Kevin McGuire, Director of Technology
for Michigan City Area Schools, has been selected as this year’s recipient of
the Paul J. Alinsky Excellence Award, presented by the Rotary Club of Michigan
City. This award is presented annually by the Rotary Club of Michigan City in
honor of Paul Alinsky, a past Rotarian who passed away in 1997. It honors
Alinsky’s commitment to innovation and leadership by recognizing those in the
Michigan City community who demonstrate these traits through “Service Above
Self.”
“I am honored to
receive the Alinsky Award,” McGuire said. “To win this award is a testament to
all the great people I have had the privilege to work with and continue to work
with to build a better community. Great things are ahead for Michigan City. I’m
excited to play my role in making it the best community we can.”
McGuire was
nominated by Betsy Kohn on behalf of Michigan City Area Schools. In her
nomination, Kohn wrote, “In his role as Director of Technology for Michigan
City Area Schools, Kevin has been quietly impacting Michigan City students and
the community as a whole for decades … (He) goes above and beyond to create
better lives for children in our community through technology. His current
major focus is connectivity. He worked diligently, despite supply chain issues,
to secure hotspots for students without internet access during the COVID
pandemic, and has been a driving force for broadband access in our city and
county.”
McGuire spearheaded the installation of antennas on MCAS buildings, providing
wireless broadband connectivity to school-issued devices at students’ homes in
surrounding neighborhoods. Among other innovative projects, McGuire implemented
a comprehensive fiber network that connects all Michigan City Area Schools and
support buildings (only the second such network in the state at the time); has
secured funding from local, state, and federal programs to ensure MCAS was
fully 1:1 (providing Chromebooks and tablets to all students PreK-12) with a
$10 million technology plan that also includes classroom equipment as well as
technology training for educators so they can provide the most effective
instruction. McGuire is actively involved with the La Porte County Broadband
Taskforce, is a member of the Rotary Club of Michigan City, and volunteers with
the Michigan City Mainstreet Association and youth baseball leagues.
“Kevin is a great representative of innovation and service to the community,
which are the same values that were held by Paul Alinsky,” said Matt Kubik,
president of the Rotary Club of Michigan City. “Our club is proud to present
this award to Kevin to honor the impact he has had on our community, the
dedication he has shown to his profession, and his service above self.”
Past recipients of
this award include Les Radke, Bud Ruby, Duane Mertl, Ron Bensz, Jerry Karstens,
Emerson Spartz, Glen Lubeznik, James Welborne, Kathleen Lang, Bernie Scott, Jan
Radford, Tom Ringo, Jim Dworkin, Dr. Lisa Hendricks, Marty Corley, Don Babcock,
Al Whitlow, Dion Campbell, Cyndi Davis, Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins, Angie
Nelson-Deuitch, Clarence Hulse, and Rotary Service Volunteers. In 2016, in
honor of the club’s 100th anniversary, the award recognized every Rotary Club
member over the past century. A memorial inscribed with the names of past
recipients is on display at City Hall, 100 E. Michigan Blvd., Michigan City.
The Rotary Club of
Michigan City will present this award to McGuire during a club meeting on
Thursday, March 21 at noon at The Salvation Army of Michigan City, 1201 S.
Franklin Street. This meeting is open to the public, and lunch will be
available for $15 per person. McGuire will receive a replica of the Paul J.
Alinsky memorial. In addition, the Rotary Club will make a donation to a
charity of his choice.
More information about the Rotary Club of Michigan City is available by
visiting www.mcrotary.org.
