Difference Makers award to honor longtime Wichita leader

A new program that honors people and businesses making a difference in Wichita is naming one of the awards after businessman and community leader Russ Meyer, according to a news release.

The Russ Meyer Award for Community Leadership will be awarded annually as part of the the Difference Makers for Wichita Awards. The awards were created to honor people and organizations that are improving the greater Wichita community.

Meyer, chairman emeritus of Cessna Aircraft, has been involved for decades in numerous charitable initiatives in Wichita, including the Boys & Girls Club and GraceMed Health Clinic.

The Russ Meyer Award will be given to “an individual who is making a positive impact in our community through demonstrated excellence in leadership and outstanding initiative to create solutions for critical issues facing the Greater Wichita Area.”

The awards program is sponsored by Newman University, The Wichita Eagle and Cook’s Heating and Cooling.

The Russ Meyer award is one of five that will be awarded annually by Difference Makers for Wichita. The others are:

▪ The Murdock Award for Business

▪ The Ivonne Goldstein Award for Community Volunteer

▪ The Sr. Tarcisia Roths Award for a Not-for-Profit

▪ The Brian Bergkamp Student Service Award

In addition, four “Quiet Hero” awards are being awarded monthly for people who do not seek recognition but have demonstrated a commitment to helping others.

All the winners will be recognized Feb. 25 at a banquet at Newman University.

To learn more about the awards, or to make a nomination, go to http://wichitadifferencemakers.com/.

This story was originally published December 7, 2016 at 11:09 AM with the headline "Difference Makers award to honor longtime Wichita leader."