John Annick
Trumbull, CT

United Way of Eastern Fairfield County staff annually bestows the prestigious Norman Leeds award on a volunteer who has made an outstanding contribution to the Community Campaign. This annual award, first presented in 1963, was created in memory of father and son, Norman Leeds, Sr. and Norman Leeds, Jr., both of whose leadership was instrumental in creating United Way of Eastern Fairfield County, as we know it today. Norman Leeds, Sr. played a vital role in the founding of the Bridgeport Community Chest in 1921 and continued his strong support throughout the 1920's. In the 1950's and 1960's Norman Leeds, Jr. was very active in the United Fund of Eastern Fairfield County.

This year, United Way is delighted to honor John W. Annick with the 2006 Norman Leeds Award for his tireless work as a Loaned Executive since1999. Throughout the years, Annick, a former employee of and consultant for GE, has helped raise nearly $2 million dollars for United Way of Eastern Fairfield County!

Annick is an active participant in the community. He serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations including Junior Achievement and the local Trumbull Chambers of Commerce. Eleven years ago, he spearheaded and now co-chairs the Town of Trumbull's Business/Education Initiative, which brings together community leaders, educators and business partners to help Trumbull students learn about the workplace through career exploration activities. He is a member of the Bridgeport Rotary Club, having served as its President and as a Governor of Rotary District 7980. In his Rotary roles, Annick has worked with read-aloud programs, student of the month recognition activities, and a vocabulary-building program, which distributed dictionaries to third graders. He was also a member of the Diocese of Bridgeport's Task Force on Aging. Annick is a compassionate man who always goes the extra yard for his colleagues, friends, and community.