Ahead of the Celebrating Upstate Unsung Heroes virtual event Nov. 18 at 11 a.m., Ten at the Top has received over 130 nominations for unsung heroes across the 10-county Upstate region, with 46 nominees in Greenville County alone.
During the virtual event, which will recognize the many Upstate citizens who have worked tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep their communities healthy and safe, one finalist per county will be honored.
“The selfless work of unsung heroes who have remained committed and strong for their communities during a time of uncertainty has been critical to our communities and, we felt, worthy of special recognition,” said Dean Hybl, executive director of TATT. “As an organization that serves as a regional connector, we thought it was an appropriate time to pivot from past traditions for this annual event and shine a light upon the many individuals who have kept our Upstate region together during this pandemic.”
The 46 Greenville County nominees are:
- Josh Albin of Bryson Elementary School
- Russell Alexander of the city of Fountain Inn
- Rachelle Andino of Monaview Elementary School
- Michael Black and Ann Finch of Brushy Creek Elementary School
- Faculty and staff of Bright Horizons Children’s Center/Greenville Memorial Childcare Center
- Teri Brinkman, Leasa Dacus, Amanda Sopko and Paula Valencia of Greenville County Schools
- Terence Brister of the Greenville Police Department
- Jamie Cato of McLane Company
- Kay Clifton of Edward Jones
- Todd Cook and Kristen Wellbaum of Sterling School
- Deanna Cotter and Laura King of New Horizon Family Health Services
- Timbre Cruz of BI-LO Grocery
- Sean Dogan of Urban League of the Upstate
- Judy Dyer and Jessica Owens of The Phoenix Center
- Dina Estrada of Hispanic Alliance
- Ushamani (Kitty) Fleetwood of Skylyn Pacifica
- Kate French of the Greenville Country Democratic Party and Camperdown Academy
- Jessica Gallman of United Community Bank
- Christina Garter of Prisma Health
- Keri Geary of Grace Church
- Shannon Hudson of 9Round Fitness
- Patricia Idarrago-Quiros, Charmain Madison and Shannon Miller of Simpsonville Elementary School
- Kourtney Jones of Bon Secours St. Francis Health System
- Erike Klimkowski of Eastside High School
- Bridget Kokolis of Augusta Road Baptist Church
- Marina Lewis of Mauldin High School
- Joey Loman of Synergy Mill
- John McCall of Fusion Audio & Video
- Staff of Meals on Wheels of Greenville County
- Kitty Morgan of Greenlink
- Bob Morris of the Community Foundation of Greenville
- Alan Max Myers of the Berea Fire Department
- Katy Pugh Smith of Piedmont Health Foundation and Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy
- Mende Taylor of Hollis Academy
- Samantha Wallace of Think Up Consulting
- Laura Wedell-Jenkins of Fountain Inn Community Police Fund
- Susan Whitmire of Stone Academy
Admission to the virtual event is free, but advance registration is requested through Eventbrite, and a special event gift will be sent to all who register by Nov. 11. In lieu of an admission charge, attendees are encouraged to make a donation to help TATT continue its mission across the Upstate. Contributions will be divided between TATT’s general organizational support, the TATT Ignition Fund for providing long-term impact across the Upstate, and a thank-you stipend to the Unsung Heroes who will be honored at this event.
For more information, visit tenatthetop.org.
