Western & Southern Financial Group (Western & Southern) has announced that Jo Guido, math teacher for Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) at Clark Montessori High School, has been named the 2018 Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Educator of the Year.
We are very pleased to recognize Jo for advancing the quality of education at Cincinnati Public Schools
Guido was chosen by Western & Southern and CPS from finalists who were nominated by their CPS peers for the award. She was recognized today with a plaque and a personal check for $10,000 during a ceremony at Western & Southern’s Guilford Institute on its downtown campus.
“We are very pleased to recognize Jo for advancing the quality of education at Cincinnati Public Schools,” said John F. Barrett, Western & Southern’s chairman, president and chief executive officer. “Recognizing educators like Jo and preparing young people for the future is a focus of Western & Southern in its efforts to help make Cincinnati the best place to live, work and enjoy life.”
“Jo, a 32-year veteran of CPS, has an exceptional ability to motivate her students to learn and excel at math, and she is truly deserving of this award,” said Laura Mitchell, superintendent of CPS. “We thank Western & Southern for honoring Jo and commend all of the educators who were nominated.”
Western & Southern established the Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Educator of the Year Award in 2007 to inspire and reward excellence among CPS educators. This distinguished award honors one educator each year who has elevated the educational process in public schools to an exceptional level through personal commitment, dedicated focus and outstanding results. The namesake of the award, Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins, was a member of the elite Tuskegee Airmen, a well-respected Cincinnati educator, former executive vice president of administration at the University of Cincinnati and former Western & Southern board member. He passed away in 2009.
For more information on the Dr. Lawrence C. Hawkins Educator of the Year Award, visit www.westernsouthern.com/hawkinsaward.
About Western & Southern Financial Group
Founded in Cincinnati in 1888 as The Western and Southern Life Insurance Company, and celebrating 130 years this year, Western & Southern Financial Group, Inc. (Western & Southern), a Fortune 500 company, is now the parent company of a group of diversified financial services businesses. Its assets owned ($47.9 billion) and managed ($26.6 billion) total $74.5 billion as of March 31, 2018. Western & Southern is one of the strongest life insurance groups in the world. Its six life insurance subsidiaries (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 very strong financial ratings. Other member companies include Eagle Realty Group, LLC; Fort Washington Investment Advisors, Inc.;1 IFS Financial Services, Inc.; Peppertree Partners LLC;1 Touchstone Advisors, Inc.;1 Touchstone Securities, Inc.;2 W&S Brokerage Services, Inc.;2 and W&S Financial Group Distributors, Inc. For more information on the Western & Southern family of companies, visit www.westernsouthern.com. Western & Southern is the title sponsor of six major community events every year, including the Western & Southern Open (www.wsopen.com), a premier event in the U.S. Open Series played each August by the world’s top-ranked professional male and female tennis players.
1A registered investment advisor.
2A registered broker-dealer and member FINRA/SIPC.
For current ratings, please visit www.westernsouthern.com/about/financial-information/financial-ratings.
About Cincinnati Public Schools
Cincinnati Public Schools offers families more high-quality school choices and academic programs than any other district in the Tristate region. CPS continues to lead Ohio’s eight large-city school districts in composite 12th-grade ACT scores, which increased to 20 over the last five years. The district has opened three new elementary schools in 2017-18 to accommodate a growth surge in enrollment. At least 98 percent of third-graders met Ohio’s Third-Grade Reading Guarantee, and 96 percent of 2017 graduates have enrolled in a college program, enlisted in the military, or entered the workforce. The district’s innovative approach to education, investment in effective and caring teachers, and vast array of collaborative partnerships have accelerated school performance – ensuring that students thrive and graduate prepared to lead successful lives in the 21st century. The district operates 62 schools spread across 90 square miles.
