YMCA honors volunteers, passes gavel at 127th annual meeting

(Dallas) May 8, 2012 – The YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas honored 28 area volunteers at its 127th Annual Meeting held recently at the Belo Mansion.

Volunteers were lauded for their continued dedication and generosity to the North Texas community.  YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas President/CEO Gordon Echtenkamp was the evening’s speaker.

During the business portion of the meeting, Mike Haggerty of Jackson Walker, YMCA Board Chair since 2010, passed the gavel to the new Board Chair, Gray Mayes.  Gray is the Director of Government Relations for Texas Instruments and will serve a two year term.

Two individuals received the organization’s prestigious Distinguished YMCA Leadership Award for consistent and extraordinary leadership in community service.

The Theodore P. Beasley YMCA Distinguished Leadership Award was given to Robert Hallam, CEO for Ben E Keith Company, for his longtime dedicated leadership services to children and families in Dallas.  Robert has served on the Board of Directors for the Dallas YMCA for more than two decades and has served as Chairman of the Board and currently serves on the Dallas YMCA Foundation Board.

Awarded annually to one YMCA volunteer since 1990 for their commitment advocating for undeserved communities, Calvin Stephens received the George L Allen YMCA Distinguished Leadership based on his tremendous leadership and mentoring of youth. Mr. Stephens’ service of nearly 20 years as a volunteer has impacted thousands of children’s life in Dallas. Calvin continues to serve on the Dallas YMCA Board of Directors.

Receiving the Sam G. Winstead Volunteer of the Year Awardfor committed significant time and energy to a program or to the perpetuation of the YMCA in the community was awarded to Gale Lewis.

Gale has served in several different capacities throughout the Lake Highlands Family YMCA.  First, he was a member of the Board of Management and the Executive Board.  He also stepped up as the YMCA Partners Campaign Chair, and directed the Partners Campaign Steering Committee.  Additionally, he served on the Trailblazers Planning Committee, and he provided leadership for the YMCA Executive Search Committee.

Sponsors for the evening were:

$5,000 Gold Sponsors: Jackson Walker LLP

$2,500 Silver Sponsors: Ames Printing and Texas Instruments

$1,500 Red Sponsors include Beck Group, Carrington, Coleman Sloman, Blumenthal LLP, Etheridge Printing, Haynes and Boone LLP,   Hunt Consolidated, Konica Minolta, McQueary Henry Bowles Troy LLP, Microsoft, and Pricewaterhouse Cooper

Thanks to Tennetta Webster, Membership/Program Connector for the Lake Highlands Family YMCA, for sharing this story.

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