Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the Michigan Community Service Commission announced Monday, Nov. 14, that 46 individuals, businesses and nonprofi t organizations recipients of the 2022 Governor’s Service Awards and applauded their commitment to volunteerism, service or philanthropy.
“Michigan succeeds because of Michiganders who go above and beyond to serve their communities and lift up others,” said Governor Whitmer. “This year’s winners get things done even when nobody’s looking because they know that every contribution makes a huge impact. I am honored to present the Governor’s Service Awards to this year’s 46 recipients and urge every Michigander to get involved in their community so we can move our state forward together.”
Winners from the Upper Peninsula
include:
The Marquette-Alger Regional Educational Service Agency (MARESA) is the only Intermediary School District in the Upper Peninsula that does not collect a Career and Technical Education (CTE) millage and one of only a handful statewide lacking this important revenue stream. Despite this fiscal handicap, the MARESA and its constituents school districts provide the largest and most diverse array of CTE programs in the
Upper Peninsula and is one of the top CTE programs in the state. The CTE committee, with its strong volunteer leadership, provides many programs, including the Marquette-Alger Technical Middle College, the Geometry in Construction STEM program, the CTE Magazine career exploration resource, and recruitment of young talent into the professional trades. The committee has secured over $765,000 in direct funding for the programs. In addition, the committee provides volunteer support to sustain the essential programs. One of the main goals of the committee is to help high school students make the best possible career decisions and find their future path. The CTE committee pooled resources of smaller working groups to make a larger impact. With more than 50 members, this group of committed volunteers are directing their energy to the greater good of the youth of this two-county region. Even with all its
success, the committee is not ready to rest just yet. Each year as they accomplish some of their goals, the Committee simply replaces them with new and innovative ideas that will provide local students with multiple career laddering opportunities and employers with the talent they so desperately need.
Lorana Jinkerson began her journey with the North Country Trail Association (NCTA) in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the mid-2000s and has led in volunteer and philanthropic service since. Recently, Lorana surpassed 10,000 volunteer hours with NCTA. Lorana has built relationships with numerous private landowners to establish trail sections that are off-road when public land isn’t available. Subsequently, this has minimized the area of road-walk and enhances a “road safe,” positive trail experience. To continue a positive trail experience, Lorana physically maintained the trail while also planning for its future. Lorana worked with the Marquette community to establish interpretive signage along the trail and encouraged other groups to hold events on the trail’s behalf to promote the trail as one of the eleven national scenic trails in the country. Lorana developed a holistic approach to supporting the National Trails System and ensured that our nation’s longest National Scenic Trail will be available for people to positively engage in the environment for many years to come.
The Manistique Community Treehouse Center (MCTC) is a grassroots, non-profit organization focused on promoting holistic empowerment for all individuals regardless of background, ability, age, race, or gender. The intergenerational programs help people of all ages manage and overcome stress and anxiety by helping them have more fun, spend more time outside, and build financial literacy. The organization is working to implement an innovative program to encourage more residents and nonprofits to embrace solar power while saving and making money. This program created a solar station and helped install solar panels on 25 homes in the neighborhood. It also includes a workforce development component, training individuals to gain skills in solar energy. It is a one-of-akind program in Detroit, and the organization intends to replicate to other areas of the city, as well as across the state and nation. The MCTC goes beyond providing renewable energy, they host cultural, informational, and social events for children and adults in the neighborhood. These events bring the community together and allow them to share a common interest in sustainability and caring for their neighborhood and neighbors.
