Rankin receives Community Cornerstone Award

CornerBank has announced that Elaine Rankin is the latest Cornerstone Award recipient. In recognition of Rankin’s accomplishments, CornerBank will contribute $100 to the non-profit organization of her choice. She has selected the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity to share the donation. A reception honoring Rankin will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, August 31, in the CornerBank lobby, 900 Main. The public is invited to attend the reception.

Rankin has been a longtime volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and generally helps with building the current project. She chairs the Habitat family selection committee and is a member of the Habitat partnering committee. She is a past member of the Habitat for Humanity Board.

She also volunteers for the hospital auxiliary and serves on the board for the Cowley County Historical Society. She is a bell ringer for the Salvation Army and a member of Central Baptist Church. She is a past member of the Cowley County Humane Society and past volunteer for CASA. She helped with several Red Cross projects, including Ground Zero, and served on the Red Cross board. She earned bell ringer awards many years.

In 1989, she took a two-week study trip to Japan and in 1990 was awarded a six-week Fulbright Scholarship to Argentina. She was a member of the National Council for Social Studies/Japan Foundation.

Rankin was raised in Elk County on a ranch. She attended Howard High School and earned a Bachelor of Arts from Wichita State University in 1971 and a Master’s degree from Emporia State University in 1986. She worked at Winfield Public Library and Winfield Middle School.

She is married to Carl Schultz, associate pastor at Central Baptist Church. Her family includes two children, Tod Dutton and his wife, Ann; and Traci Dutton. She has three grandchildren, John, Joel and Kanbria; and two great-grandchildren, Tallan and Jaida.

Rankin was selected for the award by the Community Cornerstone Award selection committee, which includes Cindy Goertz, Ralph Hanna, Rose Hanna, Mary Jarvis, Roger Lungren and Mildred Sherrard. All are previous recipients of the Cornerstone Award. Volunteers are the cornerstones of healthy communities. The Community Cornerstone Award recognizes the time and effort of volunteers dedicated to serving people and enhancing the quality of life in Cowley County. To make a nomination contact Ev Bowman at 221-1650 or evelynb@cornerbank.com.