The Ed Award: Ed for Education, Ed for Edward Molin.
Created in 2004, the Excellence in Education “Ed” Award is given annually to an individual or organization whose leadership, acts, and support of the NEF have raised the level of excellence in the city’s public schools.
2024 Excellence in Education “Ed” Award - Grace Connolly
The Excellence in Education “Ed” Award is given to an individual in the community whose leadership, acts, and support have raised the level of excellence in the Newburyport Public Schools.
Grace was part of the NEFs founding, a lead member of the group that conceptualized the organization, and played key roles in the formative months. Grace made the first initial monetary asks to local banks that netted $125,000, setting the NEF up for success. She filed all of the necessary paperwork to obtain the NEF’s charity status and drafted the bylaws. Additionally, Grace consulted with the individuals who would be founding board members, and also served on the board herself. Grace chaired our first Ed Award Gala, where the award was first presented to Ed Molin.
Grace is a leader in the community and her support was instrumental in establishing the NEF as a community organization. Grace brought ideas common to private schools and urged the NEF to pursue naming opportunities for our recently renovated high school; this program not only garnered funds for the schools, it remains a key tool for encouraging and recognizing donors. Grace also serves as a trustee of the Small Foundation, whose mission is education and whose largesse has supported the NEF generously over the years. She is also the Chair of the Board of Trustees for Anna Jaques Hospital.
The Cindy Johnson Volunteer Award, introduced in 2016, is presented to an individual for the many devoted hours of encouragement, inspiration, and unselfish support they have given to the Newburyport Education Foundation.
The inaugural award was presented to Cindy Johnson. Cindy is a founding member of the Newburyport Education Foundation and has been an integral part of its success for 15 years. She has given tirelessly to the organization to ensure that Newburyport students receive the positive educational experience they deserve. Over the years, Cindy has held almost every title within the organization and has taken on every task in front of her from spearheading new fundraising opportunities to event cleanups.
2024 Cindy Johnson Volunteer Award Recipients - Jane and John Nickodemus
The Cindy Johnson Volunteer Award is presented to an individual(s) for his/her many devoted volunteer hours to support the Newburyport Education Foundation.
For well over a decade, Jane and John Nickodemus have been dedicated and humble supporters of the NEF, from volunteering their time to generously giving their resources both financial and tangible. Both Jane and John co-chaired the Annual NEF Auction for two years from 2017 to 2018, and played a pivotal role in helping the event grow exponentially during that time. They set a high-bar for future committees across the board with their professionalism, enthusiasm, and fantastic combined stage presence.
Jane was an NEF Board Member for three years from 2017 through 2019, spending countless hours building and executing events, and as an ambassador for the organization spreading awareness through outreach activity. Jane helped start ‘NEF Coffee and Conversations,’ and Jane hosted the first one. These small events served as a way to bring people together to educate them on our mission, fundraising activities and to develop new volunteers. Ever the committed supporter of all things good in our city, John has been an active participant in the annual NEF Golf Tournament and Monte Carlo/Poker fundraisers. He also donated countless sets of tickets and rounds of golf to the golf tournament’s silent auction, a crucial part of its success.
Created in 2017, the Business Partner Award is presented to a company that has made particularly noteworthy contributions to the NEF and Newburyport Public Schools.
2024 Business Partner Award Recipient - Newburyport Bank
The Business Partner Award is presented to a company that has made particularly noteworthy contributions to the NEF and the Newburyport Public Schools. The Newburyport Bank was one of the founding supporters of the Newburyport Education Foundation, allowing the NEF to hit the ground running, and has been a generous supporter ever since.
Donating almost $300,000 since the NEF’s inception, there has not been a year they did not provide support. They have funded the Library Media Center at the Bresnahan and the World Language Lab at the high school, with both rooms named after them. They have been true stewards of STEM, often funding our STEM consumables for all three schools. Most recently they have funded two FarmBots and planter beds at the Nock/Molin. These farming robots will merge traditional agriculture with technology, and coding, allowing Nock students hands on fun as they grow and care for plants and produce. The FarmBots will be unveiled to the community in June of this year.
Over the years the bank has been involved with or sponsored many of our events, including being very active with the Spelling Bee, Poker/Monte Carlo nights, and the Ed Awards. Longtime bank President Richie Eaton was also a founding member of the NEF, our treasurer, and Ed Award Winner in 2012 for his dedication and impact to our organization.
The 2025 nomination period for the NEF awards has ended.
To nominate an individual or organization, please fill out the form below.
All nominations are due by Saturday, April 1st, 2023.
*Please Note: Current school district employees (educators and administrators), city employees and current/past board members are excluded from consideration.
The 2024 nomination period for the NEF awards has ended.
Or email info@newburyportef.org with your RSVP.
Join us as we celebrate YOUR impact on the Newburyport Public Schools! We will honor the winners of the following awards:
• Excellence in Education "Ed" Award - Grace Connolly
• Cindy Johnson Volunteer Award - Jane and John Nickodemus
• Business Partner Award - Newburyport Bank
The Newburyport Education Foundation (NEF) is pleased to announce the 2024 NEF Awards Evening, which will be held on Tuesday, June 11th from 6:00-8:30 PM at The Deck. The evening will highlight the work of our award recipients – Grace Connolly, Newburyport Bank, and Jane & John Nickodemus.
“Our founding, success out of the gate, and continued growth is a result of all of our award winners this year and it’s thrilling to see them all recognized,” says Carrie O’Donnell, Executive Director of the NEF. “We could not fund the programs we do without passionate volunteers and businesses that support our vision and they all deserve to be recognized for their hard work and generosity.”
Tuesday, June 11th from 6:00 - 8:30 pm
The Deck Salisbury
179 Bridge Road, Salisbury
Or email info@newburyportef.org with your RSVP.
