Jada Ray is the 2019 Township Board Member of the Year for the State of Indiana. There are well over 1,000 townships in the State of Indiana. Jada was nominated by Center Township Trustee, Kevin Evans who believes that Jada exemplifies someone who has a heart for caring for the people in the Township, but also being innovative to meet the needs of the people they serve. Jada has been on the Township board since 2017, but is serving as President of the board in 2019.
2019 has brought on many great opportunities for the Township, including Aspire at the Y program where students can participate in complementary sports in our community. Learning teamwork, healthy living, and fostering relationships with peers. Center Township has also partnered with the Paul Phillippe Resource Center to build on senior programming and allowing for more opportunities for them. The Boys and Girls Club has a new hangout location called “The Club” where teens can have dinner, develop relationships between each other, and also engage in trips. The Township also distributed books and developed classroom libraries in participation with every elementary classroom in the township to foster a love for reading and learning how to read. The township also initiated the funding for the Clinton Count Promise program in participation with the Community Foundation, using the United Way as the facilitator. The 529 program provides the initial funding into a 529 college savings account and all kindergarten students take a college tour with their classroom.
Evans stated in his nomination letter, “Jada is someone who understands that our Township can play an important role in fostering quality of place and improving the quality of life for the people we serve.” Ray thanked the township staff, board, and trustee for the teamwork they all share in contributing to the award. Ray was humbled to receive the award given how many townships there are in the state and how prestigious of an honor it is.
In 2017, the Township won the Township of the Year Award for the State. In 2018, they received the honor of the Community Leadership award from Covering Kids and Families. Evans states, “This is yet another opportunity for us to celebrate our success, but honor someone who contributes to our Township success.” Evans Continued, “Jada is someone that believes in what we do, believes in the people we serve, and has a vision for our Township that we should be proactively addressing the needs in our community.”