People

6/13/2007

Kusz

Owens Community College Vice President of Student Services Bill Ivoska of Perrysburg has been chosen by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Association of Ohio (ADAPAO) to receive the 2007 Champion Award for his contributions and dedication to promoting drug awareness and substance-abuse education over the past 18 years.

Mr. Ivoska has been instrumental and responsible for developing countywide surveys to measure adolescent substance use and mental health among youth in Wood and Lucas counties. In addition, he has served as a researcher for the Toledo-Lucas Alcohol and Drug Addictions Services Board (ADAS) since 1990.

He is a board member of the Lucas County Chance for Change Foundation and a member of the Ohio Council of Student Development, the American Association of Counseling and Development, and the American Student Personnel Association.

In 2004, Mr. Ivoska was chosen by Wood County's Alcohol, Drug Addiction, and Mental Health Services Board (ADAMHS) to receive the Advocate of the Year Award for extraordinary drug-awareness and substance-abuse education efforts.

He has a doctorate in counseling and research methods from the University of Toledo.

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The Monroe County Community College student newspaper, the Agora, has won 12 awards from the Michigan Community College Press Association, including honorable mention in the best overall design category and honorable mention for editorial staff.

The staff won the following awards: Ashley Braden, critical review, first place; Marjorie Haliburda, feature story, second place; Courtney Sisung, personality profile, third place; Tonya Huffman, sports feature photo, third place, and Angel Ellison, informational graphic, third place.

Honorable mention awards went to Gary Knox, sports column; Sarah Straub, critical review; Charlene Hunt, news photo; Chris Slat, photo essay, and Bethany Younglove, best use of photo and graphics.

The Agora placed fourth overall of the 13 community college newspapers that competed.

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Derek Kusz, a student at Eagle Point Elementary School in Rossford, won the drawing for a Nintendo DS after submitting one of more than 1,000 letters to the Ed Schmidt Auto Group for General Motor's "Thanks a Million Campaign."

The nationwide campaign aimed to collect more than 1 million thank-you letters addressed to U.S. troops.

Local schools and patrons dropped off letters to Ed Schmit Auto Group, which held a drawing.

The award and prize was presented to Derek on June 5.

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Dave Brown of Monroe County, board president of Family Medical Center of Michigan, has been named the June National Community Health Advocate of the Month.

The award was given to Mr. Brown by the National Association of Community Health Centers.

He has been involved with health centers for almost 20 years and was chosen Health Center Board Member of the Year in 1997, 1999, and 2003.

He has also been president of the Michigan Primary Care Association.