The Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce has selected a Community Foundation of the Ozarks and Springfield Public Schools veteran to receive the 2012 Humanitarian Award.
Randy Russell, who worked 28 years at SPS before joining CFO in 2003, is scheduled to receive the award during a Dec. 6 luncheon at the Doubletree Hotel on North Glenstone Avenue, according to a news release.
Russell, who now serves as senior program officer managing CFO's competitive grant-making programs, was nominated for the award by the Junior League of Springfield.
According to the release, Russell was an art teacher and staff member at SPS, where he was instrumental in making the district's
Partners in Education program a national model for businesses wishing to adopt schools. Today, he volunteers on a weekly basis at Watkins Elementary and serves on civic committees dedicated to improving the lives of children in the Ozarks.
Russell received the Ozzie Award for service to the arts in 1992 and has volunteered for Springfield Little Theatre, Springfield Regional Arts Council, First Night and Urban Districts Alliance. He played a role in creating Springfield's initial Cultural Plan, which focuses on promoting and sustaining local arts efforts.
Founded in 1990 by Jewell Thompson Schweitzer, the Humanitarian Award recognizes area individuals who are primarily motivated to serve others. The chamber organizes a committee to review nominations and select the annual recipients. In 2011, Greene County Commissioner
Roseann Bentley received the award. CFO manages the the fund established by Schweitzer to support the award, the release said.[[In-content Ad]]
