Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council
Voices of Giving Awards Honored Those Who Give Back
It’s so neat to see people whose lives were touched in a meaningful way, and who, when times got better never forgot and choose to give back.
Brian Brinkmoeller is one of those examples. He was a struggling single father to three curious and active girls who had a love for learning. On his own he wouldn’t have been able to afford the tuition for the Cathedral Child Development Center, a program of Children, Inc., but the organization was committed helping them no matter the circumstances. Now a successful business owner, Brian has remained steadfast to giving back to the agency that helped his family. In addition to serving on its board, he established the Monica Hughes Children’s Fund at the Greater Cincinnati Foundation to support families like his own. The Fund commemorates a young teacher at the Cathedral Center who died suddenly at age 32, and the very teacher who treated Brian and his girls as her own.
“Brian’s thoughtful gift will keep giving, ensuring that Children, Inc. will always be able to serve kids regardless of their family’s financial situation,” said Jordan Huizenga, director of development for Children, Inc.
Brian and 23 other warm hearted philanthropists in our area were honored recently by the Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council with Voices of Giving Awards. This was the fourth year that I’ve helped them with the post even publicity and it is so inspiring to hear their stories.
The 14th annual Voices of Giving Awards were presented by PNC and were hosted by Local12 News Anchor John Lomax at CET. The program included featured speaker Lee Carter, co-chair of the 2012 World Choir Games United States, and a performance by the Cincinnati Girl Choir directed by Dr. Eva Floyd. The 2012 event was co-chaired by Mary Alice Koch (PNC Bank) and Chandra Mathews-Smith. Committee members included Sue Ellen Stuebing (CET), Carol Stevie (CISE), Tracy Monroe (Ronald McDonald House), Michelle Mancini (American Cancer Society), Telly McGaha (Redwood), Susan Kulick (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center), Karen Kruer (NKU Foundation), Misty Griesinger (Association Connection), Jim Friedman (The Jewish Federation), Lori Asmus (Episcopal Retirement Homes), and Sally Alspaugh (Xavier University).
“Greater Cincinnati nonprofits making measurable impact in the communities where we live and work rely on generous donors to help them sustain their mission. Our Voices of Giving Awards is our way of saying ‘thanks’ to our philanthropists for being purposeful in helping to ensure the longevity of causes important to them,” said Lori Asmus, Voices of Giving committee member.
The Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council is a professional association for people whose work includes developing, marketing, and administering charitable planned gifts for non-profit institutions and a variety of other legal and financial settings.
2012 Voices of Giving honorees
To view all of the photos from the event, please click here.
(Note: photo is of Cindy and Brian Brinkmoeller with Jordan Huizenga in the back)
Local Philanthropists Honored For Leaving Their Legacy
They are role models of selfless giving for younger generations whose gifts are helping to ensure diverse causes will be viable for the future. Collectively they have committed to giving millions, but more importantly, they’ve committed to leaving their legacy. This is the common thread of the 21 honorees from this year’s Greater Cincinnati Planned Giving Council’s Voices of Giving Awards. They were all nominated by area non-profit organizations impacted by their selflessness, generosity and foresight.
“Greater Cincinnati is a generous, caring community and non-profit organizations are an especially important aspect of our lives,” Andrea Herzig, president of GCPGC told the audience at the Awards event. “Our Voices of Giving honorees have all taken the time for purposeful giving; planning their gift for generations they will never meet. This is the true meaning of altruistic philanthropy.”
Presenting sponsor for the GCPGC Voices of Giving Awards was the Josephine Schell Russell Chairtable Trust, PNC Bank, Trustee. The event was hosted by CET.
It was a real honor for me to be a part of the event for the second year, helping GCPGC share information about the honorees with the community.
(FOX19’s Dan Carroll, emcee, and Steve Hegge, event chair)2009 Voices of Giving Award recipients:
(Note: one honoree chose to not be recognized publically)
William (posthumously) and LaVerne Stautberg, nominated by Santa Maria
Community Services
Mary Beth and Jim Foxworthy, nominated by the Deupree House
Dr. Corning and Mrs. Carol Benton, nominated by the Marjorie P. Lee Retirement
Community
Nancy A. Creaghead Ph.D., nominated by the University of Cincinnati Foundation
George H. Musekamp, nominated by the American Cancer Society
Wilma K. McGrath (posthumously), nominated by the Catholic Inner-City Schools Education Fund
Ruth Upson, nominated by the Children’s Home of Cincinnati
Dr. and Mrs. Ira Abrahamson, nominated by the Cincinnati Art Museum
Dorothy Whitley Lang, nominated by the Wyoming School Foundation
Eva Jane Romaine Coombe (posthumously), nominated by Seven Hills School
Alice Sparks, nominated by Greater Cincinnati Television Educational Foundation CET
Marge Gallagher, nominated by Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Cincinnati
Paul Keidel, nominated by Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
Henry ‘Bud’ Pogue IV (posthumously) and Betty Maupin Pogue, nominated by Northern Kentucky University
Robert Kanter, nominated by Jewish Federation of Cincinnati
Susanne Ernst Geier and Philip O. Geier Jr. (posthumously), nominated by United Way of Greater Cincinnati
Judy and Roger Short, nominated by The Wellness Community of Greater
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
Margaret Berning Wais, nominated by St. Rita School for the Deaf
Rev. Thomas Bokenkotter, nominated by The Athenaum of Ohio/Mount St. Mary’s Seminary
