WHAT: East Central Ohio Pilots Association (ECOPA) Annual Banquet
WHEN: Friday, May 13, 2022
Cash bar @ 6:00PM Dinner @ 7:00PM Program @ 8:00PM Speaker is Keni Thomas.
WHERE: Raintree Golf Course 4350 Mayfair Road, Uniontown, Ohio
Dinner: Choice of: 10 oz strip steak, chicken asiago, parmesan crusted cod, or portabello with veggies
Dinner includes: Baked potato, salad, rolls, green beans and dessert. Cost is $45 per person
Reservations and entrée choices due Friday May 6 at www.ecopapilot.com or by check to ECOPA, PO Box 3130, Alliance, OH 44601.
Speaker:
Keni Thomas:
Get it On!
What it Really Means to Lead the Way
As a member of Bravo Company of the 3rd Ranger Battalion Sgt. Keni
Thomas was deployed to Mogadishu Somalia as part of a special
operations package called Task Force Ranger. Their mission was to
find and capture a criminal warlord named Mohammed Farrah Aideed.
Outnumbered 10 to 1, the men of TFR distinguished themselves in an 18-hour fire fight that would later be recounted in the highlysuccessful book and movie Blackhawk Down. 19 Americans died and 78 were wounded.
After Mogadishu, Staff Sergeant Thomas volunteered for one more enlistment in the Rangers. He becamean assistant team leader for a six-man ranger reconnaissance team earning his master parachutist ratingwith over 400 military free fall jumps. He completed the Special Forces Combat Diver course, became anAdvanced EMT and was one of ten Americans to complete the Belgium Commando Course.
Keni got out of the Army to pursue his music career. The Emmy winning country music star still regularly tours with the USO to perform for our military personnel serving overseas. As an entertainer, Keni has been recognized by congress, the White House, and was inducted into the VFW Hall of Fame for his dedicated work on behalf of our veterans and military families.
Keni Thomas is a best-selling author and now works full time as a keynote speaker. His message of teamwork and leadership inspires and challenges us to become the kind of leaders others want to follow.
Keni is also very proud to be a national spokesperson for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation which provides college educations to the children of our special operations personnel killed in combat or training.
Keni Thomas is a graduate of the University of Florida, a recipient of the American Patriot Award and the Bronze Star for Valor.
