MacLaughlins receive Community Cornerstone Award

Jan and Denny MacLaughlin are CornerBank’s Community Cornerstone Award recipients in Arkansas City for April. In recognition of their service, CornerBank will contribute $100 to the non-profit organization of their choice. They have selected Arkansas City Habitat for Humanity to receive the contribution. A reception honoring the MacLaughlins’ service will be at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 25, in the CornerBank community room, 125 N. Summit. The public is invited to attend the reception.

Jan finished a three-year term as a board member for the Ark City Area Arts Council. Jan took an active role in helping with many events including fundraisers, theme dinners, theatrical performances and tours. Both Jan and Denny helped out with the Burford Theater renovation. Jan also spent many hours working alongside Denny as they painted a house that had been bequeathed to the Arts Center. Jan recently joined the Cowley County United Way board and will assist with fundraising for the 2013 campaign.

Jan is an active member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where she volunteers her time in a variety of ways, including offertory counter, church cleaner, stewardship drive campaign manager, special occasion food preparation, choir and much more. She also is a team leader for Relay for Life and helps with the Cowley Cup pre-game booster dinner.

Denny helps regularly with Habitat for Humanity and has spent countless hours working on Habitat homes the past five to six years. He is an active parishioner at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where he also serves as a member of Knights of Columbus, for which he helps with the Tootsie Roll Drive, making and selling German sausage at Arkalalah and working on various church construction projects. He donates his time as a lector, stewardship drive campaign manager, church cleaner and in many other capacities.

Jan and Denny regularly pick up trash alongside the road while they are out walking. They give of their time freely and are truly “behind the scenes” volunteers in many capacities.

Jan and Denny have been married 41 years. They have three children: Eric and Anitra MacLaughlin, Amarillo, Texas; Scott and Rhoda MacLaughlin, Arkansas City; and Tara and Dusty Morrison, Arkansas City. They have eight grandchildren: Mia, Ava, Britton, Spencer, Liam, Dane, Graham and Ainsley.

Jan completed her bachelor’s degree in human resources management from Empire State College. She is the assistant vice president for human resources at RCB Bank. Denny enlisted in the Army after high school and served as a military policeman. He has worked in quality assurance and testing for Fisher Price, Rubbermaid, Little Tykes and Acts Bureau Veritas. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business administration from Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland. He now occasionally serves as an adjunct instructor for Friends University, teaching business and leadership courses. He now is semi-retired, but owns his own business, Great Plains Quality Management.

Although Denny and Jan were both born and raised in New York, they relocated to the Midwest to be closer to their grandchildren.

The MacLaughlins were selected for the award by the Community Cornerstone Award selection committee, which includes Arleta Rice, Judy Reedy, 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.