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Community Leader Recognition Award The Origins: United We Walk is primarily a community event, designed to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: his life, dedication, and dream of equality in the world. In keeping, the United We Walk Committee strives to honor this dream each year by walking, celebrating, and holding vigil together with other members and guests of the community in a focused effort to live the dream and further enhance our thoroughly-diverse community. Starting in 2009, the Committee has endeavored to recognize the contributions of our community members on a more personal level. Thus, the Community Leader Recognition Award (CLRA) was created (on a trial basis) to be conferred during United We Walk’s Sunday event celebration to a previously selected and deserving community member who has dedicated him/herself to giving back to his/her community according to his/her talents and resources. The Distinction: The United We Walk Community Leader Recognition Award is intended to honor any community member(s) that the Committee wishes to recognize for their consistent and selfless contributions to the community. The Award is neither exclusive nor intended for more than thankful recognition. The Committee’s deliberation process is extensive and thoughtful, as the Committee seeks to honor entirely deserving candidates, independent of whether or not they are well-known throughout the community for their efforts. Chanel Geter, Student Co-Chair, 2007-2010 The Winners: 2010 United We Walk XVI “United We Can”  Ms. Julie Rodecker Holly Within the West Bloomfield School District, Ms. Holly has been instrumental in the funding and coor-dination of major events and programs that continue to benefit our students and district residents, some of these include Challenge Day, our Student Mentoring Program for freshmen, WeB leaders, Green School Garden, West Bloomfield Education Foundation, the Bond Community, Band Boosters, and PTO. Outside of these walls, Ms. Rodecker Holly is affiliated with the DeRoy Testimentary Foundation. This foundation is focused on funding youth, arts, culture, health, and community programs. A motivated, bright, and exceptional woman, we feel that Julie Rodecker Holly best embodies the award’s distinction: she is a citizen we desire to commend for giving so selflessly to enhance our community. 2009 United We Walk XV “United We Live”  Dr. JoAnn Andrees, Superintendent of West Bloomfield Schools Dr. JoAnn Andrees, the first winner of the United We Walk Community Leader Recognition Award, was, among many other accomplishments, fundamental to the launch of the first United We Walk Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration. She is the two-time superintendent of West Bloomfield schools and has also spearheaded several diversity-minded initiatives within her district, including the Diversity and Stakeholders’ Task Forces. The United We Walk Committee desired to honor Dr. Andrees for her constant and consistent contributions to West Bloomfield’s social and educational community. | |