Read Family Difference Maker Award

Leadership Akron presented the 2022 Read Family Difference Maker Award to Ken Babby and the Akron RubberDucks at a ceremony on September 28, 2022. Each year, the award recognizes an individual or group of individuals whose efforts have been instrumental in expanding the scope or impact of Leadership Akron's mission and work.

Ken Babby and the Akron RubberDucks have been instrumental in advancing Leadership Akron’s work since Ken Babby took over ownership of the team ten years ago. The Akron RubberDucks host hundreds of Leadership Akron participants each year, helping inspire, strengthen, and empower leaders to create a greater Akron. Ken Babby conceived a monthly speaker series that launched in January 2015 for Leadership Akron Alumni members and Torchbearers called Leadership on Main. This speaker series highlights change-making leaders from different sectors each month, and it has become a not-to-be-missed monthly event for many Leadership Akron alumni members. And, as Scott Read noted when presenting the award, this event has been “a work of love by the entire Akron RubberDucks staff” that is appreciated by the alumni of Leadership Akron.

Two sculptures were created by Zeber Martell, one for the Akron RubberDucks to display in its offices at Canal Park and a second for Ken Babby. Leadership Akron would like to also thank the organizations that have been involved in the preparation and maintenance of the site for the Read Family Difference Maker Award, including the City of Akron, Summit Metro Parks, Cascade Locks Park Association, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, and Environmental Design Group. We would also thank Michael Marrass, who created the original sculpture at the site, titled Together We Grow.

The Read Family Difference Maker Award, created in July 2017, honors the Read family (Roger, Judy and Scott) in recognition of their involvement in advancing the mission and work of Leadership Akron, promoting community leadership, and strengthening the Akron community's well-being. Each year the award recognizes an individual or group of individuals whose efforts have been instrumental in expanding the scope or impact of Leadership Akron's mission and work.

The Read Family Difference Maker Award was created not only as a form of recognition, but as an opportunity to create something meaningful for others. The resulting concept was an installation of Gingko trees, provided by the City of Akron, at Cascade Locks Park that would add to the environmental and scenic quality of the area for the benefit of all. At the site stands the sculpture crafted by Michael Marras to honor the Read family and the award recipients. The sculpture, Together We Grow, conveys the growth and connectivity that benefits the Akron community. Each year, a new tree will be planted at the site in honor of the recipient(s).

We are grateful to these partners in creating the site:

  • Cascade Locks Park Association

  • City of Akron

  • Environmental Design Group and Jeffrey Kerr

  • Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition

  • Summit Metro Parks

PAST HONOREES

2017 - Roger & Judy* Read, recognized for establishing the Leadership Akron Endowment Fund, extending the reach and impact of Leadership Akron across the spectrum from Junior Leadership Akron to NEXT.

2017 - Scott Read, recognized for his efforts to launch Torchbearers, in independent affiliate of Leadership Akron that focuses on connecting, developing and engaging emerging leaders to serve the Akron community.

2018 - Laura E. Culp, Ronald S. Kopp, Kyle Kutuchief, Amanda Leffler, and Brian Pollack, recognized for their work on the Leadership Akron and Torchbearers Partnership Agreement Team that forged the formal partnership between Leadership Akron and Torchbearers in 2009.

2020 - Dr. Cynthia Capers, John Williams, Jim Mullen, Roxia Boykin, Ethel Vinson, Robert DeJournett, Bernett Williams, & Dr. Steve Ash, recognized for their work as the visionaries behind the Diversity on Board program.

2021 - Danny Zampelli, recognized for his work as the creative genius behind the Lieberth Community Vision Award programs since the award’s inception.

*deceased

Learn more about the Read Family Difference Maker Award criteria here.

See the video below for Scott Read’s presentation of the award and Ken Babby’s acceptance speech:

The Read Family