Former state Senate President Emil Jones, a mentor to President Barack Obama back in the day, sits in the hot seat when he’s interviewed by WVON-AM/1690’s Cliff (“no-holds barred”) Kelley on Feb. 23 at the University of Illinois at Chicago in the Student Center East, 750 S. Halsted. It’s part of the Agents of Change 2009 Speaker Series, named in honor of Dr. Frances G. Carroll, U. of I. trustee, in collaboration with the university and The HistoryMakers.

A trio of Chicago’s industry giants – James A. Bell, corporate president and chief financial officer of The Boeing Co.; Frank M. Clark, chair and CEO of ComEd; and John W. Rowe, chair and CEO of Exelon Corp., the parent company of ComEd – have signed on as chairs of “Chicago Dream Dinner” in support of the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation Inc.

Inauguration Fever–And I’ve got it and I can’t seem to shake it! The symptoms, which are extremely contagious, are mostly manifest in emotional tears. Tears of joy. Tears of pride. Tears of happiness. Tears of hope.

Windy City’s Fashionistas–Shawnelle Richie and Pamela Jones, both CBS 2 execs, are among 10 African-American women of Chicago who’ve been named “Best Dressed for 2009” and as such will be publicly saluted by the Society of Mannequins (formerly the Association of Mannequins) during the Annual Luncheon & Presentation on March 8 at Georgio Banquets.

Inauguration Images–Whether you’re heading to our nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C., for the historic festivities surrounding the Inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack H. Obama, or staying right here in Chicago next week, there’ll be a plethora of activities going on in both cities to satisfy your celebratory soul. Look for Teesee in D.C. I wouldn’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience for the world!

Celebration Times Four!–A quartet of our town’s most popular male social aggregations whose memberships rank – and some even overlap! – within Chicago’s most affluent, influential and prestigious “movers and shakers,” hosted their yearly formal holiday celebrations mid-to-late December. And spotted among the prominent guests, a virtual “who’s who” equal in stature to that of their distinguished hosts.

Breakfast Bonus–The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss Jr., distinguished pastor of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, who is recognized across the continent as an eloquent speaker and spiritually grounded man of God, comes this way next month to keynote Mayor Richard M. Daley’s Annual Interfaith Breakfast, “King: A Man of Vision,” at the Hilton Chicago Hotel. The gathering celebrates the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Hats Off–to Brenda Butler and David Rudd, presidents of the Chicago Chapters of the National Association of Black Journalists and the Black Public Relations Society (in that order!) for putting on one heck of a partay.

Art Talk–Andre Guichard’s Gallery Guichard, 3521 S. King Dr., will be the setting of Monday’s Collectors Talk, a fundraiser to benefit the Chicago Bears’ Charles Tillman (#33) Cornerstone Foundation, whose mission is to improve the lives of critically and chronically ill children through Greater Chicago.

It seems as though some unscrupulous person( s) have infiltrated the Hotmail (e-mail) account of LaDonna Tittle, one of my fave media sistahs, legendary radio host/TV actress, and hostproducer of “Tittle in the Middle” Productions (Cookin’ wit’ Tittle, CAN-TV/44).