High School in 1970. He received his Associates of Applied Science from Independence Community College. He then went on the receive a Bachelors of Science in Human Resources Management from Friends University.
In 1972, he married Sandra Hadley and they have been married for 47 years. Five children were born out of this union and they are enjoying 12 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
While in Independence he was an outstanding athlete; playing football, basketball, baseball and running track. He also coached girls softball, Little League baseball and Babe Ruth. Supt. Simpson loves to help youth. He worked several years at the Ash Youth Center part-time while working 36 years at Southern Star Gas Pipeline. He has also served as Chaplain for the Independence Police Department and served on the Independence Middle School Site Council.
In 1978, he was appointed to serve as Assistant Pastor of the First Church of God in Christ in Coffeyville, KS. In 1983, he was appointed Pastor of the Young’s Chapel Church of God in Christ in Independence and has been there for 36 years. Along with serving at Young’s Chapel he was also appointed to serve as Pastor at First Church of God in Christ in Coffeyville in 2002. In 2010, he was appointed by Bishop L. F. Thuston to serve as Superintendent of Fort Scott District, overseeing nine churches in Southeast Kansas. In 2016, he was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Superintendents of the Kansas East Jurisdiction of the Church of God in Christ.
Supt. Simpson is also the past President of the Coffeyville Ministerial Alliance and serves as Chaplain for Coffeyville Regional Medical Center. He also serves on the Coffeyville Citizens Advisory board and on the Independence Progressive Pastor’s group.
Independence Homecoming ® Independence, KS 67301
