Community Members Recognized for Impact on Edina

A total of six people who have had a tremendous impact on the Edina community were honored at the 2013 Connecting With Kids Leadership Breakfast late last month.

Connecting With Kids is a community-based initiative focused on bringing together members of the Edina community to help raise healthy children and develop and healthier Edina. The organization bestowed the six Leadership Awards Friday, Feb. 22, at the Braemar Clubhouse.

Recipients were as follows:

• Gary Dietz, youth minister at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, was recognized for his inclusion of students from a variety of faiths in his longtime youth ministry.

• Tony Harmon, security monitor at Valley View Middle School, was recognized for the personal connections he forms with students while also maintaining a safe school environment.

• Linda King, neighborhood organizer, was recognized for her efforts to bring together the youth and adult residents of her neighborhood.

• Katie Quinn, Edina High School student and Kids Voting Edina volunteer, was honored for her work getting fellow students and members of the community involved with Kids Voting Edina, in addition to teaching Edina youth about voting rights and responsibilities.

• Ann Schulze, volunteer with STRIVE, was recognized for her ongoing support to students and community mentors through Edina High School's STRIVE Program.

• Chris Tower, 5th grade teacher at Concord Elementary School, was recognized for collaborating with students, teachers and the community to create and maintain the school's community garden.

All CWK Leadership Award finalists are nominated by members of the community, with an awards committee comprised of community leaders and CWK Advisory Council members selecting the winners.

Like Edina Patch on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Sign up for our daily newsletter