Harry 'Dusty' Steele, Katie Mattison, Jacob Cooper among community foundation award recipients

ADRIAN — Three Lenawee County individuals and one local business will be publicly honored next week as part of the 2024 annual celebration and awards ceremony conducted by the Lenawee Community Foundation.

For a second straight year, Harry “Dusty” Steele will be a recipient of one of the awards annually presented by the community foundation.

This year, Steele — who was the 2023 recipient of the Stubnitz Award — is the recipient of the Lenawee Leadership Award, which honors a person or couple who exemplify the underlying principle that the future of Lenawee County will be determined by its leadership quality. The award was formerly known as the Maple Leaf Award, and now has a countywide focus that mirrors the Lenawee Community Foundation’s mission to enhance the quality of life in Lenawee and to increase health, happiness and hope for all.

Read about the 2023 awards ceremony: Leadership awards presented at Lenawee Community Foundation annual meeting

The annual celebration and meeting is scheduled for 7:45 to 9:15 a.m. April 4, at the Adrian Armory Events Center, 230 W. Maumee St., near downtown Adrian. Tickets are $20 per person, which includes a catered breakfast. Reservations and payment are due today, however, Tuesday, March 26, by contacting the Lenawee Community Foundation at 517-263-4696. The foundation also can be visited in person at its Adrian office, 1440 W. Maumee St., during business hours and online at lenaweecommunityfoundation.com.

The annual celebration brings together local individuals, organizations and businesses while recognizing award recipients and the work of donors, volunteers and community partners.

Steele has shown “exemplary” community leadership and volunteerism through his participation in city government and nonprofit organizations, a news release from the community foundation said. In addition to running his business, HB Steele Interactive Financial Planning, “Steele gives of his time, talents and treasures,” the foundation said.

Steele serves on several boards including Siena Heights University where he currently serves as the board chairman, city of Adrian Downtown Development Authority (DDA)/Adrian Main Street, Kiwanis Club of Adrian, Lenawee Development Finance Authority of the cities of Adrian and Tecumseh, and the Kiwanis Regional Trail Authority where he was a leader of the effort to connect the county's leadership on the completion of the Kiwanis Trail, connecting Adrian and Tecumseh.

“Steele’s leadership has helped the growth of Siena Heights University's campus and student body, the YMCA of Lenawee County's capital campaign success, adding bike lanes to the downtown (Adrian) streets, the establishment of Launch Lenawee and so much more,” the foundation praised. “Steele has an innate ability to help businesses and organizations realize their vision as an organization and, in many ways, becomes a part of that vision and work. Steele has a passion for our community, the heart for our community and the tenacity to make good things happen.”

The remaining awards and recipients are as follows:

• Katie Mattison is the recipient of the Stubnitz Award, which Steele received last year. The Stubnitz Award is presented annually to a person or couple demonstrating commitment to Lenawee Cares, the community and volunteerism in Lenawee County. The award is named in memory of Lenawee philanthropist and businessman Maurice Stubnitz.

Mattison, the foundation said, has strived over the years to give back to the community. In 2006, she and her family moved to Lenawee County. Since relocating, Mattison’s family was involved in volunteer activities and spent hours learning about how important the county’s communities are.

Mattison said she is fortunate to have the opportunity to be a part of Lenawee organizations like Adrian Symphony Orchestra, Community Learning Connection, Tecumseh Public Schools, Hospice of Lenawee, Tecumseh and Adrian Chambers, ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital, St. Elizabeth Church, city of Tecumseh Bicentennial Committee and the Lenawee Community Foundation’s Lenawee Cares Advisory Board.

“Whether she is serving on a board, or boots on the ground with an organization’s project, Mattison enjoys giving her time, talents and treasures to each of these organizations and is honored to be a part of them,” the foundation said.

• Jacob Cooper is this year’s recipient of the Incito Award, which was established in 2011 to recognize a young person, age 40 or younger, who has emerged as a community leader and demonstrates a commitment to volunteerism, philanthropy and leadership with Lenawee Cares and other organizations in the community.

Cooper has been part of the Lenawee Community Foundation’s Lenawee Cares Advisory Board, assuming the roles of secretary, campaign co-chair, and presently, the position of advisory board chair. He also serves as the treasurer for Adrian’s DDA/Main Street and as a board member and public relations chair for the Adrian Noon Rotary Club.

“Cooper is a young leader who illuminates the path to positive change, inspiring the community with passion, vision and a relentless drive to make a difference right here at home,” the foundation said.

• Lastly, insurance agency Kemner Iott Benz will be presented with the Community Pillar Award, which is presented to an individual, couple or business to recognize their impact on the community through Lenawee Cares.

Kemner Iott Benz has a 35-year legacy in serving the Michigan area and has demonstrated a dedication to community welfare, the foundation said.

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“Generosity and community support are ingrained in the agency's ethos, propelled by a dynamic team that actively engages with local organizations. Numerous employees of Kemner Iott Benz contribute to various boards, embodying a culture that goes beyond business to prioritize collective wellbeing,” the foundation said.

Since the inception of Lenawee Cares in 2016, Kemner Iott Benz has ranked in the Top 10 for campaigns, with several team members contributing at the Pillars Club Level. Moreover, the community foundation added, the agency’s involvement extends to key roles within the Lenawee Cares Advisory Board, highlighting a commitment to shaping a better tomorrow through initiatives like the Tomorrow’s Pillars program.

Those who have questions about next week’s annual awards ceremony/meeting, can contact the Lenawee Community Foundation at 517-263-4696. Emails also can be sent to Cynthia Heady, director of development and external engagement, at cynthia@lenaweecf.com.

— Contact reporter Brad Heineman at bheineman@lenconnect.com or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: twitter.com/LenaweeHeineman.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Lenawee Community Foundation announces 2024 awards ceremony recipients