Echo Foundation kicks off the DNC with its 15th Annual Award Gala
Monday, September 3, honoring national and local luminaries who embody
the Echo mission.
General Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Europe
and member of the Clinton Global Initiative Energy & Climate Change
Advisory Board, will deliver the night's keynote address entitled
"Courageous Leadership in Turbulent Times." Local civic leaders Mary
Lou and Jim Babb will receive the 2012 Echo Award Against
Indifference. The award honors Charlotte-Mecklenburg residents who
exemplify Echo's dedication to promoting human dignity, justice and
moral courage through positive, effective action for humankind. The
Babbs are being recognized for their service to Charlotte's
educational, cultural and philanthropic institutions.
"General Wesley Clark, through his distinguished service to the United
States and around the globe, embodies the Echo mantra, 'What Can One
Person Do,'" said Stephanie Ansaldo, president of The Echo Foundation.
"It is an honor to host this great American, and we look forward to
sharing his extraordinary example of courage, leadership and personal
responsibility with those gathered in Charlotte on the eve of the
Democratic National Convention."
An integral part of the foundation's 2012 Election Year Series titled,
"We the People. The Voices and Vision of Democracy," the program
starts at 6:00 p.m. in the Knight Theater, 430 South Tryon Street,
followed by a gala reception and exhibit opening of "One America, One
American" at The Charlotte Observer, 600 South Tryon Street. Tickets
($250 per person, or Echo Society memberships, packages and corporate
sponsorships ranging from $1,000 and up) are available by calling
704.347.3844.
About General Wesley Clark
General Wesley Clark is a businessman, educator, writer and
commentator. Now retired as a four star general, Clark served 38 years
in the United States Army. In his last assignment as Supreme Allied
Commander Europe, he led NATO forces to victory in Operation Allied
Force in the Kosovo War.
Today, he serves as chairman and CEO of Wesley K. Clark & Associates,
a strategic consulting firm, and chairs numerous groups and corporate
boards. He has authored three books and has received many military
decorations and honors. His awards include the Presidential Medal of
Freedom, Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Bronze
Star, Purple Heart and honorary knighthoods from the British and Dutch
governments.
About The Echo Award Against Indifference
The Echo Award Against Indifference honors members of the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg community who work " … with an eye towards peace, a heart
filled with compassion and a voice against indifference, in order to
remind our community of its highest ideals." Past recipients include
philanthropists, corporate executives and community leaders: Hugh
McColl, Jr., Sandra and Leon Levine, former Charlotte Mayor Harvey
Gantt, Patricia Rodgers, Howard "Smoky" Bissell, the late Dr. Dean
Colvard, Stuart Dickson, the late Alan Dickson, Sally Dalton Robinson,
the late Sister Mary Thomas Burke, Bishop George Battle, Jr., the late
Joseph B. Martin, and Ferguson, Stein, Chambers, Gresham & Sumter,
P.A., the first integrated law firm in North Carolina.
About Mary Lou and Jim Babb
The Babbs are well known for their many contributions to educational,
cultural and charitable institutions in the Charlotte community. Jim
has spent the entirety of his career working in broadcast
communications with wide impact in state and national business
circles. He's the past president and CEO of Jefferson-Pilot
Communications and Outlet Communications and currently he's executive
vice president and chief operating officer of Bahakel Communications,
Ltd. He is a former member of the University of North Carolina Board
of Governors.
Mary Lou is the former chair of the board of trustees of the Mint
Museum and served as interim director of the museum. She co-founded
The Woman's Impact Fund in 2003, which helps women reach their
monetary giving potential while meeting community need. Both are
active on several advisory boards and have received countless honors
for their work in the community.
About "We The People. The Voices and Vision of Democracy."
A three-part series that builds on past Echo successes, "We the
People. The Voices and Vision of Democracy." includes the 15th Annual
Echo Award Gaka, a Photojournalism Project and the Footsteps Global
Initiative: Youth Engage!. This series brings together elected
officials and business leaders from across the country in celebration
of renowned humanitarians whose work responds to the question, "What
can one person do?" With events and programs designed to engage the
leaders of tomorrow, Echo leverages this historic opportunity
presented by the DNC and RNC to teach and celebrate the best that
America stands for: freedom, opportunity and self-determination.
About The Echo Foundation
The Echo Foundation was founded in 1997 to carry on the message Nobel
Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel brought to Charlotte that year – a call
to action for human dignity, justice and moral courage. Through
comprehensive education programs, Echo equips individuals with moral
and intellectual tools necessary to create positive change in their
local and global communities. The Echo mission, "… to promote justice
and inspire hope through education, creative acts of service, and the
development of leadership for a more humane world" is realized through
five core initiatives: Voices Against Indifference, Footsteps Global
Initiative, Books Beyond Borders, Forum for Hope, and Living Together
in the 21st Century. The Echo Foundation has hosted 24 humanitarians
and world leaders and served over 730,000 students in the US, Europe
and Africa. For more information, please visit www.echofoundation.org, www.echofoundationphoto.org
or www.inthefootstepsofeliewiesel.org.
