New Hampshire software company owner and Boys & Girls Club alumnus, Richard Lowney, of Amherst, was honored earlier this month with the President's Volunteer Service Award, on behalf of President George W. Bush, at the Boys & Girls Clubs of America Northeast Regional Conference held in Newport, Rhode Island.
Also honored with a President's award was Ned Beebe, formerly of Hollis and now of Gilford, NH and Naples, FL. Beebe, a retired construction executive, began his volunteer service more than 40 years ago with the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua (then the Boys Club of Nashua). He served on many of the committees of the board of directors of the Club, and as president of the board of directors in 1985. Understanding the vital contributions made by the Greater Nashua Club, when Beebe and his wife, Cynthia, moved to the Lakes Region several years ago, he became a founding director and first president (2007) of the board of directors of the Boys & Girls Club of the Lakes Region. Beebe's says of his decades of volunteer commitment to the Boys & Girls Clubs, that they have been a major, and much loved, part of my adult life. The Clubs do exceptional work; creating a safe, fun, enriching environment for children from all walks of life," he said.
The President's Volunteer Service Award is issued by the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation to recognize the best in American spirit, and to encourage all Americans to improve their communities through volunteer service and civic participation. Recipients are selected based on demanding, documented criteria of hours of service to their organizations and may be invited to greet the President when he visits the state where they reside. Lowney was recognized for his many years of service to several Boys & Girls Clubs in New Hampshire, and to the expansion of the Boys & Girls Clubs movement in the state.
Lowney started his Boys & Girls Club volunteer service in Nashua. He served on the executive board of the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua in 1983, on various committees and in a number of executive officer positions, including president of the board in 1993. During the 1990s he also served as a cross-over board member on the advisory board for what was initially the Milford unit of the Nashua Club. He helped develop what is today a chartered club of its own, the Boys & Girls Club of Souhegan Valley, by serving several terms as an executive officer. He continues to serve on the Club's board of directors.
Commenting on the recognition he received, Lowney said, As a businessman in New Hampshire I believe it is important to support the community where your business operates. The Boys & Girls Clubs are an easy choice to get behind and support.
Wherever he is, whatever he is doing whether it is business or pleasure Lowney is always advocating for the best interests of the Boys & Girls Clubs, the 19,000+ children they serve every year in New Hampshire, and the 4.8 million served around the world. It is true that the children are the primary benefactors of our great programs, Lowney said, but if you ask any parent or an employer whose employees send their children to a Club, you will hear a resounding cheer of appreciation. Having a safe and nurturing environment for children supports our families and employers in New Hampshire, Lowney added.
In presenting the award to Lowney, Spillett praised him for his commitment and said Our Clubs in New Hampshire are a lot better off as a direct result of [his] devotion and commitment to mission. Spillett is a member of the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation, established by President Bush in 2003. Chaired by two-time Super Bowl champion Darrell Green, with former U.S. Senators Robert Dole and John Glenn serving as honorary chairs, the Council is a non-partisan group of leaders from government, business, media, entertainment, education, nonprofit and community organizations. To learn more about the President's Volunteer Service Award visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov.
Boys & Girls Clubs in New Hampshire are headquartered in Concord, Derry, Lakes Region/Laconia, Manchester, Nashua, Salem, Souhegan Valley/Milford.