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Stoppa receives United Way’s Legacy Award

Germaine Stoppa, executive director of United Way of Northeast Michigan, received the Michigan Association of United Way’s Legacy Award at its annual meeting June 28 at Crystal Mountain. Stoppa is the first person to receive the prestigious award, which demonstrates excellence in the area of leadership, commitment and teamwork.

“Even though her United Way is a small one, she has served as a mentor to many new chief executive officers and she has changed many lives,” Kelly Hostetler, executive director of the St. Joseph County United Way and president of MAUW’s board of directors said.

Hostetler also nominated Stoppa for the award.

She not only was recognized by her peers at MAUW’s award ceremony, she also received an award from United Way Worldwide for her length of service to the nonprofit organization, 30-plus years in May 2017.

She will retire in August after serving 22 years in the role as executive director at the United Way of Northeast Michigan. Before that, she was the organizations office manager for 10 years and the associate director in 1995 before being named the director in 1996. She is a 1971 Alpena High School graduate and was employed prior to 1985 by Real Estate One and the Credit Bureau of Alpena.

Her retirement years will consist of traveling with family and friends and spending more quality time with her life partner Ron Sommerfeld, camping, spoiling her grandsons Thomas and Tanner First and volunteering for the United Way.

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