'Titans' inspiration brings message to Anytown luncheon

This News by You was written by Susan Kricun on behalf of Anytown Arizona.

Nearly 300 Valley community leaders attended a luncheon last week at the Arizona Grand Resort where they had the opportunity to hear the captivating wisdom shared by inspirational speaker and famed football coach Herman Boone.

Internationally known as the winning TC Williams High School football coach in Alexandria, Va., and inspiration behind the movie Remember the Titans, Boone is recognized for his winning team approach to bringing harmony to diverse community groups, the cornerstone of Anytown Arizona.

Mark Curtis, 12 News anchor and a student at TC Williams during Boone's tenure, emceed the luncheon where guests learned about Anytown Arizona and the programs it offers students in pursuit of their mission to develop self-confident, empowered leaders who, in turn, strengthen their communities by embracing diversity awareness.

Anytown fulfills this mission by guiding individuals to address social justice issues that shape their everyday interactions.

No one understands the importance of developing self-assured, empowered students more than Carolyn Warner, who also addressed the audience. With more than 12 years' experience as Arizona's elected superintendent of public instruction, Warner was instrumental in the board that created Anytown Arizona. She recognizes the importance of Anytown's mission of creating a strong and vibrant future for Arizona and remains a strong advocate of Anytown's programs and the work it continues to do.

Commercial real estate mogul and Anytown Arizona Chairman of the Board Bill Saul shared some significant milestones with guests including:

• Anytown has collaborated with 50 Valley schools and universities and has helped more than 1,000 students.

• Funds for professional development are always scarce for Arizona teachers. Anytown has provided teacher training with its cutting-edge curriculum.

• The past couple of years, Anytown has been responsive to the needs of Arizona's diverse workplace by delivering diversity training to Valley businesses.

Also in the program were supporters David Schuff, owner of Schuff Steel. He knows firsthand how Anytown's programs have helped his company.

"Anytown Arizona has made a significant difference at Schuff Steel," he said. "We have made an annual financial investment in Anytown and its programs since 2005, as we strongly believe in its mission. It's an investment that has yielded high dividends for our company.

"As a major construction company with a diverse workforce, we recognized the need to provide diversity training to our management team. That's where Anytown came in."

Harkins Theatres CEO Dan Harkins knows something about the importance of understanding diversity, both in the community and the workplace. He shared his participation in Anytown during his high school years in Arizona.

Retired Phoenix police Officer and Anytown volunteer Gerald Richard rounded out the afternoon with a handful of comments from his personal experiences as he urged the crowd to join together in becoming one in their commitment to achieving Anytown's mission.