Today the “There’s Only One Albany” campaign hosted its first 2015 Community Heroes Recognition Luncheon to honor eight individuals and entities in Albany. "There’s Only One Albany” is about restoring community pride and rediscovering what makes Albany so special. The Community Heroes program provided the residents of Albany the opportunity to nominate individuals and organizations that go above and beyond -­‐-­‐ and likely receive little recognition -­‐-­‐ to make Albany an even better place to live, work, learn and play.

The following were recognized for their hard work and dedication to serving the Albany community:

• Education-­‐ “Molding Minds”: Jill Johnson

• Health Care-­‐ “Strengthening Wellness”: Gwendolyn Collins

• Arts-­‐ “Exciting Imagination”: Alexander Reshetnichenko

• Youth-­‐ “Young Trailblazer”: Jawaun Stanley

• Local Business-­‐ “Protecting Prosperity”: Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany

• Community Service-­‐ “Preserving Progress”: Dr. Earnest Brown Jr.

• Non-­‐Profit Organization-­‐ “Serving a Purpose”: Annette Bowling

• Overall “Community Crusader”: Danielle Blackwell

“It is an honor to recognize these phenomenal individuals and businesses within the Albany community,” said Justin Strickland, president of the Albany-­‐Dougherty Economic Development Commission, which launched the "There's Only One Albany" campaign. “These Community Heroes represent the best of Albany and are a testament to the spirit of our community. Each of their stories are a source of tremendous pride for Albany.”

Individuals and companies were nominated at onlyonealbany.com. A fair and impartial team reviewed all the submissions and selected a winner for each category.

Visit onlyonealbany.com to get a closer look at the stories of each of the 2015 “There’s Only One Albany” Community Heroes.