Meet the finalists: 2022 ELEVATE Volunteer Leader of the Year, presented by BMO Harris Bank
The Volunteer Leader of the Year award will go to a young professional who served on a board of directors or committee for a nonprofit organization or foundation and has demonstrated outstanding service, leadership and commitment to its objectives.
All three of this year’s nominees bring something special to Indy, and we’re excited for you to meet them at ELEVATE later this month.
Want to shower them in beads and love before the big event? Remember to cast your vote for People’s Choice by going here.
Adam Clevenger, Loring, Sternberg & Associates, on behalf of Second Helpings
For nearly 10 years, Clevenger has been a volunteer at Second Helpings, a local hunger relief organization serving thousands of people nutritious meals each year.
“I served on numerous committees over those 10 years and about four years ago joined the board of directors and also served as secretary of the board,” said Clevenger. “I get to help set policy for the organization and also help a lot with fundraising.”
Clevenger is passionate about Second Helpings for many reasons.
“Hungry kids in our community don’t learn, and hungry adults don’t reach their full potential,” Clevenger said. “And I feel that it’s important for all of us to work together, especially over the last 2 years during COVID, to ensure that people have basic meals and the food they need to be productive, learn, grow and thrive.”
What is his hope for our region?
“My hope for the Central Indiana community is that we will have learned lessons over the last two years from shared experiences around the pandemic, the continued fight for racial equity in our communities, and that we find the common ground to come work together on a lot of serious problems,” he said.
“And I hope that through that process we learn to recognize each other's humanity, learn to work together to solve those problems, and find a lot of things to love and enjoy about our city.”
To learn more about Clevenger or connect on LinkedIn, click here.
Vote for Clevenger for People’s Choice.
Rufus Cochran, Roche, on behalf of Indiana Sciences/March for Science Indianapolis
“My wife and I are both engineers, and we have always been passionate about sharing our excitement and love of (the) natural world of science with everybody around us,” Cochran said.
And that passion is what led him to organize Indiana Sciences.
Indiana Sciences is a nonprofit that focuses on bringing science and wonder to people in new and exciting ways through engaging programs for people of all ages. The organization’s mission is to increase public understanding of science and empower Hoosiers to recognize science in their everyday lives.
Among its initiatives, Indiana Sciences mentors high school students in robotics, runs book clubs at local breweries and encourages people to get outside and engage with nature, Cochran said.
His vision for Central Indiana: “... To help bring wonder to people and bring that scientific method of thinking to the way people approach life in general.
“I think having a community of people that are very inquisitive and always searching for new answers and the next horizon helps everybody – not just in our everyday lives, but if we can bring that kind of thinking to our legislative process, to the way that we approach start-ups, new companies.
“I think Central Indiana is a rich hub of people who are really interested in solving problems, finding answers and discovering what’s next.”
To learn more about Cochran or connect on LinkedIn, click here.
Vote for Cochran for People’s Choice.
Patrick Jessee, Thrivant Consulting, on behalf of 21st Century Scholars advisory committee, among many others
During his time in Indianapolis, Jessee has focused his volunteer work on youth development and the arts.
Currently, he serves as the board chair for the Boys and Girls Club of Indianapolis, which helps thousands of children across the city by providing a safe, educational, positive space where kids are able to build futures for themselves that they might not have at home.
Jessee also serves as the board chair for the District Theatre, right in the heart of Mass Ave.
Most of his volunteer work stems from his background, he said: “I grew up in Bloomington, Indiana. I grew up in poverty, Section 8 housing, and went to the Boys and Girls Clubs as a kid.”
Without the support and encouragement of the Boys and Girls Club, 21st Century Scholars, his high school theater teacher, counselors and others, he may not have attended college, Jessee said.
“Those people and tapestry of the work (programs) really made a difference for me and paved the way for me to go to college and have the professional success that I’ve had in my life,” he said.
Because of that, he has always made it a point to give back to those programs and his community.
What is his hope for the Central Indiana community?
“My hope for our city is that we continue to lean in to the entrepreneurialism in this city, into the arts and food culture as we continue to grow – and create this vibrant space where our community is connected, where young professionals continue to be inspired. …”
Jessee said he wants Indianapolis to both retain talent and attract people from across the country. And in doing that, he hopes “we build that in a sustainable way that doesn’t leave people behind.”
To learn more about Jessee or connect on LinkedIn, click here.