Hwy 55 owner to serve up UMO address
By From staff reports
Published in News on April 22, 2015 1:46 PM
MOUNT OLIVE -- Approximately 320 students will receive their degrees Saturday, May 2, during the University of Mount Olive's graduation ceremonies.
Commencement exercises are scheduled for 2 p.m. in the George and Annie Dail Kornegay Arena on the Mount Olive campus.
Kenney Moore, president and founder of Hwy 55 Burgers, Shakes, and Fries, will be the commencement speaker.
A commencement worship service will be held at 10:30 a.m. in Southern Bank Auditorium in the Raper Building.
Bishop Rose S. O'Neal, senior pastor at Koinonia Christian Center Church Ministries, will be the speaker.
Both speakers are graduates of Mount Olive College.
Moore graduated from Mount Olive College with an associate's degree in 1983 and transferred to Atlantic Christian College, now Barton College, to earn his bachelor's degree.
He opened his first 1950's-themed restaurant in 1991 in Berkeley Mall in Goldsboro at the age of 28. Today the company has more than 100 restaurants in eight states and 2 countries.
He has also recently released his new book, "Behind the Drive: A Story of Passion, Dreams, Demons, and Hwy 55, the World's Next Favorite Burger Joint."
Moore credits a great deal of what he has learned about life and business to the experiences he gained as a Mount Olive student and member of the Trojan baseball team.
"During my sophomore year, our team was considered to be in a rebuilding stage and not expected to be at peak performance," he said. "But, I found out a funny thing that I have carried over into my business.
"That year, we won the conference and were ranked 20th in the country. That taught me that you can have less talented people, but if you have the same goals, dreams, and ambitions and work together as a team, you can accomplish amazing things."
Throughout the years Moore and the Andy's Charitable Foundation have supported the University of Mount Olive including being a central force in funding the Moore-Williams Baseball Fieldhouse, named for Moore's parents, Dal and Nancy Moore, and his in-laws, Jimmy and Frances Williams, and most recently contributing to the university's campaign to construct a track and field/lacrosse complex.
Ms. O'Neal is a 2007 graduate of Mount Olive College, where she earned her bachelor's degree in religion with a minor in business management and organizational development.
As the founder and presiding Bishop of Koinonia Fellowship of Churches and Ministries she covers 20 churches both stateside and internationally
She has counseled pastors, churches and people from all walks of life.
The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values.
The university, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Research Triangle Park, Washington, Jacksonville, and in Smithfield at Johnston Community College.
For more information, visit www.umo.edu.