According to the Foundation, the nominees represent the very best of our community as transformative leaders, diverse thinkers, eager trailblazers, and prominent philanthropists.
This year’s winners were honored at a luncheon Tuesday at the Mt. Zion Convention Center, after forgoing a hosted event in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A change this year included renaming the Award for the Nonprofit Professional of the Year to honor Ray Batman, who passed away in late June of this year. Batman was the original executive director of Dove, Inc. and was integral to the start of the Community Health Improvement Center, now known as Crossing Healthcare. The Ray Batman award for the Nonprofit Professional of the Year was given to Tanya Andricks, CEO of Crossing Healthcare.
“It was honor to name the award after someone as amazing as Ray Bateman, and then the history and the way he and Tanya’s stories intertwine? It was a really memorable day” said Natalie Beck, Executive Director of the Community Foundation.
In addition, Tim Kater and Bob and Tina Rubin were awarded the COVID-19 Hero Award for their work in raising awareness of COVID-19 symptoms and testing and creation of the Dani Kater Memorial Fund for Covid Care. Dani passed away in November of 2020 at age 30 from complications of COVID-19. Her husband Tim and her parents Bob and Tina turned their tragedy into a cause by working to distribute COVID care kits to people who tested positive and to educate people on the seriousness of the virus.
Other nominees included
- Evelyn Hood, the Executive Director of the African American Cultural and Genealogical Society of Illinois was honored with the Award for Excellence in Inclusion. She was nominated by Rich Hansen, a board member of the African-American Cultural & Genealogical Society of Illinois.
- BJ Leonard, who has long been a volunteer of the WSOY Community Food Drive by coordinating donation phone lines, was awarded the Outstanding Young Philanthropist Award and was nominated by employer, First Christian Church.
- Three community members were awarded the Outstanding Board Member/Volunteer Award. John Mickler and Dr. Isaac Zuniga were both was nominated by Macon Resources Inc and Jim Neff, who was nominated by Millikin University.
- The honor of outstanding Professional Partner was given to Cancer Care Specialists of Illinois, after being nominated by KerbyStrong.
- Dr. Paul and Shirley Stanley were honored with the Award for Outstanding Philanthropic Support of the Arts, nominated by Millikin University
- James and Mary Comerford were honored with the Robert and Bev Ketenbrink Community Commitment Award, nominated by Macon Resources, Inc. This award included a $1,000 grant to a nonprofit selected by the honorees.
