Bowen Center honors community leaders

Bowen Center celebrated four outstanding community members in Marshall County at its 2022 board of director’s annual dinner last night. The Center annually honors outstanding individuals whose work aligns with the Center’s mission of strengthening and improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves. This year the extraordinary efforts of the honorees involved affordable housing, education, community development and integrated healthcare. 

Aimee Portteus, director of school counseling initiatives at Inspire Success, was honored with the Achieving Excellence for Students and Community Award. Ms. Portteus was described as always having her students’ best interests at heart and as a result was a strong advocate for Bowen Center’s expansion to meet the mental and physical health needs of Marshall County students. 

Dave Bailey, president, and chief executive officer at Community Hospital of Bremen, received the Visionary in Meeting the Needs of Rural Communities Award. Mr. Bailey in partnership with Bowen Center has helped to remove barriers to mental health care and addiction recovery services by offering therapy services inside the hospital. 

Mayor Mark Senter, City of Plymouth, was recognized for new initiatives he has introduced to the community to improve residents’ quality of life with the Leading a Community Where People and Businesses Thrive Award. 

Brent Martin, co-owner of SRKM Architecture, was honored with the Building Brighter Futures Award because of his passion for creating affordable housing opportunities for those in need. 

The event also featured a tribute to Bowen Center’s president and chief executive officer, Kurt Carlson, who will retire at the end of June after 33 years of dedicated service to the organization.