Staff Member Honored for Volunteerism; Ayres Donates to Literacy Group

  • By Ayres
  • March 8, 2018

Tom Paquin, right, works on English language exercises with his Literacy Green Bay student, Omar Valenzuela, at the Brown County Library’s Southwest Branch. The pair meet weekly throughout the school year.

Tom Paquin, a marketing specialist at our Green Bay, Wisconsin, area office, recently was awarded the Owen Ayres Good Citizen Award, named after our late founder. The award celebrates employees who give back to their community through volunteer work and gives $500 to a charity of the recipient’s choice.

Paquin was recognized for his work with several community organizations:

  • Volunteering for several years as a tutor for Literacy Green Bay, providing weekly support to an adult English-as-a-second-language student to help with reading, writing, and speaking proficiency. Paquin volunteered for eight years with Literacy Chippewa Valley before he moved to the Green Bay area from Eau Claire.
  • Spending a lunch hour each week at a local elementary school, working one-on-one with first- and second-grade students who need extra math coaching.
  • Serving as president of the men’s club at St. Agnes Catholic Church in Green Bay, organizing events that raise funds for needs at church and around the community. Paquin also serves as an usher at Sunday Masses at St. Agnes.
  • Volunteering in 2016 and 2017 with the Volunteer Center of Brown County to take part in the national Make a Difference Day event.
  • Traveling in 2008 and 2014 with Habitat for Humanity/Thrivent Builds trips, where he worked with a team of volunteers to construct safe, affordable housing for low-income residents in Poland and Hungary.

Literacy Green Bay officials receiving the $500 check from Ayres on March 8 are Shelley Karnz, left, adult tutoring program manager, and Kathy Cornell, right, executive director.

“This award, to me, is the highest honor our company can give,” Paquin says. “To receive an award bearing the name Owen Ayres is truly special. Owen gave so much to charitable organizations and literally built his business through community service, making connections that would bring in business.

“Of course, no one gets into community service to win awards, so this is a bit of a strange honor to receive. I’m blessed to have been given the abilities and desire to give back in the small ways that I do.”

Paquin decided to direct Ayres Associates’ $500 donation to Literacy Green Bay.

“All of the ESL students I’ve tutored over the years have been really good people who work hard to improve their lives and the lives of their families,” Paquin said. “We become good friends through our weekly sessions. It is quite an honor to be able to help them and the other students at Literacy Green Bay through the generosity of Ayres.”