Meet the finalists: 2022 ELEVATE Nonprofit Employee of the Year Award, presented by Katz, Sapper & Miller
The Nonprofit Employee of the Year Award will go to a young professional nonprofit employee who makes exceptional contributions in the workplace and displays leadership qualities that go above and beyond their job responsibilities.
All three of this year’s nominees bring something special to Indy. Want to shower them in love and beads before ELEVATE? Vote for People’s Choice by going here.
Kelsey Kennedy, Host Homes program coordinator at Trinity Haven
The intersection of the LGBTQ+ community and providing resources to people experiencing homelessness is exactly where Kelsey Kennedy is happiest supporting Central Indiana.
“I’m passionate about making sure people are seen fully for who they are – not just accepted or tolerated, but celebrated,” Kennedy said.
As coordinator for the Host Homes program, Kennedy asks people in the LGBTQ+ community to consider hosting a young community member who may not have a safe, stable place to live. Kennedy is proud to incorporate youth choice and youth voice into the program, ensuring that all participants’ perspectives are heard.
“I’m really passionate about making sure we’re hearing everyone from all of the different areas of our community,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy is most proud of the trainings they facilitated for Host Homes participants and allowing more transparent conversations.
“Trinity Haven is able to provide support to people because of the hosts’ big hearts,” they said.
What is Kennedy’s vision for Central Indiana?
“I hope that we have the difficult conversations, lean into those difficulties and figure out what we can do better,” they said.
Want to learn more about Kennedy? Connect with them on LinkedIn.
Vote Kennedy for People’s Choice.
Laura Merrifield Wilson, associate professor of political science at the University of Indianapolis
Educating college students about the complexities of politics was not what Laura Merrifield Wilson imagined she’d be doing when she was an undergrad.
“I was in costume design – about as far away from what I do now as I could be,” said Wilson. Graduating in 2008, she was intrigued by the presidential campaign and knew she wanted to continue her education: “I caught the political bug.”
When she’s not teaching political science, Wilson serves as a political analyst.
“A lot of the time people think politics are dirty, divisive, partisan – and there’s a lot more in terms of politics, beyond just those labels,” she said.
Wilson teaches students how to analyze political behaviors, compose research projects and see beyond the negative labels of the political system to create a more complete view of the American government.
Wilson’s vision for Central Indiana: “For me, I think of civil engagement, because we want people to be involved. In order to have a good, functioning society, we need people to be involved.”
Learn more about Wilson by connecting on LinkedIn.
Vote Wilson for People’s Choice.
Michael Winborn, assistant director at the Children’s Bureau
Managing the daily operations of the 24-bed Children’s Bureau facility isn’t an easy task, but it’s a family passion for Michael Winborn.
“I got into this work because my mother is a DCS worker and has been in the field for 30 plus years,” Winborn said. “It’s not really a job for me; I enjoy working with kids and trying to get them to the next level.”
Through his work, Winborn provides shelter and guidance to kids who are fleeing an unsafe situation, leaving juvenile detention and more.
“I was a troubled youth when I was younger, so I’m passionate about getting more kids to where I am now,” Winborn said.
The coronavirus pandemic made programming difficult for Winborn and his team, but they still provided services to youth in need.
“ We came up with a strategy to create a different part of the building to host the kids who’d been exposed to the virus,” Winborn said.
Winborn’s vision for Central Indiana: “We need to continue to drive and inspire kids to continue to be great. I know its hard, but we need to continue to work.”
Connect with Winborn on LinkedIn.