Well deserved honors

Because of their advocacy, work ethic and sincerity, two well-known community activists, Karen Frederick and Paul Marion, will be recognized during two upcoming high-profile events.
Frederick, a Dracut resident and executive director of Community Teamwork Inc., the region’s largest anti-poverty agency, has been chosen to deliver the keynote address during Lowell Women’s Week kick-off breakfast on Monday, March 5, at Lenzi’s.
Marion, of Lowell, employed at UMass Lowell, will receive the 2012 Thomas G. Kelakos Community Spirit award on Friday, March 23, also at Lenzi’s.

CTI Executive Director Karen Frederick

“Karen inspires us all to realize that we can succeed when times are tough,” said JoAnn Marcos of the Lowell Women’s Week Executive Committee. “She is the product of our 2012 theme, ‘All Our Voices.’ Karen would not have become who she is today without the help of many caring people. Her experiences helped her bring CTI to new heights in its mission of working with families and individuals in need.”
Coincidentally, Frederick received the Kelokos award in 2004 from the Greater Lowell Kiwanis Club.
Kelakos , a longtime Kiwanis member who died in 2000, is remembered for his wisdom, compassion, generosity, and commitment to the ideals of Kiwanis, a global organization of volunteers.

Paul Marion, UMass Lowell community and cultural affairs executive director

“Paul has shown many of the qualities of our most revered past member, Tom Kelakos. Paul has deep roots in Lowell and has been working for years to help make Lowell a special place,” said event chairman, Bob Howard. “This is the 10th-year for the Tom Kelakos Community Spirit Award and our 95th anniversary as a Kiwanis Club.”
Also in the coincidence category, CTI honored Marion in 2008 with one of its esteemed Local Heroes awards.
Marie Sweeney, of Tewksbury, knows both Frederick and Marion well. They’re both well-deserving of the honors.
“Both a really important people in the Greater Lowell community – highly respected and in my opinion community treasures for their contribution to improving the quality of life locally — they are role models. Most importantly for me they are my close colleagues and friends.”
Sweeney on Frederick: “Karen Frederick is a highly respected professional woman – an outstanding leader in the world of community action, an expert in the field of family services, a community leader whose advice and expertise is sought by her peers as well as by local, state and national officials. She rose from being a single, mother of four client of CTI to being CTI’s inspiring and highly regarded leader.”
Sweeney on Marion: “Paul Marion is an author, poet, thinker and cultural activist and professional who has become an important voice for Lowell. For over 30 years he has guided, chronicled and espoused community cultural activities in the city – his commitment has been a constant – telling the story, inspiring partnerships, helping program development – from his time at the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission to his role today at UML as Executive Director, Community and Cultural Affairs.”
Congratulations to both Federick and Marion.

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