The Bloom Magazine Community Awards
When Bloom founder, Malcolm Abrams, launched Bloom Magazine in 2006, it had four missions: to support local businesses, to support local charities, to support the arts, and to support diversity. Today, these are still the missions.
In 2019, Bloom launched the Bloom Magazine Community Awards to recognize worthy individuals’ contributions to these four missions. These awards are presented annually to those who have made outstanding contributions to the local business community, the arts, local charities, and diversity.

To nominate an individual for Bloom’s 6th annual community awards, simply submit their name and contribution to one of the four missions:
Supporting local businesses
Supporting the arts
Supporting local charities
Supporting diversity
Include your name and contact information, and email [email protected]. Please mention “nominate” in the subject line. The deadline is October 20.

Support of Local Charities winner:
The Rev. Forrest Gilmore — Executive Director, Beacon Inc.
Support of the Arts winner:
Aubrey and Melinda Seader — Co-Founders, Off-Night Productions
Support of Local Businesses winner:
John Whikehart — President of the Monroe County Capital Improvements Board
Support of Diversity winner:
Don and Nicole Griffin — Creators of the City of Bloomington Black History Month Living Legend Award & Co-founders of the Monroe County Black Democratic Caucus and the Heritage Project Summer Camp
Support of Local Journalism
Jeremy Hogan — Founder, ‘The Bloomingtonian’
Dave Askins — Founder, ‘B Square Bulletin’

Support of Local Charities winner:
Vicki Pierce — Executive Director at Community Kitchen of Monroe County
Support of the Arts winner:
Carl Cook — Cook Group
Support of Local Businesses winner:
Bloomingfoods Inc.
Support of Diversity winner:
Exodus Refugee Immigration-Bloomington

Support of Local Charities winner:
Michael Shermis — Bloomington’s Special Projects Coordinator
Support of the Arts winners:
Krista Detor & Dave Weber — Producer’s of Krista Detor’s Holiday Show
Support of Local Businesses winners:
Jeff Mease & Lennie Busch — Owners of One World Enterprises
Support of Diversity winners:
Elizabeth Mitchell, Gladys DeVane, and Danielle Bruce — Creators of the theater company Resilience Products

Support of Local Charities winner:
Sylvia McNair — Grammy Award-winning opera singer and humanitarian
Support of the Arts winner:
Audrey Heller — Producing artist director and co-founder of the Jewish Theatre of Bloomington
Support of Local Businesses winners:
Michael Cassady — Owner of The Uptown Cafe
Pat East — Tech entrepreneur and executive director of The Mill
Support of Diversity winner:
Adria Nassim — The Herald-Times columnist and disability advocate

Support of Local Charities winner:
Leslie Green — CEO of Stone Belt
Support of the Arts winner:
Martha and David Moore — Far Center for Contemporary Arts
Support of Local Businesses winner:
Talisha Coppock — Executive director of Downtown Bloomington, Inc. and the Monroe Convention Center
Support of Diversity winners:
Diane Legomsky — Founder and chair of the Bloomington Refugee Support Network
Beverley Calender-Anderson — Director of the City of Bloomington Community and Family Department