Values-in-Action Foundation empowers students and adults to build communities of kindness, caring and respect through programs that teach, promote,and provideskills and toolsto enable individuals to make positive, values-baseddecisions everyday.
Founded in1994, Values-in-Action has trained over
2,100,000 students in 73 Ohio counties and across all 50 states
CELEBRATING 30YEARS
Presentedby Values-in-Action, the Kindland movement is bringing together communities, businesses, organizations, and schools by recognizingandsharingacts of kindness in an effort to inspire aground swell ofpositivity and goodness. Kindland relies on the ower of the people todo,recognize, report, and share the acts of kindness happening everyday. Together, we can make a difference andbecome a “Kind-Land.”
WELCOME
Dear Friends,
Last year, the Surgeon General issued a report claiming that our country has an epidemic of social isolation. A subset of this phenomenon is friendship retiring, which has happened across the world post-pandemic. People are retreating into their silos, turning away from friend communities and/or seeking out the like-minded with whom they can commiserate. Much as we have advocated through our Kindland initiative, the Surgeon General advocated that acts of kindness can reimagine and reinvigorate our sense of connection and community.
In addition to the alarming report about social isolation, as of September 30th, we have had 413 mass shootings in the United States. At this time two years ago, there were 300+. Clearly, something is amiss. We all feel it. We all know it. And it’s a ecting our children. School behavior has changed. Road rage has increased dramatically. Person-to-person behavior has changed.
How did we get to this state of a airs? Many blame the pandemic. But, even before the pandemic, eighty percent of Americans experienced one or more incidents of road rage, and twenty-five percent of women experienced sexual assaults. The list of dysfunction goes on and on.
Like many social trends, society and culture can change person to person. Yes, we are influenced by media and by social media. We are influenced by political discourse and by reality television. But, it is the individual choices that form human behavior. When enough of those choices coagulate, they then tip society. We know how society can be tipped from the experience of Nazi Germany and the horrors of the Holocaust. But, can it be tipped the other way, as well?
Kindland is Values-in-Action’s national movement to tip society back to person-to-person kindness. This movement is based on the premise that there are millions of acts of kindness ongoing, but we don’t notice them because it takes five positive acts to o set one negative act in the consciousness of the human mind. Kindland seeks to have each of us doing or documenting the five positive acts through intentional acts of kindness every day. This can be done by using the Just Be Kind app (available on all the app stores) or by reporting acts of kindness done or witnessed by using #kindland on social media.
Last year, Kindland — in collaboration with more than 500 leaders and 200 other nonprofit organizations including schools, faith-based organizations, and governments — documented 91 million acts of kindness in Northeast Ohio. Our workforce training in inner-ring and inner-city schools trained 2,000 students in a 16-week character, values and soft skills curriculum that focuses on Who Am I, What Do I Stand For, and How Do I Win at the Game of Life. If life is a game, and you don’t know the rules, you’re not going to succeed.
Soon you will be seeing signs in area restaurants, proclaiming KINDNESS IS SERVED HERE! Outside of hospitals, where are there more acts of kindness than in restaurants? Yet, we take for granted the kindness and experience that servers give us. This is an opportunity to reverse that negative trend.
In February, Kindland, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Weatherhead School of Management will launch the Corporate Challenge for Kindness. Businesses throughout Ohio will compete with each other for documenting acts of kindness they do or witness. Business can be a powerful force for mobilizing kindness and blasting it into our communities.
To date, since its founding as Project Love in 1994, Values-in-Action has trained more than 2.1 million students in over 9,000 schools in all 50 states. Last school year alone, we trained and engaged more than 400,000 students in kindness activities and added to their curriculum or school culture. With your help, we will tip society and our country back to kindness. Sam Miller and Arnold Pinkney believed that we each have that power. The Celebration of Goodness celebrates leaders who have acted with kindness and goodness, inspiring others to follow their lead and to pay it forward.
Thank you for joining us in honoring Nic Barlage and the Cavaliers, Mayor Justin Bibb, Micki Byrnes and WKYC, Lillian Kuri, and Dick Pogue at this 24th Annual Celebration of Goodness event. Also, to honor the memories and legacies of O cers Jamieson Ritter and Jacob Derbin who lost their lives last summer in service and protection of our community. Thank you to all of leaders honored today who set the example of kindness in our community. Now, it’s each person’s responsibility to pay it forward.
Kind regards,
Stuart Muszynski President and CEO
Dick Bogomolny Event Co-Chair
Mike Gibbons Board Chairman
Chair
Darrell McNair
The Celebration of Goodness will forever be in memory of Event Founder Sam Miller and our dear friend and former chairman Arnold R. Pinkney. In both your honors, we continue to celebrate GOODNESS in Northeast Ohio.
The Celebration of Goodness honors outstanding individuals for their extraordinary contributions to our community, their principled leadership, and for setting an inspiring example for others to follow.
2024 CELEBRATION OF GOODNESS
Thank you to all those who made this Celebration of Goodness possible. Your kindness and generosity are much appreciated.
In 2012, Project Love evolved into what is now the Values-in-Action Foundation (VIA). VIA provides social / emotional learning, kindness and anti-bullying training for students K-12 nationwide and is the organization behind the growing Kindland movement.
In 2012, Project Love evolved into what is now the Values-in-Action Foundation (VIA). VIA provides social / emotional learning, kindness and anti-bullying training for students K-12 nationwide and is the organization behind the growing Kindland movement.
In 2012, Project Love evolved into what is now the Values-in-Action Foundation (VIA). VIA provides social / emotional learning, kindness and anti-bullying training for students K-12 nationwide and is the organization behind the growing Kindland movement.
Currently, VIA has over 5,000 participating schools in all 50 states.
Currently, VIA has over 5,000 participating schools in all 50 states.
Kindland launched in 2019 to expand VIA’s kindness-focused initiatives beyond schools to include all facets of the community - schools, companies, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, governmental agencies and the media.
Kindland launched in 2019 to expand VIA’s kindness-focused initiatives beyond schools to include all facets of the community - schools, companies, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, governmental agencies and the media.
Kindland launched in 2019 to expand VIA’s kindness-focused initiatives beyond schools to include all facets of the community - schools, companies, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, governmental agencies and the media.
We are humbled and grateful to be celebrating our 30th year in 2024 - remaining steadfast in our mission to recognize, encourage and spread kindness throughout our region’s, state’s, and nation’s schools, as well as our communities!
We are humbled and grateful to be celebrating our 30th year in 2024 - remaining steadfast in our mission to recognize, encourage and spread kindness throughout our region’s, state’s, and nation’s schools, as well as our communities!
We are humbled and grateful to be celebrating our 30th year in 2024 - remaining steadfast in our mission to recognize, encourage and spread kindness throughout our region’s, state’s, and nation’s schools, as well as our communities!
In 2012, Project Love evolved into what is now the Values-in-Action Foundation (VIA). VIA provides social / emotional learning, kindness and anti-bullying training for students K-12 nationwide and is the organization behind the growing Kindland movement.
provides nationwide Currently,
Currently, VIA has over 5,000 participating schools in all 50 states.
Kindland launched in 2019 to expand VIA’s kindness-focused initiatives beyond schools to include all facets of the community - schools, companies, faith-based organizations, nonprofits, governmental agencies and the media.
We are humbled and grateful to be celebrating our 30th year in 2024 - remaining steadfast in our mission to recognize, encourage and spread kindness throughout our region’s, state’s, and nation’s schools, as well as our communities!
www.BeKindland.com
The “Ritter Way” Award
REMEMBERING OFFICERS
Jacob Derbin
Euclid Police
&
Jamieson Ritter
Cleveland Police
2024 saw two murders of on-duty police o cers, Jacob Derbin of Euclid Police and Jamieson Ritter of Cleveland Police. Their killings bring to light the stark reality that police o cers put their lives on the line to protect and serve the community.
We were taken by the similarities between these two fallen heroes.
Both were in their twenties.
Both were well beyond their years with wisdom and caring.
Both embraced kindness in their dealings with their fellow police o cers and members of their respective communities.
O cer Ritter’s colleagues referred to the values that he espoused, which captivated the entire district, as “The Ritter Way.”
In honor of the examples they set and the legacies that continue, Values-in-Action Foundation honors them and their work with the inaugural Kindland “Ritter Way” Award in memory of Jacob Derbin and Jamieson Ritter.
May their memories and names continue as an inspiration and blessing in Northeast Ohio.
Sam Miller Goodness Award 2024 CELEBRATION
Nic Barlage & the Cleveland Cavaliers
CEO Nic
Barlage is Chief Executive O cer of Rock Entertainment Group (REG), the entity behind Cavaliers Chairman Dan Gilbert’s Rock Family of Companies. The group encompasses the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers, the AHL Cleveland Monsters, the NBA G League Cleveland Charge, the Cavs Legion in the NBA 2K League, and the newly formed Rock Entertainment Sports Network. REG also manages operations of key venues such as the Legion Lair Lit by TCP, the Cleveland Clinic Courts and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (RMFH), the epicenter of entertainment in Cleveland.
Under Barlage’s leadership, REG has transformed from a regional force into a global catalyst for change. The Cavaliers have forged partnerships across all levels, from local neighborhoods to international communities, amplifying their impact far beyond Northeast Ohio. This expansive reach has translated into tangible results: over $48 million invested in community initiatives and more than 52,000 volunteer hours contributed by team members. REG’s support extends to organizations tackling critical issues such as education, food security, violence prevention and youth development. By creating safe spaces and enriching programs, REG isn’t just improving communities – it’s reshaping futures.
Barlage also serves on advisory boards for esteemed institutions like the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, American Red Cross, Cleveland Leadership Center, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland Clinic Pediatrics Leadership Council, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Boys & Girls Club of Northeast Ohio and Hathaway Brown School.
A proud graduate of Saint John’s University (Minn.), Barlage earned a degree in Psychology in May 2006. He and his wife, Traci, have two daughters, Brooklyn and Kennedy.
Nic and the Cavaliers believe in the power of sports to empower people, generate enthusiasm and economic activity, and make Cleveland the place to be. They roll out the welcome mat for locals to be proud of our town and for nationals to see Cleveland glow. And the Cavaliers don’t just play basketball; they generate millions of dollars in economic activity within their own walls, to area restaurants and businesses, and they help make downtown Cleveland an exciting place to work, live, play, and visit. Through the Cavaliers Community Foundation, they also support youth programming that benefits our community. For all the good Nic and the Cavaliers represent, Values-in-Action Foundation recognizes them with the Sam Miller Goodness Award.
2024 CELEBRATION OF GOODNESS
Sam Miller Goodness Award
Micki Byrnes & WKYC
President & General Manager
Micki Byrnes currently serves as President & General Manager of WKYC Media, overseeing all operations of the broadcast station and its digital platforms. She joined Channel 3 in 1997 as Director of Marketing and was named Vice President, Advertising and Promotion in 2000, and GM in 2015.
Micki has held broadcast management positions in Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta and Orlando, and she is a past Chair and Director of PROMAX, International, the television industry’s premiere marketing association. Micki has also served on the marketing advisory boards of CBS Television, ABC Television and Fox Broadcasting and is the past Chairperson of the NBC A liate Promotion Committee.
A member of the 2005 class of Leadership Cleveland, Micki continues to serve on their Selection Committee, and she was a member of the FBI Citizen’s Academy class of 2012. She currently serves as a board member of the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, The Cleveland Leadership Center, Destination Cleveland, and Coats for Kids.
Micki has won numerous regional Emmy, Telly, and Addy Awards. She was inducted into the Cleveland Association of Broadcasters’ Hall of Fame in 2013 and was named a 2016 YWCA Woman of Achievement and a 2016 Crain’s Woman of Note. She was also named 2016 General Manager of the Year by Broadcasting & Cable magazine. In 2020, Micki was honored as a “Progressive Woman of the Year” by Smart Business Magazine and also was named the “Business Executive of the Year” by SME (Sales and Marketing Executives) Cleveland,
only the second woman to receive that award in over 50 years. Crain’s Cleveland named Micki one of the “Power 150” in Northeast Ohio.
Very often the news projects an environment of doom and gloom. Shootings, hijackings, racial violence, antisemitism, sexual harassment, and storms brewing environmentally, culturally and politically. It’s hard to see the Possible and the Positive, but at WKYC the power of positivity and possibility shines through in their reporting. Although the world is not always positive, WKYC focuses on the power of the people to do good. Micki, the producers, and the reporters recognize that there is more good than evil, more kindness than meanness, and more positivity than negativity. For these reasons, Values-inAction Foundation awards Micki Byrnes and WKYC the Sam Miller Goodness Award.
2024 CELEBRATION OF GOODNESS
Sam Miller Goodness Award
Lillian Kuri
President & CEO, Cleveland Foundation
OnAug. 1, 2023, Lillian Kuri made history by becoming the first female president & CEO of the Cleveland Foundation, the world’s oldest and one of the largest community foundations with $3 billion in assets. With over 25 years of executive and civic leadership experience, Lillian is known as an innovator, advocate and coalition builder who develops strategic initiatives with transformational results. As president & CEO, Lillian is currently leading the Cleveland Foundation’s transformation with a visionary strategic plan to shape the “Community Foundation of the Future.” Previously, as executive vice president & chief operating o cer, she spearheaded the foundation’s historic move to Cleveland’s Midtown/Hough neighborhood.
Since beginning her work with the foundation in 2005, Lillian has designed and led impactful, nationally acclaimed strategies to expand opportunities for Greater Cleveland residents. She developed and led a comprehensive revitalization of Cleveland’s Greater University Circle district, now recognized as a national model for anchor institution development strategies. She also co-founded the Evergreen Cooperatives, an innovative venture fostering community wealth through a network of employeeowned businesses. As vice president, strategic grantmaking, arts & urban design, she championed arts, culture and placemaking – including the foundation’s arts mastery initiative that brings year-round, rigorous, mastery-based programs in theater, music and visual arts to over 3,000 underserved children annually.
From 2000-2004, Lillian was the executive director of Cleveland Public Art. Prior to that, she managed Cleveland’s citywide plan for Mayor Michael R. White. Throughout her
career, Lillian has been an influential advocate for equitable urban design, planning, and architecture in Cleveland. In 2022, Mayor Justin Bibb appointed Lillian to chair the Cleveland Planning Commission, making her the first woman to serve as chair in the city’s 226-year history.
Lillian has been honored with awards and recognitions for her work, including Cleveland Magazine’s Community Leader of the Year, YWCA Greater Cleveland’s Women of Achievement, Crain’s Cleveland Business’ Women of Note, and Western Reserve Academy’s Waring Prize. She has been named among Cleveland Business Journal’s “12 People to Watch in Business,” and was profiled by Cleveland Magazine in the 2020 article “Female Architects Shaping Cleveland.” Lillian holds a Master of Architecture in urban design from Harvard University as well as a Bachelor of Architecture from Kent State University. She is a licensed architect in the state of Ohio and a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) accredited professional.
Given her background as an architect, Lillian knows that the greatest projects come from input, planning, strategy, and action. As the innovator of the Cleveland Foundation’s new headquarters, she saw the potential for the Foundation to not just be a funder, but an incubator of new community development. In a city where poverty, health equity, lead paint poisoning, early childhood education, high school graduation, and job readiness are major issues, Lillian is at the forefront and in the background of the serious architecture for a greater Cleveland. For her e orts, Values-in-Action Foundation recognizes her with the Sam Miller Goodness Award.
2024 CELEBRATION OF GOODNESS
Sam Miller Goodness Award
Dick Pogue
Senior Advisor, Jones Day
Dick Pogue became Acting Managing Partner of Jones Day on March 1, 1984, and Managing Partner one year later. During his years of service in these roles, the Firm grew significantly and for the first time entered international markets. In 1994, Dick retired from the Firm, and, after nine and half years as senior advisor at Dix & Eaton, a corporate public relations firm, he rejoined Jones Day in 2004.
While specializing in antitrust and corporate law at work, Dick has also been very active in civic arena and has served as chairman of many organizations, including The Cleveland Foundation, Greater Cleveland Growth Association (then the largest chamber of commerce in the U.S., with more than 16,000 members), University Hospitals Health System, The City Club, Business Volunteers Unlimited, Greater Cleveland Roundtable, The 50 Club, the Newcomen Society of the United States, Cleveland Institute of Music (interim), and Presidents’ Council Foundation. He chaired the 1989 Cleveland United Way campaign and served as co-chairman of Cleveland’s 1996 Bicentennial Commission.
In the field of education, Dick has served as a trustee of Case Western Reserve University, The University of Akron (U/A), and Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM). He has been named to receive honorary degrees from U/A and CIM, and in 2001, he served as interim executive director of the Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education. He was chairman of the (Ohio) Governor’s Commission on Higher Education & the Economy in 2003-2004 and later was a founding trustee of the (Ohio) Business Alliance on Higher Education and the Economy.
Dick’s dedication to community is legendary. From his early days as a corporate lawyer, he recognized that the law is only a part of his life’s work and mission, and that community building and giving back is the other. In the process, he has dedicated himself to promoting and supporting causes throughout Cleveland, Ohio, and the nation. He knows his values and approaches life and career in living and applying his values. Serving the community, mentorship, education, justice and doing good are among the hallmarks of his accomplishments and legacies as well as initiating the national and international expansion of Jones Day. How many people can say that they bought their Dad’s law firm, but Dick Pogue did! For all he has done for Cleveland, and for being a listening ear and an wise guide to so many leaders, Values-in-Action awards Dick Pogue the Sam Miller Goodness Award. Congratulations Dick!
Arnold R. Pinkney Award for Civic Leadership
Mayor Justin M. Bibb
City of Cleveland
Asthe 58th Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio, Justin M. Bibb is committed to putting people and neighborhoods first, delivering high-quality city services and leading bold change. The Bibb Administration is building a stronger and safer Cleveland and modernizing City Hall to improve outcomes for all Clevelanders.
Mayor Bibb and his team have made major progress on a wide range of initiatives including unprecedented support for public safety through the Raising Investment in Safety for Everyone (RISE) Initiative and a robust plan for the revitalization of Cleveland’s Southeast Side.
Mayor Bibb serves as chair of the national bipartisan coalition Climate Mayors, vice president of the Democratic Mayors Association and is a proud member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors advisory board, the Ohio Mayor’s Alliance and the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition.
Mayor Bibb was born and raised on Cleveland’s southeast side in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. Over the past 15 years, Mayor Bibb has worked in government, business and the nonprofit sector as an executive and nonprofit leader. He started his career in public service working for President Obama when he was in the U.S. Senate and later at Cuyahoga County as a special assistant advising on education and economic development
policies. He led the Global Cities Practice at global research firm Gallup, served as Vice President at KeyBank and was Chief Strategy O cer at Urbanova, a startup focused on improving cities.
Mayor Bibb’s vision is for Cleveland to be a national model for city management, public safety, and neighborhood revitalization.
Mayor Justin Bibb is about leadership, innovation, and transformation. Much like the namesake of this award, Arnold R. Pinkney, Mayor Bibb is forging new ground for the future of Cleveland. When he entered o ce, he set his mind on transforming city hall, establishing transparency, modernizing parking in downtown, improving safety, and investing in the Southeast side of Cleveland. Along with his senior team and Cleveland City Council, he has created an innovative tax increment financing program that will assist Bedrock and other developers in creating a showcase downtown, along with river and lake access. He has taken on the issue of Burke Lakefront Airport with new vigor. He has invested in our safety forces by increasing salaries. And he has targeted the high poverty neighborhoods of the East Side of Cleveland for improvement. Under his watch, homicides have decreased, and shovel ready properties have been made available for businesses wanting to come into the city. Exciting downtown development projects are underway, and, on top of that, Clevelanders no longer need coins for the parking meters! For his leadership in civic innovation and his caring for his hometown city, Values-in-Action Foundation awards Mayor Justin M. Bibb the Arnold R. Pinkney Award for Civic Leadership.
Easily report acts of kindness using the Just Be Kind kindness reporting app.
Sharing acts of kindness will inspire others to do the same! Let’s work together to create a nationwide ripple-effect of kindness.
The Just Be Kind app creates a community of kindness right at your fingertips. Access and download the app here and start posting today.
Read a story about kindness? Share it with us!
See someone do something kind? Share it with us!
Did you do something kind? Be proud. Post it!
The Just Be Kind Way of Life
Transform your community through acts of kindness. The Just Be Kind App strives to promote these acts through rewards and through a panoramic view of kindness in the community. Simply log your act of kindness, accrue points, and watch kindness blossom all around you.
Add An Act of Kindness
Document acts of kindness by simply selecting the plus sign. Select the category that best fits an act of kindness. Add details and video or photographs to highlight your act of kindness and select submit.
Kindness in the Community
Discover how small acts of kindness influence the whole through Kindness in the Community. You can observe kindness within your own community and get inspired to pass it on.
VIAWORKFORCETRAINING
The Values-in-Action (VIA) Workforce Training program prepares workforce-oriented 11th and 12th grade students in the soft skills needed for employment through proven character and values development techniques, community mentorship, and job placement opportunities. Areyouinterestedinchangingthelifeofayouth?
Each new mentor participates in a brief, 30-minute mentoring orientation (virtual meeting) with a workforce advisor ahead of the first scheduled class with students.
Each mentor will be assigned 2-5 students.
The mentor meets with the students for a 45-minute session three times throughout the12–16week training session. This can be virtual if needed.
Congratulations to the recipients of the Sam Miller Goodness Award, Arnold R. Pinkney Award for Civic Leadership and the Kindland “Ritter Way” Award.
Nic Barlage and The Cleveland Cavaliers, Mayor Justin M. Bibb, Micki Byrnes and WKYC (a member of the Cuyahoga Community College Foundation Board of Directors), Lillian Kuri, Dick Pogue and in remembrance of Jamieson Ritter and Jacob Derbin.
