Molly Robb Shimko Receives Winners' Circle Award for Community Service
The Award for Community Service was given to Molly Robb Shimko, Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Seton Hill University. In addition to her full-time work with the university, Molly is a member and past president of the board of directors of the Mental Health Association of Westmoreland County.
Molly’s dedication and desire to “do” began back in 1986 when she worked for the Greater Latrobe School District as part of a crew that painted the Latrobe Memorial Stadium. Now, her many community involvements include the Saint Vincent College Alumni Council, the Endowed Scholarship Committee, and the Easter Ball Committee. She is also a member of the Saint Vincent Basilica Parish and the public relations and marketing advisory committee at accessAbilities, Inc. She served as a past member of the United Way Latrobe Area Advisory Board and worked with the Saint Vincent College Student Affairs & Enrollment Committee.
Molly’s dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. She received a grant from the National Endowment for Humanities and many honors including the Torrance State Hospital Association Community Advocate Award, the Saint Vincent College Recent Alumna Achievement Award, the Fred Funari Mental Health Association Award of Distinction, the Saint Vincent College Award for Academic Excellence in the English major and Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities.
This year, Ruth R. Tolbert, Assistant Corporate Secretary for Allegheny Energy, Inc., was the recipient of the ATHENA Award®. Ruth is dedicated to furthering the goals of all people. Currently serving as President of the Greensburg/Jeannette Branch of the NAACP, she has been an integral part of the organization’s growth. In an advisory capacity, she reactivated the NAACP Youth Council nine years ago and started the NAACP Youth Choir. She also organized the Women in NAACP (WIN) Group and helped establish the Seton Hill University NAACP Branch in Greensburg.
Ruth is active in the YWCA of Westmoreland County and currently holds the office of president. The YWCA selected Ruth as their 2003 Racial Justice Award Honoree. In 2000 and 2001, Ruth was nominated for Black Opinion Magazine’s Black Achievers Award. Ruth is a member of the Central Westmoreland Unity Coalition’s Steering Committee, and she has served as an American Heart Association board member. Most recently, she was asked to work with the Westmoreland County Community College Diversity Committee.
Ruth feels that keeping her family involved is the key to work/life balance. She makes sure that her family knows the mission of and understands every cause that she is working on. She encourages them to become involved and give back to the community, too.
R. Yvonne Campos was this year’s recipient of the Seton Hill University Entrepreneurial Excellence Award. Yvonne, Chief Executive Officer of Campos Inc, is a nationally known focus group moderator with group dynamic skills that encompass one-on-one interviews, moderator training sessions, panel presentations and guest lecturing. She has designed and implemented market research for national corporations, small businesses, health care institutions, financial institutions, and not-for-profit and professional organizations. In 1986, after seven years as a qualitative consultant, Yvonne founded her market research company, Campos Inc.
Yvonne is a very active member of the business community in both Westmoreland and Allegheny Counties. She has been recognized both locally and nationally for her entrepreneurial spirit and community involvement. In 2006, she was one of 12 women across the nation honored as “Enterprising Woman of the Year” by Enterprising Women’s Magazine. She is also one of 50 women selected statewide to be profiled in “Voices: African American and Latina Women in Pennsylvania Share Their Stories of Success,” a role model book commissioned by the PA Commission for Women.
Yvonne has been honored as Junior Achievement’s Entrepreneur of the Year and received the Pennsylvania Chamber Small Business Leadership Award and the Western PA Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the category “Success of a Woman Owned Business.” She was a finalist for the "PA Small Business Person of the Year Award," was named one of the Top 50 Business Women in Pennsylvania, and was honored at the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh’s fifteenth anniversary celebration “A Tribute to Women.” She was also selected as the Vectors Pittsburgh Small Business Person of the Year. The Pittsburgh Business Times consistently lists her in the top 25 Women in Business.
The YWCA Rising Star Award was presented this year to Karen Struble Myers, Development Division Director at accessAbilities, Inc. Prior to her role with accessAbilities, Inc., Karen worked as a manager of the annual fund at the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill and as an executive director with the Nittany Valley Symphony, Inc. in State College. Karen expresses her passion and dedication for others through her volunteer work and position on the board of directors of the Greensburg Civic Theatre and on the Greasepaint Players Children’s Theatre Committee. She is also an active member of the program committee for the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Recognition is not something new for Karen. Over the years several organizations have recognized her motivation and dependability. She has been asked to serve as a guest speaker with both the Carlow University Graduate Colloquium and with the Association of Fundraising Professionals. In 2006, Karen was part of the development team that won two National Catholic Development Conference Lumen Awards.
The Westmoreland County Winners’ Circle Awards event is recognized as one of the largest ATHENA recognition programs in the country. This Westmoreland County-based event showcases exceptional business pioneers and honors individuals for inspiring others to do great things in local communities. This annual Westmoreland County event is one of three Pennsylvania programs to top the international ATHENA Foundation’s best practice list for attendance, organization, and community support.
This year’s Westmoreland County Winners’ Circle Luncheon program was supported locally by National City as Underwriter, First Commonwealth as Premier Sponsor, and Trib Total Media as Media Sponsor. Gold sponsors of the event were Irwin Bank, S&T Bank, SAM FM, United Way Women’s Leadership Council, and Unity Printing. Silver Sponsors were Carlow University, Carol Harris Staffing, and Excela Health, with Bronze Sponsors being Commercial Bank, Elliott, and PNC Bank.