DNP honors volunteers of the year

John Brennan, senior associate director, Office of Public Relations

2:11 p.m., June 22, 2004--John A. Brennan, senior associate director in the University’s Office of Public Relations, was honored as one of four volunteers of the year for his work with the Downtown Newark Partnership (DNP). He coordinated the creation of the colorful banners that dot city streets to welcome visitors and mark holidays and special events.

UD President David P. Roselle presented him the award as an outstanding volunteer from the University at the DNP’s annual dinner June 10 in the Trabant University Center.

Maureen Feeney Roser, the city’s assistant planning director, said she calls on Brennan frequently to help with various projects, so his name came to mind immediately when it was time to select outstanding volunteers.

“He has been helpful to us with numerous publications we put together over the years, but he is being honored this year for his work with the creative services group in his office to create the community banners. He also works with the facilities people at the University to have them installed.

“The result is a series of the best-looking banners that we’re ever had. Just look at the graduates’ banners that we put up recently,” Roser said. “They are just exquisitely designed [by Lane McLaughlin of Public Relations], and they went up just when they were supposed to.’’

Roser said Brennan’s mild, unruffled manner makes him easy to deal with. “He’s very calm, always,’’ she said.

The city’s Department of Parks and Recreation and the University worked together to install six community banners poles at strategic locations in the past year. Banners have been hung to mark the Memorial Parade, graduation, Liberty Day and to welcome visitors to the city and campus.

UD’s Office of Public Relations has designed several other holiday banners that will be purchased in the future by the Downtown Newark Partnership. The partnership also plans to erect more banner poles next year.

Past UD recipients of DNP’s Outstanding Volunteer Award are Domenick Sicilia, director of the Bob Carpenter Center, and Mary Hempel, assistant to the president and director of the Office of Public Relations.

DNP also presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Selena Bing, proprietor of Bing’s Bakery, a landmark on Main Street since 1946. In honor of Bing, DNP has renamed its awards for outstanding volunteers the Selena Bing Award. Besides Brennan, DNP presented awards for outstanding volunteer work to Chris Locke of Formal Affairs as the volunteer from the business community, to Joseph Charma of Landmark Engineering as the volunteer from the residents of Newark and to Roser as the volunteer from the city.

Keynote speaker was Nathan Hayward III, state secretary of transportation.

DNP is a coalition of the City of Newark, UD, downtown business owners and Newark residents who work together to promote and preserve Newark’s unique downtown area as a community and commerce center.

Article by Kathy Canavan
Photo by Kathy F. Atkinson

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