Walter C. Watkins Jr., president of Bank One, Michigan, will receive a Corporate Leadership Award from Wayne State University at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 27, in ceremonies at WSU's Community Arts Auditorium. The award recognizes WSU alumni for achievements in the business world.

Watkins, a Livonia resident, earned an MBA degree from WSU in 1977. He joined National Bank of Detroit, now part of Bank One Corp., as a management trainee in 1968. He held various supervisory and management positions before being appointed head of Michigan Regional Banking and elected executive vice president of NBD Bank and First Chicago NBD Corp. in 1997, and subsequently president of Bank One, Michigan.

Watkins also has responsibility for the corporation's small business strategy in Michigan, Indiana and Illinois.

He serves on the boards of the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce, Detroit Medical Center, New Detroit, Downtown Development Authority and Detroit Economic Growth Corp. He also is on the advisory board of Black Family Development, Inc. and is a member of the Urban Bankers Forum, the Leadership Detroit Alumni Association and 100 Black Men of Greater Detroit.

Program activities will begin with a 6:30 p.m. reception in WSU's McGregor Memorial Conference Center, followed by the 6:30 p.m. awards program in Community Arts Auditorium and a 7:15 p.m. dinner in the Community Arts Gallery.

Also receiving Corporate Leadership Awards at the ceremonies will be Jan Peters, president and chief executive officer of MediaOne, and Ronald Steffens, chief executive officer of AAA Michigan/Wisconsin.

Tickets for the event are $15 for the reception and program only or $45 with dinner included. For reservations and more information call Donna Morrison at (313) 577-6483.