Local Philanthropists Receive Mawby Award
DATE: May 27, 2010 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Mary Jo Herbig Director of Communications (810) 767-8270 LOCAL PHILANTHROPISTS RECEIVE THE MAWBY AWARD FLINT, MI – Local philanthropists Ghassan and Manal Saab are the recipients of the 2010 Russell G. Mawby Award for Philanthropy, Michigan’s most prestigious philanthropy award. The Saabs accepted the award Thursday, May 19 during the Michigan Nonprofit Association SuperConference held at the Lansing Center. The Mawby Award was established in 1995 upon the retirement of Dr. Russell G. Mawby from the Chairmanship and Chief Executive Officer positions at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. This award honors the work and philosophy of Dr. Mawby in encouraging private action for the public good through philanthropy. It is awarded annually by the Council of Michigan Foundations and Michigan Nonprofit Association. Nominated by the Community Foundation of Greater Flint (CFGF), the Saabs are the first Genesee County residents, and the first immigrants, to receive the Mawby Award. For the Saabs, philanthropy is a personal commitment born of a value system that believes in “giving back and paying forward.” Through the Ghassan and Manal Saab Foundation, the Saabs have made grants to strengthen organizations including the United Way of Genesee County, Crim Fitness Foundation, The Flint Rotary Charitable Foundation, Flint Children’s Museum,Tall Pine Council-Boy Scouts of America, Catholic Charities of Shiawassee and Genesee Counties, the American Arab Heritage Council, the Arab American National Museum in Dearborn, the Flint Institute of Music, the Flint Institute of Arts and the Center for Arab American Philanthropy – just to name a few. “For years Ghassan and Manal have contributed generous gifts that have made an important difference in the lives of many, many people,” said Kathi Horton, CFGF President. “They give not only of their financial resources but also of their time and talents. They give in ways that have lasting impact for those who are alive today, and also for generations yet to come.” Ghassan was born in Choueifat, Lebanon. He graduated from the American University of Beirut (AUB) with a degree in civil engineering. Ghassan moved to Flint in 1966 and joined Sorensen Gross Construction Company as a field engineer. He has served as President and owner since 1971. Under Ghassan’s leadership, Sorensen Gross and his other construction companies have managed over one billion dollars of construction work in Michigan, throughout the United States and overseas. Manal was born in Beirut, Lebanon. She earned a graduate degree from Cleveland State University in public and health care administration, and spent 17 years in progressive positions at the MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio. Manal currently serves as Vice President of SGT Ltd., a Flint-based real estate developing consulting firm. She is a member of the Board of Governors of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities of Memphis, Tenn. The Saabs have both served in various nonprofit organizations as dedicated volunteers, committee members and leaders. When the University of Michigan—Flint launched its largest capital campaign in history, the couple co-chaired the “Imagine: The UM-Flint Difference” effort that raised a record $40 million for new scholarships, student research and the Honors program. The Saab’s leadership gift also helped jump-start the campaign. While the Saabs have given greatly of themselves to many of the premiere institutions of the Flint area, they have also made a difference at the grassroots level. Ghassan was instrumental in the establishment of the American Arab Heritage Council in Flint, a grassroots nonprofit organization that works diligently to broaden understanding and appreciation of Arabic culture and to encourage and recognize American Arab involvement in the Greater Flint community. The Saabs are helping to create a vibrant urban core in downtown Flint. As private investors, they and several of their business associates, have actively partnered with Uptown Reinvestment Corporation, a local nonprofit dedicated to the revitalization of downtown Flint, to create an amazing re-birth of the “Main Street” corridor of downtown Flint. This impressive collaboration is helping to transform what had become largely abandoned center city blocks into a healthy urban center, one that is home to a mosaic of people, diverse businesses, corporate headquarters, colleges and universities, and a vibrant government center. As these examples have shown, the Saab’s commitment to “give back and pay it forward” provides ample evidence of philanthropy that touches the lives of people and makes a significant difference, locally, nationally and internationally. About CFGF: The Community Foundation of Greater Flint serves the common good in Genesee County—building a strong community by engaging people in philanthropy and developing the community’s permanent endowment—now and for generations to come. CFGF helps donors support the causes they care about, today or through their estates. In 2009, CFGF awarded more than $4.2 million in grants to the local community. CFGF serves Flint and all of Genesee County including its geographic affiliates in Clio, Davison, Fenton, Flushing and Grand Blanc.
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