Each Child. Every Community.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tracy Zimmerman  – Date:  May 27, 2010
Phone:  919-821-9564 – tzimmerman@smartstart.org

Raleigh – Bob Shinn, a retired administrator with Kannapolis City Schools, received the 2010 Ashley O. Thrift Volunteer Service Award. Shinn was recognized for 18 years of service to families and young children through his volunteer work with Smart Start.  He was honored at the Smart Start Leadership Symposium on Tuesday, May 25, at the Jane S. McKimmon Conference and Training Center in Raleigh. In addition to an inscribed award, a contribution of $1,000 was made in Shinn’s honor to his local Smart Start partnership, the Cabarrus Partnership for Children.

The Volunteer Service Award was established to honor Ashley O. Thrift, a Forsyth County attorney and 14-year Board Chair of The North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC), Inc., the organization that leads Smart Start. Thrift has been part of Smart Start since its inception, serving as Board Chair of the local Smart Start partnership in Forsyth County before joining the NCPC board. Thrift has advocated tirelessly for Smart Start, visiting every county in the state on Smart Start’s behalf. The Volunteer Service award, in its second year, is given annually to honor a current or past Smart Start Local Partnership Board Chair who embodies Thrift’s dedication.

Shinn’s volunteer service with Smart Start totals more than 18 years at the local and state level. Shinn has been a Board Chair for the Cabarrus County Partnership for Children since 2001. He has served on the NCPC board and on various NCPC committees including the NCPC Board Executive Committee, the Search Committee that hired Stephanie Fanjul as President of NCPC, and the Audit and Finance Committee.  In addition, Shinn has been a visible and active volunteer leader in the Cabarrus community including service on the Dental Health and Teen Task Forces of Healthy Cabarrus, as well as with the Kannapolis School System’s Community Child Protection Team.

“Being the recipient of the Ashley Thrift Award is indeed an honor. Even more so, it is one more moment to call attention to the wonderful work being done for the children of North Carolina in all our partnerships,” said Shinn. “It is these collective accomplishments that we truly highlight.  It gives us another opportunity to celebrate that work and emphasize its importance.”

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The earliest years of childhood are critical. Experiences during this time literally shape the structure of the brain. Because today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders, parents and workers, everyone has a stake in making sure all children have the experiences they need to thrive. Smart Start is the system that brings together all the people involved in a young child’s life—families, teachers, doctors, caregivers, social workers, and many others—to ensure every child has all they need for healthy growth and development. For more information, visit www.smartstart.org/about.

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