Panel speaks to Leadership Akron about the importance of volunteering
Being a community leader and volunteer entails more than just showing up and putting in hours, said Betty Dalton, who recently spoke to the current class of Leadership Akron.
In fact, one should take a community leadership position as seriously as his or her job. And those who do will be paid back in dividends, said Dalton, a former Akron Public Schools board president and local philanthropist. “Akron is a giving community; it’s a remarkable place to live.”
Dalton was one of four past winners of the Polsky Humanitarian Award who conducted a panel presentation on community involvement and volunteerism for Leadership Akron participants. The group spoke at Stan Hywet Hall and offered a wide range of advice and ideas.
Leadership Akron members were advised to be careful not to commit to too many organizations, because a volunteer who’s stretched beyond his or her abilities ceases to be effective, said Dalton, who was given the Polsky Award in 2005. “Be careful you don’t say yes to everything.”
Bud Rogers, a 2008 Polsky Award recipient along with his wife, Susie, said programs like Leadership Akron didn’t exist when he was younger. “It broadens your whole relationship with the community to get to know so many people.” Rogers is president and chief executive officer of the B.W. Rogers Co., and also served as board chair of the United Way during a critical rebuilding phase for the organization.
Kathryn Hunter, who was given last year’s Polsky Award, shared this concise bit of advice: “Have fun. Community service should be a plus in your life.” Hunter serves on the boards of the American Heart Association and the Akron Roundtable, and she has served as a trustee for dozens of other organizations, including Akron Community Foundation, the United Way of Summit County and the Summit Education Partnership Fund.
For its upsides and rewards, community service isn’t always a smooth journey, according to the panelists. For example, if someone on a board isn’t pulling his or her weight, don’t let too much time pass before making a tough decision, said Dalton.
The Rev. Ronald J. Fowler, who won the Polsky Award in 2006, said it’s important not to neglect your companion at home, and make sure relationships with employers are smoothed out before doing community service. “There are times when you just have to back away,” he said.
The importance of mentors also was discussed during the presentation, as each panelist recalled distinct mentors in their lives. Fowler, senior pastor at Arlington Church of God, said his mom was at the top of the list: a woman of small stature who “carried a big stick.” He added that he was deeply involved in the East Akron Community House because of his mother.
Fowler said that the Rev. Eugene Morgan, the first African-American to serve on the Akron School Board, introduced him to many influential people in town as a way of “passing the baton.”
Christine Mayer, chief operating officer of the GAR Foundation, moderated the panel.
The Polsky Humanitarian Award was established in 1969 to honor the late Bert A. Polsky, president of the former Polsky department stores who was also a founding trustee of Akron Community Foundation and a civic leader.
Each year, the Akron Community Foundation presents the Polsky Award to the individual or couple who best exemplifies Polsky's dedication to humanitarian causes in Akron.
For more information, visit https://www.akroncommunityfdn.org/polsky.
For 27 years, Leadership Akron has equipped participants for community involvement and leadership. The program offers intensive study of community issues and interaction with top decision-makers, enabling participants to expand their effectiveness as community leaders. For more information on Leadership Akron, visit www.lakron.com.
