NEWARK – Mental Health America of Licking County celebrated 62 years of service in the community with its annual awards dinner Nov. 12 at the DoubleTree Hilton.

Dr. Richard Baltisberger was named mental health physician of the year. Deb Dingus received the Marion S. Wells Award. Dr. Janice McLean received the mental health professional of the year award. Mental Health Volunteer of the Year Award went to Bobbi Noe. Mary Sutton took the Bridges Out of Poverty Award. Jan Mardis nabbed the Henry Mardis Compeer of Member of the Year Award. Consumer of the Year went to Becky Sforza.

The Paddy Kutz Community Health Award, known as the Paddy, was given in three categories. Renee Steele won in the community category for her work with the Million March Against Child Abuse. Amanda Adams won in the education category for her work with the Newark Digital Academy. The business category award went to Connie Hawk of the Licking County Foundation.

Election of officers for the MHA board was held with Monie Havens being selected president, Dave Hardy as first vice president, Marion Royster as treasurer and Dave Wenger as immediate past president. Debbie Matesich will join the executive committee as the second vice president.

Among the celebrity servers for the dinner were physician and past award winner Dr. Craig Cairns, Licking County United Way Executive Director and 2015 Marion S. Wells Award recipient Deb Dingus, Licking County Family Courts Judge Duke Frost, The Licking County Foundation Executive Director and 2015 Paddy Award winner Connie Hawk, Mental Health and Recovery for Licking and Knox Counties’ Dr. Lewis Mollica, owner of WCLT and past MHA Board President Doug Pricer, Licking County Municipal Court Judge David Stansbury, Licking County Commissioner Duane Flowers and Newark City Schools administrator Barb Quackenbush.

Table sponsors for the event were Englefield Inc., First Federal Savings, Licking Memorial Hospital, Park National Bank and The Center for Innovative Partnerships.

Found in The Newark Advocate on November 20, 2015