At its 124th Annual Meeting on Oct. 29, Family Centers honored Board Member Laurie Host and volunteer Bob Neiman for their service to the agency and dedication to improving the lives of Fairfield County’s families and children.
Host, of Greenwich, joined the Family Centers’ Board of Directors in 2006 and quickly became immersed in the agency’s fundraising and program development efforts. She chaired Family Centers’ annual fundraising appeal in 2007 and served on the agency’s Special Events Committee. Host also co-chaired two successful benefits, and provided insight on numerous program-related advisory committees.
From 2011-2014, Host chaired Family Centers’ Board of Directors and was one of only three chairmen in the agency’s history to serve four consecutive terms. Under her leadership, Family Centers’ merged with Literacy Volunteers, constructed and opened a new School Based Health Center at Cloonan Middle School and added a new School Readiness Classroom at Armstrong Court in Greenwich. Host was also instrumental in stabilizing Family Centers’ financial health as the country recovered from the lingering effects of the recession.
To thank her for her many contributions to the agency and the community at large, Family Centers presented Host with the 2015 Helen Gratz Rockefeller Outstanding Volunteerism Award. The award is presented annually to a member of the Family Centers Board of Directors, and is the agency’s highest honor for volunteer work.
Bob Neiman, of Stamford, was also named the 2015 Family Champion. As the principal lead of the Harvard Business School – Community Partners (HBS-CP), Neiman and his team have invested countless hours on projects related to program development and strategic planning to position Family Centers for future success.
