NEW ALBANY, OHIO (December 5, 2024) – The New Albany Community Foundation’s 22nd annual Remarkable Evening benefit was held December 4 and featured Peyton Manning, the NFLs’ only five-time Most Valuable Player and a 14-time Pro Bowl section, interviewed by CBS Sports college basketball game and studio analyst Clark Kellogg. The event also included the announcement of the 2024 Jeanne & John G. McCoy Community Service Award recipients, Donna and Nick Akins.
The Jeanne and John G. McCoy Community Service Award was established by the Foundation in 2004 to recognize citizens who have made a significant impact in the community through their leadership, generosity and volunteerism. Through their philanthropy and significant community service throughout their lives in both New Albany and central Ohio, Jeanne and John G. McCoy embodied the spirit of this award and were the first to be honored with the distinction in 2004 when it was established in their name.
Donna and Nick Akins have been active members of the central Ohio community since relocating for Nick’s role with American Electric Power in 2007, where he enjoyed a 41-year career, eventually serving as its Chairman, President and CEO.
“You can tell what a community prioritizes by how it allocates resources. In New Albany, it’s very clear that there is a collective effort to enhance areas that benefit and create opportunity for people of all ages, such as education, health and culture,” Nick said.
The Akins’ involvement with The New Albany Community Foundation has been both personal and philanthropic. “With Donna’s service on the board, and Donna and Nick’s thoughtful philanthropy in support of so many community initiatives, we’re proud to recognize them with the 2024 Jeanne and John G. McCoy Community Service Award,” said Craig Mohre, president, The New Albany Community Foundation. “The Akins exemplify the attributes we all admired about the McCoys, including impactful philanthropy and an unwavering commitment to rolling up their sleeves to make a difference.”
The couple devotes time and resources to several causes they are passionate about, including supporting lifelong learning and enjoyment of arts. After learning about the role the New Albany Community Foundation plays in advancing lifelong learning opportunities through the New Albany Lecture and Student Lecture Series and the performing arts in the McCoy Center and Hinson Amphitheater, Donna eagerly accepted the invitation to join the Foundation Board, a position she held for nine years. As a member of the Foundation’s grant committee, Donna helped guide grants to New Albany organizations that enrich lives and create opportunities.
Through leadership gifts to capital campaigns like the Hinson Amphitheater, the Akins helped make new performance spaces a reality. They also established an endowment fund to support the future success of The New Albany Lecture Series, now in its 13th season. “We deeply value the arts and education and the doors they open,” says Donna. “And we believe that education is a lifelong pursuit, so supporting the lectures series is a priority for us. We appreciate the variety of speakers and their perspectives.”
They’ve also made an impact across central Ohio, from supporting the Greater Columbus Arts Council’s annual Artists Elevated Awards to serving as co-chairs of the Mid-Ohio Food Collective’s $30 million capital campaign, which significantly increased the organization’s capacity to serve those in need across 20 Ohio counties.
When the Akins built their New Albany home, they knew they would use it to support community and philanthropic events and music. Nick is a lifelong musician, and the Akins’ home is “rehearsal central” for his band, The Power Chords, which features other area executives with a passion for making music. The band routinely performs to help not-for-profit organizations raise money, including Adaptive Sports Connection, Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and the Mid-Ohio Food Collective, among others. The Power Chords attracted a large audience for its first performance in the Hinson Amphitheater last summer for a concert that benefited the New Albany Food Pantry.
Additionally, under Nick’s leadership, the AEP Foundation also has invested in the community. For years, the AEP Foundation has been a presenting sponsor of the Lecture Series and the Remarkable Evening benefit. Additionally, AEP has hosted events for speakers at its New Albany Transmission Center. AEP employs 900 people at its New Albany Transmission Headquarters and generation facility. AEP has also been a collaborative economic development partner, helping the city attract investment and jobs through its proactive development of redundant fiber optic infrastructure, which is critical for the growth of today’s technology companies.
The Akins are proud to be part of the New Albany community. “New Albany has people from all over, so everyone is trying to connect. It’s an opportunity to step up and be a part of something bigger. Connecting with the Foundation gives us a sense and feeling of community. And when you have that, you’re more likely to be engaged in it – whether through participating in or attending events, philanthropic giving or simply sharing your passion for the community with other people. New Albany offers so much, and the Foundation is central to that sense of belonging,” the couple said.
REMARKABLE EVENING, THE NEW ALBANY LECTURE SERIES
Funds raised from Remarkable Evening support the Foundation’s annual grantmaking to area not-for-profit organizations and other community projects and initiatives. Funds raised also support The New Albany Lecture Series, a leading lecture series presented by the Foundation that features distinguished diplomats, experts on foreign policy, national security, health, Pulitzer and Nobel Prize-winning authors, journalists and historians. In addition to community lectures, speakers have interacted with more than 35,000 students representing school districts across central Ohio.
Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $23 million in grants to advance lifelong learning, the arts, health and wellness and environmental sustainability. These grants are made possible through the support of generous donors and sponsors who contribute annually through Remarkable Evening or who have established endowment funds at the Foundation. Contributions have also helped make possible transformational projects like the New Albany Branch Library, the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts, and the Charleen & Charles Hinson Amphitheater.
More than 700 people attended the Remarkable Evening benefit, which was held in The New Albany International Business Park.
Lead sponsors for this year’s Remarkable Evening included American Electric Power Foundation, Huntington, VanTrust, Meta, The New Albany Company, Nickolas Savko & Sons, Inc. and Turner.
More information can be found at newalbanyfoundation.org.