Healthy Androscoggin presents 2023 Coalition Awards

Healthy Androscoggin presented its 2023 Coalition Awards on May 18 in Lewiston. From left are Katy Grondin, Regional School Unit 4 Superintendent; Amy St. Pierre, Oak Hill Middle School principal; Maya Gunther; Marco Aliberti, Oak Hill High School principal; Jennifer Edwards, public health manager at the city of Auburn; and Corrie Brown, Healthy Androscoggin’s executive director. Page Richard of Peony & Pine Photography

LEWISTON — Healthy Androscoggin held its annual meeting May 18 at the Maine MILL: Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor, located in the Bates Mill Historic District.

The meeting is a time for Healthy Androscoggin to share its successes over the past year with partners and community members of Androscoggin County, and to honor three community partners with its annual Coalition Awards. The Coalition Awards are distributed to local and regional community partners and consist of the Leadership, Will Bartlett, and Partnership awards, according to a news release from Corrie Brown, executive director of the nonprofit.

The 2023 Community Leadership Award was presented to Ruby Bean, director of development at Community Concepts, Inc. The Leadership Award recognizes an individual that has exemplified superior leadership through their work in the community. This award recognized Bean for her support and collaboration in improving the health and well-being of the community through volunteering her time and expertise in fundraising, strategic planning, diverse hiring and budgeting to nonprofit organizations as a board member for the Center for Wisdom’s Women/Sophia’s House and the YWCA of Central Maine.

Her award was accepted by her daughter, Maya Gunther.

The 2023 Will Bartlett Award went to Regional School Unit 4, which serves Wales, Litchfield and Sabattus. Will Bartlett, a long-term guidance counselor in the Lewiston School Department, was a believer in the mission and vision of Healthy Androscoggin. This award recognized the RSU 4 school district for improving the lives of children and youth by providing a safe, tobacco-free environment for students, parents and community through education, policy and collaboration.

This award was accepted by Katy Grondin, RSU 4 superintendent; Marco Aliberti, Oak Hill High School principal; and Amy St. Pierre, Oak Hill Middle School principal.

The 2023 Partnership Award was presented to Jennifer Edwards, public health manager at the city of Auburn. This award is given to an individual or organization in the community who has exemplified superior partnership with Healthy Androscoggin. With this award, Healthy Androscoggin acknowledges the dedication Edwards has demonstrated to improving the health and wellness of citizens, neighborhoods, business and communities in Auburn.