Junior Achievement Names 12 Volunteers to Receive Top National Honor

(Colorado Springs, CO) —Junior Achievement of USA (JA) announced that 12 volunteers from across the country have been chosen from among more than 150 thousand U.S. volunteers for the organization’s most prestigious national award for volunteerism, the JA Gold Leadership Award.

Junior Achievement’s Gold Leadership Award honors volunteer excellence, presented in recognition of leadership in supporting and expanding JA’s student impact, resources, operational excellence, and sustainability. The Gold Leadership Awards honor the recipients’ JA volunteer service during the 2023-24 school year.

• Arturo Pérez, Vice President, US Bank, JA of Arizona
• Bob Wall, Retired Executive, Florida Blue, JA of North Florida (Jacksonville)
• Ed Nekritz, Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, Prologis, JA-Rocky Mountain (Denver, CO)
• Jack Rybicki, Principal, Clifton Larson Allen, JA of Tampa Bay
• JC Huizenga, Chairperson and Owner, Huizenga Group, JA of the Michigan Great Lakes (Grand Rapids)
• Jim Wittman, Chief Operating Officer, Ershig Properties, JA of Southwestern Indiana (Evansville, IN)
• Kelly King, Managing Partner – Nashville Office, PwC, JA of Middle Tennessee (Nashville)
• Mark Mote, Partner / Risk Management - Global SEC Independence, Ernst & Young LLP, JA of Oklahoma
• Melissa Winter, Senior Vice President/Wealth Management, GreenState Credit Union, JA of Eastern Iowa
• Niloufar Molavi, Global Oil & Gas Leader, US ESG Tax Leader, PwC, JA of Southeast Texas (Houston)
• Tim Myers, Regional President (Retired), United Community Bank, JA of Central Florida (Orlando)
• Tom McCarthy, Co-President and Co-Chief Investment Officer, McCarthy Cook & Co., JA of Southern California (Los Angeles)

“Volunteers are critical to the success of Junior Achievement’s life-changing learning experiences,” said Tim Greinert, President of Junior Achievement USA. “These 12 individuals have gone above and beyond in their support of the young people we serve, which has resulted in a positive impact on countless students.”

The honorees will be recognized during an awards ceremony in March. Junior Achievement’s entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness programs are delivered nationwide—typically in classrooms during the school day, by volunteer role models from the local business community.

About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA learning experiences are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills, as well as to pre-K youth to ensure children get a solid head start. Today, JA reaches more than 4.6 million students per year in 99 markets across the United States as part of 12.5 million students served by operations in more than 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

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