NEF Award Night Winners to be Recognized on June 12th
The Newburyport Education Foundation (NEF) is pleased to announce the NEF Awards Evening presented by Appleton Eye Associates and Bradford & Bigelow. The event will be held on Wednesday, June 12, 2018, from 6:30pm-8:30pm at Riverwalk Brewing Company’s new taproom and brewery. The evening will highlight the work of our award recipients – Megan Ashe, BlakeLee Greene, and Scott Signore/Matter Communications.
“The Newburyport Education Foundation is proud of what we have accomplished over the last decade and a lot of our successes are a result of the work of those we are honoring,” said Jed Petty, NEF President. “We are so grateful for the work of all our volunteers and donors and this year we look forward to honoring Megan Ashe, BlakeLee Greene, and Matter Communications for all of their amazing contributions of both time and treasure. We hope the community will join us in celebrating their efforts.”
Megan Ashe – Excellence in Education “Ed” Award
The Excellence in Education “Ed” Award is given to an individual in the community whose leadership, acts, and support have raised the level of excellence in the Newburyport Public Schools.
Megan’s contributions to the NEF are certainly immeasurable as she has made the mission of the NEF her own mission over the past 11 years. By tirelessly pouring her heart and soul into every aspect of the organization, she worked hard so students would have every resource available to ensure their success. She lead the NEF as its president for 3 years, was an active board member the 3 years prior, assisted with the NEF’s signature Lighthouse Auction, and was a member of the Business Coalition. Her passion and work ethic ensured success, helping to raise thousands of dollars to support the literacy closet, NHS auditorium renovations, and the district-wide STEM initiative to name a few.
BlakeLee Greene – Cindy Johnson Volunteer Award
The Cindy Johnson Volunteer Award is presented to an individual for his/her many devoted volunteer hours to support the Newburyport Education Foundation.
BlakeLee brought her boundless energy and positive attitude to the NEF and has had a tremendous impact on the organization over the past 11 years. In its infancy, BlakeLee held coffees to get the word out about the NEF and its mission. She was the chair of the first “Ask” event that raised money for the literacy campaign and she ran the “Love of Music” fundraiser to fund the music lab at the Nock. BlakeLee most recently served as the chair of the Outreach Committee, recruited volunteers, and solicited donations.
Matter Communications, Scott Signore – Business Partner Award
The Business Partner Award is presented to a company that has made particularly noteworthy contributions to the NEF and the Newburyport Public Schools.
Matter Communications, led by Scott Signore, has been incredibly generous, both as a sponsor of NEF events as well as advocates for Newburyport schools. Matter has been an anchor sponsor for the NEF Open, NEF Monte Carlo Night and generously donated the proceeds of Newburyport Charitable Cause’s bocce tournament to the NEF. As an example of his generosity, when Scott noticed that the weathervane on top of Newburyport High School was in need of repair, he proactively reached out to the school and donated funds to get it fixed. It is this type of support from the Newburyport Business Community that energizes the NEF’s ability to provide financial support for our schools. Matter Communications is a shining example of a partnership that directly impacts our students’ education.
The event, which is open to the community, will also highlight student projects that were made possible by grants given by the NEF. The night will also include performances from Newburyport High School’s poetry club and Newburyport’s own Chris O’Donnell. For more information or to RSVP, please visit our website at www.newburyportef.org.
The Newburyport Education Foundation (NEF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with the mission to generate financial resources and community involvement to enhance education in the Newburyport Public Schools. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, volunteer opportunities or learning more about the work we do, visit www.newburyportef.org.