Congratulations to our 2022 Community Volunteer Award recipients!

The Community Volunteer Awards have highlighted the enormous benefits volunteers bring to Dane County for more than 20 years. Leading by example, the nominees and award recipients encourage everyone to engage in our community through volunteerism – proving just how impactful we can be when we come together as The Power of Many. Working for All.

Mike McKinney Award

Living out his passion for nutrition and food security every day – both through his clinical practice and volunteer work with Madison Area Food Pantry Gardens (MAFPG) – Brian Arndt, MD works tirelessly to ensure neighbors have access to food that supports good health. A fierce advocate for MAFPG, he’s helped to build awareness and make connections with in-kind donors, allowing them to serve even more community members. Brian is known as a big-picture thinker who always follows through on his commitments, takes on projects others won’t and is inclusive in creating programming that allows people of all abilities to participate. 

This award is named for Mike McKinney, a longtime Madison newscaster, volunteer, mentor and Community Volunteer Award emcee, who passed away in 2006). The recipient receives $1,000 for the organization for which they volunteer.

Goodman Gemstone Youth Award

Volunteering weekly at the Agrace HospiceCare Hospitality Desk, Zoe Toltzien can be found greeting and guiding visitors during evening and weekend hours. Her compassion, maturity and dedication go above and beyond what is typically expected of such a young person. Zoe’s warmth and calm are evident in everything she does and will serve her well as she grows in being a champion for change in Dane County. 

This award is sponsored by the Goodman Fund in the United Way of Dane County Foundation. The recipient receives $1,000 for the organization for which they volunteer, a $1,000 scholarship and a gemstone pin generously provided by Goodman’s Jewelers.

Kathy Martinson Nonprofit Award

Believing that everyone deserves comfort and dignity at the end of their life, Agrace HospiceCare is well deserving of this year’s Kathy Martinson Nonprofit Award. Their compassionate, personalized approach is redefining the standards of care in our community. And we’re so grateful that aging, seriously ill and grieving neighbors have them as a reliable resource.

This award is named in honor of Kathy Martinson who brought the Community Volunteer Awards to Dane County in 1990 and her 35 years of dedicated service to community volunteerism. The recipient receives $500 for the organization for which they volunteer and a $500 scholarship.

Business Champion Award

This year, we’re recognizing Ascendium Education Group with the Business Champion Award! Stepping up in a time of great need, Ascendium didn’t let COVID get in the way of them getting involved. They worked with the East Madison Community Center to help transform community green spaces and the Children’s Garden Center. Needing little direction, their teams moved quickly to make transformational change!

This award is sponsored by United Way’s Business Volunteer Network. The recipient receives $1,000 for the organization for which they volunteer.

Nonprofit Champion Award

This year’s Nonprofit Champion Award goes to Second Harvest Foodbank! When food security was amplified during the pandemic, they led in helping other groups and organizations provide food and nutrition support in a sustainable way. A leader in the fight to end hunger in Dane County, their ability to bring people together and amplify collective impact is nothing short of inspiring.

This award is sponsored by Dane County Administrators of Volunteer Services. The recipient receives $1,000 for their organization.

Lifetime Service Award

Kris Rasmussen is being recognized with this year’s esteemed Lifetime Service Award! Kris has spent most of her adult life volunteering at a wide variety of Madison nonprofits, including Madison Youth Choirs, United Way of Dane County, Jewish Social Services, Legal Action of Wisconsin and others. But it is for her steadfast 36-year commitment to the East Madison Community Center that she is being honored with this award. She has served on their Board of Directors for over 35 years, many of those as Board President. She’s also played many different roles within the organization, and has been humbly and impactfully improving lives for decades. We’re so grateful for her commitment to Dane County!

The recipient receives $1,000 for the organization for which they volunteer.

Outstanding Leadership Award

A passionate and dedicated leader in our community, Jamie Pekarek Krohn is the recipient of this year’s Outstanding Leadership Award! In founding and leading the Be Well Community Collective, she’s worked tirelessly to improve individual and community health by increasing equitable access to preventative wellness services for all. Leaving her successful private practice to head her nonprofit organization, she is dedicated to Dane County and the people who live, work and play here. Where many have thought it was time to throw in the towel, she persisted. She’s truly an inspiration!  

The recipient receives $500 for the organization for which they volunteer.

Distinguished Service Award

Beth Maglio, Vice President of Friends of the State Street Family, is one of this year’s recipients of the Distinguished Service Award. Said to be the heart and soul of her organization, Beth oversees all outreach events, supports volunteers and builds meaningful relationships with community partners and the homeless population in Dane County. She’s truly making a difference each and every day! 

The recipient receives $500 for the organization for which they volunteer.

Distinguished Service Award

As a retired RN, Peggy Weber uses her experience and compassion to offer free grief support classes to any in our community who may need this support. She easily helps more than 100 people each year – and we’re beyond grateful for the compassion she extends to neighbors across Dane County! She’s well deserving of this year’s Distinguished Service Award.

The recipient receives $500 for the organization for which they volunteer.

Thank You to Our Generous Sponsors

The Community Volunteer Awards would not be possible without the generous support from our sponsors: Alliant Energy, Exact Sciences, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, Herzing University, Springs Window Fashions and Madison Gas and Electric. We are also very thankful for our media sponsor, WKOW TV, and our award sponsors: United Way’s Business Volunteer Network, Dane County Administrators of Volunteer Services, the Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Fund in the United Way of Dane County Foundation and Goodman’s Jewelers.