Local Teachers Honored
05/18/2011
Local Educators Honored for Excellence in Teaching
The Community Foundation for Monterey County (CFMC) recently honored nineteen Monterey area educators for making a positive impact on both their students and colleagues, acting to serve their communities on and off campus and for demonstrating a sustained excellence in teaching.
President/CEO Dan Baldwin, Michael Willemsen
and recipient Moyara de Moraes Ruehsen
The teachers were honored in a ceremony underwritten by the Mildred Willemsen Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County on May 5, 2011 at the Embassy Suites in Seaside . Guests included the nominated educators and their families, previous recipients, school representatives and elected officials. Also in attendance as a special guest speaker was Mr. Michael Willemsen, whose family established one of the two funds that made the awards possible.
“The Community Foundation is pleased to sponsor this event. It’s a highlight of the year, as well as an opportunity to fulfill our fund holders’ wishes to honor shining stars of local education,” said CFMC President/CEO Dan Baldwin.
The awards are the Allen S. Griffin Awards for excellence in teaching at the High School through Post Secondary School levels, and the Mildred Willemsen Awards for excellence in Middle School and Elementary School teaching. 2011 marks the 29th year for the Griffin awards and 20th for the elementary and middle school awards (before 2006, the Lori & Lou Flagg Awards, and now the Willemsen Awards). The Allen S. Griffin Fund and the Willemsen Family Fund are among the more than 300 funds administered by the CFMC. The CFMC serves as a charitable vehicle of philanthropy for donors as well as a grantmaking resource for nonprofit agencies in Monterey County.
The Allen S. Griffin Award, established in 1982, was created by a bequest from the late Col. Allen Griffin, founder and former publisher of The Herald, soldier and civic leader, and one of the founders and former board president of the Community Foundation for Monterey County. The Griffin awards honor teachers with a record of sustained excellence in the classroom and significant impact in the community.
The Mildred Willemsen awards were established by name in 2006 when the family chose to honor their late mother and grandmother. They are designed to stimulate and reward excellence in classroom teaching at the elementary and middle school levels in public schools on the Monterey Peninsula.
ALLEN S. GRIFFIN AWARD HONOREES for Post-Secondary School:
Peter DeBono, Monterey Peninsula College
Charles Harvey Mills, Defense Language Institute
Timour Radko, Naval Postgraduate School
Moyara de Moraes Ruehsen, Monterey Institute of International Studies
Scott B. Waltz, Ph.D. California State University Monterey Bay
ALLEN S. GRIFFIN AWARD HONOREES for High School:
Alfred Avila, Seaside High School
Shannon Giovannoli, Marina High School
Lawrence L. Haggquist, Pacific Grove High School
David Hoey, Monterey High School
Aubrey Powers, Carmel High School
MILDRED WILLEMSEN AWARD HONOREES for Middle School:
David “Jake” Glazier, Carmel Middle School
Victoria Lucido, Walter Colton K-8 School
William Lueken, Los Arboles Middle School
Richard A. Mayhew, Seaside Middle School
Ana Silva, Pacific Grove Middle School
MILDRED WILLEMSEN AWARD HONOREES for Elementary School:
Aina Gessaman, Forest Grove Elementary School
Erin O’Bryan, Captain Cooper Elementary School
Wendy Williamson, Olson Elementary School
James “Rick” Ziel, Foothill Elementary School
The mission of the Community Foundation is to inspire philanthropy and be a catalyst for strengthening communities throughout Monterey County. For more information, please visit www.cfmco.org, or call 831.375.9712.
See event photos on flickr at link below:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cfmco/sets/72157626619532941/
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Confirmed in Compliance with National