United Way of Central Maryland Announces “Philanthropic Five” Award Winners

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Winners to be recognized at organization’s annual Emerging Leaders United Young Professionals Conference

 

– United Way of Central Maryland will recognize this year’s “Philanthropic Five” award winners at its sixth annual Emerging Leaders United (ELU) Young Professionals Conference on Friday, May 5. These five young professional leaders are creating positive change in central Maryland through their leadership in the communities in which they live and work. This year’s winners include Jenna Laube, Sonny Tannan, Matthew Riggin, Dr. Stanley Andrisse and Andrea Jones.

United Way’s ELU is a network of more than 1,500 young professionals that provides unique opportunities to give back to the local community while networking with other committed and philanthropic young professionals.

 

More than 400 local young professionals are expected to attend the conference, which convenes from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. on May 5 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore. The theme for this year’s conference is “Leading the Way for Social Impact.” Topics and activities include building social ingenuity, leveraging technology, engaging in volunteerism and social responsibility, crowdsourcing and leadership.

Leadership development sessions and panel discussions will feature presenters including Johns Hopkins Hospital President Redonda Miller, Plank Industries CEO Tom Geddes, Innovation Village CEO Richard May, Emerging Technology Centers President and Executive Director Deborah Tillett, and Senior Advisor to the President and Head of Johns Hopkins Technology Ventures Christy Wyskiel.

 

“United Way of Central Maryland encourages young professionals to take a stand in their local community and make an impact by giving back,” said ELU Director Jeremy Rosendale. “These young leaders have made a huge impact in central Maryland through volunteerism, networking and social events throughout the year, and they continue to help families and individuals move toward a brighter, more stable future. Each of this year’s Philanthropic Five awardees embodies our mission to improve people’s lives.”

 

2017 United Way Emerging Leaders United Philanthropic Five Award Winners:

A project engineer at Groundwater & Environmental Services, Jenna Laube studied engineering at Johns Hopkins University while participating in Johns Hopkins University Tutorial, Host-A-Student, Model United Nation and Engineers Without Borders. In her limited free time, Jenna volunteers as a trained crisis counselor for Crisis Text Line, serves as fund development chair of the Junior League of Baltimore, and is actively involved with House of Ruth, Blue Water Baltimore, Volunteering Untapped, and Safe House of Hope.

 

“Receiving United Way of Central Maryland’s Philanthropic Five award was a wonderful surprise,” said Jenna. “They say ‘if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.’ Being a part of Maryland’s philanthropic community is an honor, and I am proud to be in the company of other community members dedicated to effecting positive change”.

 

 

 

 

Sonny Tannan has worked in industries that give back, having been chair of board development of the Y of Central Maryland, co-chair for the UPS Veterans Business Resource Group and social media coordinator for the United States Marine Corps Toys for Tots program. He believes that connecting with others and maintaining flexibility for changing priorities have been key strengths in his philanthropic work. He has demonstrated a commitment and willingness to step forward when volunteers are asked for, in order to help develop opportunities for others.

 

 

“I’m humbled that the Emerging Leaders United nominating board selected me along with four other young leaders in the community for the Philanthropic Five award this year,” said Sonny. “But I’m more honored that others in the community felt strongly enough to put forth my name based on the commitment that we have all made to make positive change. Based on the support of leaders and volunteers alike, I urge all to find your voice and passion, and stay committed to changing the odds for families and communities.”

 

 

 

 

As a wealth advisor for Morgan Stanley, Matthew Riggin has a keen understanding of the need for increased financial literacy in the Baltimore community and beyond. Matthew has co-instructed financial literacy to a variety of nonprofits for the past two years including Sarah’s Hope, Paul’s Place and South Baltimore Learning Center. Outside of his focus on financial literacy, Matthew serves on the GIVE Advisory Committee for Business Volunteers of Maryland, volunteers as a WingMan for Athletes Serving Athletes, is an advocate for the Baltimore Community ToolBank and serves on the associate leadership council of Junior Achievement.

 

“It’s an honor to be recognized with so many talented folks who are doing great work to support the community.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dr. Stanley Andrisse is an early career biomedical research scientist at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology studying type 2 diabetes and metabolic dysfunction. Dr. Andrisse serves as the president of the Johns Hopkins Postdoctoral Association and co-chair of the Diversity Postdoctoral Alliance. He is also an active member on several national committees aimed at community outreach and leadership development. He is a mentor and community activist through Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Baltimore Young Professionals.

 

 

“I have been an active youth enthusiast and community organizer for close to a decade,” said Dr. Andrisse. “I am involved in several programs that promote pursuing excellence to under-served communities. I do over 750 hours of community service per year. I am truly committed to giving back and helping others. This award really means a lot to me.”

 

 

 

 

 

Born in Baltimore City, Andrea Jones is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), where she spent her free moments working at hospitals and volunteering with the Boys and Girls Club as well as other mentoring programs in the surrounding areas. As a junior at UMES, she enlisted into the Maryland Army National Guard and currently still serves. Her passion for servicing her community eventually blossomed into the development of her organization Live to Inspire. As a registered 501(c) 3, her organization focuses on reuniting and restoring the community through volunteer programs that directly target the city’s youth and less fortunate.

 

“Being a 2017 recipient of the ELU Philanthropic Five Award means that I have and will continue to do right by my community,” said Andrea. “To me, [this award] means that on days when we feel that no one cares and that support for our efforts is minimal, someone is proud and always watching. With our efforts combined, we can truly make a difference.”

 

 

 

 

 

To learn more about the Emerging Leaders United Young Professionals Conference and register, visit www.uwcm.org/elu.

 

 

About United Way of Central Maryland

For more than 90 years, United Way of Central Maryland has been improving lives in the communities it serves: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard Counties, and Baltimore City. In January 2017, United Ways in Maryland released the ALICE® Report, revealing that more than a third of Maryland households – nearly 750,000 – either live in poverty, or qualify at or below the ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) threshold. United Way of Central Maryland works to stabilize ALICE residents – individuals and families who work hard but still cannot afford basic necessities because of Maryland’s high cost of living – and those that fall below the Federal Poverty Level, by focusing on the building blocks of a better life to become self-sufficient: education, employment, housing and health. All of United Way’s work is supported by the 2-1-1 Maryland United Way Helpline, a 24-hour, 7-day a week service that provides information and referrals on a variety of health and human service issues. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, the program has provided answers for more than 100,000 calls for help in fiscal year 2016.

United Way is improving lives in central Maryland communities, but no one can create change alone. That’s why United Way of Central Maryland is encouraging individuals to get their friends, colleagues and others involved, to do more in the community and help more families in central Maryland. Together, United Way of Central Maryland, its supporters and its volunteers can empower more families in the communities it serves. To learn more about the United Way of Central Maryland, visit www.uwcm.org. To find out more about the ALICE Report, visit www.uwcm.org/ALICE.

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