The Rotary Club of Michigan City announced Thursday that Angie Nelson-Deuitch will be honored with this year’s Paul J. Alinsky Excellence Award. The award is presented in honor of Paul Alinksy who was a past Rotary Club President, past Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce Board, and founder of Sentinel Alarm Company. Paul passed away in 1997 and this award was created to keep his memory alive. The Paul J. Alinsky Award is given annually to a person from the Michigan City community who exhibits dedication to community service and excellence, passion, and innovation in their vocation/career, as these are the areas where Paul excelled.
Angie Nelson-Deuitch is President of I&D Squared Consulting, LLC, a company she launched in 2017, focusing on improving diversity and inclusion in the region. She is a certified trainer for the Cultural Intelligence Center, providing unconscious bias training, meeting, and strategic planning facilitation services; and assisting community organizations with non-profit establishment and oversight. In addition, Nelson-Deuitch serves on the Michigan City Common Council At-Large as current Council President, and on the Michigan City Redevelopment Commission from 2020-2021.
Nelson-Deuitch was nominated by Kris Pate, executive director of United Way of La Porte County, who said she rarely meets anyone with such a drive to create positive change.
“She looks at possibilities to create a better world and then brings others to the table to play a role with her in making great things happen,” Pate said. “Whether it’s up and coming young people, the elderly, or just a struggling neighbor – Angie makes sure they get the help and encouragement they need. Angie has a strategic, big-picture approach and excels at organizing work for the good of all.”
The selection committee included Rotarians and non-Rotarians who chose this year’s honoree from among four nominations received this year. Nelson-Deuitch will be honored and presented with a replica of the Paul Alinksy memorial along with a contribution to a charity of her choice. The award will be presented at the Rotary Club’s meeting at 12:00 pm on Thursday, April 14 at The Salvation Army, 1201 S. Franklin Street, Michigan City.
The event is open to the public, and lunch is available for $15 per person at the door.