The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas honored 27 area volunteers at its 132nd Annual Meeting held April 13th at the Fairmont Hotel. Volunteers were lauded for their continued dedication and generosity to the North Texas community. YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas President Emeritus Gordon Echtenkamp and Curt Hazelbaker, CEO and President were the evening’s speakers.
Two individuals received the organization’s prestigious Distinguished YMCA Leadership Award for consistent and extraordinary leadership in community service.
The Theodore P. Beasley YMCA Distinguished Leadership Award was given to Bruce Leib for his dedication and services to the Dallas community. Folz has served on the Board of Directors for the Dallas YMCA for past 16 years and previously served 11 years on the Town North Y’s Board of Management. Leib’s dedicated and distinguished leadership embodies the spirit of the Theodore P. Beasley Award. The Theodore P. Beasley Award is given annually in recognition of outstanding service and leadership to the YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas.
The Charles P. Storey Strong Communities Award was given to Marshall Sutton for his dedicated service to the Grand Prairie YMCA. Sutton’s volunteer service more than 40 years. He has served as a board member, Annual Campaign chair, Major Gifts Chair and Leadership Development Chair for the Grand Prairie YMCA Board of Management. Marshall’s ability to connect the YMCA and the Grand Prairie community over the last 40 years exemplifies the mission, purpose, and ideals of the YMCA. The Strong Communities Award is given to a YMCA volunteer who has been instrumental in creation and perpetuation of a local YMCA.
Twenty-one volunteers were recognized as the Volunteer of the Year in their community. Honorees included: Camp Grady Spruce - Bill Hines, Collin County Adventure Camp – Jason Massingill, Coppell YMCA- Don Scott, Cross Timbers YMCA- Ash Carter, Frisco YMCA, Kelley Goebel, Grand Prairie YMCA – Richard Hart, Irving YMCA- Rick Nolly, JER Chilton YMCA – Bill Michalenko, Lake Highland YMCA – John Smiley, Lakewest YMCA – Marvin Jones, McKinney YMCA – Leah Doughit, Moody YMCA – Chris Crocker, Moorland YMCA- Jeanette Guiden, Oak Cliff YMCA- Keith and Kevin Harris, Park South YMCA – Terry Kittleson, Plano YMCA – David Dillard, Richardson YMCA – Jose Estrada, T. Boone Pickens YMCA – Neil Anderson, Town North YMCA- Brooke Villalba
Four teens were honored with the YMCA Youth Character Award who embody the YMCA core values of honesty, respect, responsibility and caring. Honored were Athena Brusse, a freshman at Ursuline Academy, Christian Gialdor, a senior at Rockwall Heath High School, G’Colby Spivey, an 8th grader at Bishop Dunne and Nandita Vegesna, a junior at Imagine International Academy of North Texas.
Sponsors for the evening were:
$2,500 Silver Sponsor: The Beck Group, Oncor Delivery and PricewaterhouseCooper
$1,500 Red Sponsors: Ames Printing, Bank of America, Children’s Health, Ben E. Keith, Haynes and Boone LLP, McQueary Henry Bowles Troy LLP, and Texas Bank Financial