Couples Fundamental in Building ProKids
At the annual Soiree, ProKids Executive Director announced that four couples would share the 2014 Community Builder award for their shared work in supporting ProKids throughout the years and in a variety of roles.
“Combined they have 76 years of service to and in support of ProKids and our children,” Cook said. “They know ProKids is not an agency or a system that cares about kids, it is a committed community. These couples are the foundation of ProKids Committed Community.
The honorees included:
- Jeb and Nirvani Head of Indian Hill
- Dick and Joanie Paulsen of Hyde Park
- Ben and Amy Russert of Hyde Park
- Billy and Valerie Thomason of Hyde Park
Among the eight, they have served as board members, treasurers, secretaries, president-elects, presidents, chairs and members of committees, fundraisers, event planners, key note speakers, table captains for the ProKids breakfast, copywriters, founding members of ProKids Friends of Children Society, hosts and hostesses of meetings and parties, strategists, policy wonks, tacticians, liaisons, advisers and mentors to ProKids board and staff members,” Cook said. Dick Paulsen and Amy Russert also serve as CASA volunteers.
“They have generously given both time and treasure, year after year,” Cook added. “And they have given us the gift of their best thinking to grow ProKids to reach more waiting children. They have introduced more people to ProKids than we can count. They have lent their own voices to our wounded children.”
The couples share ProKids vision of a safe, permanent, and nurturing home for every child. They have worked both individually and closely together to grow ProKids impact. All of them have seen ProKids through the toughest times and have played pivotal roles in ProKids re-birth and expansion, Cook said.