Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Community Service Commission today announced 46 individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations recipients of the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards and applauded their commitment to volunteerism, service or philanthropy.
“Michigan succeeds because of Michiganders who go above and beyond to serve their communities and lift up others,” said Governor Whitmer. “This year’s winners get things done even when nobody’s looking because they know that every contribution makes a huge impact. I am honored to present the Governor’s Service Awards to this year’s 46 recipients and urge every Michigander to get involved in their community so we can move our state forward together.”
The Michigan Community Service Commission will host the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards on Nov. 17, 7 p.m. at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Admission to event is free, but registration is required. To register, visit https://2022governorserviceawards.eventbrite.com.
To recognize those who go above and beyond, the Governor’s Service Awards have been presented since 1994. The Michigan Community Service Commission supports Michigan volunteers, organizations and businesses that are committed to service and play a critical role in improving the lives of our people and communities.
“We are proud to recognize this remarkable group of Michiganders who are an inspiration when it comes to helping others,” said Michigan Community Service Commission Executive Director Ginna Holmes. “Their service has strengthened communities and made our state more resilient.”
The winners include:
Lifetime Humanitarian Award: Gail Perry-Mason (Detroit)
Governor George Romney Lifetime Achievement Award: Marlowe Stoudamire (posthumously)
Philanthropist Award: Izzo Legacy Family Fund (East Lansing)
Civic Engagement Impact Award: Astrid Fan (East Lansing), Krish Ghosalkar (Troy), John Wesley Cromer, Jr. (Detroit), Irene Sinclair (Southfield), Paul Charette (Lansing), USP4GG Michigan (Sterling Heights), Challenge Detroit (Detroit)
Community Impact Award: Ava Bunao (Troy), Barbara Matney (Warrendale), Ford Resource and Engagement Center – Detroit East (Detroit), Michael Kent (Traverse City), Jane Beach (Edmore), Grow Benzie (Benzie County), Antionette Buckley (Flint)
Corporate Social Impact Award: Barton Malow (Southfield), Caster Concepts (Albion), Detroit Pistons (Detroit), Hemlock Semiconductor (Hemlock), Lake Trust Credit Union (Brighton)
Environmental Impact Award: Lorana Jinkerson (Marquette), Akshitha Sahu (Troy), Manistique Community Treehouse Center (Manistique), Peace Tree Parks (Detroit)
Health Impact Award: Katherine Heath (West Bloomfield), Alison Jakubcin (Alpena), Jim Kaski (St. Clair County), Dr. Michael Lutz (Rochester Hills), Dr. Amy Yorke (Flint), Gleaners (Southeast Michigan), Lighthouse (Oakland County)
National Service Impact Award: Cortnie Parish (Howell), Thomas Steele (Swartz Creek), June Swift (Grand Rapids), YouthWork AmeriCorps– Child and Family Services of NW MI (Traverse City), Economic Opportunity Coaching Corps AmeriCorps – Peckham, Inc. (Lansing)
Youth Services Impact Award: Kimber Bishop-Yanke (Birmingham), Diane Feenstra (Traverse City), Stephen D. Mayfield (Flint), Cathrine Ovenshire (posthumously), Elizabeth Voglewede (St. Joseph), Career Technical Education Committee ((Marquette and Alger Counties) Detroit Economic Club (Detroit), Rhonda Walker Foundation (Detroit)
UPPER PENINSULA WINNERS
Lorana Jinkerson began her journey with the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the mid-2000s and has led in volunteer and philanthropic service since. Recently, Lorana surpassed 10,000 volunteer hours with NCTA. Lorana has built relationships with numerous private landowners to establish trail sections that are off-road when public land isn’t available. Subsequently, this has minimized the area of road-walk and enhances a “road safe,” positive trail experience. To continue a positive trail experience, Lorana physically maintained the trail while also planning for its future. Lorana worked with the Marquette community to establish interpretive signage along the trail and encouraged other groups to hold events on the trail’s behalf to promote the trail as one of the eleven national scenic trails in the country. Lorana developed a holistic approach to supporting the National Trails System and ensured that our nation’s longest National Scenic Trail will be available for people to positively engage in the environment for many years to come.
The Manistique Community Treehouse Center (MCTC) is a grassroots, non-profit organization focused on promoting holistic empowerment for all individuals regardless of background, ability, age, race, or gender. The intergenerational programs help people of all ages manage and overcome stress and anxiety by helping them have more fun, spend more time outside, and build financial literacy. The organization is working to implement an innovative program to encourage more residents and nonprofits to embrace solar power while saving and making money. This program created a solar station and helped install solar panels on 25 homes in the neighborhood. It also includes a workforce development component, training individuals to gain skills in solar energy. It is a one-of-a-kind program in Detroit, and the organization intends to replicate to other areas of the city, as well as across the state and nation. The MCTC goes beyond providing renewable energy, they host cultural, informational, and social events for children and adults in the neighborhood. These events bring the community together and allow them to share a common interest in sustainability and caring for their neighborhood and neighbors.
The Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency (MARESA) is the only Intermediary School District in the Upper Peninsula that does not collect a Career and Technical Education (CTE) millage and one of only a handful statewide lacking this important revenue stream. Despite this fiscal handicap, the MARESA and its constituents school districts provide the largest and most diverse array of CTE programs in the Upper Peninsula and is one of the top CTE programs in the state. The CTE committee, with its strong volunteer leadership, provides many programs, including the Marquette-Alger Technical Middle College, the Geometry in Construction STEM program, the CTE Magazine career exploration resource, and recruitment of young talent into the professional trades. The committee has secured over $765,000 in direct funding for the programs. In addition, the committee provides volunteer support to sustain the essential programs. One of the main goals of the committee is to help high school students make the best possible career decisions and find their future path. The CTE committee pooled resources of smaller working groups to make a larger impact. With more than 50 members, this group of committed volunteers are directing their energy to the greater good of the youth of this two-county region. Even with all its success, the committee is not ready to rest just yet. Each year as they accomplish some of their goals, the Committee simply replaces them with new and innovative ideas that will provide local students with multiple career laddering opportunities and employers with the talent they so desperately need.
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