ShawneeDispatch.com

The Johnson County Library Foundation has named the winners of its annual 2008 Pinnacle Award.

The Pinnacle Award was launched in 2002 by the Johnson County Library Foundation to recognize Excellence in the Arts. This year, the Foundation expanded the Pinnacle Award to include three additional categories, which highlight a program or special area of emphasis at the Johnson County Library. The additional award categories are excellence in: Advocacy and Public Engagement; Entrepreneurship; and Literacy and Education.

As with the original Pinnacle Award the new honorees were selected as they demonstrate excellence in their professional field or philanthropic pursuits. The award for the arts went to David Hughes Jr., Kansas City, Mo., founder of the Charlotte Street Foundation.

The award for entrepreneurship went to John Burgess, Leawood, founder and CEO of Interactive Media Holdings LLC, which was formed to develop and license online media social networks dedicated for use by schools and organizations.

In literacy and education, the award was given to Vivien L. Jennings, Fairway, founder and president of Rainy Day Books, Inc., Kansas City’s community bookseller, and the oldest independent bookstore in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The award for advocacy and public engagement went to Dr. Robert W. Fry, Olathe, founder of Fry Orthodontics. Fry is a hero to the YMCA of Greater Kansas City and other local, national and international charitable efforts, and he serves on the Johnson County Community College Foundation Board of Directors.

The 2008 Pinnacle Award winners will be honored at a recognition dinner Oct. 30.

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