2017 Medical Mutual Pillar Award for Community Service, Greater Cincinnati

Medical Mutual along with Smart Business, our co-founding Pillar Award partner, presents the seventh annual Pillar Awards for Community Service.
The Pillar Awards honor organizations of all types and sizes that make outstanding contributions to their communities. For nearly a decade we have recognized companies and their employees who have gone above and beyond to invest time and resources to strengthen the relationship between for-profits and nonprofits.

At Medical Mutual, we recognize that companies are only as great as their employees. We are committed to improving Cincinnati and the communities we serve and strive to continually live up to that responsibility in everything we do.
I’d like to congratulate this year’s recipients for their outstanding service and dedication and for helping to improve the quality of life for the residents of Greater Cincinnati. This is truly what the Pillar Awards are all about.
One of the Pillar Awards that will be presented tonight is a special honor given to a company whose employees best exemplify the values of Medical Mutual’s own employee SHARE Committee.
SHARE, which stands for serve, help, aid, reach and educate, is the heart and soul of Medical Mutual’s charitable giving effort. The SHARE Committee helps coordinate more than two-dozen community events every year, involving nearly half of the company’s 2,400 employees.
It’s truly an honor to be in the company of such outstanding organizations that exemplify the theme of “improving the communities we serve” by encouraging a charitable environment and directly supporting the communities in which they live and work.
On behalf of Medical Mutual and Smart Business, we congratulate all our 2017 Pillar Award recipients. ●

Pillar Award Honoree

84.51°
Stuart Aitken, CEO | www.8451.com
Stuart Aitken, CEO of 84.51°, a data science, analytics and customer loyalty company, is an active participant in nonprofits and businesses throughout the Greater Cincinnati community. He serves on the board of directors for the CincinnatiUSA Regional Chamber and on the board of trustees for the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Andy and Jordon Dalton Foundation, and on the Board of the Cincinnati Regional Business Committee.
Aitken encourages employees to engage in a range of official and unofficial activities that benefit their community.  An example of the former, the company’s Degrees of Giving program is an employee-led community support program, whereby employees identify and select the nonprofit organizations the company will support each year with donated time and resources. The company raised more than $45,500 at this year’s annual Degrees of Giving charity auction, an increase of 48 percent over last year.
Aitken was the first man to join a male-driven support group, ‘Men Helping Women Helping Women’, for Women Helping Women, which it adopted for its entire organization. As part of October’s Domestic Violence Awareness month, men from 84.51° sell and wear purple bow ties in support of female victims.
Aitken also uses his influence to support Cincinnati’s startup ecosystem, ensuring the community continues to lead in areas of analytics and customer insights. 84.51° shows that support through Startups in Residence, a program that offers office space within 84.51°’s facility and an opportunity to take part in an engaged mentorship program. It’s a way to give back to the community by encouraging the growth of local companies. ●
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Pillar Award Honoree

KDM P.O.P. Solutions Group
Robert Kissel, president and CEO | www.kdmpop.com
For KDM P.O.P. Solutions Group, headed by President and CEO Robert Kissel, giving back to the community is a strong priority to the leaders at KDM and the culture of the workplace.
KDM has supported many organizations in the local community by hosting events and fundraisers, volunteering, and through financial contributions. Its dedicated KDM Service Committee is tasked with leading the way on this initiative.
In 2015, KDM partnered with Cradle Cincinnati to increase awareness of the high infant mortality rate in Cincinnati and help do something about it. A cosmetic makeover of WinMed Health Services’ waiting room and pediatrics unit was undertaken in an effort to increase the number of women that seek prenatal and newborn care. KDM matched the $10,000 company employees raised, resulting in a $20,000 total donation towards this remodeling effort that included design, materials, manufacturing and installation, all completed by KDM employees.
KDM has created and contributed to opportunities for its employees to help them achieve their dreams, overcome hardships and health issues and earn an education.
For example, the KDM Dream Makers program supports employees by providing financial assistance that enables employees to take a step towards their personal goals and dreams.
The company has also allocated funds to assist employees and their family members with lifesaving treatment for addiction, through a Substance Abuse Rehab Assistance Fund.
KDM’s corporate leadership has instilled a culture that emphasizes giving-back, and its employees have consistently achieved great results with fundraising and volunteering efforts in the local community. ●
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Pillar Award Honoree

LOTH Holdings LLC
J.B. Buse, chairman and CEO | www.lothinc.com
Community is a core value for LOTH Holdings, LLC, a company specializing in helping organizations improve their productivity by optimizing their space. LOTH employees have shown a commitment to serving the communities in which they work and live in by giving their time, talent and resources through various charity initiatives each year. Employees are encouraged to engage in the local community and support the nonprofit organizations that they care about.
J.B. Buse, company chairman and CEO, is passionate in his commitment to the Cincinnati community. He currently serves on the boards of four local organizations.
Among his many charitable commitments, he serves on the Executive Leadership Team for the American Heart Association’s Annual Heart Ball. In 2014, Buse chaired the Association’s annual ball, which broke organizational records by raising over $1 million, the first ever million-dollar Heart Ball in Cincinnati. More than 1,000 people attended, with an additional 300 young professionals at the after party. Buse was involved in every aspect of planning the Heart Ball, including fundraising, honoree selection, live and silent auction items, food and wine choices, entertainment, décor and more.
This past year, LOTH celebrated its 125th anniversary with its 125th Giving Campaign, which featured fundraising events driven by its employees. More than 25 ideas were submitted by employees that tie into the Giving Campaign and were executed throughout the year. The initiative supported a range of charities that benefit the environment, children in need, the homeless, animals, and health and education initiatives. ●
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Pillar Award Honoree

Mesa Industries Inc.
Terry Segerberg, CEO | www.mesa-intl.com
Terry Segerberg, CEO of Mesa Industries, Inc., has always been a big supporter of giving back and has been a key motivator in the organization. Very early in her life she was instilled with the importance of taking care of her family, employees and giving back to the community. She has seen how important community involvement has become to the company’s employees, some of whom have personally been helped by the charity of others, and welcomed the opportunity to return the favor.
A focus group of employees from all levels of the organization was formed at Mesa to encourage good corporate citizenship. The idea behind this concept is for employees to bring forward ideas or projects that they see as necessary. It is called the “Be the Believe” program and has the charge of identifying community projects that include labor hours. Employees felt that a hands-on approach was more personal and would help people that might otherwise fall between the cracks — for example, cleaning up an elderly person’s yard, painting a financially distressed person’s house or volunteering at the local orphanage.
Mesa also supports charitable organizations in its community. Most recently the company has started supporting the St. Joseph Orphanage by hosting parties, allowing employees to spend time with its kids and donating school supplies.
Mesa employees have purchased food and provided meals for more than 200 people at the Shelter House, serving more than 237 meals on an ongoing monthly basis and donating cash funds. ●
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Pillar Award Honoree

Paycor
Bob Coughlin, CEO | www.paycor.com
Paycor’s CEO, Bob Coughlin, takes pride in giving back to those in need. When envisioning how he wanted Paycor to give back to the community, he didn’t want to just write a check. Instead, he wanted the Paycor community to develop close relationships with causes or organizations that have impacted employees’ lives or the lives of their family members or friends. Coughlin understands that community connections can help employees feel more at home and part of a greater community. It is his vision and the example he sets for employees that were the driving force behind establishing Paycor’s Community Partners program and Guiding Principles.
The guiding principles of Paycor’s culture include doing the right thing and taking care of each other. Paycor’s employee-run community service program, Community Partners, provides employees with a vehicle to initiate and participate in events that benefit others within the company’s own backyard. That can mean organizing a floor-vs-floor basketball event or rallying a contingent to help build houses with Habitat for Humanity. Sometimes, it means quickly activating company associates to support others in times of devastation.
Supporting local communities builds teamwork, involvement, pride and satisfaction while also allowing Paycor employees the chance to exercise their personal interests and share them with colleagues. It inspires employees, helps them remember all the good things people are capable of and encourages them to do more.
Giving back to the community truly is a top-down initiative and is felt throughout the halls of Paycor, and the communities its employees serve. ●
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Pillar Award Honoree

Powernet
Allison Stevens, CEO | www.powernetco.com
Powernet and its employee place community service at the forefront of everything they do. When Powernet picks up a new product, it doesn’t ask how this can make money. It asks how can the company make a real difference with the product.
The company takes high-end technology, such as tablets and Wi-Fi technology, and provides those who are less fortunate with an opportunity to experience what their peers take for granted as everyday commodities, bridging the digital divide, a social barrier that Powernet strives to erase.
Powernet’s philosophy isn’t just to give back to organizations and communities, but to make an impact that will be felt for many years to come. Donations of free Wi-Fi gives citizens living in low-income areas a chance to access the internet, which can help them apply for jobs, pay bills, do school work and many other valuable tasks. Even when the company’s products can’t make a change, it uses financial donations to deliver valuable support to both community and national organizations. Also, employees are encouraged to volunteer at organizations with support from the company’s Charitable PTO time, which offers an employee who volunteers with an organization payment for the day away from work. Employees have taken full advantage of this, spreading Powernet’s charitable values all throughout the Greater Cincinnati area.
Powernet considers community service as one of the many pillars that supports the company’s values. Through community service, the company gains an identity that is representative of its core values, which plays an integral part in the company’s daily activities. ●
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Pillar Award Honoree

Queen City Homecare
Aaron Stapleton, founder | www.queencityhc.com
Queen City Homecare Founder Aaron Stapleton promotes a charitable atmosphere, hoping his example encourages all employees to believe that giving back is a top priority and injecting the idea of philanthropy into the company, which has given employees a renewed vigor.
Stapleton leads from the crowd, always a part of or leading the charitable events Queen City Homecare is involved with and inviting his family to participate as well. He considers Queen City Homecare a family company and wants its employees to feel as though they and their families are also a part of its philanthropic events.
A giving person in the office and out, Stapleton is the Chair of the Cincinnati Walk to End Alzheimer’s and has been the chair of his hometown Relay for Life for three years. He is on the 2016 MS Leadership Class, and the Young Professional’s Alzheimer’s Group. He joined with the Over-The-Rhine Soup Kitchen to give back to the community in a way that is outside of the health care field.
Recognizing that the charities he has picked out for Queen City Homecare to support might not meet others’ ideas of philanthropy, Stapleton recently changed a company policy in such a way that is meant to persuade all employees to give back in some way. Now, any employee who gives five hours of community service in a year will be given extra credit on their annual evaluation, which will in turn give the employee the opportunity to raise his or her income. ●
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Pillar Award Honoree

The Corporex Family of Cos.
William P. Butler, chairman and CEO | www.corporex.com
William P. Butler, chairman and CEO of The Corporex Family of Companies, likes to say that the company began as a builder of buildings, but today it builds buildings, businesses and people. It’s a statement that reflects the company’s longstanding commitment to give back to the communities in which it finds itself and from which it gains.
The company supports numerous charities and civic organizations that demonstrate its core values of integrity, creativity, excellence, service and growth. Through its corporate giving program, the company and its affiliates donate significant resources to strengthen its communities, with special emphasis on education, health care and social service charities. In the past 12 months, Corporex has contributed to more than 50 local nonprofits with monetary and in-kind donations, event sponsorships, cause-related marketing and pro bono professional services that leverage the skills of the company’s development, construction, design and finance professionals.
Further, the Butler Foundation, established in 1979, has a mission to help low-income and disadvantaged people in Northern Kentucky as directly as possible. In the past 12 months, the Foundation has provided operating support, program funding and scholarships to more than 70 local charities.
Through word and example, Butler has created a culture of contribution at Corporex and its affiliates. In the past 12 months, charitable contributions from Corporex, its affiliates and its employees have totaled nearly $1.1 million. It’s an example of the company’s understanding that hard work and philanthropy are vital to community well-being — they are investments that pay dividends in more than just dollars and cents. ●
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Nonprofit Board Executive of the Year Award

Tim Elsbrock, board member
Marvin Lewis Community Fund | www.marvinlewis.org
Since joining the Marvin Lewis Community Fund’s board in April 2012, Tim Elsbrock, who is also president for the Cincinnati market at Fifth Third Bank, brings his extensive community service to bear as a very active and committed board member. He has played a major role in growing recognition of the Fund and reinforcing the Fund’s partnership with Fifth Third Bank.
The Fund’s mission is to empower youth education throughout Greater Cincinnati. Since 2003, what began as a small organization has grown into a nonprofit that gives back through outreach programs and events, impacting thousands of individuals. The Fund has raised more than $11.6 million since it began. Its annual events strengthen its community by harnessing the power of volunteers who work together to achieve its mission.
Elsbrock’s contagious enthusiasm and love for Cincinnati is evident in his long history of community involvement. He serves on the Fund’s budget committee and shares the Fund’s passion for education and helping those less fortunate, as seen by his service to ArtWorks, Evans Scholars and McMicken College. He serves on nearly a dozen community boards and committees supporting local arts, education, health, business and economic development organizations.
Elsbrock has been a strong advocate for the Fund’s work within the community and has been a true asset not only because of his determination to make the community stronger, but also for bringing his energy and sense of humor to all he does. ●
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Nonprofit Board Executive of the Year Award

Kent Little, executive board member
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati | www.bigsforkids.org
Kent Little has been an executive board member at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati for more than 20 years. Also an Outback Steakhouse joint venture partner, Little demonstrates the tie between the for-profit and nonprofit worlds and fosters the importance of community service through philanthropy and volunteerism. He understands the value of mentoring and has led numerous fund raising and recruitment efforts, helping the agency grow from serving just a few hundred children to more than 1,100 today. His for-profit business acumen continues to guide the agency in making bold, strategic business decisions in order to reach more children in need.
Inspired and empowered by the philosophy of the Golden Rule — helping those in need, giving for the sake of giving and not to expect something in return — Little and his Outback Steakhouse staff focused their exemplary customer service and community impact into one of the largest charitable events in the area: The Outback Steakhouse Golf Outing, which benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Cincinnati. The event has raised more than $3.4 million through the past 20 years.
Little’s personal commitment to helping others is also exemplified by his work at Ground Zero. After the September 11 attacks, Kent and three of his colleagues took a trailer with equipment and food to New York where they set up an outdoor kitchen for five days and cooked 24,000 meals each day for firefighters, police officers, National Guard and other reserve workers. ●
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Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year Award

Tim Arnold, executive director and founder
Lawn Life | www.lawnlife.org
Tim Arnold is the Executive Director and founder of Lawn Life, an employment program that gives at-risk youth their first real job experience in lawn care and home improvement services. Arnold, once a juvenile delinquent, works side-by-side with his employees, relating to their obstacles while guiding them to make choices that will ultimately lead them to reach their full potential in the workforce.
With 27 convictions on his juvenile record, Arnold’s life took a significant turn for the better when he decided to apply himself wholly to a job. He learned the value of hard work, and earned raises and promotions within the company because of it. This new understanding motivated him to pay it forward. With his juvenile past far behind him, a solid work ethic established, Arnold set out to help young people with similar circumstances.
He founded Lawn Life in 2008, employing one 17 year old off the streets. Today, Lawn Life has empowered more than 550 at-risk youth. Lawn Life employs young people between the ages of 16 and 24, many of whom are transitioning out of the juvenile justice system, are homeless or living in poverty. By working hand-in-hand with skilled carpenters, electricians and other tradesmen, Lawn Life youth get hands-on experience in light construction and lawn maintenance. By the end of each calendar year, an average upwards of 40 percent of every youth hired has found and maintained full-time employment. Arnold’s personal mission is to see that all youth get the opportunity of experiencing the benefits of having a job. ●
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Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year Award

Barbara Dundee, executive director
Marvin Lewis Community Fund | www.marvinlewis.org
In her role as Executive Director, Barbara Dundee melds her experience working in the for-profit sector with her dedication to making a difference in the community through philanthropy at the Marvin Lewis Community Fund. She encourages teamwork in the work place, and values different opinions and viewpoints. She gives all staff members a chance to play to their strengths while also giving them the tools to turn weaknesses into assets.
Over the past few years that Dundee has been leading the Fund, it has seen steady growth in its major programs and in its list of sponsors and partners. The Fund’s administrative expenses have not exceeded 10 percent in any of the past seven years, making the organization lean and efficient. The Fund has continued to see successes in its Learning Is Cool (LIC) program and the Marvin Lewis Scholarship Fund. Currently, the Fund has 21 scholars studying in universities and colleges, maintaining an average GPA of 3.38 with the help of the $20,000 scholarships each were awarded.
The are approximately 31,000 students in four urban school districts engaged in the LIC program. In Cincinnati Public Schools, the number of students with a 3.51 GPA or higher earning Honor Roll achievements has risen from 8,974 during the 2008-2009 school year to 19,943 in the 2015-2016 school year.
Dundee is a strong advocate for education and her dedication to the work of the Fund is evident in every aspect of day-to-day operations, as well as her other activities. ●
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Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year Award

Roger Howell, president
City Gospel Mission | www.citygospelmission.org
In the 15 years he has been with City Gospel Mission, Roger Howell has made a significant impact on the organization’s ability to make a difference in the lives of those it serves through his leadership, ability to rally others to the cause and eye for talented individuals to serve through a giving heart.
City Gospel Mission helps the homeless and hurting break the cycle of poverty and despair. As president, Howell and his team have established partnerships with others to fulfill this mission, collaborating with more than 350 local churches and 2,500 volunteers to annually serve more than 6,800 adults and 9,800 youth.
His work with children living in poverty has spanned nearly three decades and counting. He not only is dedicated to the mission of his work, he lives it as he and his wife, Kathy, have four children and live in an urban neighborhood in the city of Cincinnati.
Under Howell’s leadership, City Gospel Mission takes a hands-on approach to serving people. Every day, volunteers serve hot breakfast and dinner to more than 100 homeless and hungry guests. More than 96,600 nutritious meals are served each year. Up to 74 men are welcomed as guests each night in its housing programs, which provide over 26,600 nights of safe shelter each year.
Howell’s decades-long dedication to helping those in need by reaching down a hand to give them a lift up and assist them on their journey to self-sufficiency is evident every day. ●
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Nonprofit Executive Director of the Year Award

Neil Tilow, president and CEO
Talbert House | www.talberthouse.org
Since 1982, Neil Tilow has been the president and CEO of Talbert House, which provides a broad range of programs in five key areas: substance abuse, mental health, community corrections, welfare-to-work and homelessness with a continuum of care that includes prevention, assessment, treatment and reintegration services. These services are directed to a broad-based population including children, adults and families, and services are provided at multiple sites throughout Greater Cincinnati.
The Talbert House mission has two basic purposes: to improve social behavior and enhance personal recovery and growth.  The organization has a culture of innovation that thrives on the creation of new services that meet the community’s needs while maintaining effectiveness, excellence and professionalism. Talbert House values an integrated system of high-quality care focused on best practices, easy access to services, and providing a full range of services in a cost effective and efficient manner. Last year, Talbert House served almost 37,500 clients face to face with an additional 28,000 receiving prevention and hotline services.
During his tenure, the agency has grown from four programs with a budget of $1 million to 40 programs in over 20 locations and a budget over $60 million with over 900 employees.
The Greater Cincinnati community has been extremely generous to the Talbert House. Individual and corporate donors support important, often life-saving work because they want to invest in healthy, contributing members of the community. Post-recession, there is a more personal connection to giving than ever before. ●
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Medical Mutual SHARE Award

BelFlex Staffing Network
Mike McCaw, CEO; Candace McCaw, owner and chairman | www.belflex.com
Mike McCaw, CEO, and Candace McCaw, Owner and Chairman of BelFlex Staffing Network, advocate collaboration between their employees and the communities in which they live and work through volunteerism, charitable donations and outreach.  In 2016, they had donated $38,684 to many organizations and volunteered more than 2,700 hours prior to the publication of this article to more than 60 local organizations.
For the past two years, BelFlex has partnered with the Wilson Children’s home, which currently operates as one of only five children’s homes left in Ohio that is a refuge for neglected, dependent and abused children. BelFlex employees held a Holiday event at the home on that included a cookie decorating contest, lunch and presents for 21 kids. In total, the company was able to donate over $6,300.
BelFlex partners with Family Promise, Inc. in two communities, an organization that provides overnight lodging to children and families who are homeless. For its Lee County location, BelFlex purchased gifts for 13 children, and has donated over $3900 to the nonprofit.
Santa’s Elves, a nonprofit charitable organization committed to providing gifts to children, received 300 toys, a more than $5,000 donation, from the company.
BelFlex also partnered with Stepping Forward of Butler County, a program to help people learn specific skills to help people move out of poverty and into self-sufficiency. BelFlex purchased and donated 140 coats and 50 sets of hats and gloves, a more than $5,900 donation.
The company pledges to combine its resources and energy to make a difference in its communities. ●
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From the hearts of our sponsors

The sponsors of the 2017 Medical Mutual Pillar Award for Community Service support the program because they believe in its mission — to recognize the critical tie between the for-profit and nonprofit communities.
Here is a little bit about each of this year’s sponsors.

The Duke Energy Convention Center, Cincinnati

The Duke Energy Convention Center has a mission to serve the community and host world-class conventions, meetings, galas and events that generate revenue through direct spending and visitor lodging taxes. Over the past ten years we have become involved with the community in supporting many activities as well as participating members of many local and regional organizations. As residents of the area, we are committed to the growth and well-being of the city and all of its residents.
Spectra by Comcast Spectacor, the providers of both Venue Management and Food Services & Hospitality to the Duke Energy Center, has a proud tradition of community investment and a commitment to making a difference. Together, the Comcast Spectacor, Comcast and NBCUniversal families empower our communities by investing in local organizations to mobilize resources and connect people to make a difference. Comcast Spectacor has contributed nearly $26 million to non-profit organizations. Across each of our companies and teams we make proactive efforts to maintain ethical standards, community service activism, and sustainability practices in all areas.
Locally, employees participate in a number of causes and initiatives throughout the year.  We continue to partner with the surrounding community by working with several organizations.  This year alone, we have supported the Yellow Ribbon Support Center, Cincinnati Public Schools, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, Over-the-Rhine Senior Center, and Boys Hope Girls Hope of Cincinnati.   Annually, we host the Queen City Blood Drive, GiveBack Cincinnati’s Fall Feast on Thanksgiving Day, and continue to work with ArtWorks; a local non-profit that employs and trains local youth and talent to create art and community impact. ●

The Eisen Agency

The Eisen Agency believes supporting the community is an important part of the culture of any good business. The ability to give back of our time, talent and treasure is a privilege that we take very seriously. Not only does it contribute to our community, it contributes to our team morale by having a number of deserving groups we can support and rally behind.
While it varies from year to year, every member of our team adopts various philanthropies with whom they identify that they wish to support. We provide in-kind services, capital infusion or simply grunt labor to assist these great causes and organizations. It’s fun, it’s rewarding and frankly, it’s the right thing to do. ●

Convero

Engagement doesn’t happen overnight. It is the result of a long-term commitment by your organization to connect with and invest in the wants and needs of your target audience.
Convero develops content marketing programs that increase engagement and performance. Our five-step process delivers detailed plans — from strategy and planning to execution and measurement — for organizations across a wide range of industries, including banking and finance, health care, higher education, manufacturing and associations. ●

Digizoom Media

We are visual storytellers who believe that creativity should arise and flourish without boundaries. Whether it’s bringing your brand, your value proposition or your organization’s culture to life, we accompany our award-winning visuals with carefully crafted scripts that support your messaging objectives, engage your audiences and inspire action. Telling your story, engaging your audience and driving results is what we do best. Your vision is our passion.
We amplify your presence by providing high quality, cutting-edge video content. We are dedicated to warm, professional standards of service, and guarantee satisfaction with our products and your experience. Our primary focus is to serve the business community through producing content engineered to expand your reach. ●