Greene receives Community Cornerstone Award

CornerBank has announced Edward Greene is the Community Cornerstone Award recipient for December. In recognition of his service, CornerBank will contribute $100 to the non-profit organization of Edward’s choice. Edward has selected Friendship Meals to receive the contribution. A reception honoring Edward’s service will be at 3:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 16, in the CornerBank community room, 125 N. Summit. The public is invited to attend the reception.

Edward is the director of senior services for the City of Arkansas City. He was nominated for the Community Cornerstone Award by the patrons of the Senior Center because of all the extra services he provides outside his job to improve the lives of seniors in the community. As part of his job at the Center, Edward coordinates the Senior-Senior Prom, holds pot luck dinners monthly, hosts multiple dances each month, as well as special occasion parties throughout the year. He coordinates free income tax preparation for the seniors and manages general operations of the Center.

Edward goes well beyond that, though, to make life better for the seniors he serves. His patrons provided this description in their nomination:

Edward goes the extra mile for the seniors. If they don’t show up for lunch, he calls to check on them. If they’re sick, he goes to visit. He brings their cars to the door when there is bad weather. He plans activities, provides snacks and makes sure our senior building, inside and out, is something to be proud of. He brought in student nurses from Southwestern College to give the seniors pedicures. In summary, you can always count on Edward to be there in any way he can. Arkansas City can be extremely proud of their Senior Center as it is superior to all the other centers in the area due largely to Edward. We feel very blessed to have his leadership!

In addition to his work with seniors, Edward is licensed and is an ordained elder in the Church of God in Christ. He is very involved in his church, Eastside Cathedral of Praise, where he serves as an associate elder, musician and a member of the board of trustees, as well as a volunteer for numerous activities. He entertains for various organizations in the community by playing the piano and singing.

Edward was born in Denver and lived in several states from Pennsylvania to Kansas. Although he grew up protestant, he is a proud product of what he calls “a good Catholic education.” He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in vocal performance from Pittsburg State University. His moved to Arkansas City and worked for Binney and Smith and Total Petroleum He worked seven years for the Maverick Restaurant Corporation as a service manager, overseeing restaurants in Oklahoma and Texas. He then accepted a position with the City of Arkansas City as nutrition director for Aging Projects (Friendship Meals), where he worked seven years prior to accepting his current position.

Edward is married to Toni Sanders-Greene. They have one daughter, Deja Greene-Simpson, and her husband, Michael. He adores being called Paw-paw by his two granddaughters, Jordyn (5) and Jaeda (3).

Edward was selected for the award by the Community Cornerstone Award selection committee, which includes Arleta Rice, Judy Reedy, Karl Faidley, Curt Freeland and Brenda Combs. All are previous recipients of the Cornerstone Award. Volunteers are the cornerstones of healthy communities. They’re on your corner – the people next door. They’re in your corner – helping make our community stronger. The Community Cornerstone Award recognizes the time and effort of volunteers dedicated to serving people and enhancing the quality of life in Cowley County. If you know of a Cowley County resident who has shown servant leadership in community service, contact Joyce McArtor at 442-6500 or joycem@cornerbank.com for nomination guidelines.