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2009 Neal Potter Path of Achievement Honorees |
About the Award
2009 Honorees
- Monsignor Ralph Kuehner, Advocacy
- Robert Mabie, Community Service
- Dorothy Nelson, Community Service
- Virginia Gilbert, Sports & Fitness
- Reverend Samuel Myers, Workplace Contribution
About the Neal Potter Path of Achievement Awards
Established in 1998 by County Executive Douglas M. Duncan to honor older Montgomery County residents, age 60 and over, whose accomplishments, enthusiasm and commitment to their community make them outstanding role models for young and old alike. In 2009, this award was renamed the Neal Potter Path of Achievement Awards in memory of former County Executive Neal Potter who passed away on May 27, 2008.
The awards recognize seniors from among five categories:
Advocacy - Grassroots and lobbying efforts on behalf of any cause
Arts and Humanities - Achievements in the visual arts, music, literary arts or drama
Community Service - Volunteer work of all sorts, as well as service on Boards of local groups and agencies
Sports and Fitness - Achievement in group or individual athletic pursuits, as well as health promotion (sports related)
Workplace Contribution - Special contributions to company or profession while employed or retired
A panel of three judges selects the award recipients. The judges for the 2009 Path of Achievement awards are:
Jeff Bulman, Owner, Original Pancake House Restaurants
Ann Evans, Director of Lifelong Learning, Montgomery College
Jay Kenney, Chief, Aging and Disability Services, Health and Human Services
The award is co-sponsored by The Beacon, Strathmore, and The Gazette.
Brief video documentaries of each recipient are prepared by the County’s Office of Public Information. Each honoree is also featured on the County Cable Montgomery Seniors Today television show, and in The Beacon newspaper.
In congratulating these five outstanding seniors, County Executive Isiah Leggett states, “These five award winners are prime examples of residents who are continuing to find meaningful ways to contribute to their community, regardless of their age. They are using their life experiences and personal interests to benefit us all. I commend each one of them for all they are doing to promote Vital Living for All Our Residents which is one of my top policy objectives.”
Advocacy - Msgr. Ralph Kuehner
Monsignor Ralph Kuehner has spent much of the last three decades bringing people together to feed the homeless, end housing discrimination, create affordable homes for low-income seniors, and help many others in need. While in his 50s and 60s, Fr. Ralph played a key role in establishing So Others May Eat – an organization serving homeless people in the District of Columbia. Fr. Ralph worked with the organization to expand its services to providing medical care and housing.
In his 60s, Fr. Ralph continued to help others by establishing the Fair Housing Council to advocate against housing discrimination. He also established Victory Housing, Inc. by obtaining donations of land from the Archdiocese of Washington and construction from private donors and government. Through this effort, hundreds of senior citizens have affordable homes. In his 70s and 80s, Fr. Ralph has continued working to address the needs of incarcerated individuals and those who have suffered from spinal injuries.
Fr. Ralph, now 85, has set a wonderful example of how anyone can have a positive impact on their community at any age in life.
Community Service - Mr. Robert Mabie and Ms. Dorothy Nelson
Mr. Robert Mabie
Robert “Bob” Mabie, 83, has served as a valuable team member in Montgomery County’s Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Solid Waste Services (DSWS) for 18 years. During that time, Bob has helped in a number of roles including managing traffic flow at household hazardous waste collection events, educating residents at the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair, and sharing his knowledge of recycling at the DSWS Earth Day and America Recycles Day events.
Bob’s passion for recycling does not stop with the DSWS. He also serves as his neighborhood’s recycling block captain and continually educates his community about the importance of recycling. As a volunteer at Montgomery General Hospital, Bob has become the go-to resource for recycling information. Hospital employees affectionately call him, “Mr. Recycling.”
Bob has taken a number of training and continuing education courses offered at DSWS. His passion for the environment and his community has made him a valuable asset in Montgomery County.
Dorothy Nelson
Dorothy Nelson has played a vital role in support of two organizations for more than a decade. As part of the county’s Long Term Care Ombudsman Program, Dorothy oversees quality assurance for a program that serves more than 6,000 residents. Her background in nursing, her dependability, and her attention to detail are critical in her efforts to keep the records of more than 60 volunteers and eight staff members in the program.
At the Montgomery County Volunteer Center, Dorothy maintains a database of more than 2,000 volunteer opportunities offered by nearly 700 non-profit organizations. In addition to this and her responsibilities managing the student service learning portion of the database, Dorothy often greets residents over the phone or when they stop in at the center. She is always flexible and willing to increase her hours or flex her schedule when staff members are out or the center holds a special program. At 83, Dorothy is a great example of someone whose lifetime of service has continued long after she completed her first career.
Sports and Fitness - Ms. Virginia Gilbert
Virginia “Ginny” Gilbert has set a positive example for seniors about the importance of health and fitness. Despite some of her own health challenges, Ginny has remained committed to her own physical fitness and has worked to share that passion with others. She helped create the Bone Builders program, an evidence-based exercise program designed to prevents or lessen the effects of osteoporosis, and then brought the program to Montgomery County.
Ginny recruits, trains, and supervises other class leaders. Currently 100 adults participate in the class. Since it began in 2006, nearly 300 people have taken Bone Builders.
At 75, she continues to demonstrate the importance of seniors staying physically and cognitively fit even when not perfectly healthy. Through her positive attitude, through exercising, and through balanced nutrition, Ginny Gilbert has served as an example that seniors should focus on the elements of health they can control.
Workplace Contribution - Rev. Samuel Myers
Reverend Samuel Myers, also known as Jim Dandy, has set an example of service as a business owner and community activist. Rev. Myers has owned Jim Dandy Cleaners and Formal Wear for nearly 37 years. In that time, he has offered opportunities for neighborhood youth to learn a useful skill and encourage them to dream big.
His service continued outside of his business. He has served for two years as a board member on the Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce. He is also a dedicated member of the International Kiwanis Club, serving as president of his chapter and raising money for charity and scholarships.
As an ordained Pentecostal minister, he has served his church as a trustee, steward, usher, and associate minister. Rev. Myers has even received honors from his wife’s Catholic church.
Having just turned 95 (!) in October, Rev. Myers has spent a lifetime demonstrating that in both business and the community one can set an example of how to make society a better place.
Montgomery County Volunteer Center - 401 Hungerford Drive, 1st Floor Rockville, Maryland 20850
Phone: 240-777-2600 | Fax: 240-777-2601 | email: volunteer@montgomerycountymd.gov
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Seniors
