25 adults graduated from the United Way Leadership St. Joseph program Thursday.
The graduation brings the total number of United Way Leadership St. Joseph graduates over the years to 800.
2015 United Way Leadership St. Joseph graduates are: LaRae Bird, Tiffany Burnes, Brad Campbell, Nikki Conroy, Beth Conway, Bryan Cook, Michelle Fagerstone, Sam Ghatasheh, David Grable, Tyler Hardie, Jordan Hiatt, John Hickman, Stacy Holmes, Tara Hushbeck, Jessica Jackson, Beth Keaveny, Bob Mallett, Travis Perkins, Mark Sander, Jeff Smith, Aaron Sorensen, Jennie Stewart, Jody Stewart, Stephanie Sutton and Michael Venenga.
At the event, Tom Richmond, alumnus of the 1994 class, was recognized as the 2015 United Way Leadership St. Joseph Distinguished Leader. The Distinguished Leader Award is given at the conclusion of each United Way Leadership St. Joseph year to an alum of the program who has gone on to use his/her leadership training as a volunteer for the betterment of our community in an especially beneficial way.
Richmond, Altec Manager of Parts Distribution and Sales, was selected to receive the honor in recognition of the community leadership he exemplifies. The award committee chose to recognize him in honor of his multiple and diverse community leadership roles spanning a few decades. Currently, among other leadership roles, he serves on the Board of Directors for the St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce, is on the Board of Trustees for the Heartland Foundation, is active on the United Way Volunteer Center Advisory Committee, and was one of the expert presenters for this year’s United Way Leadership St. Joseph class as they were being trained. Other community involvement over the years has included volunteer and/or leadership work with: Specialty Industries (former Board member); Grace Evangelical Church; Missouri Western Foundation; Mosaic Quality Committee; St. Joseph Chamber of Commerce (Economic Development); Sunrise Optimist club; Valley Community Food Kitchen; United Way of Greater St. Joseph (former Board member and other leadership roles); and Young Life. Through his 1994 United Way Leadership St. Joseph training, he learned about then-current opportunities and challenges of the St. Joseph community and explored where he might fit as a leader. Since then, he has stepped out to apply what he learned to better our community.