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Click Below to Buy 2019 Jennings Tickets

​ (Previous Awardees
   2004 Don Jennings, Posthumous
   2005 Joyce Waitner/Peggy Raddatz
   2006 Allen O'Shea
   2007 Sylvester "Buck" Flarity
   2008 Carol Atkins
   2009 Ervin Kowalski
   2010 Timothy Joseph
   2011 Elizabeth Weaver
   2012 Carol Voigts
   2013 Ellen Somsel
   2014 Lee Trucks (Speech)
   2015 Glenn Lottie (Info)
​   2016 Alan Marshall (Info)
   2017 Jeanne Butterfield (Info)
​   2018 David Berns (Info)

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Richard Bernstein Keynote Speaker at the
​Don Jennings Award Dinner

​The Manistee County Democratic Party announces the Keynote Speaker for their 15th Annual Don Jennings Award Dinner is Michigan Supreme Court Justice Richard Bernstein. The Award Dinner will be held Saturday, September 8, 2018 at the Manistee National Golf and Resort.

Justice Richard Bernstein became the first blind justice elected to the Michigan Supreme Court in November 2014. With a commitment to justice and fairness, Bernstein began his 8-year term in January 2015.

Prior to being elected to Michigan’s highest court, Justice Bernstein was known as a
tireless advocate for disabled rights as an attorney heading the public service division for The Sam Bernstein Law Firm in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Blind since birth, Justice Bernstein is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Michigan and earned his juris doctorate from Northwestern University School of Law.

Committed to taking action to help clients who needed him, Justice Bernstein’s cases
often set national standards protecting the rights and safety of people with and without disabilities.

Bernstein previously served an eight-year term on the Wayne State University Board of Governors, elected by voters statewide, serving as its Chair from 2009-2010. He also served as an adjunct professor in the political science department at the University of Michigan.

Honors Justice Bernstein has received include: “Michiganian of the Year” by the Detroit News, one of Crain’s Detroit Business’ “40 Under 40” and recognition on worldwide television by CNN as a leader in keeping government honest. He was selected by The Young Lawyers Section of the State Bar of Michigan as the 2003-2004 Regeana Myrick Outstanding Young Lawyer Award recipient for outstanding commitment to public service and is the recipient of the 2008 John W. Cummiskey Pro Bono Award from the State Bar of Michigan in recognition of his leadership as an advocate and activist. Michigan Lawyers Weekly named Justice Bernstein a 2009 Leader in the Law, and the University of Michigan presented him with the James T. Neubacher Award in 2011 for his unwavering commitment to equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities. Also in 2011, L. Brooks Patterson, Michigan’s Oakland County Executive, selected Justice Bernstein as one of the region’s Elite 40 Under 40. In 2013, Justice Bernstein was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

In his spare time, Justice Bernstein is an avid runner, completing 18 marathons.

For further information or to make reservations for the 15th Annual Don Jennings Award Dinner on Saturday, September 8, 2018 at the Manistee National Golf and Resort, please contact Peggy Raddatz at 231-510-3726 or email DonJenningsDinner@gmail.com. There is a $5 discount for tickets reserved before August 24th. You can also buy tickets on-line at manisteecountydemocrats.us.

Monthly Meeting

August 15, 7:00 pm
​Dial a Ride
Program: Don Jennings Award Selection

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Buy Don Jennings Tickets Below

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Don Jennings Awardee 2018
​David Berns

The 15th Annual Don Jennings Award for Social Justice and Political Activism is unanimously awarded to David Berns by the Manistee County Democratic Party.  The award will be presented at the Don Jennings Award Dinner to be held September 8 at the Manistee National Golf and Resort at 6:00 pm.  

David Berns dedicated his career to fighting for social justice. He leads with kindness and compassion while bringing everyone to the table.  He has served in both Democratic and Republican administrations concentrating not on increasing or decreasing spending in human services but rather on investing in better outcomes for children, adults and families.   He learned long ago that we all benefit when we create communities that maximize the potential for all.   
David received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Public Human Services Association. He was specifically recognized for addressing the inequalities in the nation’s child welfare systems resulting from poverty.  Several studies have showcased his integration of financial assistance programs as primary prevention supports in child welfare. These efforts resulted in substantial reductions in the need for foster care and the safe reunification of children with their families in Michigan, Colorado and Arizona.

David has been designated as a Social Work Pioneer by the National Association of Social Workers. This is one of the highest honors bestowed in the profession of social work.  This award noted his work as the state child welfare director in Michigan. Dave assisted the six graduate schools of social work in Michigan to improve their curriculum in child welfare and to provide opportunities for child welfare workers to obtain their MSW degrees without having to quit their jobs.  This resulted in hundreds of DHS child welfare workers obtaining their MSW degrees. 

Mr. Berns was selected as the Social Worker of the Year in Colorado for his leadership in welfare reform. Several studies noted his implementation of the TANF program in Colorado Springs as the most humane and successful welfare reform approach in the nation.  The effort was based not on punitive mandates but rather on providing the supports necessary for all families to maximize their own self sufficiency.  
 
David Berns moved to Manistee in 2014 when he retired from his position as Director of the Department of Human Services for the District of Columbia.  He became the vice chair and then chair of the Manistee County Democratic party.  He continues to work on issues of social justice.  He is opposed to the ill conceived work requirements recently added to the Medicaid program. Dave is trying to guide the state toward a more humane implementation of the plan based on supporting people to be successful rather than punishing them when they are unable to obtain employment. 
 
David and Colleen (Tabaczka) Berns have been married for over 50 years.  They have two children, (Christine Garrett and Matthew Berns) and five wonderful grandchildren.

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