Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky Names Its Top Volunteers of the Year
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TMMK Honors Its Top Five Volunteers for 2005
Georgetown, KY - March 8, 2006: "Every team member who participates as a volunteer has earned and deserves our deepest respect and admiration, praised Gary Convis, President of Toyota's Georgetown plant. "They represent the best of our company, and the best of our community."
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TMMK honored its top volunteers during the company's annual Volunteers In Place (VIP) Recognition Dinner at the Lafayette Club in Lexington, Ky., this past Saturday. The VIP program was developed in 1994 to encourage and recognize team member volunteer work while supporting TMMK's operating principles and firm commitment to good corporate citizenship.
Participation in the VIP program has consistently grown, with more than 1100 team members currently enrolled. These team members have recorded almost 36,000 man-hours in our community. That's the equivalent of 896 work weeks spent volunteering.
Pat Malesick, a specialist in Human Resources was the recipient of the President's Award as the 2005 Volunteer of the Year. Malesick started at TMMK in 1989 and has been a member of the volunteer program for the last eight years. He logged more than 900 hours of volunteer time in 2005, most of it with youth sports. Malesick serves on the board of directors for the Scott County Youth Basketball League where he is also the League Coordinator. His work with the Scott County Cannons AAU Baseball Club finds him volunteering as the head coach and serving on the board of directors. Malesick was also honored as a top five volunteer finalist in 2002.
Besides his numerous activities with youth sports, Malesick took the time to participate in a number of TMMK sponsored events like the American Cancer Society's Heart Walk, Komen Race for the Cure, and the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk. On behalf of Malesick's volunteer efforts, TMMK presented a check in the amount of $3,000 to the Scott County Wolfpack AAU Basketball Club.
TMMK also honored Bethany Giordano, Karen Hendren, Abe Padilla, and Kim Sweazy for their volunteer efforts.
Giordano is a specialist in Facilities Control at TMMK. Although she has been a prolific volunteer since coming to TMMK, this is the first time she has been recognized as one of the VIP program's "Top Five."
Throughout the year Giordano was involved in many TMMK sponsored volunteer events. Over the past year she has done everything from taking pledges for the KET telethon to staffing the red kettle for the Salvation Army. Giordano spent the majority of volunteer time with the Scott County Humane Society, which received a $1,500 donation from TMMK.
Hendren joined TMMK in 1986 and is a specialist in the Community Relations section of General Administration. Counting this year's recognition, Hendren has now been honored as one of TMMK's top five volunteers four years in a row including winning the President's Award for 2003. Karen volunteers for numerous animal rescue organizations, including the Kentucky Coalition for Animal Protection and the Woodstock Spay/Neuter Clinic. She has participated in TMMK sponsored events such as National Public Lands Day, the American Heart Association's Heart Walk, the Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk, and the Kentucky Special Olympics Polar Bear Plunge. In addition to other activities, Hendren is currently in her third year serving on the Lexington Humane Society's Board of Directors. For her volunteer efforts, TMMK donated $1,500 to the Wolf Run Wildlife Refuge and Educational Facility.
Padilla joined TMMK in 1988 and is a team member in Quality Control Inspection Operations. In 1994, Padilla was the recipient of the very first Volunteer of the Year "President's Award". He is a Hispanic American and has used his fluent Spanish language skills to assist the Scott County Sheriffs Office and the Georgetown Police Department when needed. Over the years he has been called upon at all hours of the day and night to translate for officers when dealing with vehicle accidents and anything else where he could be of service. Other organizations who have benefited from Padilla's volunteerism this past year include Habitat for Humanity, Scott County Humane Society, and Scott County High School's track team. In fact, Padilla's skills in track & field have led to a side career as the Georgetown College Track Coach. He also hosts foreign students through the Youth for Understanding Foreign Exchange Student program. In honor of Padilla's efforts, TMMK presented a donation for $1,500 to The International Book Project.
Sweazy joined TMMK in 1989 and is a specialist in Community Relations. A prolific volunteer and frequent honoree at this event, Sweazy was selected as the Volunteer of the Year in 1995. She followed that up with being named a top five volunteer for the years 1997, 1998, 1999, 2004 and 2005. Sweazy was an active volunteer for 15 different non-profits including the Susan G. Komen Foundation's Pink Tie Gala and the Toyota MS-150 Bike The Bluegrass event which benefits the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Sweazy also volunteers and serves on the boards of the Explorium of Lexington, Lexington Forum and Project One, located in Louisville.
One volunteer activity that Sweazy seems to enjoy more than most is the Children's Charity Fund of the Bluegrass. TMMK made a donation in the amount of $1,500 to Children's Charity Fund of the Bluegrass in recognition of Sweazy's volunteer efforts.
TMMK is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. The Georgetown plant is Toyota's largest in North America and represents a $5.3 billion investment. TMMK employs about 7,000 team members with an annual payroll exceeding $500 million.