UCS Marks 50 Year Milestone with Community Celebration
DECEMBER 5, 2017 — More than 200 community members joined UCS in celebrating the agency’s 50th Anniversary this week. David Adkins (Executive Director/CEO of the Council of State Governments, former state legislator and past UCS Distinguished Public Service award recipient), and Carol Sader (community leader, former state legislator and past UCS Distinguished Public Service award recipient), took the audience back to 1967 and discussed the community work of UCS through the years. Their presentation was highlighted with digital stories of current community collaborations filmed by students of the Blue Valley School District CAPS program.
UCS presented its annual Human Service Awards. The Citizen of the Year Award was presented to Elaine Tatham, PhD, President of ETC Institute in recognition of her long history of community service and the special role she played in UCS history of using data to tell the story of community needs. The Distinguished Public Service Award was presented to Senator Barbara Bollier for her advocacy on health issues in both the Kansas house and senate. The Excellence in Community Service Award was presented to Johnson County Mental Health Center, Johnson County EMS, Olathe Health, and the 14 municipalities and the law enforcement agencies who serve these jurisdictions in recognition of the Johnson County Mental Health Center Co-Responder Program and Partners.
Past UCS Board Presidents and Executive Directors were recognized for their leadership on behalf of UCS and service to the community. The event concluded with UCS unveiling the results of its yearlong strategic planning efforts and overview of new initiatives the organization has launched around health equity and addressing needs of youth transitioning out of foster care, juvenile justice and other barriers to successful independence.