Leadership Evansville Hosts Its 19th Annual Celebration Of Leadership on March 18

(EVANSVILLE, Ind.)- Leadership Evansville (LE) will honor and celebrate 158 community individuals, businesses, organizations and projects for their servant leadership at Celebration of Leadership (COL) on Tuesday, March 18. The awards ceremony will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the Old National Bank Events Plaza (formally The Centre) Ballroom in downtown Evansville.

A total of 43 awards will be presented to recipients who have shown exceptional community and public service in the following categories: Arts, Education, Environment, Government & Public Service, Health & Social Service and Neighborhood & Community.

Two individuals will receive the prestigious Jefferson Award through a partnership with the Evansville Courier & Press.

The partnership between Leadership Evansville and the Evansville Courier & Press has led to four Evansville recipients of the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Awards for Public Service in the past ten years, an accomplishment no other community in the United States has achieved.  The past Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis recipients include: Kathryn Martin, 2007; Holly Dunn-Pendleton, 2006; Billy Bolin and Paul Kirby, 2005; and Bridget McDaniel, 2003.

“Maybe the most incredible part of Celebration of Leadership is the amazing diversity that’s in the room and it’s diversity at every level,” LE Executive Director Lynn Miller Pease said. “There’s age diversity, race diversity, income and background diversity. When you get people in Evansville that are doing incredible things together-that synergy is contagious.”

Members of the Evansville community demonstrate leadership every day, according to Miller Pease.  However, many of those individuals, businesses and organizations go unrecognized.  COL is one channel for all of these leaders to be recognized and applauded for their actions to better our community.

The nominations are diverse, emotional and wonderful stories of our community.  The nominees range from a USI professor helping positively influence students through promoting acceptance and equality, a woman who works intensely to rid sexual and domestic abuse in our neighborhoods, a festival that brings residents from the tri-state area to enjoy barbecue, while embracing many different contributors to the blues, a Christian hip-hop record label and a group of young girls who’ve helped soldiers feel somewhat at home with cookie care packages. These are just examples of all the fantastic nominations that will be recognized at COL.

“One thing that is unique is that this celebration is open to all people,” Miller Pease said. “It allows for everyone that is interested in celebrating, watching somebody who’s been nominated and everybody gets a chance. I believe the spirit of that is so obvious.”

Reservations are still being taken for COL. If you would like to attend, call the Leadership Evansville office at 812-425-3828 or make an online reservation here. Admission is $15/adult and $5/student. Over 500 people have already sent in their reservations to the event, which is a testament to celebrating the servant leaders in our community.

ABOUT CELEBRATION OF LEADERSHIP

Celebration of Leadership is Leadership Evansville’s conscious effort to recognize servant leaders in our community. Awards are given to recognize individuals, organizations, projects and businesses for going above and beyond the call of duty to improve our community.

 

ABOUT LEADERSHIP EVANSVILLE

Leadership Evansville was founded in 1976 by a group of future-thinking local leaders whose original commitment to community-wide betterment remains unique and strong. Leadership Evansville brings together people with different talents, gifts and perspectives and transforms these individuals into leaders who embrace the concept of community trusteeship and the collaborative process.  The experience helps participants develop an understanding of how today’s leaders function, and teaches them the skills to apply this knowledge in provided real life opportunities through practice and performance. These attitudes, skills and processes are taught to, adults, youth, organizations, not-for-profits, businesses, educational institutions, neighborhood associations, churches and other leadership programs.