The Pillar Award for Community Service was developed by Smart Business and Medical Mutual to honor businesses and individuals dedicated to making Northeast Ohio a better place to live. The program demonstrates the tie between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds and showcases best practices. It seeks to: n Publicize the importance of community service issues, such as philanthropy and volunteerism n Share creative ideas about how companies have a positive impact in their communities n Honor companies and individuals who go beyond the minimum expectation of community service n Build a sustaining fund, administered by the Cleveland Foundation, which provides grants for local, nonprofit organizations in their mission to serve the people of Northeast Ohio (The Pillar Fund) The judging panel handled the difficult task of poring over nominations to determine this year’s honorees. Judges looked at engagement, level of commitment, breadth of philanthropy, focus and, most important, impact.
The 2006 Pillar judges are: n Jeffrey Paul, founder, Wigs for Kids n Terry Davis, president, Our Lady of the Wayside n Michael Benz, president and CEO, United Way of Greater Cleveland n Jody Bacon, president and CEO, Akron Community Foundation n Bob Joyce, chairman, president and CEO, Westfield Group n Fred Koury, president and CEO, Smart Business Network n Kent Clapp, president and CEO, Medical Mutual of Ohio
