Love Letters for Gary

David L. Collier-King is a visionary leader, strategist, and Founder & CEO of New Frontier Ventures Corp, dedicated to rebuilding historically disinvested Black communities through real estate, entertainment, and economic empowerment. With over a decade of experience spanning policy research, nonprofit leadership, urban planning, and government service in Chicago and Cook County David has led transformative initiatives addressing housing, food insecurity, and equitable development. His flagship project, Vision Builders’ Pointe in Bronzeville, reflects his belief that true revitalization must fuse housing, entrepreneurship, culture, and sustainability into thriving, community-owned ecosystems. Beyond development, David is an author of To Those Who Believed, The Hopes for Thirty, and contributor to Love Letters for Gary. He sees storytelling as a vital tool to reshape narratives, restore dignity, and inspire investment—leveraging every medium to reimagine communities of tomorrow that are thriving, equitable, and self-determined.

Ben Clement is a writer, journalist, filmmaker, actor, and producer with credits in movies, stage plays, television, and radio. Since 2004, he has written fourteen screenplays, nine stage plays, and produced and hosted four television programs, including The Entertainment Connection, Show Business, Panacea, and One on One. His film credits include Posin', The Firing Squad, Mug Shots, Prodigy, Swan Song, Goners, Comes to Shove, and Altered. Stage credits include playwriting Steel Waters, Unknown Soldiers, Gary'd Treasure, A Figment of Reality, The Book Thief, Boxing Pandora, Nocando, King's Ransom, and Ghosting While Black. Recently, Ben made his stage debut in August Wilson's Two Trains Running and will appear next in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Ben has also authored five books: Giants On My Shoulders, Stone's Throw Away, You Missed A Spot, Timmy Took a Knee, and Big Bad Wolf. Ben founded the Gary Office of Film & Television and served as Executive Director for twenty-five years of bringing hundreds of feature films, television shows, documentaries, movie video productions, and still photography projects to Gary. Most recently, Sony Pictures filmed an episode of Dark Matter that is currently streaming on Apple TV. Ben still serves as President and CEO of Mediaflex, a full-service marketing, multimedia, educational consulting, and crisis management firm. Ben was formerly President of the Drexel Foundation for Educational Excellence, Inc., and also served as President and Superintendent of Thea Bowman Leadership Academy. Somewhere along the way, Ben found time to be an on-air personality named Rocky King on WCKX Radio in Columbus, Ohio, a member of an improvisational comedy troupe called The Outpatients, a cartoonist, and even had a rap single entitled "Hit Man" featured in Billboard Magazine. Ben served eight years as Director of Economic Development for the City of Gary and had the dubious distinction of bringing the Miss USA Pageant to town. As a result, he was interviewed by Peter Jennings for ABC News and was featured in his book, "In Search of America". In 2012, Ben was inducted into the Society of Innovators for developing one of only two film offices in the state of Indiana and was featured on ABC World News Tonight with Diane Sawyer. He was also honored with the Leaders as Heroes Award by South Shore Leadership. Ben graduated from West Side High School in 1974 and holds an MBA from Indiana University Northwest. He has served on numerous boards, including president of the Gary Literacy Coalition, Inc. Ben is a Life Member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. and is active with Alpha Kappa Kappa Chapter in Gary. Although writing and public speaking are his core talents, Ben firmly believes in the importance of lifelong learning. "The most important skill one can develop is listening. The most vital emotion is love. And finally, success is not a destination. It's a journey."

James Wallace, a native of Evanston, IL, served as the Director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs (ODEMA) at Indiana University Northwest between 2011 and 2025. He currently serves as the director of the Office of Student & Community Engagement Programming in the division of Student Affairs. In this role, James collaborates with campus and community partners to identify co-curricular and service-learning activities designed to enhance students’ experiences and connect students with the broader community. James also partners with local organizations to host historical and cultural observances on campus. James resides in Merrillville, IN, and serves as a board member of Communities in Schools Lake County and the campus representative on the Gary Commission on the Social Status of Black Males.

Jessie Lewis, 30, was born in Denver, CO, but raised in Gary. In his senior year in college, he started writing poetry to help cope with stress. Another couple of classes and a graduation that wasn’t a graduation led him to completing his first self-published book, “Last 4 Yearz.” Jessie relocated to Dallas, TX in 2022, and it was the best decision for him as a writer. He began doing more open mics and working with other artists and authors, whether writing or music. Jessie's goal is to inspire others and let them know that we can make tomorrow better because it was a bad day today. Jessie has an upcoming sequel, “8 Yearz Later,” and has two more fiction books.

Dwayne Hunter, a native of Gary, IN is an author, serial entrepreneur, and artistic creative who leverages art forms, creative entrepreneurship, and his love for family to bring joy and delight to the world. A committed husband to Jamiya Hunter, and a dedicated father, Dwayne is the founder and CEO of ThrillAmaze Entertainment, a mobile family-oriented entertainment company on a mission to create once in a lifetime experiences for families.