Humanitarian award presented to past Kitchen CEO

Former CEO of The Kitchen Bill Stalnaker was honored today with Community Foundation of the Ozarks' Humanitarian of the Year Award.

CFO officials and Jewell Thompson Schweitzer, who established the award, presented the honor to Stalnaker at CFO's 19th annual luncheon, held at the Doubletree Hotel. Included with the award is $5,000, to be divided equally between Stalnaker and charities of his choice.

Stalnaker joined The Kitchen in 2003 and became CEO in March 2004. He helped the organization stabilize its finances, increase its donor base and make its programs more effective, according to a CFO news release, before retiring from the position in December 2007.

In addition to his work with The Kitchen, Stalnaker began working with the Boys & Girls Club in West Virginia in 1962 and later spent 17 years working with the Springfield club. During that time, the local organization grew from seven employees and a $246,000 budget to more than 40 staff members and an annual budget of about $2 million, according to the release.

Stalnaker also has held leadership roles with the United Way's annual campaigns, Day of Caring and the Community Task Force, and he speaks frequently on behalf of the organization. He is a member of the Heart of the Ozarks Sertoma Club and the Knights of Columbus, and he previously served on the Nonprofit Executive Round Table for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce.[[In-content Ad]]