DETROIT, MI, November 14, 2025 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to present Keith King with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. An accomplished listee, Mr. King celebrates many years' experience in his professional network and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Mr. King's career is marked by decades of leadership, advocacy and innovation in support of veterans and the broader business community. As the president and chief executive officer of Keith King & Associates LLC since 1998, he provides strategic direction, leveraging his expertise to help clients navigate business development challenges through advertising and marketing. Mr. King's tenure as an entrepreneur has been characterized by a commitment to supporting veteran-owned and minority-owned businesses, reflecting his deep understanding of supplier diversity programs and federal contracting processes.

Between 1993 and 1996, Mr. King was the vice president of new business development at the advertising agency, J.K. Kidd and Company, where he was responsible for expanding business opportunities and forging new partnerships with clients. His earlier experience included serving as a sales manager at WPTT-TV from 1986 to 1989. He also worked at WJR-AM & FM from 1976 to 1984 as the director of retail sales.

Mr. King's professional journey began with service in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War. His experiences as a Vietnam veteran profoundly shaped his commitment to advocacy and support for fellow veterans upon returning home.

Mr. King earned an associate degree in business from Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan. He also holds several credentials that underscore his expertise and commitment to supporting veterans. In 2014, he received certification as a service-disabled veteran-owned business from the National Veteran Business Development Council and as a certified veteran-owned business from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Center for Verification and Evaluation. Additionally, Mr. King became a certified researcher through the CITI Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative in 2012.

Beyond his education, Mr. King's civic engagement has been extensive. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by Vietnam veterans, particularly regarding access to federal contracts, he became deeply involved in legislative efforts that led to the passage of a federal law in 1999 recognizing veteran-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses as eligible entities for government contracting.

Since 2005, Mr. King has served as the president of the Veteran Support Foundation. He later founded the National Veteran Business Development Council, where he continues to champion opportunities for veteran entrepreneurs. Since its establishment, Mr. King has been instrumental in developing certification standards for veteran-owned businesses by collaborating closely with minority and women-owned enterprises to learn from their established certification models. Over 15 months, he and his colleagues developed comprehensive military-standard operating procedures and certification packages tailored to veterans' needs. Their efforts culminated in the presentation of credentials from three veteran businesses, which were recognized by supplier diversity managers across major corporations. This initiative culminated in a landmark moment in August 2017, when the Billion Dollar Roundtable formally accepted the National Veteran Business Development Council as the sole approved certification body for veterans, enabling member companies to track and report their spending with certified veteran-owned businesses and significantly advancing opportunities for veterans in corporate supply chains.

Mr. King is also an accomplished author, having written "VetLikeMe," a publication that reflects his dedication to sharing knowledge and experiences with the broader veteran community.

Throughout his career, Mr. King has been recognized for his achievements and contributions. He was featured in a VA Veteran Feature Video in 2012, highlighting his impact on the veteran community. He also received the National Commendation Medal awarded by Vietnam Veterans of America in 2015, recognizing his outstanding service and advocacy on behalf of veterans. However, what Mr. King is most proud of is that veteran-owned businesses are now recognized by corporations across America and internationally as valuable suppliers. The evolution of supplier diversity programs over five decades, and their expansion to include minority-owned businesses, reflects principles rooted in federal law he helped shape in 1999.

Mr. King attributes much of his success to the unwavering support of his wife, whose understanding of the complexities faced by Vietnam veterans has been invaluable throughout his journey. Her encouragement enabled him to dedicate himself fully to helping others while balancing family responsibilities. Having entered his profession out of a desire to address the educational and medical challenges facing Vietnam veterans, particularly those related to Agent Orange exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder, Mr. King quickly realized the importance of advocacy at all levels of government.

About Marquis Who's Who®:
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. The suite of Marquis® publications can be viewed at the official Marquis Who's Who® website, www.marquiswhoswho.com.

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