BRADENTON/SARASOTA, FL – On Wednesday, October 17, from 6-9 p.m., Goodwill Manasota will present its 8th annual Community Ambassador of the Year Awards Dinner at Michael’s On East (1212 East Avenue S., Sarasota). This year’s Community Ambassador of the Year honorees are Ron Allen, NDC Construction; Ashley Brown, Women’s Resource Center; Carl Hunsinger, Manatee County Veterans’ Council, philanthropists Thomas and Sherry Koski; and Jacqueline Moore, Kindness Community.
Ron Allen, president of NDC Construction, has 35 years of construction, real estate and development experience. Over the past few decades, he has served on more than 20 boards and committees, including as chairman of the Manatee Chamber of Commerce, State College of Florida, Manatee/Sarasota, YMCA, Manatee County 100, Manatee Education Foundation and Manatee Players, Inc. NDC has been a strong corporate supporter of Goodwill; the company built Goodwill’s corporate campus, Cortez retail store, and the Venice and Toledo Blade attended donation centers.
Ashley Brown, executive director of the Women’s Resource Center, is a passionate advocate for women and an innovative thought leader with a record of developing positive collaborative relationships. Brown, who has been with Women’s Resource Center for 15 years, is committed to creating a region where women and their families can thrive. She is a graduate of Leadership Manatee and Leadership Florida, is a board member for Ringling College Library Association, and former board member for Leadership Florida and Manatee County League of Women Voters. Under Brown’s leadership, the Women’s Resource Center has partnered with Goodwill to provide free mental health counseling for veterans and to present job fairs.
Carl Hunsinger, chairman of the Manatee County Veterans’ Council, reached the rank of Chief Master Sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, serving nearly 31 years on active duty. He earned numerous awards and decorations, including two Bronze Stars, over the course of his service. He has been involved with a number of area organizations that serve veterans, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Veterans, Sarasota County Veterans Commission, and Disabled American Veterans Chapter 97. He is a charter member of Goodwill’s Veterans Task Force, whose mission is to provide a leadership role in addressing strategic issues and providing community-supported solutions facing veterans and their families on employment and transitioning into civilian life.
Sherry and Tom Koski, who relocated to Sarasota from Connecticut nearly 10 years ago, are well-known in Sarasota’s philanthropic community. Professionally, Sherry ran a successful recruiting firm that specialized in telecommunications and software, while Tom worked in the technology field in the early days of wireless before moving on to the internet and software development. Since moving to Sarasota in 2009, they have been very active in charitable works. Sherry is on the board of The Pines of Sarasota while Tom splits his time between board positions with the Education Foundation of Sarasota County and the Sarasota Orchestra. They also volunteer their time to assist other nonprofits in the area, including Goodwill.
Jacqueline Moore, the founder and president of The Power & Light Co., LLC, currently serves on the Goodwill board of directors. In 2016, she founded the Kindness Community – she worked with Goodwill to spread the message throughout the region and encourage others to participate. As the former mayor of the City of North Port, Moore championed remarkable progress and growth for the city, with achievements including the opening of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Emergency Care Center. She is president of the board of directors for the National Civility Center and supports over a dozen local not-for-profits in the region. She is currently working on a book, Kindness: The Heart of Civility, due for release in early 2019.
“Our annual Community Ambassador of the Year Dinner shines a spotlight on those who contribute to our community and Goodwill’s success,” said Goodwill Manasota president and CEO Bob Rosinsky. “We are blessed with donors, volunteers and community partners who recognize the importance of what we do: to give people a hand up and get them on their way to self-sufficiency. Without the commitment, passion and generosity of our supporters, we could not succeed in our mission of changing lives through the power of work.”
Tickets are $150/person; proceeds support Goodwill’s programs and services throughout the community. For more information or to reserve seats, call (941) 355-2721, ext. 251 or go to experiencegoodwill.org/events.
SIDEBAR: Previous Ambassador of the Year Winners
2017: Jaime DiDomenico, Tim and Cynthia Holliday, Nate Jacobs, Sheriff Tom Knight, Maribeth Phillips and Bill Sterbinsky
2016: Adams and Reese LLP, Danny Bilyeu, Gloria Moss, iHeart Media, SunTrust, and Jewish Family & Children’s Service
2015: Rick Fawley, Sharon Hillstrom, Michael Klauber, Phil Mancini, Florida Rep. Greg Steube
2014: Jo Rita Stevens, Cliff Walters, Realize Bradenton, Senator Bill Galvano
2013: Stu Gregory, RE/MAX Alliance Group, Tana Sandefur, Turning Points
2012: Stuart Roth, SunTrust Bank, Surry McFaul-Sun Hydraulics, Westcoast School for Human Development, Willis A. Smith Construction
2011: All Star Children’s Foundation, Ave Maria Preparatory School, Bill Isaac, CJ Fishman, Darrell Turner, John Saputo, GWIZ, Herald-Tribune Media Group, Lee Peterson, Loveland Center of Venice, PGT, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School, Seaside Bank, Special Olympics-Sarasota County
About Goodwill Manasota
Goodwill Manasota is an industry-leading, 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization that changes lives through the power of work. With the sales of donated goods and philanthropic donations, Goodwill is able to assist people with disabilities and other barriers to employment by providing job skills training and employment opportunities. In 2017, Goodwill Manasota served 11,672 people, placed 555 people in jobs, assisted 360 veterans as they reintegrated back into the civilian workforce, and provided 19,540 hours of on-the-clock training for its employees. Goodwill Manasota’s economic impact back to the community is worth $92.1 million. Goodwill is one of the pioneers of the reduce-reuse-recycle movement and this past year diverted more than 41 million pounds out of the landfill. Goodwill Manasota is accountable to a local Board of Directors. Goodwill Manasota, in essence, belongs to this community and is not owned by any individual or company. For more information, visit www.experiencegoodwill.org.