March 19, 2024, Resilient Coastal Georgia, an initiative of the Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition, has received the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire’s Community Partnership Award.

The award was presented at the 2024 Anchored in the Community fundraiser on February 8 at Savannah Bottle Works in Savannah. 

“We’re so thankful for all Resilient Coastal Georgia does to cultivate a trauma-informed community and build resilience in our community,” said Jill Cardenas, executive director of the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire. “We were grateful to celebrate with them on this special evening and thank all those who help us live our mission of increasing our community’s capacity to be conflict-resilient.”

The Resilient Coastal Georgia initiative serves to improve community well-being by engaging and leading the community to work collectively with a focus on building resilience and a trauma-informed community across the coastal counties of Chatham, Effingham and Bryan Counties.

In collaboration with the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire, Resilient Coastal Georgia has supported peacebuilding initiatives, including the inaugural Peace in the Park event in September 2022 and Savannah’s Day of Peace 2023, held in October. The 2023 event included 45 community resources and over 500 community members who engaged at the event. 

Award winners recognized at the 2024 Anchored in the Community event include: 

• Domestic Mediator Award – Robert Rodatus

• General Civil Mediator Award – Carol McCarthy

• Lifetime Achievement Award – Jeanne Dent

• Innovator Award – Kelly Crosby

• Stellar Advocate for Youth: Guardian Ad Litem – Gwendolyn Fortson Waring

• Stellar Advocate for Youth – Janie Brodhead

• Attorney Appreciation Award – Jack Strother, Attorney at Law

• Attorney Appreciation Award – The Law Offices of Joseph J. Steffen Jr.

• Community Partnership Award – Resilient Coastal Georgia

• The Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire Board Service Award – Adam Kirk