Preston Love, Jr., brings the wisdom derived from his life experiences, his crusade and community activism for economic inclusion to his work. Preston, who is the president of the men in his church, Antioch COGIC, gives all honor to Jesus Christ. Married to Martha, his spiritual leader and his best supporter.

• Founder & Executive Director: Institute for Urban Development (4Urban.org) 2020, a trade name for the Black Votes Matter Institute of Community Engagement (BVM), LLC 501 c(3), 2017.
• UNO Adjunct Professor (teaches African-American Experience in Politics)

EDUCATION

• Bachelor of Science, Economics, University of Nebraska, Lincoln
• Master’s Degree from Bellevue University, Omaha, Nebraska, in Professional Studies, M.P.S.

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

• Former UNL (Husker) Football Player and Detroit Lions Draftee
• IBM pioneer marketing executive (1966-1980)
• Microcomputer historic innovator (opened Atlanta’s first retail computer store—1980)
• Groundbreaking political mogul (incl. organized and ran Jesse Jackson’s presidential candidacy—1984)
• Playwriter (wrote and performs: “Adam Clayton Powell,” a one-man performance)
• Award-winning newspaper columnist (Omaha Star column Black Votes Matter)
• Editorial page Columnist. Omaha World Heald
• Contributor: The Fine Lines Journal. a national, quarterly, non-profit publication, which is devoted to networking with creative writers from around the world.
• National Lecturer: Incl. the Nashville film festival regarding urban voting and the documentary film, One Vote; Jefferson Educational Society, Erie, PA), AAACE (American Association for Adult and Continuing Education) at the Annual Conference in St Louis, Mo., October 9, 2019, Frequent panelist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, annual Black Leadership Symposium
• Author: Economic Cataracts, (sold in over 30 states and Thailand.) The Jackson Papers. His Third/Fourth books, children’s book, “Bridge to Your History”. (June 17th , 2019).Bilingual Edition Awards (2020 NEX GEN finalist, 2020 Nebraska Book Award), A Clear Vision (2020)
• Serves as the 1 st Vice President NAACP Omaha
• Board member, Kids Can
• Organizes an annual trip of 40+ high school students on a Black History tour (BVM Tour) to Memphis, Birmingham, Tuskegee, Montgomery, Selma and Atlanta (all expenses paid).  Documentary of the tour released October 2018. 2020 Virtual Tour (released Sept/2020, watched by over 5000 nationanally)
• Serves as a consultant with, The Minnesota Humanities Center. (A National Education Organization)

NOTABLE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

• Nebraska Black Sports Hall of Fame inductee 2016 (University of Nebraska at Lincoln, football player)
• Commendation for Excellence (2017) Nebraska Secretary of State for Omaha Star Newspaper column.
• 2008 Douglas County Dem Party Chair Award For leadership (winning the CD2 historic electoral vote)
• NAACP Presidents Award (2018), Vice President Nebraska/Iowa Chapter NAACP
• Preston Love, Jr. was presented the Distinguished Citizen Award by the West Point Society of Nebraska and Western Iowa on March 30, 2019 during its annual West Point Founders Day in Omaha, Nebraska.
• Friend of West Point member inducted with the Class of 2021; West Point Association of Graduates
• Public Citizen of the Year, Nebraska Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW)
• 2020 Nebraska Democratic Party Endorsed candidate for US Senate
• 2021 Northeast Community College Alumni Hall of Success inductee
• 2021 Nebraska Democratic Party Frank LaMere Hall of Fame Award