NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Brenda Baum, Communications Manager Office Direct: (330) 786-2519 Mobile: (330) 801-1848 bbaum@goodwillakron.org
GOODWILL’S ANNUAL MEETING FOCUSED ON “CELEBRATING 85 YEARS OF SERVICE”
AKRON, Ohio—April 2, 2012— Goodwill Industries serving Summit, Portage, Medina, Ashland and Richland Counties celebrated 85 years of service at its 2012 Annual Meeting on Thursday, March 29, 2012 at The Tangier in Akron. The event featured a networking reception beginning at 5:00 p.m. The program convened at 6:00 p.m. when President & CEO Nancy Ellis McClenaghan introduced the “i will” concept as featured in the agency’s 2011 Annual Report.
Ray Horner, Radio Personality for WAKR 1590, was the event’s Master of Ceremony. A “Celebration of Champions” was the focal point of the evening. The celebration included honoring several successful program participants and recognizing businesses that have partnered with Goodwill to provide skills training opportunities for participants, hired Goodwill graduates, or who have used the agency’s services to help recruit qualified applicants. Honorees included:
Volunteers:
Boy Scouts of America, Great Trail Council Girl Scouts of North East Ohio Linda Carter Springfield High School CBI Class, Larry Murphy InstructorCommunity Partners:
CVS/Pharmacy ~ Regional Learning Center IFCO Systems Johnson Brothers Rubber CompanyProgram Participants:
Debbie Fullard Richard Fuller Andre James Amy Johnson Wendy Kidd Sarah Lukacko Gary Parsons Linda Schwarz Nick ToombsDuring the brief business presentation, Shelby Morgan, President/Board of Directors thanked long-time volunteers James Dannemiller, Angela Neeley and Carolyn Pizzuto for their service and welcomed the newly elected slate of Officers for 2012-2013 ~ Chairman, Barry E. Thoman of Meaden & Moore, First Vice-Chairman, C. Allen Nichols, Wadsworth Library, Second Vice-Chairman Gary L. Rickel of CB Richard Ellis Inc., Treasurer Brent R. Thompson of Winer & Bevilacqua, CPA’s, and Secretary Margaret D. Lazzerini.
Event sponsors included: Silver Level – W3 Wealth Management, LLC; Bronze-level – BCG & Company – Bober Markey Fedorovich – Fifth Third Bank – Meaden & Moore – Roetzel & Andress – SS&G – Welty Building Company, Ltd. – White Hat Management. Media Partner – Rubber City Radio Group.
According to Event Chairs Steve and Cherie Shechter, “You could feel the excitement in the air when you walked into the Tangier’s festive Cabaret Room. It was going to be a celebration of exceptional participants of Goodwill, a time for them to be proud, and to be recognized by all of us. When CEO Nan McClenaghan congratulated each Champion on stage, the expressions of pride and joy on their faces said it all about the power of work. Goodwill Industries of Akron has come a long way in 85 years, and one is left with the distinct impression that they are just getting warmed up.”
About Goodwill Industries
Goodwill Industries of Akron is a not-for-profit corporation that helps individuals prepare for, find, and retain employment. Operating in the five-county region of Summit, Portage, Medina, Ashland, and Richland, the Akron-based agency was established in 1927. It is a private, independent organization, operating as an affiliate member of Goodwill Industries International, and a United Way agency in Summit and Medina Counties. Goodwill helps to directly strengthen the region’s workforce through its employment programs and indirectly through the net proceeds from its retail outlets and contract services division. For more information about Goodwill, visit www.goodwillakron.org or call 800-989-8428. ###