ADRIAN — A packed house at the Adrian Armory Events Center honored individuals for their work to make Lenawee County a better place during the Lenawee Community Foundation’s annual meeting Thursday morning.
The gathering — which highlights the good works done throughout the county by the foundation, provides a vision for the future and presents awards to individuals who have made noticeable differences within Lenawee County, — might be due for a name change, according to Bronna Kahle, president and CEO of the foundation.
“Even though this event is called the Lenawee Community Foundation’s ‘annual meeting,’ I like to think of it as the community foundation’s ‘annual celebration,’” Kahle said during the conclusion of Thursday’s event. “It’s a celebration of all the good so many different people do as we come together to make a positive and impactful difference in Lenawee County. I think the people who came today were able to see a little glimpse of what they do in partnership with the Lenawee Community Foundation and how it builds the health, hope and happiness of people across our communities not only for today, but always.”
Annual awards that were presented at the meeting — the Incito Award, Stubnitz Award and the Lenawee Leadership Award — were awarded to Austin See, Harry “Dusty” Steele and Charles Gross, respectively.
Each of the award recipients, Kahle said, are examples of what it takes to make a difference.
“I’m inspired by, not just the words that they shared today, but by the lives that they live, have lived and continue to live,” she said. “Their hearts are clearly for the people of Lenawee County, and they all serve as examples for us to follow.”
Incito Award
The Incito Award was established in 2011 to recognize a young person, age 40 or younger, who has emerged as a community leader and demonstrates a commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy and leadership with Lenawee Cares and other organizations in the community.
Incito Award recipient See is employed at Share the Warmth of Lenawee where he is described as a role model for the guests of the shelter. In 2018, he became a city councilman in Tecumseh.
See can be found volunteering for the city of Tecumseh, the Tecumseh Farmers Market and numerous positions on the Tecumseh American Legion Color Guard. He is a member of the Tecumseh Kiwanis and the Tecumseh American Legion and is helping to form a Lenawee County Veterans Coalition. He volunteers for the Lenawee Community Foundation and is running the Share the Warmth Cares Campaign with shelter staff, Dave Herriman said.
“It’s an honor and privilege to be listed as one of Lenawee County’s young leaders,” See said. “I am humbled to have my name mentioned alongside so many other amazing leaders in Lenawee County.”
See talked about the word “value” and what it means to him and what it should mean to most people as part of his acceptance speech. The most valuable resource given to humans, he said, is time and what’s done with that time.
“We can only have so much (time). We can’t loan time or borrow it. Each person is not guaranteed a second. Each second of time is a gift to you, and it’s up to you to decide what you are going to do with that gift. I chose to volunteer. I chose to help the little guy, to help those in need,” he said.
Stubnitz Award
Stubnitz Award recipient Steele was described by Paula Holtz as a successful and active downtown business owner in Adrian who is on the board of directors at Siena Heights University, the Adrian Downtown Development Authority, the Kiwanis Club of Adrian board, the Adrian/Tecumseh Finance/Development Authority and the Kiwanis Regional Trail Authority.
His years of service to the community were highlighted by Holtz through his efforts in growing the campus, population and offerings at Siena Heights University; the success of the Frank and Shirley Dick Family YMCA’s recent capital campaign; the addition of bike lanes in downtown Adrian; and the establishment of Launch Lenawee and “so much more,” Holtz said.
Steele said he was “deeply humbled and honored” to have been selected to receive the Stubnitz Award, which is presented annually to a person or couple demonstrating exemplary commitment to Lenawee Cares, a program of the Lenawee Community Foundation, and volunteering with health and human service organizations and assisting with meeting the basic needs of local residents. The award is named in memory of Lenawee County philanthropist and businessman Maurice Stubniz.
“This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone in the community who has contributed to making Lenawee County a better place to live, work and play,” Steele said. “Lenawee County has been entrusted to our care. To me, that means not only just managing the status quo for today but seeking out other growth opportunities and strengthening and ensuring prosperity for future generations.”
The people, he said, make Lenawee County the special place it is to live, work and play.
Lenawee Leadership Award
Dave Hickman, chairman of the Lenawee Community Foundation’s board of directors, introduced Lenawee Leadership Award recipient Gross, who he said had the vision and leadership needed to move forward such projects as Indian Crossing Trails Park, Tecumseh’s AJ Smith Recreation Center and the soon-to-be open Canopy Walk at Hidden Lake Gardens.
Gross, a past recipient of Tecumseh’s Musgrove Evans Award, “leads by example, wears his heart for our community on his sleeve, and inspires others to follow and act,” Hickman said.
“The list of people to whom I owe gratitude for helping me along the way is infinite,” Gross said after accepting the Lenawee Leadership Award. “I would hate to start a list because the sin of omission will haunt me.”
The Lenawee Leadership Award honors a person or couple who exemplifies the underlying principle that the future of Lenawee County will be determined by the quality of its leadership. The award was formerly known as the Maple Leaf Award, and previous recipients continue to be recognized and are listed on the foundation’s website.
Gross is a lifelong resident and is active in many areas of advocacy throughout Lenawee County, Hickman said. He has shown community leadership and volunteerism through his participation in city government, nonprofit organizations and as a longtime business owner.
Gross said he is humbled by the people he sees who are serving the community and their families in ways that would never receive recognition.
“Those folks are leaders by example,” he said. “Sometimes, it’s the little things we do that can make the biggest of differences.”
Gross praised his wife, Margaret, who has been with him “every step of the way and has provided constant guidance and support.”
Prior to the awarding of the 2023 foundation awards, Kahle talked about funds, highlights and goals of the foundation. Insight about such programs as Hunters Helping Lenawee, Lenawee Cares, Dolly Parton Imagination Library, Volunteer Lenawee and the Lenawee YOUTH Council were shared in video form. Each of these programs are under the umbrella of the Lenawee Community Foundation.
Jose Salazar and Dan Solis, the 2023 campaign co-chairs for Lenawee Cares, talked about the importance of giving back to the community and encouraged the “under 40 crowd” of Lenawee County to “step it up” and start planting the seeds of giving back to their hometown.
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