Indiana Wesleyan University Honors Dawn Brown with Tony Maidenberg Award
Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) awarded Dawn Brown with the 2020 Tony Maidenberg Award for her 15 years of service at the Community Foundation of Grant County. IWU President David Wright presented Brown with the award during the annual employee convocation ceremony on Wednesday, Aug. 12. For the past eight years, Brown has served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the foundation.
Under Brown’s leadership, the Community Foundation has given away nearly $2 million annually in grants and scholarships. Above grants and scholarships, the Foundation tries to touch every aspect of the community through serving and supporting countless nonprofit organizations. When giving money to Community Foundation, a person can trust they will use the money to make a significant impact.
“Dawn if a very innovative and a strategic thinker. She has the ability to see around the corner at ‘what could be’ as opposed to getting stuck in the present reality of ‘what is’,” said Dr. Wright. “Dawn is a person who values partnership and works for the best of the community without regard for personal or organizational credit.”
Dawn is deeply passionate about making Grant County a great place to work, live and play, and has a passion for addressing childhood poverty in Grant County. She has done incredible research on the causes and solutions for systemic poverty in our community, and works through the Foundation to support the work of many great organizations working to change this reality.
“She is the best community leader I have ever worked under or with. She is creative, forward thinking, analytical, strategic, collaborative, selfless and generous. She has achieved incredible results in changing lives,” said one nominator.
“Dawn is a brilliant ‘idea person’ and lover of people who has Christ-centered generosity,” said another.
In 2002, IWU introduced its annual award for community service as a way to recognize specific individuals for exceptional commitment and selflessness among their neighbors. Tony Maidenberg, a former mayor of Marion and a former Indiana state senator, was its first recipient. The award was later named in his honor, and has been presented to 20 recipients to date.