José Marques, APR
Media Relations Manager
513.629.1448
Mailing Address:
Western & Southern Financial Group
Media Relations
Mail Station 90
400 Broadway Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Sheila Veits Roth, APR
Western & Southern Financial Group (513) 629-1388
Western & Southern Financial Group Names Finalists for Sixth Annual Educator of the Year Award
CINCINNATI — April 12, 2012 — Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern) has announced 21 finalists for the 2012 Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Educator of the Year Award. The award, established in 2007, honors one educator each year in Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) who has elevated the educational process in the district to an exceptional level through personal commitment, dedicated focus and outstanding results.
Finalists for 2012 were chosen from nominations submitted by CPS teachers and administrators.
| Deborah A. Bradshaw Early Childhood Education Cincinnati Public Schools |
Kimberly Mack John P. Parker School |
| Lillian A. Carter North Avondale Montessori School |
Yzvetta Macon South Avondale School |
| Nancy Crossley Dater Montessori School |
Jamie Richardson Sands Montessori School |
| West J. Davis, Jr. Woodward Career Technical High School |
Kristine Schellhous Winton Hills Academy |
| Annette Delaney Sands Montessori School |
Laurie Smith Academy of World Languages |
| Kathleen Donohoue Sayler Park Elementary School |
Kenneth Stevenson Roberts Paideia Academy |
| Brenda L. Gold School for Creative & Performing Arts |
Pamula Thomas Customer Help Center Cincinnati Public Schools |
| Dr. Linda Y. Hicks Preschool Disabilities Itinerant Program Cincinnati Public Schools |
Millie F. Thompson Peer Assistance & Evaluation Program Cincinnati Public Schools |
| Elizabeth Hook Dater Montessori School |
Charlene Younger Roberts Paideia Academy |
| Donna Kavanaugh Kilgour School |
Karla Ziesmann School for Creative & Performing Arts |
| David Licata Western Hills University High School |
The recipient of the 2012 award will be announced May 3 at a ceremony and reception hosted by Western & Southern at The Guilford Institute on its downtown Cincinnati campus. The award winner will receive a personal check for $10,000 from Western & Southern.
"Western & Southern recognizes that educators and administrators in Cincinnati Public Schools work hard and make a direct impact on our community through the children they guide and teach,” said John F. Barrett, chairman, president and chief executive officer for Western & Southern. “The Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Educator of the Year Award is a way for us to recognize and reward these educators for their commitment to inspiring Cincinnati’s children to excel in the classroom and beyond."
Past recipients of the award include Barbara J. James from Riverview East Academy (2011); Nancy L. Johnson of the CPS Turnaround Team (2010); Angela Roddy, a consulting teacher for CPS (2009); Kimya Moyo from Aiken College & Career High School (2008); and Sharon Johnson from Withrow University High School (2007).
The award was established in 2007 to honor Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins, a distinguished member of the Western & Southern board of directors and a renowned educator in Cincinnati before his passing in 2009. Dr. Hawkins earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Cincinnati, as well as a doctorate in education. He worked as both an educator and administrator at CPS before joining the University of Cincinnati faculty where he founded the College of Community Affairs. He was promoted to vice president of continuing education and metropolitan affairs and then again to executive vice president of administration. Dr. Hawkins served on several local community and business boards and was named a Great Living Cincinnatian in 1989 by The Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce.
About Western & Southern Financial Group
Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern) is a Cincinnati-based Fortune 500 diversified family of financial services companies with assets owned and managed in excess of $50 billion as of Dec. 31, 2011. Western & Southern’s six life insurance companies (The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company; Western-Southern Life Assurance Company; Columbus Life Insurance Company; Integrity Life Insurance Company; The Lafayette Life Insurance Company; and National Integrity Life Insurance Company) maintain the following ratings for financial strength: Standard & Poor’s AA+ Very Strong (currently the highest rating held by any life insurance company and making Western & Southern one of the eight highest-rated life insurance groups in the world), A.M. Best A+ Superior, Fitch AA Very Strong and Moody’s1 Aa3 Excellent. With a heritage dating to 1888, the group’s affiliates also include Capital Analysts Incorporated;2, 3 Eagle Realty Group, LLC; Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.;2 IFS Financial Services, Inc.; Touchstone Advisors, Inc.;2 Touchstone Securities, Inc.;3 and W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc. Western & Southern is the title sponsor of the Western & Southern Open (www.wsopen.com) tennis tournament, a premier event in the U.S. Open Series featuring the world’s top-ranked professional male and female players.
1 Lafayette Life is not rated by Moody’s.
2 A registered investment advisor.
3 A registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC.
Ratings are current as of Dec. 31, 2011, and refer to the claims-paying ability of the insurance company and not to the safety, stability or performance of any investment product.
About Cincinnati Public Schools
Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) – a district of 57 schools serving a diverse population of more than 34,000 students in grades preschool to 12 – prepares students for life through rigorous academic programs, numerous enrichment opportunities and strong community partnerships. The district moved up into the Effective rating on the 2009-10 Ohio Report Card – the only urban district in Ohio to earn this high of a rating. In addition, CPS’ graduation rate has increased from just over 60 percent to 80 percent since 2002. Three of its high schools – Walnut Hills High School, Withrow University High School and Clark Montessori High School – are ranked among the top 1,000 public high schools in the United States, according to national magazines. CPS is in year eight of a 10-year, $1-billion Facilities Master Plan that will provide new or fully renovated buildings for all CPS students.
To learn more about Cincinnati Public Schools, visit www.cps-k12.org.
one of the eight highest-rated life insurance groups
in the world based on Standard & Poor's AA+ Very Strong rating.
Rating current as of
