2021 Vision Award Winners: Community Service Excellence

Congratulations to the winners of the 2021 Katz, Sapper & Miller Vision Awards! These awards, now in their third year, recognize KSM employees whose work inside and outside of KSM exemplifies excellence in one of the three pillars of our Vision – People, Clients, and Community.

Nominations were solicited from all employees, and the winners were selected by a committee consisting of partners and firm leaders. This year, six deserving honorees – two in each category – were announced during a December all-firm virtual meeting.

Community Service Excellence Winners: Jennifer Grady and Zach Sauder

The Community Service Excellence Award recognizes KSM employees who are pillars and leaders in the community. The criteria for this award include investing a considerable amount of time and effort in representing KSM in the community on boards and/or committees, and significantly contributing to and moving a civic organization forward by enhancing the organization’s mission and positively impacting the community.

Congratulations to Jennifer Grady and Zach Sauder, winners of the Community Service Excellence Award!

Jennifer was nominated by KSM Partner Casse Tate for modeling a deep commitment to community both inside and outside the firm. A member of KSM’s Not-for-Profit Services Group, Jennifer takes her role as a trusted advisor to her not-for-profit clients very seriously. Her experience serving on not-for-profit boards, including those of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, has given her first-hand insight into the challenges not-for-profits face, a perspective that informs her client work. A passionate advocate, Jennifer also encourages her co-workers to join boards, volunteer, and get involved in bettering the community. To share her knowledge and help others with a desire to serve, Jennifer recently proposed a firmwide training class for individuals who have never served on a board, which she hopes to implement later this year.

Watch Casse’s nomination for Jennifer:

Zach was nominated by Amy Lehrman, managing director of KSM’s Fort Wayne office, for his long-time involvement with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne and its board. A board member since 2014, Zach played an integral role in the success of the Boys & Girls Clubs’ largest capital campaign to date, which resulted in $10 million raised in just 15 months. The funds were used to build a brand-new facility to serve the kids of Fort Wayne. Elected to board chair in 2018, Zach also helped the Boys & Girls Clubs of Fort Wayne realize unprecedented growth. In just three years, its budget tripled, from $1 million to $3 million, while the number of children it serves doubled. Zach also helped steer the club through the height of the pandemic, when lockdowns forced its leadership to reimagine how to provide services to the children it serves. In addition to his leadership within the Boys & Girls Clubs, Zach inspires KSM’s Fort Wayne staff to volunteer with and serve organizations that they’re passionate about.

Watch Amy’s nomination for Zach:

We’re very proud of the contributions these two exceptional KSMers have made to better our communities. They are truly inspiring – great people doing great things!

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