Award winners

Here is the list of FOEC awards for this year presented at the FOEC holiday party.

Volunteer awards

• David Roache - David is President of Richmond Heights Council and a staunch leader and supporter of FOEC. He is a leader in the establishment of the Greenwood Farms restoration and community participation in the life of the center.


• Rick Evans - An unperturbed fixer and dependable volunteer, Rick is a good natured member of the steering committee. Rick can be counted on to deal with our electronics and volunteer with outreach activities.


• Lou Rifici - On the staff of Cuyahoga Community College, Lou is an environmental science teacher who graciously gives of his time to train our volunteers in the science of water quality monitoring.


• Barb Pophal - Barb has been the coordinator for almost 10 years of our holiday party and the auction. She does a great job each year and this this year she has taken us from our annual potluck party to a nicely catered affair.

Tom Jenkins Award
Ken Messinger Rapport

Ken does a great job as the FOEC finance manager. He is also on the FOEC steering committee. FOEC has been blessed with really good treasurers beginning with Tom Jenkins who we still miss because he was an outstanding member and citizen in every way. This award is made in his name, and Ken is surely deserving of being the recipient.

Ken quietly does the work and is on top of all of its elements. Finance manager is often a thankless job because it is so demanding but Ken is a totally reliable volunteer. In addition, he is a terrific public citizen like Tom Jenkins. Ken's work on gas fracking and his efforts to educate the city and state governments as well as his FOEC friends are remarkable. We are grateful for his dedication. Congratulations, Ken!

Pioneer Award

Lee Gase

Lee is worthy of special recognition, and we're happy to make a presentation to a member who deserves it. Lee is someone who has the imagination and energy to be a leader in preservation and restoration that creates the quality of life in a community and deserves the Pioneer award. Lee is a longtime public official first a City Councilman and then Council President in Richmond Heights. Now as development director, Lee goes the extra mile in finding ways to provide a quality-of-life environment.

Lee has been with FOEC from the beginning and contributed in many ways. He saw the potential for Greenwood Farms to become a center for the history of Richmond Heights and the rallying point for the city's preservation and restoration. He had the imagination to develop names for unnamed creeks and record those with the USGS to identify areas of the watershed. He is a real leader, and we are enriched by the work he gives to us and to Richmond Heights

Heartfelt congratulations go to all FOEC reward recipients.