Branton/Hall Community Collaborator Award
The Branton/Hall Community Collaborator Award recognizes an individual from the Greater Kansas City area who has played an active role in civic engagement, leadership, fostering a spirit of service to others and promoting the spirit of collaboration for social good.
2020 Branton/Hall Community Collaborator Award Recipient
SUELLEN FRIED
The Junior League of Kansas City, Missouri, is pleased to announce that the C3KC 2020 Branton/Hall Community Collaborator Award recipient is SuEllen Fried.
At the age of 87, SuEllen has built a lifetime of work reflecting active involvement in civic engagement, leadership and fostering a spirit of service to others. The Branton/Hall Community Collaborator Award recognizes this lifetime of service.
Among SuEllen’s many accomplishments are founding STOP Violence in 1982 and the development of the Reaching Out From Within program, which teaches prison inmates to change their violent language, actions and thoughts.
SuEllen Fried will be honored at the third annual C3KC event, March 4, 2020, and will be awarded a $1,000 grant to be given to the nonprofit organization of her choosing.
SuEllen Fried & Prison Reform
Shawsie Branton and Adele Hall
The Branton/Hall Community Collaborator Award was named in memory and honor of two JLKCMO members – Mary Shaw “Shawsie” Branton and Adele Hall. These two women dedicated their lives to making Kansas City a better, more inclusive, well-cared for community. Longtime pillars of our community, Shawsie and Adele were model volunteers who worked tirelessly as catalysts for change, sensing needs in our community and then working diligently to bring the right individuals together to solve some of our city’s most pressing issues. As Kansas City’s only honorees of the Association of Junior Leagues International’s highest honor, the Mary Harriman Community Leadership Award, Shawsie and Adele believed that every person in our community, regardless of circumstance, deserves a chance to succeed.
The award honors Shawsie Branton and Adele Hall’s commitment to and passion for advocating, influencing and convening leaders for positive change. It recognizes like-minded individuals who continue their legacy of creating positive social impact in Kansas City.
Shawsie Branton
Adele Hall
Branton/Hall Community Collaborator Award recipients meet the following criteria:
A history of convening those in the nonprofit, corporate and civic sectors for positive, lasting change.
A deep sense of social responsibility to the Kansas City community.
An ability to motivate and inspire others to share their talents through volunteer service.
Shawsie Branton’s Story
PAST RECIPIENTS
2019: David Oliver
C3KC 2019’s Branton/Hall Community Collaborator Award recipient was David Oliver.
“Practicing law is my profession, building our community, my passion.” David Oliver is with the Kansas City law firm of Berkowitz Oliver LLP. He is a trial lawyer who invests time in the community where the firm practices law. He also has his own consulting practice helping companies diversify their boards and implement best practices in board/management relations. David has been an active member in the Kansas City volunteer community. His civic activities include serving as a board member of the Alliance for Childhood Education, board member of MRIGlobal, board member of the UMKC Trustees, board member of Teach for America – KC and board member of the Missouri Advisory Board for Educator Preparation.
David has strong ties with the Junior League: his mother, Trudy Oliver (Gertrude Field Oliver) was president of the JLKCMO in 1944-1945, and David knew both Shawsie Branton and Adele Hall, the two women for whom this award is named. He currently serves as a Community Advisor to the C3KC Committee. David embodies the values and voluntarism his mother passed on to him, and the JLKCMO is proud to honor him with this award.
2018: Albert P. Mauro, Sr.
C3KC 2018’s Branton/Hall Community Collaborator Award recipient was Albert P. Mauro, Sr.
Al is the former Vice-President and Secretary at Kansas City Southern Industries and has been active throughout the Kansas City community, having served with distinction on numerous boards: including the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Truman Medical Center, the Downtown Council, the Visiting Nurse Association, Friends of the Zoo, Crittenton Children’s Center, Starlight Theatre and the Board of Regents at Rockhurst College. He has received many awards and honors recognizing him for his tireless efforts to positively impact Kansas City.