I’d like to congratulate Jim Grote, Howard LeFevre and David Milenthal.
This year’s inductees into the Central Ohio Business Hall of Fame display the type of entrepreneurial spirit, relentless drive and community leadership with which Junior Achievement is proud to be associated. They each set a great example for all of us in their passion and dedication to the future of Central Ohio.
The Central Ohio Business Hall of Fame allows us to recognize the excellence we see in local leaders and strive to pass on that excellence through our volunteers in the classrooms. It is this tradition of excellence that drives us to continue to be the largest and fastest-growing organization dedicated to teaching young people about business, economics and personal finance.
Our volunteers teach children how to balance a checkbook, get a job and run a business. We explore the basics of personal finance, global economic issues and real-life small business risks. Each year, we reach more than 25,000 students in Central Ohio, from kindergarten to 12th grade.
We at Junior Achievement of Central Ohio are committed to our push into the urban and rural school districts. The needs of these children are diverse, but the potential impact of a solid economic education, combined with the knowledge that a volunteer from the community cares enough to spend time in the classroom, can yield immeasurable results for our community. And as we pursue the education of urban and rural students, we will continue to deliver quality programs to our current JA school districts.
I invite you not only to join us in congratulating our honorees but also to help us develop the business leaders of tomorrow. In the short run, our children will be better prepared for their schoolwork and standardized tests. In the long run, they will be better prepared to assist in creating a strong, diverse economy for Central Ohio.
I look forward to working with the leaders of today to develop the leaders of tomorrow. RJ Nicolosi is chairman of Junior Achievement of Central Ohio.
