The President of Men Making a Difference is known by friends and family simply as “Rock.”  Rock was born on Homan and 16th Street. There was a snow storm and his mother couldn’t get to the hospital and so he popped out right on the kitchen table. Rock grew up riding bikes over to Dimenzo’s Pizza on Taylor Street and shopping over at Maxwell Street. He even got to shake Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s hand when MLK was living in the neighbourhood. 

Like a high proportion of men from North Lawndale, Rock has served time in prison. Rock used this time in incarceration on self-reflection and emerged a changed man.  While in prison, Rock also studied religion and read everything he could get his hands on.  Today, all of Rock’s actions are guided by faith.

Rock served in Vietnam as a Marine, worked as a law clerk, property investigator and private eye. He learned his way around the kitchen and worked for eight years at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare as the meat chef, where he cooked all the meat going out of that kitchen. He is also a long–time case manager with the North Lawndale Restorative Justice Community Court working directly for Chief Judge Tim Evans. In North Lawndale, Rock has worked for I Am Able, St. Anthony’s, St. Agatha’s Dream Builders, and a host of other organisations all with the purpose of caring for his community.

Rock has nine children, 29 grandchildren, and 15 great grand children.