Awards program celebrates those who go above and beyond in service to others
NELSONVILLE, Ohio – Lawrence County resident Amanda Cleary is one of four Appalachian Ohioans selected as 2025 Jenco Award recipients, honoring their selfless commitment to serving others and their communities.
Presented by the Jenco Foundation in partnership with the Foundation for Appalachian Ohio (FAO), the Jenco Awards celebrate individuals across the 32-county region who have performed noteworthy community service outside their paid positions. Jenco Award recipients exemplify the difference everyday people can make when they give their time, talent and passion to serve their neighbors and communities.
“Each of these individuals embodies the spirit of servant leadership,” said Sharon Hatfield, Jenco Foundation committee member. “Their unwavering dedication to the well-being of others is strengthening our communities and calling others to lives of kindness and purpose.”
A resident of Ironton, Cleary has spent more than six years seeking and creating avenues to improve the lives of Lawrence County residents – all inspired by her love for the community and the people who call it home.
In 2019, the Lawrence County native co-founded Third and Center, an arts-based nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing and maintaining the beauty of Ironton while building community and creating opportunities accessible to all. As its volunteer executive director, Cleary is responsible for the organization’s operations and is the driving force behind its many community-enhancing efforts, including:
- Beautification projects, such as community crosswalk paintings, the design and installation of bike racks, the installation of riverfront swings, painting and restoration of floodwall murals, and the Trash Bash Community Cleanup
- Art for All, an inclusive event designed for Lawrence County students with developmental disabilities
- Community art classes for all ages and abilities
- A growing annual Summer Solstice Music & Arts Festival
- Art camp at the Ohio University Southern Bobcat Academy summer program
Most recently, Cleary spearheaded plans to revitalize the Ironton Senior Center, working with the Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization and the Lawrence County Commissioners to allow Third and Center to assume management of the center’s programming. Her vision, concern for the local senior community and efforts to secure funding have restored programming and meal service at the Ironton Senior Center.
In 2024, Ohio University Southern, Cleary’s alma mater, awarded her its Alumni Humanitarian Award in recognition of her spirit of volunteerism and community service.
The Jenco Foundation and the Jenco Awards uphold the legacy of Father Lawrence Martin Jenco, a Roman Catholic priest who dedicated his life to serving others. In 1985, Father Jenco was kidnapped while serving as director of Catholic Relief Services in Lebanon and spent 19 months in captivity. Even in confinement, Father Jenco continued to serve, providing a listening ear for other detainees, including journalist Terry Anderson.
Anderson, who passed away in 2024, founded the Jenco Foundation in 2001 to honor the legacy of his friend, who died in 1996. The Jenco Foundation joined FAO as an endowment in 2011, ensuring that Father Jenco’s legacy would live on in perpetuity. Since 2002, Jenco Awards have been presented to more than 90 individuals who, like Father Jenco, give of themselves and inspire others to serve their communities.
All Jenco Award recipients are nominated by their fellow community members. The other 2025 Jenco Award recipients are Amy Hursey of Muskingum County, Stephanie Rife of Meigs County and Shannon Stewart of Athens County.
For more information about the Jenco Foundation, the Jenco Awards, FAO and how you can make a difference in your community, visit www.AppalachianOhio.org, email info@ffao.org or call 740.753.1111.