STATEHOUSE -- State Rep. Chris May (R-Bedford) recently presented the Brilliant Firefly award to Tanner Bowman for his active engagement at Brown County High School and impactful work in the community. According to May, the Brilliant Firefly award is named after the official state insect, the Say’s Firefly and was created by Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch to honor young Hoosiers who have shown exceptional academic achievement and community leadership. “Tanner Bowman has been an inspiration to fellow students and citizens through his leadership, as well as his involvement at school and around the Brown County area,” May said. “He places the needs of his classmates and community ahead of his own.” As a student, Bowman served as president of the Brown County High School History Club, a reporter for the school’s Talon online news source and as a member of BCHS’ national champion We the People civics team. He also represented his school at the Lugar Symposium for Tomorrow’s Leaders and on the Indiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council. As well, Bowman was a regional winner of the Veterans of Foreign Wars’ Voice of Democracy essay contest. In addition to being an engaged student, Bowman is also active in the community. He has participated in the annual 9/11 memorial ceremony in Indianapolis the past two years and laid flags on veterans’ gravesites in Brown County every Memorial Day for the last three years. Bowman also serves as a production manager at Eagle Manufacturing, a student-led business in Brown County. That role gave him the ability to speak at the annual meeting of Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Inc. “Tanner’s outstanding work has not gone unnoticed by citizens in his community,” May said. “His initiative and dedication have earned him an excellent reputation. Tanner is a prime example of the talented and bright students we have in our community.” ABIGAIL ALDERDICE | The Democrat
Rachel Runion
SALT LAKE CITY — Rachel Runion of Nashville has earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Western Governors University.
Victor Bongard
The Brown County Community Foundation has added Nashville resident Victor Bongard to its volunteer board of trustees.
A former practicing attorney and business law instructor at Virginia Tech, Bongard is now a senior lecturer at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. His work in the department of business law and ethics encourages students to perceive ethical concerns inherent in business and real estate transactions while teaching the tools to make reasoned judgements about them. Bongard’s most recent community involvement includes coaching an area youth soccer club.
The role of the board of trustees is to provide strategic leadership to the BCCF, ensuring the organization stays focused on mission and vision. Board members develop policies and goals, are active fundraisers and are relentless in pursing the foundation’s commitments to the community.
The BCCF continuously seeks diverse representatives from Brown County to serve on the board of trustees, and welcomes applications from any community member interested in making a positive difference in Brown County.
