You, Me, and NMC! - Annual Drive

Hi everyone! Sorry for the short hiatus on my postings (thank you to John for being a trooper and getting content out this last month! You're the best!). I was pretty busy getting married, which was fantastic, beautiful, and also something I am very happy to tuck away in the "memories I will keep forever" file in my brain instead of stressing about it. But, now I'm back!

Last year I had the opportunity to participate in the Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) Annual Fund donation drive through my employer. Essentially it's a time when community members come together and gather funds through a series of telephone fundraising nights. We reach out to former NMC alumni and people in the area to give to NMC and help bolster scholarship funds, make higher education more affordable, and retain valuable educators in our town.

I am excited to be apart of my employer's fundraising team again this year for the 2013 annual campaign, called You, Me and NMC! My Northwestern Bank colleagues and I were invited to an campaign kick-off event this week at NMC's Great Lakes Maritime Academy. I was already excited about meeting other campaigners at the kick-off event, but I truly relish any chance to visit the Maritime Academy. I mean, look at this place!

The NMC Maritime Academy sits right at the base on West Bay, close to downtown and shining like a true gem. If anyone else who's lived in TC for many years remember the old Maritime Academy building (essentially a giant beige brick that sat, literally, right alongside the road and obscuring the panoramic view of the water), then I hope you feel the same pride and awe that I do every time I pass the Maritime Academy now. It is positively breathtaking. As a resident of TC I am thrilled that so much consideration was given to the beauty of the views and scenery of this prime location in TC. Don't believe me? Check out these views...straight from Lobdell's restaurant where we had dinner for the kick-off event.

I mean, it's decent (!!!). Oh, yeah, and the food was delicious, too.

Sara Noverr Harding and Bill Marsh Jr., the co-chairs for the campaign this year, spoke about the annual fund and this year's mission to reach out to everyone in the community who has been affected by NMC in some way. As it turns out, this is pretty much everyone in the area. NMC is a school, but it is so tightly woven into our region that it's hard to not have it impact life up here. I volunteer weekly at the Dennos Museum Center, located on the NMC campus; Sam is starting his MBA through the NMC University Center next month; I am looking to take classes on web design and gardening through their Extended Education program. So, NMC certainly makes a difference in my life!

Sara Noverr Harding and Bill Marsh Jr.

Additionally, there was a great video about this year's campaign that highlighted student stories and the mission behind both NMC and the annual fund. It was informative and well-done (I wish I had a link to share it with you). Plus, some of the students that were featured in the video made it to the kick-off event and we could chat with them and hear their stories one-on-one, which really helps put a face to what we'll do during our telethons. Realizing that the small actions we make and the little bit that we can give of our time, money, or resources impacts people living in my hometown is why I participate in the annual campaign. I was glad we could meet some of the people who benefit directly from what we do!

If you'd like to get involved in the annual fund campaign, you can click here and learn more. Or, if you'd simply like to share your story about NMC (if you're feeling creative, see if you can even do it in six words)! I am looking forward to getting to know my Northwestern Bank colleagues through the campaign and helping NMC in the process. Here we go!

Part of my NW Bank team...woo!

And the 2013 Athena Award goes to...

Hello again everyone!

Cathie Martin = the best woman ever.

 Cathy was recently honored as the 2013 Athena Award recipient at a banquet at the Hagerty Conference Center of Northerwest Michigan College.

In case you don't know what the Athena Award is, each year the Athena organization selects, based on nominations, one community leader based on the following criteria. Success in personal and professional activities, community activities, volunteerism, supporting other women and mentoring.

“The Athena model is authentic self, celebration and joy, collaboration, advocacy, giving back, learning and relationships,” said Athena Award co-chair Jan Bassett.

Martin has donated tens of thousands of volunteer hours (INSANE) to a variety of organizations and charities, serving at the local, state, national and international levels. She is also member and past chair of the Munson Healthcare Regional Foundation board, as well as a longtime Zonta member.

In order to get Cathie to come to the awards ceremony, it took a little tomfoolery as she was planning to go to her granddaughters school concert. She only agreed to attend the 19th Annual Athena Awards banquet as she thought someone else was being selected for the award. Gotcha :)

After a very impressive and tear-jerking introduction by the 2012 Athena Award recipient  Ranae McCauley, Martin took the stage to a standing ovations of 150+ attendees, family & friends.

For the first time in the history of Athena, the organization also awarded two scholarships for the Traverse City Chamber's Mini-MBA program, in collaboration with Ferris State University. John Stocki (ME!) and Courtney Sorrell were the lucky recipients of the scholarships. We will start the 9-month program in September.

All photos were provided courtesy of Karen Youker Photography. Visit www.karenyouker.com!