This issue of Carroll Magazine is dedicated to celebrating people, organizations and businesses that are at the heart of our community. Though all months offer opportunity to share love, soon February hits – the iconic time to really celebrate people who touch our hearts and lift up the quality of our lives in some way.
Our hope is that with every page turn, you have a true sense of who is at the heart of improving lives in the county.
Perhaps the strongest beat is the one that comes from the magazine’s Person of the Year.
This year, Bonnae Meshulam is the person who rose to the top of many nominations.
(Please see Page 10).
As the executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Westminster she has created a contagious culture of affirmation, determination and joy that has enabled historic growth for the club. She has galvanized a team of colleagues and community leaders to ensure that programs improve and are available to more youths at a record rate.
Under Meshulam’s Energizer Bunny leadership, Boys & Girls Club of Westminster members report that:
88% of teens volunteered in the community at least once per month
83% felt a sense of belonging at the club
98% are performing on or above grade level
88% plan to attend college
87% engage in physical activity at least three days per week
54% of Boys & Girls Club alumni (and 75% of African-American males)
say that participating in the Boys and Girls Club “saved my life.”
Whether lives are saved via the Boys & Girls Club or as the result of firefighters responding to a frantic call (Please see Page 56), there is great heart in the Carroll Community.
Whether it’s a fifth-generation business or a fledgling company that incorporates charity work into its mission, there is great heart in Carroll County.
We enjoyed celebrating the goodness here. We hope you will feel good as you read all about that goodness.
Enjoy the holiday season.
Warm wishes and a sense of amazing peace from the Carroll Magazine staff to each of you.
Lisa M. Breslin
Person of the Year
Carroll Magazine welcomes nominees for Person of the Year from anyone.
Ideally, a Person of the Year is someone whose time and talents have lifted up, or protected, the community (especially individuals who cannot advocate for themselves.)
The Person of the Year is someone who is keenly and accurately aware of the county’s future and whose actions reveal that awareness. Economics, the environment, education, spirituality and are some areas a Person of the Year strives to improve.
A Person of the Year is a leader – in the community, in the state, in the nation and/or beyond. His or her impact during the calendar year moves him or her to the forefront.
Do you know someone we should consider? Great! Send his or her full name and a few sentences about your nominee to: readerswrite@carrollmagazine.com.
