George Okantey, Purdue Extension Community Development educator in Marion County, was recently named a recipient of the Robert O. Zdenek Staff Member of the Year Award by Prosperity Indiana. The award, which was presented last week at the 2019 Prosperity Indiana Summit, is for his contributions to the organization and to the community economic development field as a whole. Award recipients must show leadership, personal initiative and be a public servant.
Prosperity Indiana Executive Director Jessica Love said, “We’re so proud of the work of all of our members, who are dedicated to strengthening our communities. That’s why we take an opportunity each year to recognize a few of the people and programs that stand out for their excellence. We are proud to honor such an amazing group this year. Congrats to the 2019 winners of the Prosperity Indiana awards.”
The Staff Member of the Year Award honors an extraordinary individual who contributes to his or her organization and to the community economic development field as a whole. This person shows leadership, personal initiative and is a public servant.
George Okantey has been a Community Development Extension Educator for 20 years. He is passionate about convening diverse audiences across the state and increasing the capacity of local people, organizations and institutions to come together for the purpose of acting on current and future opportunities and challenges. Okantey is a coveted speaker, facilitator and trainer who makes an impact wherever he goes. In 2018 alone, he traveled widely across the state delivering more than 150 hours of instruction to nearly 550 adult learners.
