Six Northern Kentucky nonprofit leaders will be honored at the Horizon Community Foundation's annual awards luncheon on Sept. 29, in Erlanger, with several honorees tied to organizations serving Boone County families.
The Horizon Community Foundation announced the 2026 Nonprofit Awards recipients Aug. 10. The awards recognize executives, staff, board members, volunteers and emerging professionals working in the region's nonprofit sector.
Craig Gliva of Florence-based Big Brothers Big Sisters earned Volunteer of the Year. Jackie Hirt of Easterseals Redwood, which operates a Florence location at 7627 Ewing Blvd. and serves more than 7,000 people annually, was named Board Member of the Year.
Andy Brunsman of Be Concerned took Executive of the Year for large organizations. The Covington-based food pantry, Northern Kentucky's largest, provides 60 to 70 pounds of supplemental groceries to roughly 2,200 families each month and fed 44,660 individuals in 2025.
Bruce Kintner of Samaritan Car Care Clinic won Executive of the Year for small organizations. Kintner founded the clinic in 2007 at Madison Avenue Christian Church in Covington, according to WCPO. The clinic provides free and low-cost car repairs to low-income families in Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties on a referral basis through social service agencies. In a January 2021 WCPO profile, Kintner described the clinic's purpose: "The mission is to help people move on toward economic self-sufficiency." He won a national Jefferson Award in 2024 for the work.
Wendy Lemen of LifeSciKY was named Staff Member of the Year, and Rachael Parker of ArtsWave & MeetNKY received the NextGen Leader Award.
Nancy Grayson, president and CEO of Horizon Community Foundation, said the honorees strengthen the organizations serving Northern Kentucky every day.
That matters here. Boone County residents interact with these nonprofits through food assistance referrals, disability services, mentoring programs and car-repair clinics that keep working families on the road.
Upcoming
Horizon Nonprofit Awards Luncheon — Tuesday, Sept. 29, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., St. Elizabeth Training & Education Center, Erlanger. Tickets at horizoncfnky.org/horizon-nonprofit-awards/.
NKY Chamber Annual Dinner — Thursday, Sept. 17, honoring seven regional leaders including the Horizon Award recipients. Details in our earlier coverage.
