Individual volunteer and workplace award recipients to be recognized at Annual Celebration

(Stark County, OH) March 10, 2022 – The following volunteer and workplace awards will be presented at United Way of Greater Stark County’s Annual Celebration, March 29 at Kent State University at Stark Conference Center: Leading the Way, Gold Key Service and DeHoff Emerging Philanthropist.

“Thank you to the workplaces and individuals that make a difference every day in the lives of their neighbors. We are honored to recognize community leaders and volunteers for the positive impact they make in our community,” says Maria Heege, President & CEO of United Way of Greater Stark County.

DeHoff Emerging Philanthropist Award was established in 2010 by Bob and Linda DeHoff to recognize a Stark County resident age 45 and under who impacts Stark County through direct service and volunteer work. The recipient receives $5,000 from the DeHoffs to be donated to a health and human service 501(c) 3 organization of choice.

DeHoff Emerging Philanthropist Award will be presented to Taylor Schauer. Schauer joined Schauer Group, Inc. in 2009 and in 2021 was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. He has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Akron. Schauer earned the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 2010, and his Associate in Risk Management (ARM) designation in 2011. He serves on the board of directors for the Builders Exchange, the Ohio Contractors Association (Akron/Canton chapter), the Early Childhood Resource Center, United Way of Greater Stark County, Stark Mental Health and Addiction Recovery, and Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio. Schauer is past president of TWI and the Surety Association of Ohio. He is a 2014 recipient of the ystark! Twenty under 40! award. 

“I was honored to nominate and then learn Taylor Schauer is the recipient of the DeHoff Emerging Philanthropist Award,” says his nominator, Kevin Smith, President of PPI Graphics. “Having worked with Taylor on the United Way Board, Finance and CEO Search Committees, I have found him to be soft spoken but with a knowledge and confidence in his actions and words that make you feel part of the team and assured that the decisions, in any of the roles he plays, are always positive. He is successful in all parts of his life and will gladly lend his talents to those who ask. My sincere congratulations to him and his family. This honor is well deserved.”


Gold Key Service Award was established by United Way of Greater Stark County in 1961 to recognize individuals who have continually demonstrated the highest degree of personal dedication and service in a voluntary capacity. Their contribution of time and talent supports United Way’s Investment Priorities of health, education and financial stability. There will be three recipients this year: Betty Smith, Phil Francis, and Chris Goff.

Betty Smith was employed by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago for 28 years where she created programs for youth and families. Smith founded Forever Free, a recovery home for women and women with children recovering from drugs and alcohol, Joyful Noise Christian Entertainment Center and Stretchnastics Aerobic exercise studio, Multi-Development Services of Stark County, Canton Idol and more. In 2012 Betty Co-Founded and became the Executive Director of EN-RICH-MENT. Her awards include: 2013, inducted into the Senior Olympics Hall of Fame; 2016, Women’s Legacy Award for Education; Community Salutes Award of Appreciation from the Stark County Regional Chamber of Commerce and a Woman of the Month Award for the Arts from the Lenzy Institute; 2018 on behalf EN-RICH-MENT, the Judith Lancaster Community Award under ABCD, Inc., the Robert and Patricia Horowitz award, and was one of two recipients to receive the Peoples Champion award from the Repository’s Inaugural Awards Gala; 2019, a Special Spotlight Award from Coming Together Stark County and Community leadership award from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Smith is the author of “Unexpected Blessings in the Midst of my Pain”, and “Bishop Arthur M Brazier, Man with a Vision.”

“I don’t believe there is anyone else in Stark County who has provided more kids with free access to the arts than Betty,” says her nominator, Derek Gordon, Owner’s Representative for Capital Projects at Stark Library. “Through her EN-RICH-MENT program, she has been incredibly resourceful and does a remarkable job of letting kids find their passion regardless of costs. If a student shows up and wants to play an expensive instrument or learn a new art form, she finds a way to get them the equipment or instruction that they need. Her success can be contributed to her genuine passion and selfless commitment to the students. Because of her personal generosity, her greatest strength is getting others to support her mission. When Ms. Betty asks for help, the community responds.”

Phil Francis is a Vice President, Trust Officer and Client Advisor for Huntington Private Bank and has been a part of the bank for almost 27 years. Prior to joining the bank, Francis was in-house counsel for a local financial institution and an attorney in private practice with a local law firm. He is a graduate of Mount Union College and Case Western Reserve University School of Law. Francis is past President of the Child & Adolescent Service Center, the Rotary Club of Alliance, the Alliance Family YMCA and the Alliance Community Soccer Club, and a past Chairman of the Canton Fair Housing Commission. He is a graduate of Leadership Stark County and currently serves on the Buckeye Council Boy Scouts Executive Board, the Stark County Board of Health (past Board President and Vice President), the Alliance Salvation Army Advisory Board and the Washington Township Board of Zoning Appeals. He is also Treasurer of the Glamorgan Castle Crusaders’ Capital Campaign. In 2007, Phil was elected to the Marlington Local Schools Board of Education (re-elected in 2011), where he served as Board President and Vice President. Francis has been a big part of United Way over the past sixteen + years: served on the Board of Directors since 2006 and is a past Board Chair (2018-2020); served on the Finance Committee since 2011, the Executive Committee since 2012, Nominating Committee since 2019, Revenue Enhancement Committee since 2020, Strategic Planning Oversight Committee since 2020, CEO Search Committee in 2021 and has participated in every Day of Caring.

“Phil is a true leader who has given so much back to our community and deserves to be recognized for his many contributions of time and effort,” says his nominator, Bill Cook, Vice-President and Senior Commercial Lender at Premier Bank, serving the NE Ohio market. “I appreciate the strength of his calm nature and humor, they help people navigate through tense situations and bring balance to difficult times.”

Chris Goff is the CEO and General Counsel at Employers Health and the co-director of the health law program at The University of Akron School of Law, where he also serves as an adjunct professor of law. In 2017, he received the John R. Quine award. Goff also served as an advisor to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for Part D pharmacy implementation during his tenure as a member of the Booz Allen Hamilton consulting team, served on the faculty of the College for Advanced Management of Health Benefits, and served as the interim CEO of the National Business Coalition on Health in Washington, DC for a six-month period in 2003. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Ohio State Bar Association, and the Stark County Bar Association. He chairs the Health Law Committee of the Stark County Bar Association and the Education Committee of the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the following boards: The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Foundation, ArtsinStark, The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, Health Foundation of Greater Massillon, Jackson Local Schools, The Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges, The University of Akron Foundation and The University of Akron School of Law Alumni Board. With United Way, since 2019, Goff has served on the Board of Directors, Campaign Cabinet and Agency Review Committee, and participated in Day of Caring. In 2020-21, he was the Annual Campaign Chair. Since 2020, he has served on the Executive Committee, Audit Committee, Strategic Planning Committee and Revenue Enhancement Committee. In 2021, Goff served on the CEO Search Committee. He is the current Alexis de Tocqueville Chair and Board Corresponding Secretary.

Chris is not only a Leadership Donor to United Way, he has also been an invaluable volunteer,” says his nominator, Michael Howard, Retired Judge of Stark County Family Court. “As board chair, I have asked for his help on several occasions, and he has never said no. Chris cares deeply about improving our community, and he has been very generous with his time and talent toward achieving that goal.”

Leading the Way workplace awards will be presented at Annual Celebration, celebrating our top seven corporate partners and their generosity: Aultman Health Foundation; The Beaver Excavating Company; Employers Health; Fresh Mark, Inc.; Marathon Petroleum Company LP – Ohio Refining Division; The Timken Company; and TimkenSteel Corporation. Two other workplace award categories will be presented to each of the companies at their places of business. Partners in Excellence celebrates workplaces that hold an employee campaign and those achieving a remarkable 80% or higher associate participation are recognized this year. The eleven workplaces that will receive the Partners in Excellence award: Alliance Ventures; ArtsinStark; Beacon Charitable Pharmacy; Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce; Employers Health; Fulfab, Inc.; Innis Maggiore; Massillon Museum; The Salvation Army of Massillon; Visit Canton; YWCA of Alliance. Movers & Shakers honors workplaces with the highest increase in campaign dollars. These campaigns increased by a minimum of 10% and at least $1,000. This recognition will be given to twenty-one companies: Black, McCusky, Souers & Arbaugh, LPA; Canton City Government; Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce; Child & Adolescent Behavioral Health; CommQuest Services, Inc.; Consumers National Bank; Employers Health; Everhard Products, Inc.; Gervasi Vineyard; Hendrickson Trailer Commercial Vehicle Systems; Innis Maggiore; The Karcher Group; Kempthorn Motors, Inc.; Malco Products; Marathon Petroleum Company LP – Ohio Refining Division; PTC Alliance; Robertson Heating Supply Company; Sandy Valley Local Schools; Stark County Clerk of Courts; Stark County Coroner’s Office; and TimkenSteel Corporation. 

Evan Siedel from Sherrodsville and Logan Kuhn from Alliance will be the recipients of the Inspired Youth awards, to be presented to the students at their schools.

About United Way of Greater Stark County
For 100 years, United Way of Greater Stark County has served Stark and Carroll Counties. During that time, we have continued to build a better, equitable community where every person has the potential for a healthier life, a better education and more financial stability. We look to the future through our investment priorities, which ensure our community will have the foundation it needs to thrive: Access to Health, Childhood Success, Youth Success, Economic Mobility and Basic Housing Needs. With the support of volunteers, community partners and donors, we invest donor dollars efficiently and effectively into local community programs serving the most critical needs. Learn more at uwstark.org.