The Current Louis Stokes
Community Visionary Award Recipient

A Powerhouse In Our Own Backyard
Councilwoman Patricia J. Britt Honored At The
Louis Stokes Community Visionary Award Luncheon

Cleveland, Ohio, September 24, 2007–Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation (FRDC) celebrated its 12th Annual Louis Stokes Community Visionary Award Luncheon, Wednesday, September 12th at the downtown Renaissance Cleveland Hotel. This year’s honoree was Councilwoman Patricia J. Britt.

The Honorable Louis Stokes and Councilwoman Patricia J. Britt

Councilwoman Britt was born and raised in the Ward she has represented for the past 12 years. Ward 6, one of the most ethnically diverse wards in the City, includes the neighborhoods of Fairfax, Buckeye-Shaker, Larchmere, Little Italy and Woodland Hills. The Councilwoman’s belief in making things happen for the revitalization of the Fairfax community has proven to be a resource of powerhouse proportions that cannot be duplicated.

Past recipients of the Award include: Mayor Jane L. Campbell, Commissioner Jimmy Dimora, Attorney George L. Forbes, Fred D. Gray, Sr., Esquire, Edgar B. Jackson, Jr., M.D., Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., Commissioner Tim McCormack, Steven A. Minter, Congressman Charles Rangel, U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, Honorable Louis Stokes, U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich, and Mayor Michael R. White.

Luncheon speakers included Vickie Eaton Johnson, Executive Director who also took the opportunity to kick off FRDC’s 2M “A Thread For A Web Begun” Capital Campaign; Council President Martin J. Sweeney; and Oliver Henkel, Jr., Executive Director, Office of External Affairs, Cleveland Clinic.

KeyBank is once again this year’s Visionary Sponsor. Other sponsors include: A.M. McGregor; Cleveland Clinic; CHASE; Huntington Bank; Krause Family Foundation; Robert P. Madison Intl. & URS; schmidtcopelandparkerstevens; Westfield Group; O.B.O. Demolition & Construction, Inc.; Olivet Housing and Community Development Corporation; Third Federal Savings & Loan; Turner Construction; Ulmer & Berne, LLP; Zaremba; Bradley Construction; Carnegie Marathon & Rumi’s International Food Market; Case Western Reserve; Charter One Bank; Haley & Aldrich; Heery International; Marous Brothers Construction; National City Community Development Corporation; Pinkney-Perry Insurance; and Urban Design Associates.

The Louis Stokes Visionary Award Event is FRDC's largest annual fundraiser. In 2001, $50,000 of the proceeds raised from the event was used to establish the Fairfax Renaissance Endowment Fund at The Cleveland Foundation, and they continue to match that every year in order to grow the endowment to a level where the interest earned will support the operations of FRDC. Said operations include on-going economic development, housing projects and other revitalization projects in Ward 6.

"We realized long ago at Fairfax Renaissance Development Corporation that the secret to successfully achieving goals is identifying partnerships and relationships with a common purpose. Councilwoman Patricia J. Britt, like our other recipients, exemplifies someone who benefited from the support of others and reciprocated by providing leadership and improving the quality of life for others" says Vickie Eaton Johnson, Executive Director, FRDC.