Community leaders honored at awards program

This year marks the eighth anniversary of the Toledo area's 20 Under 40 Leadership Awards Recognition Program. The 2003 program brings the number of distinguished 20 Under 40 award recipients to 160. The 20 Under 40 program focuses on individuals who are making exceptional contributions to the community and who have distinguished themselves in their careers. It is intended that the program will assist in motivating, young leaders in the area. The awards program also represents a great networking opportunity for candidates and attendees. Chrys Peterson, news anchor for WTOL-TV 11, is the master of ceremonies for the awards event.

The list of past and present 20 Under 40 award recipients is a virtual who's who of current and future community leaders. To become an award recipient, most candidates have been nominated two to three times in as many years. Nominations for the 20 Under 40 awards have continued to grow each year.

An outside panel of judges is selected annually, generally consisting of CEOs, officials, and community leaders. This year's judges include: John Bachey, vice president, director of sales and marketing, Owens-Illinois, Inc.; Joan Browne, president, board of trustees, University of Toledo; Margarita DeLeon, Bravo Publications; Michael Hart, president, Hart Associates, Inc.; Debbie Monagan, president, Communica, Inc.; and Maggie Thurber, Lucas County Commissioner.