LIMELIGHTS & CAREER PATHS

LIMELIGHTS & CAREER PATHS

HONORED

True Freedom Enterprises, a prison ministry in Ohio, has awarded Todd Ishee of Youngstown the Innovated Leadership Award for his work transforming the culture within Ohio’s prison system.

Ishee is the Northeast Regional Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction.

The award was presented recently by True Freedom Executive Director Michael Swiger at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Grafton Reintegration Center, where True Freedom installed a playground for inmates and their children to use during visitation.

Ishee “helped make this playground a reality with his approval,” Swiger said. “He has been a champion for change. Through his partnership and support, he is allowing organizations like ours to [affect] transformational change within the prison system.”

True Freedom and the ODRC also have worked together to provide parenting classes, worship services, resume development and computer training at Grafton Reintegration Center, according to a news release.

HBK CPAs & Consultants recently was named a top employer in the state by the Ohio Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) State Council.

This marked the ninth year HBK has made the list, and moved up from seventh to sixth place this year in the large-employer category.

“Though we’ve consistently earned this honor, we don’t assume it from year to year,” said David J. Blasko, CPA and Principal-in-Charge of HBK’s Northeastern Ohio region, which spans from Youngstown to Alliance. “The fact that we have made the list 11 out of 12 years we have been nominated shows our commitment to employee engagement. It’s one of the reasons we’re able to establish such great relationships with our clients.”

The annual Best Employers in Ohio list was created by the Ohio SHRM State Council and Best Companies Group.

The selections are made through a statewide survey and awards process.

This year’s list included more than three dozen companies from various industries and fell into the categories of small/medium employer (15 to 249 U.S. employees) and large employer (250 or more U.S. employees), according to a news release.