24Th Annual Celebration of Leadership Recipients List with Descriptions

Contact: Denise Biggerstaff Lynn Miller Pease (812) 425-3828 x 2 (812) 589-3682 [email protected] [email protected]

24TH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF LEADERSHIP RECIPIENTS LIST WITH DESCRIPTIONS

DIVISION RECIPIENTS Individual - Winternheimer/LaMar Public Service Award - Dave Wedding Sheriff Dave Wedding has been a beacon of servant leadership in his 36 years with the sheriff's office and has only gotten more involved with the community following being elected Sheriff in 2014 .

He has begun implementing several programs such as the use of online sites like NextDoor to promote security within neighborhoods. Wedding has increased courthouse security and he helped develop the public safety partnership program with USI. He is, at his core, a public servant and is involved with the Gives Hope Foundation and the Santa Clothes Club. Sheriff Wedding is an active supporter of Youth Resources, Albion Fellows Bacon Center, St. Vincent’s Center for Family and Children, Salvation Army and many other local charities that directly benefit children.

Project/Program - Community Collaboration Award - Honor Flight of Southern Indiana, Inc. Honor Flight Network was created to honor America’s veterans for all their sacrifices. Honor Flight of Southern Indiana and the Honor Flight Network hub, serves the Indiana counties of southwest Indiana and western Kentucky. Honor Flight transports our local heroes to Washington, D.C. on what has been referred to by one of the veterans as "the honor of a lifetime" to visit and reflect on their memorials. Honor Flight also hosts alumni meals, activities, and more. The trips and events are made possible by the help of generous donors and volunteers. Their board members, committees and volunteers are true examples of collaborators and servant leaders.

Business/Organization- Integrity Award - Family Matters of Posey County Family Matters of Posey County’s is an entirely donations-based organization dedicated to helping families by providing services that range from rent/utility/food assistance to locating child care to helping with job applications, and transportation, as well as providing over 400 backpacks filled with school supplies to deserving children prior to each school year. The

organization coordinates with several others around the county including the Salvation Army and their bell ringers to bring in donations and resources.

SPECIAL AWARDS The Spirit Award - EPD Mounted Patrol The EPD Mounted Patrol in downtown Evansville are Police Officers who patrol on horses. Residents may approach to see the horses and find themselves forming personal connections with the officers. By protecting and serving our community on horseback, the officers bring joy and inclusiveness to the citizens in addition to providing security.

Sam Featherstone Youth Award - Project or Program - Dare to Dream The Dare to Dream program has become a stand-alone mentoring program in recent years that challenges students to strive to achieve their dreams. They help students research and explore potential careers and universities they may enjoy after high school. Each year, thirty-six students, grades 6-12, are afforded the opportunity to attend a 4-day tour, at no cost to the students or parents. Showing the children that no matter your circumstances you can “dare to dream”.

Sam Featherstone Youth Award - Project or Program - UE’s Mad Hot Ballroom UE’s Mad Hot Ballroom, which you saw perform earlier tonight, is a program that trained UE students to provide dance sessions for elementary students at Glenwood Leadership Academy. Partnering with Angela Paul’s dance classes, UE students and staff were able to use ballroom dance instruction to break down social barriers and build social awareness, confidence, and self esteem in children through the practice of ballroom dance. They transform from typical kids to ladies and gentlemen who respect each other as partners and teammates, and cultivate essential life skills through the practice of dance.

Sam Featherstone Youth Award - Business or Organization - Southside Stars Youth Zone The youth of the Tepe Park neighborhood needed an engagement program that would explore leadership skills and educational opportunities. Community members Lisa and Cathy recognized this and founded Southside Stars Youth Zone to draw in young people with fun, life-skills activities. They developed a program which provides engagement for youth 5 – 10 years old, as well as teen leadership opportunities for the youth of Tepe Park.

Sam Featherstone Youth Award – Overall - Lorelei Taylor Each year around her birthday, 12 year old Lorelei Taylor uses the money saved throughout the year in her piggy bank to give back to her community, whether to purchase toys for kids in need, food for animals, or items for families in domestic and sexual abuse situations. Her saved allowance goes to a local charity. Lorelei even promotes fundraisers, so she may have more money to donate to worthy causes.

Bryce Jordan Servant Leader Award - Lincoln Food Pantry

Lincoln Food Pantry is a partnership with Tri State Food Bank, Lincoln School and EVSC as well as support from the community to provide monthly packages of family friendly food to the families of Lincoln. It is an easy-access, on-site food pantry for families in need.

Susan Kelley Jordan Courage Award - 414 Collective The 414 Collective is a team of women seeking to serve other women of the community by providing guidance, a listening ear, or a helping hand to those in the local sex industry. Their aim is to help women achieve their life-long goals, whether it be by helping secure important forms of ID to apply for future jobs or finding counseling centers for those who feel they need it. 414 Collective strives to empower and support the women’s dreams and be a source of unconditional love and compassion.

Leader in Technology Award-Debbie Calhoun Debbie Calhoun operates a computer club for youth ages K-12 called MCDC Bits and Bytes. Twice a month, she teaches kids coding, app-building, robot-programming, and more! This club opens doors for students and educates them on useful skills that are not currently available at school. She often funds the club herself because she knows the knowledge it provides is something most children will never experience otherwise.

Lieutenant Colonel Reginald Gibson Award - Carisa Campbell Carisa Campbell is an advocate for Evansville citizens who rely on the public transportation system. Evansville had no bus service on Sundays. Understanding this critical need, Carisa started a petition and collected signatures. She met with the city council and the METS director to propose the funding necessary for the service. With her determined voice and compassion for people in need, she made a positive change in our community transportation.

Willie Effie Thomas Diversity Award - Lori Sutton Lori Sutton, Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Vectren, was the champion for diversity and inclusion by pioneering a new approach known as “human equity.” Lori advanced the concept as a way to maximize individual attributes, the result of which was a more fulfilled workforce. Since its implementation, Vectren saw increased engagement scores and bottom line performance, proving that using employee strengths and talents is a win for all. Beyond the workplace, whether it be the Y’s gem program or her Delta sorority, Lori works tirelessly to makes sure all voices are heard and individual uniqueness is celebrated. Like Ms. Thomas, Lori is a leader, advocate and champion of equitable treatment for all.

Shirley James “Greening the Community” Award - EVSC Solar Field Project The EVSC, along with Energy Systems Group of Evansville, partnered for a forward-thinking and innovative project that brought solar energy into the local public school system. In order to save money and conserve energy, the EVSC has implemented two solar fields. Saving the district nearly $6.4 million in energy costs. These fields will drastically reduce the amount of energy used by EVSC, so they are free to spend money on improving the education and learning environment of students.

Nancy Sieben Koehler Sustainability Award - 100 Guys Who Care/100+ Women Who Care The groups are two "non-organizations" that believe that caring members of the community can come together for the community and make a larger impact as a group than each of us can individually. 100 Guys Who Care and 100 Plus Women Who Care are two programs in Evansville dedicated to donation. Each of the 300+ combined members pledge to donate $100 to a charity or non-profit that is selected at their quarterly meeting. Last year, they were able to donate over $80,000 to their recipients. Some of the lucky organizations have been Chemo Buddies, Honor Flight of Southern Indiana, and Cops Connecting with Kids.

Darrell Ragland Award - Arlinda Payne Arlinda Payne is the founder and president of the Evansville Area Black Nurses and Tri-State Advocates, better known around town as the Black Nurses of Evansville. Arlinda is a retired nurse who has been dedicated to serving, empowering, and transforming the Evansville community. She embodies the true sense of servant leadership by inspiring other nurses. She works tirelessly to improve the knowledge and skills of nurses in the community, thus enhancing the quality of healthcare services available for all.

Sara B. Davies Award - Jack Miller Jack Miller is an ABA therapist with Hopebridge who helps patients grow and graduate from 1- on-1 sessions. No matter how demanding his work may be, he always brings a positive attitude to his clients. His impact on the children can be seen by the smiles on their faces. If one needed proof of the difference he makes, they’d need to look no further than his patients. As one put it, “I just wanted to say that you are the best.”

Outstanding Innovation Award - Harwood Career Preparatory High School Harwood Career Preparatory High School, whose rap video you saw at the beginning of the program, goes above and beyond to serve its population. Principal Kristine Eichholz and the entire Harwood staff have worked with EVSC leadership and community leaders to develop student leadership programs that are putting students to work while they earn their education. Their performing arts program that focuses on Hip Hop and its influence in the community has been rooted in collaboration with EVPL’s A Year of Hip Hop 2018. Harwood Career Preparatory High School accepts all people for who they are and helps every student learn by believing in their unlimited potential. They believe that everyone can Accept, Inspire, and Succeed.

Transformational Inclusion Award - MASIHA Specialty Clinic The Muslim Association of Southern Indiana for Health Advancement and its specialty health clinic exist to eradicate illness in the Evansville community by providing free, high-level medical care with 13 specialties to low-income residents. The clinic operates with a Zero Discrimination policy—services are provided without regard of race, gender, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation. The talented physicians of MASIHA see their mission as giving back to the community where they reside by providing care to the most vulnerable who would otherwise not receive specialty care.

Regional Impact Award – Individual - Jeff Whiteside Jeff Whiteside is a city collaborator and mentor. He works with community individuals and organizations from diverse backgrounds and sectors to help further initiatives that serve communities. By collaborating with community leaders, volunteers, entrepreneurs, and civil servants, strategic initiatives have come to fruition through his leadership. Jeff has left a legacy for our region.

Regional Impact Award - Project or Program - A Year of Hip Hop Harwood Career Preparatory High School, whose rap video you saw at the beginning of the program, goes above and beyond to serve its population. Principal Kristine Eichholz and the entire Harwood staff have worked with EVSC leadership and community leaders to develop student leadership programs that are putting students to work while they earn their education. Their performing arts program that focuses on Hip Hop and its influence in the community has been rooted in collaboration with EVPL’s A Year of Hip Hop 2018. Harwood Career Preparatory High School accepts all people for who they are and helps every student learn by believing in their unlimited potential. They believe that everyone can Accept, Inspire, and Succeed.

Regional Impact Award - Business or Organization - Linda E. White Hospice House The vision for a hospice house on the Deaconess campus grew from former Deaconess President and CEO Linda White’s personal experience with ill parents. Wanting to make end-of-life experiences better for people in the tri-state, Linda began advocating for a free-standing, inpatient hospice center. She worked hard to create a space that meets the physical, social, and emotional needs of families as well as patients. Since it opened in 2017, they have provided end- of-life care and services for more than 530 patients and their loved ones.

Civic Engagement Award - Mickey's Kingdom Playground Mickey's Kingdom was a volunteer project to create an all inclusive playground destination, bringing together children of all abilities to the same place. Over 3,500 local volunteers worked over nine days and over 110 hours to build the playground from the ground up. One of the most innovative features of the park is the Communitree designed by UE Student Hannah Jaramillo. It is a steel tree powered by solar energy where digital devices can be charged. Through the widespread collaboration of local government with the community we now have a modern riverside attraction, that can be enjoyed by people of all abilities and ages.

Civic Engagement Award - Individual-Hannah Jaramillo Hannah is an inspiring young leader and a passionate advocate for the Evansville community. Hannah is a full time student at the University of Evansville and has given much of her time to the solar Communitree portion of Mickey’s Kingdom, as well as to its arts committee. Hannah does not shy away from leadership roles. When the original chair had to step aside, she jumped in to take over the art committee a few weeks from the community build. Hannah continues to demonstrate a deep love and commitment to her community and to her team members.

Lifetime Award - Alfred Savia Maestro Alfred Savia has been the Music Director of the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, the region's largest arts organization, since the 1989-90 season. His innovative programming, including the creation of the youth orchestra program, concert programs such as the Nutcracker, and two Music Alive residencies, has brought new life to the EPO. After 30 years of leading this important institution, he is retiring at the end of the current season.

RECOGNITION FOR INDIVIDUAL LEADERSHIP Arts - Todd Huber Todd Huber and his girlfriend, Kate, moved back to Evansville after many years for the sole purpose of creating PG—a diverse, inclusive, and safe venue for artists, locals, and misfits of all ages to co-create and co-exist. For six years, PG served as a true home for the local music and art community. Although the physical space no longer exists, Todd’s vision will continue to grow. Because “PG is everywhere now.”

Community & Neighborhood - Marci Hall Marci Hall makes a difference in the community. She volunteers in several organizations, leads in her Neighborhood Association, and is on the Special Olympics Athlete Council. Marci’s enthusiasm, cheerfulness, belief in others, and involvement in the community highlight her qualities as a servant leader who truly inspires others to do great things no matter what life hands you.

Education - Marvin Smith Marvin Smith is an educator at Lincoln School who goes above and beyond his call as a teacher. He embraces the diversity of his classroom with open arms. By treating them as though they are family. That means cheering them on at games and extending invitations to spend time with his family. Mr. Smith creates a sense of belonging for his students.

Government, Public Service, & Environment - Kris Holzmeyer Kris Holzmeyer is a public servant who dedicates his time by helping Evansville’s men in blue. He is a volunteer chaplain with the Evansville Police Department. He holds a strong belief that all police officers need the option to use a helping hand. After listening to the officers he designed and created an app specifically for their needs.

Health & Social Services - Kelly Salee Kelly Salee has served as the executive director at United Methodist Youth Home since 2014. She has made significant changes to promote servant leadership to help both the youth and staff members. Salee has implemented a Staff Appreciation Committee and writes personal notes to staff members. She has implemented a plan to grow United Methodist Youth Home to serve more of the community. Results from this plan can already be seen in new programs like Aftercare.

RECOGNITION FOR PROJECT OR PROGRAM LEADERSHIP Arts - ARTS-N-THE PARK ARTS-N-THE PARK offers an event which draws a variety of individuals from nearby neighborhoods and welcomes everyone from the community to celebrate art in the Caldwell Recreational Park. The event boasts activities such as face painting, basketball games, and musical performances from rappers, vocalists, and dancers alike. The event has been made possible thanks to the volunteers and members of the Glenwood Neighborhood Association donating time and talent to organize and execute this event.

Community & Neighborhood - Castle High School Riley Dance Marathon Board The Castle High School Riley Dance Marathon Board works year-round to raise money and support for their main event: the dance marathon. This is a student driven organization, led by a student Board of Directors that raises money for kids at Riley Children's Hospital while having fun doing it! These students fundraise in the Evansville/Newburgh area, contributing to Riley’s valuable research and developmental cures for childhood illness. Castle was the 12th largest high school dance marathon in the nation last year. In 2018, this group of amazing kids raised over $60,000 for the cause.

Education - Carver Community Organization AARP Foundation Experience Corps Through the Carver Community AARP Job Corps, volunteers 50 and older use their literacy skills to teach K-3 students struggling with reading through a collaborative relationship with the students and teachers. Each volunteer works in small groups or one-on-one situations depending upon the needs of students. However, they are more than just reading buddies. They are supporters and inspire confidence in the students. The 25+ volunteers with Carver Community Organization encourage the next generation to become strong students and prepare them for life, helping them foster talents and patience.

Government, Public Service, & Environment - American Red Cross Services to Armed Forces Totes of Hope The Totes of Hope program took off in Evansville thanks to partnership with the American Red Cross Services to Armed Forces. The program trusts selfless volunteers to encourage donations and bring attention to the cause of care for homeless veterans in the Evansville community. Recently, their efforts resulted in around 375 totes with necessities like toiletries being delivered to homeless veterans.

Health & Social Services – Program - Community Job Link through The Arc of Evansville The Community Job Link team of coaches at ARC of Evansville partner with area business to help place people with varying degrees of disability into jobs by partnering with companies and organizations within our community. Community Job Link is inspiring people to look outside the everyday workforce and hire a more diverse population of people.

Health & Social Services – Project - Neighborhood Baby Shower

The Neighborhood Baby Shower event series launched in 2018 and is facilitated by the Vanderburgh County Health Department to connect new mothers and moms-to-be to lifesaving community resources. With the ultimate goal of reducing infant mortality in Vanderburgh County, the shower series fosters community collaboration with over 20 local partnerships to extend the reach of community organizations to at-risk mothers and infants.

RECOGNITION FOR BUSINESS/ORGANIZATION LEADERSHIP Arts - Evansville Civic Theatre, Inc. Evansville Civic Theatre enhances and enriches our community by cultivating an appreciation for the performing arts and education through high quality entertainment. They fulfill their mission through diverse plays and musicals, and productions are chosen with community input. The Nextwave Program allows students to learn about the performing arts in a non-school environment and the Underground Program features cutting edge plays directed by community members and presented in non-traditional performance spaces. In existence since 1925, Evansville Civic Theatre is the oldest arts organization in Evansville and the second oldest community theatre in Indiana.

Community & Neighborhood - Diamond Galleria The Diamond Galleria, through its owner Burt Wheat and his late wife, Tyna, inspires support of area charities through its generous program of event sponsorships and event support. A diverse array of charities are supported by the Galleria, anywhere from the arts to human services. The business is unique in its level of engagement with philanthropic efforts.

Education - Optimal Rhythms/ACCESS Academy Optimal Rhythms and ACCESS Academy provide meaningful intervention to nonverbal autistic students providing access to a truly unique educational environment and staff that enables them to communicate, demonstrate their knowledge and understanding, and learn at a higher level--many for the first time in their lives. Children that once couldn’t communicate with their parents now have a way to do it all on their own. Overall, the organization is dedicated to providing children on the autism spectrum with a place to learn, thrive, and feel exceptional.

Government, Public Service, & Environment - Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District After years of fighting for formation and funding, the Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District became a reality. The EID garnered neighborhood support for their initiatives to serve the interests of their businesses and residents. Their starting projects included logo and brand development for businesses, installing festive decor downtown for a cheery holiday, and removing waste to freshen up the downtown environment. The District's vision is one of a vibrant neighborhood which benefits the entire region.

Health & Social Services - Just Stylin Salon Just Stylin’ Salon has gone far beyond just your run of the mill cosmetic services. The salon partners with Children with Hair Loss to create awareness, raise money, and donate their services to provide free wigs to children in need. Using hair donated by customers, they create,

cut, and style the wig as closely to the child’s natural hair as possible. The Salon also does free cuts for veterans and helps empower youths with their image at United Methodist Youth Home.

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