Longview’s 2018 Unity Honorees Announced

LONGVIEW – Longview’s Partners in Prevention’s Unity and Diversity Committee has announced Mrs. Regina Wayne and Reverend Lewis Thompson, Jr. as the 2018 Unity Honors recipients. The award is a life time achievement award that recognizes persons in the community who have demonstrated leadership in the promotion of unity, mutual understanding, and social justice. The Unity Honors Luncheon will be held on Wednesday, February 21 from 11:30am to 1:00pm at the Maude Cobb Convention Center.

According to a city news release, Regina Coby-Wayne is a native of Longview who graduated from Longview High School and Kilgore College. She is married to Broderick Wayne and is the mother of Kendra Bush-Collins. She has been employed at Eastman Chemical Company for 40 years. Regina is an active member of St. Mark Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and a proud member of the Pride of Fredonia Court #486 Heroines of Jericho. Regina has been an active member of the DownHome Cloggers for 14 years and is a member of the Broughton Line Dancers.

Regina has been a member of the Unity and Diversity Committee since 2008. During this time, she has participated in numerous events of Partners in Prevention. She has engaged in other volunteer activities including efforts to assist victims of Hurricane Harvey, and clothes drives to help homeless individuals. She has been recognized for her work as a volunteer and honored as one of the Longview’s Non-Profit Coalition Outstanding Volunteer Service recipients. Her involvement with volunteering has given her a deep appreciation of how we can improve the quality of relationships in our community. She believes that human relations, regardless of race or ethnicity, are one of the strongest and genuine relations a person can have.

Reverend Thompson. was born in McKinney. He attended Rollins Elementary, Maggie B. Hudson, and Mary C. Womack and graduated from Longview High School. Pastor Thompson married His wife Mrs. Patricia Ann Thompson in 1970 and are blessed with three God children. Rev. Thompson was employed by Eastman Chemical Company for 31 years. He accepted his call into ministry in 2000 and is currently the pastor of Antioch Baptist of Henderson.

He has served as a member of the Partners in Prevention Steering Committee, and is currently serving as a Mentoring Advisory Council board member of 13 years. He is mentoring a young man that is a sophomore at Longview High School. Rev. Thompson has participated in visiting the campus of Henderson High School, assisting students with decision making and preparing them for available Scholarship Programs, He is serving as a Chaplain for Marketplace Chaplain Inc., and also served on Mayor Andy Mack’s, Homeless Task force. He is President of the East Texas Baptist – Longview District Association, Congress of Christian of Education. He is the President of the Longview Area Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance, and has served in that capacity for 10 years. He is also a member of Longview Clergy Collation, and Longview Baptist Minister’s Union.

A Special Recognition Award will be presented to Chick-fil-A of Longview.

Tickets for the luncheon will go on sale January 5th for $15 and can be purchased at Partners in Prevention, 140 East Tyler Street, #400; Broughton Recreation Center, 801 South Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd; Longview Public Library, 222 West Cotton Street or online at LongviewTexas.gov/UnityHonors. No tickets will be available on the day of the luncheon.