Press Release, Rotary Club of Michigan City:
Kevin McGuire of MCAS selected as the 2023 Paul J. Alinsky Award recipient
Kevin McGuire, Director of Technology for Michigan City Area Schools, has been selected as this year’s recipient of the Paul J. Alinsky Excellence Award, presented by the Rotary Club of Michigan City. This award is presented annually by the Rotary
Club of Michigan City in honor of Paul Alinsky, a past Rotarian who passed away in 1997. It honors Alinsky’s commitment to innovation and leadership by recognizing those in the Michigan City community who demonstrate these traits through “Service Above Self.”
“I am honored to receive the Alinsky Award,” McGuire said. “To win this award is a testament to all the great people I have had the privilege to work with and continue to work with to build a better community. Great things are ahead for Michigan City. I’m excited to play my role in making it the best community we can.”
McGuire was nominated by Betsy Kohn on behalf of Michigan City Area Schools. In her nomination, Kohn wrote, “In his role as Director of Technology for Michigan City Area Schools, Kevin has been quietly impacting Michigan City students and the community as a whole for decades … (He) goes above and beyond to create better lives for children in our community through technology. His current major focus is connectivity. He worked diligently, despite supply chain issues, to secure hotspots for students without internet access during the COVID pandemic, and has been a driving force for broadband access in our city and county.”
McGuire spearheaded the installation of antennas on MCAS buildings, providing wireless broadband connectivity to school-issued devices at students’ homes in surrounding neighborhoods. Among other innovative projects, McGuire implemented a comprehensive fiber network that connects all Michigan City Area Schools and support buildings (only the second such network in the state at the time); has secured funding from local, state, and federal programs to ensure MCAS was fully 1:1 (providing Chromebooks and tablets to all students PreK-12) with a $10 million technology plan that also includes classroom equipment as well as technology training for educators so they can provide the most effective instruction. McGuire is actively involved with the La Porte County Broadband Taskforce, is a member of the Rotary Club of Michigan City, and volunteers with the Michigan City Mainstreet Association and youth baseball leagues.
“Kevin is a great representative of innovation and service to the community, which are the same values that were held by Paul Alinsky,” said Matt Kubik, president of the Rotary Club of Michigan City. “Our club is proud to present this award to Kevin to honor the impact he has had on our community, the dedication he has shown to his profession, and his service above self.”
Past recipients of this award include Les Radke, Bud Ruby, Duane Mertl, Ron Bensz, Jerry Karstens, Emerson Spartz, Glen Lubeznik, James Welborne, Kathleen Lang, Bernie Scott, Jan Radford, Tom Ringo, Jim Dworkin, Dr. Lisa Hendricks, Marty Corley, Don Babcock, Al Whitlow, Dion Campbell, Cyndi Davis, Dr. Barbara Eason-Watkins, Angie Nelson-Deuitch, Clarence Hulse, and Rotary Service Volunteers. In 2016, in honor of the club’s 100th anniversary, the award recognized every Rotary Club member over the past century. A memorial inscribed with the names of past recipients is on display at City Hall, 100 E. Michigan Blvd., Michigan City.
The Rotary Club of Michigan City will present this award to McGuire during a club meeting on Thursday, March 21 at noon at The Salvation Army of Michigan City, 1201 S. Franklin Street. This meeting is open to the public, and lunch will be available for $15 per person. McGuire will receive a replica of the Paul J. Alinsky memorial. In addition, the Rotary Club will make a donation to a charity of his choice.
More information about the Rotary Club of Michigan City is available by visiting www.mcrotary.org.