Brother Ray Fitz to Receive Outstanding Service Award
Dayton, OH — St. Mary Development Corporation will give its Third Annual Outstanding Service Award to Brother Raymond Fitz, S.M.. Fitz was the longest-serving president in the University of Dayton’s history and now works in the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community as the Fr. Ferree professor of social justice.
The award will be presented at Sinclair Community College’s David H. Ponitz Center (Building 12) on Friday, June 6 at an 8:30 a.m. award breakfast. Last year’s Outstanding Service Award recipient was Dean Lovelace, Dayton City Commissioner. In 2006, Congressman Mike Turner received the award.
In honor of the award, the Office of the City Commission of the City of Dayton has proclaimed June 6, 2008, “Brother Raymond L. Fitz Day.”
St. Mary Development’s Outstanding Service Award is part of National NeighborWorks® Week, a national celebration of the accomplishments of the NeighborWorks network whose members work in more than 4,400 communities across the nation, including Dayton. In 1999, St. Mary Development was chosen as a Charter Member of NeighborWorks America and has received more than $2 million in grants from NeighborWorks to support low-income housing projects.
“Brother Ray is involved with every aspect of community development in Dayton,” said Dick McBride, SMDC’s president and CEO. “He is a role model for how to best get people involved in improving their city. We’re honored to present our third annual Outstanding Service Award to him.”
Brother Raymond L. Fitz, S.M. was the longest-serving president in the University of Dayton’s history. He stepped down from his position after 23 years in June 2002 and now works in the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community as the Fr. Ferree professor of social justice. Fitz serves on the executive committee and school readiness committee of Montgomery County’s Family and Children First Council, which is working to create a seamless human services system. He was chair of the Montgomery County Human Services Levy campaign and served on the Homeless Solutions Task Force. His strong interest in the health of the community extends to the classroom, where he team-teaches the “Leadership in Building Communities” seminar. Fitz also teaches classes that connect social justice with complex problems within urban societies.
St. Mary Development Corporation is the largest non-profit provider of high-quality, affordable housing and housing services for low-income seniors and working families in Southwest Ohio. St. Mary Development completed its first tax-credit project in 1993. Since then it has developed or co-developed 24 housing tax-credit projects, with a total of more than 2,300 housing units. The economic value of St. Mary Development units placed into service is more than $175 million.
For more information, visit contact Tim Bete at 937-277-8214 or tbete@smdcd.org.
Brother Raymond Fitz, S.M.
We work toward the day when
all residents of southwest Ohio -- especially the economically disadvantaged -- have a decent, affordable
place to live and become part of a thriving community.
