By Kim Fantaci, Executive Administrator, Cincinnatus Association
The Cincinnatus Association hosted the 10th Annual Donald and Marian Spencer “Spirit of America” Awards on May 20, 2025, at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, honoring five exemplary organizations whose work advances diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in the Cincinnati region.
This year’s honorees included four nonprofit organizations—ArtWorks, Cincinnati Children’s, Cincinnati Works, and Found House Interfaith Housing Network—as well as Union Savings Bank and Guardian Savings Bank, recognized for their corporate leadership and community investment. These recipients were celebrated for initiatives ranging from youth employment and inclusive health care to homelessness prevention and financial empowerment.
Established in honor of Civil Rights pioneers Donald and Marian Spencer, the Spencer Awards are a signature program of the Cincinnatus Association. Since its inception in 2014, the event has recognized more than 45 individuals and organizations who embody the Spencers’ lifelong commitment to access, equity, and opportunity for all.
“This evening is about celebrating changemakers,” said Susan Noonan, Spencer Awards Chair and recipient of the 2025 Citizen Cincinnatus Award. “These honorees are not standing idly by. They are actively shaping a more inclusive and just future—just as the Spencers would have wanted.”
Rhonda Holyfield-Mangieri, outgoing Cincinnatus President, reflected on a decade of the awards: “This program has become a cornerstone of our organization’s mission to champion fairness and opportunity. We are proud to stand alongside these inspiring partners.”
The evening was emceed by Courtis Fuller, longtime WLWT-TV anchor and community leader, who helped guide a program filled with inspiring remarks, tribute videos, and a special feature on the Marian Spencer children’s book created by Winton Hills Academy students. Ending the program, the Cincinnatus Association presented Fuller with a scholarship for his newly established Courtis Fuller Journalism Scholarship through the Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation.
The Cincinnatus Association extends deep gratitude to its sponsors, especially Presenting Sponsor Union Savings Bank and Guardian Savings Bank, and to Benefactor Sponsors including Cincinnati Children’s, Cincinnati Works, The Jewish Foundation, and the Jeanette Rankin Foundation. Advocate sponsors and individual contributors were also recognized for their critical role in supporting this milestone celebration.
Also celebrating were Marian Spencer Scholars – a program which funds full scholarships, travel experiences and mentorship for Cincinnati Public School graduates attending the University of Cincinnati.
Proceeds from the event support the ongoing work of Cincinnatus.
As the Spencer Awards look ahead to a second decade, the Association calls on the community to carry forward the Spencers’ legacy. “Through adversity comes opportunity,” said Holyfield-Mangieri. “Let us all continue the work to ensure equity is not a privilege, but a right.”
For more information, visit www.cincinnatusassoc.org.
Susan Noonan, 2025 Spencer Award Committee Chair presents a 2025 Spencer Award to Keith Borders, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer and Vice President of Community Development, Union Savings Bank and Guardian Savings Bank. 
Cincinnatus Education Panel Chair, Alpacino Beauchamp presents a 2025 Spencer Award to Tianay Amat, President & CEO, Cincinnati Works. 
Matt Strauss, Cincinnatus Inclusion Panel Chair presents a 2025 Spencer Award to Stacey Burge, Chief Executive Officer, Found House IHN. 
Cincinnatus President Rhonda Holyfield-Mangieri and Spencer Awards Committee Chair Susan Noonan present Courtis Fuller with a $4,000 scholarship ($1,000 annually for four years) to the Courtis Fuller Journalism Scholarship in support of his long-term passion for the Spencer Legacy. 
Cincinnatus Excellence in Government Panel Chair, Melissa Currence presents a 2025 Spencer Award to Alexandria Merriweather-Turner, Senior Specialist, Inclusive Experiences, Cincinnati Children’s.