2012 Champion Award to be Awarded to P. Kelly Tompkins

The Champion Award recognizes and honors individuals for their long-standing commitment and dedication to the mission and vision of the Alzheimer’s Association. 

This year we honor P. Kelly Tompkins whose exemplary fundraising skills have helped raise the level of corporate support for the Association for the last several years, while also serving to increase awareness of both Alzheimer’s disease and the services of the Alzheimer’s Association.   

A former board member of the Cleveland Area Chapter, he currently serves as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Magnificat High School.  He also serves on the Great Lakes Science Center Board.  In 2005-2006, Mr. Tompkins served as the 95^th president of the Cleveland Bar Association and is a past Chair of the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law Visiting Committee. 

Professionally, Kelly Tompkins is Executive Vice President – Legal, Government Affairs and Sustainability & Chief Legal Officer at Cliffs Natural Resources, Inc., an international mining and natural resources company with operations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and Brazil.  He has responsibility for global legal, labor and public affairs, Cliffs’ ongoing relationships with all U.S. and international government and regulatory bodies and the execution and reporting of the company’s increasingly critical sustainable development practices. 

He joined Cliffs in May 2010, having previously been executive vice president and chief financial officer of RPM International, a NYSE-listed, global specialty chemical company. 

Mr. Tompkins received his B.S. degree from Mercyhurst College and his J.D. degree from Cleveland –Marshall College of Law in 1981.  He and his wife, Cathy live in Westlake. 

A CELEBRATION OF HOPE FOR THE FUTURE

CLEVELAND – More than 3,500 families in the Cleveland area depend on the Alzheimer’s Association for assistance in coping with the crushing responsibilities of caring for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. At no expense to the families, the organization consults with them on how to care for their loved one and provides support services, educational programs, resources, safety services and referrals.  

To maintain these services, the association will host its annual dinner, A Celebration of Hope, Thursday, April 26, 2012, at 5:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Cleveland Grand Ballroom, 24 Public Square, Cleveland.  The evening includes a cocktail reception, silent auction, program, awards presentation and dinner. Individual tickets start at $200 per person and tables of 10 start at $2,000. For additional information or to register to attend, contact Kelly Morrell at 216-231-1481 or kelly.morrell@alz.org.  

In addition to helping the Cleveland Area Chapter continue to serve local families, funds raised from A Celebration of Hope assist the organization in its efforts to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research. Last year, the annual dinner event raised more than $362,000.  

“As the number of individuals with Alzheimer’s climbs, we find our services in greater demand and look forward to increasing community support,” said Nancy Udelson, executive director of the Alzheimer’s Association Cleveland Area Chapter.  

Highlights of this year’s event include big ticket silent auction items such as:

·         Behind-the-scenes tour of the Columbus Zoo and a meet and greet with Jack Hanna for 6 people

·         Celebrity Golf Outing with legendary former Cavaliers Austin Carr and Larry Nance

·         Four VIP tickets to watch the Daily Show live in New York City with an airfare credit

EVENT HONOREES

Several key advocates from the Cleveland area will be honored at A Celebration of Hope this year.  

P. Kelly Tompkins of Westlake will receive the Champion Award for his long-standing commitment and dedication to the Alzheimer’s Association. A committed philanthropist, Tompkins has been involved with the association as a member of the Board of Trustees, and has served as both a chair and member of the dinner’s Corporate Committee. Tompkins’ exemplary fundraising skills have significantly increased the level of corporate support and awareness of both Alzheimer’s disease and the services of the Alzheimer’s Association.  Tompkins is the Executive Vice President of Legal, Government Affairs and Sustainability at Cliffs Natural Resources. 

Deborah Cloud of Warrensville Heights will receive the Arlene L. Ellis Volunteer of the Year Award given annually to a volunteer who exemplifies dedication, creativity and extraordinary service. Cloud is one of the Alzheimer’s Association’s strongest and most active volunteers in the community.   She has committed both her personal and professional lives to helping caregivers and educating people about the disease and the Alzheimer’s Association.  She frequently presents educational programs, works at health fairs and participates in fundraising events. Cloud also advocates on behalf of the Association in Columbus, speaking to state legislators. She previously served as Chair of the Chapter’s former African American Advisory Council, helping to heighten the awareness of the disease within the African American community. 

Mark A. Smith, Ph.D., formerly of Chagrin Falls, will receive the Jennifer B. Langston Community Service Award (posthumously) given annually to a person, persons or organization that has been instrumental in furthering the projects and programs of the Alzheimer’s Association. Dr. Smith was a renowned Alzheimer’s disease researcher and faculty member at Case Western Reserve University’s Department of Pathology.  He was also the executive director of the American Aging Institute and co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.   At the time of his death, Dr. Smith was ranked as the third most prolific Alzheimer’s researcher in the world.  He was instrumental in getting Alzheimer’s researchers to consider antioxidants as a possible treatment for Alzheimer’s.  Both Dr. Smith and his wife, Dr. Gemma Casadesus Smith, launched their first research projects with grants from the Alzheimer’s Association.