Oceanside CA— Mr. E. Charles Adams, Sr. was named as the 2015 recipient of the City of Oceanside Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award at the annual commemoration celebration hosted by the North San Diego County Branch of the NAACP. Mr. Adams served on the City Parks and Recreation Commission from 1997 until 2014 with ten of those years as the Chairman. To his credit, he also served for ten years on the Mira Costa Community College Board of Trustees. Additionally, he served on the Oceanside Police Department Selection Committee. Mr. Adams is also a former Board Member of the Oceanside Art Museum.
His volunteer work also included the following: Girls Track Team (AAU) Assistant Coach, youth leader who served as both an Athletic Trainer and Girl’s Track Coach at Oceanside High School. At Camp Pendleton, he coached Youth Football and took part in the Naval Hospital’s Special Emphasis Program, celebrating all minority groups, reiterating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s philosophy on brotherhood. He is an active member of Saint John Missionary Baptist Church in Oceanside, CA. Mr. Adams is a member of the Oceanside Rotary Club, and the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Chapman College and a Master’s Degree from Webster University. He served 24 years in the United States Navy, and he retired as Senior Chief Petty Officer. His service included the Korean War, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. Mr. Adams defined his volunteerism while serving as an ADHOC Committee member for the renaming of the Bob Maxwell (Tuskegee Airman) Oceanside Field; additionally, he served on the ADHOC Committee for the naming of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge in Oceanside.
Mr. Adams has spent a lifetime adhering to the values taught to him by his father, an apparent influence, along with the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I think it’s fair to say that Mr. Adams exemplifies the essence of Dr. King in his thoughtful deliberations, his gentle approach, and his many years of leadership and service to our community,” said Margery Pierce, City of Oceanside Neighborhood Services Director. “He is a living reminder of the truths exemplified by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
The Community Service award is an annual award given to a resident of the City of Oceanside or MCB Camp Pendleton who exemplifies the ideals and teachings of Dr. King and who has served the community in volunteer activities over a long period of time.