Compact to recognize Valley businesses
Ozterity Lighting and WestCoast Products & Design will receive the Crystal Tower Award at the 15th annual Business and Education Shareholders’ Luncheon on Aug. 28, sponsored by the Madera County Compact.
The Crystal Tower Award is given to businesses that have displayed exemplary career focused partnerships with schools in Madera County. Community Investment Awards will be given to Branches Books & Gifts and the Madera County Sheriff’s Department for their relationship with local schools.
Ozterity Lighting was nominated by Ginger Latimer and Brandon Gilles at Madera South High School. Ozterity Lighting has been a partner with Madera South High School for 20 years.
John Osborne, owner, donates his time to educate students about careers in the arts, media, and entertainment industry and sits on the CTE Advisory Committee. He has helped students find employment in the industry. Osborne also shares his professional contacts to ensure that Madera South can acquire new and relevant technology at a low cost.
WestCoast Products & Design (WCP) was nominated by Robyn Cosgrove at Madera High School. WCP has been a partner with the school’s robotics program for the past six years.
Ranjit Chahal, owner, dedicates more than 200 hours every year to mentor students on the First Team 1323 and sits on the CTE Advisory Committee. He and his employees help students design, manufacture, program, and compete in the yearly competitions. They also donate money to help send students who cannot afford to go to offsite events.
Branches Books & Gifts will receive one of the Community Investment Awards. They were nominated by Heather Archer at Wasuma Elementary School. Branches Books & Gifts works with local educators to help provide the appropriate reading materials needed for students, including making audio versions of books available to students with learning disabilities. They are frequent donors to local school fundraisers and teacher appreciation events.
The second Community Investment Award will go to the Madera County Sheriff’s Department, nominated by Charmaine George at Madera South High School and Roger Leach and Lynnette Jacobsen at Sherman Thomas Charter High School.
Madera County Sheriff’s Department has an internship program at Sherman Thomas Charter High, which allows students to job shadow a deputy. At Madera South High, detectives regularly visit students in the Explorer Program, which teaches students law enforcement practices and allows them to volunteer in the community as uniformed Explorers. Officers also speak to the class and deputies work with the students in the after school hours.
The Education and Shareholders’ Luncheon will be held in the Madera County Superintendent of Schools’ Conference Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Tickets to the luncheon are $30 per person or $240 for a table of eight. Call Kristi Winter, 662-3873, for information and tickets.
