The Celebrate Portage! Board of Directors is happy to announce Jonathan Floyd as the first recipient of its newest addition to celebrating those that make a difference in Portage County, the Great Achievement Award.
Jonathan has shown exceptional community involvement by continuously volunteering with local organizations, engaging with community leaders, promoting his community and has become an essential liaison to connect people, businesses and organizations. His genuine care, enthusiasm and follow-through make him a guiding light of positivity to create forward movement and change throughout the community. He is well known for showing up to support local community organizations, businesses and his church and is always looking for ways to help where he can.
Jonathan is a man on a mission and his network of volunteerism and community engagement has stretched throughout Ravenna for the past 40 years. Throughout the years Jonathan has been recognized for his various achievements including a Principals’ Award in 1994, a special recognition for outstanding accomplishments at Maplewood Career Center from former state Rep. Ann Womer Benjamin, a Special Honorary Achievement induction in the Hall of Fame at Ravenna High School, the recipient of Honorary Way in 2023, and he was nominated for the Community Hero Award by Celebrate Portage! in 2023.
Since he was young Jonathan has loved people and being a part of the community. It’s people like him who help to breathe life into a community and who help to connect the dots between people creating forward progress through his selflessness. It takes a lot of energy and follow-through to keep a purpose in bettering your community when many times the only thank received is the camaraderie of other community members. Jonathan is an inspiration that we are not alone in wanting and working towards the best for the community, and he represents the heart of Portage County.
Celebrate Portage! will hold its annual awards dinner on Thursday, Sept. 26 to honor the people and programs that make Portage County a wonderful place in which to live.
The nominees are:
- Community Hero: Jake & Niki Eye, Bernadette Moore, Rebecca Schneider, and Marquice Seward
- Community Improvement: Adaptive Playground in Aurora, Crafted Artisan Meadery in Suffield, Mallory House in Garrettsville, and Main Street Ravenna Mural
- Community Service: All Paths to Recovery, OUR Place, United Way’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and Rake & Run (Aurora Rotary, City of Aurora, AHS Interact Club)
- Employee of the Year: Zack Burns, Windham Jr Sr High School; Dawn Collins, Portage County Solid Waste Management; Michael Hlad, Brimfield Township; Carolyn Roberts Linegard, Roberts Conservatory of Dance; David Rufener, Brimfield Township; Darla Scott, Portage County Juvenile Court; and Ryan Wagner, Village of Windham
- Health Initiative: Mobile Response & Stabilization Services, Coleman Health Services; Grief Recovery Method, Kent City Health Department; and UH Portage Breast Center
- Youth Initiative: Aurora Service Learning Class, Charlie Kamenash ReStore Eagle Project, and Youth to Youth Hygiene Product Project, Ravenna High School
Eligible nominations were from individuals and organizations with programs or projects that were completed during January 2023-December 2023.
All are welcome to the dinner, which will include entertainment as well as networking opportunities. It will be held at the NEW Center in Rootstown from 5-8 p.m. Tickets are $50 per person or $90 per couple and may be purchased at celebrateportage.org/awards-dinner
