Champions Week begins today! This is the special time each January when we celebrate the people who go above and beyond to help create a culture of health, safety, and vitality in Hamilton County. We start today with the 2024 WeTHRIVE!℠ Champion for Leadership & Initiative – Margaret Wienholts from the Village of Lockland.
About the award
“The WeTHRIVE! Champion Award for Leadership & Initiative is given to an individual who exemplifies and promotes outstanding leadership qualities and behaviors,” says Mary Ellen Knaebel, director of Health Promotion and Education with Hamilton County Public Health. “This person is committed to advancing health and safety initiatives and inspires community pride. They lead by example and bring together people of all backgrounds and abilities to make a difference in the community.”
Margaret Wienholts received the 2024 WeTHRIVE! Champion for Leadership & Initiative award at the annual WeTHRIVE! Recognition Event on December 5, 2024.
Leading change while recognizing Lockland’s history
Since becoming a WeTHRIVE! neighborhood navigator for Lockland in 2022, Margaret has been an influential and passionate leader for the Lockland WeTHRIVE! team. She spearheads initiatives that include Lockland community cleanup days, the Adopt-a-P(l)ot community beautification effort, Coffee-with-a-Cop, and drug takeback events. Her passion for these efforts encourages participation and investment from WeTHRIVE! team members as well as the greater community.
Margaret consistently engages with and advocates for Lockland. She seeks grant funding, explores new opportunities, and hones new skills to enhance the work being done. She ensures that everyone can attend WeTHRIVE! events by removing transportation barriers for her fellow WeTHRIVE! team members.
Margaret also supports the work of fellow WeTHRIVE! community teams. For example, she spent a Saturday morning helping a neighboring community with an active transportation demonstration project that involved painting curb enhancements and crosswalks. As she helped her neighbors, she also gained experience to use in the future for Lockland WeTHRIVE! projects.
Alex Gonzales, WeTHRIVE! senior population health specialist, has worked with Margaret and the Lockland WeTHRIVE! team. Alex says: “I’m so happy that Margaret is finally being recognized for all of the hard work that she’s doing. We are so lucky that she decided to work with us, as she’s become a force to reckoned with in Lockland – always advocating for community connection and ways to celebrate both the history of Lockland and the potential right around the corner. A big believer in connectivity through active transportation and collaborating with neighboring communities, Margaret is action-oriented and inspirational.”
When asked what winning the WeTHRIVE! Champion Award means to her, Margaret said:
“I am thrilled to have been recognized by the WeTHRIVE! team with this award. The past three years have been a huge learning curve for me as a neighborhood navigator and the WeTHRIVE! team provided the support and guidance I needed to develop the leadership skills to move our community forward. I have been lucky to have a supportive team who bring a wealth of knowledge to our meetings and projects.”
“I’ve also learned so much from the other WeTHRIVE! community teams that are doing incredible work in their communities and allow me to look over their shoulders. They are truly inspiring. Thank you to everyone involved in helping me in this journey.”
Margaret also runs the Lockland WeTHRIVE! team’s Facebook page – like and follow to stay up to date!