For their commitment to the communities served by the Mission, President John Zavodny has announced the 2025 Sunbeam Award recipients: Cornelia Cogswell Rossi Foundation and Sunrise County Economic Council.
Both awardees will be recognized at this year’s Sunbeam Award Gala. The Gala is the Mission’s annual opportunity to celebrate those who embody the ideals of the community and whose work has made a lasting impact. The 2025 event will take place on Thursday, August 21 at the Bar Harbor Club.
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President John Zavodny shares, “Thanks to our partnerships with Cornelia Cogswell Rossi Foundation and Sunrise County Economic Council, the Mission is able to strengthen both island and Downeast communities and ensure that residents can continue to thrive in the places they call home.”
The Cornelia Cogswell Rossi Foundation carries on the philanthropic vision of Dr. Joseph and Connie Rossi, a couple with a strong love of Maine. The foundation has a commitment to supporting efforts intended to benefit all the people of Maine including promoting healthcare, education, and environmental conservation.
For more than 30 years, Sunrise County Economic Council has facilitated prosperity in Washington County by working with a consortium of community-minded businesses, nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and citizens. Their work focuses on developing the workforce, increasing support and resources for entrepreneurs and businesses, and improving and strengthening natural and built environments in Washington County.
Past Sunbeam Award recipients include:
- 2024—Diana Davis Spencer Foundation & Island Institute
- 2023 – Sharon Daley, RN & the Mission Healthcare Partners
- 2022 – Les Coleman & Downeast Education Partners
- 2021 – Acadia Senior College & Sigma Kappa
- 2019 – Bryan Colket and the Sunbeam “All Hands on Deck” Committee & Dr. Diehl Snyder, MDI Hospital Behavioral Health Center
- 2018 – Marjorie Withers & Maine Community Foundation
- 2017 – Robin Alden & Earl Brechlin and Alan Baker, The Mount Desert Islander
- 2016 – Edward R. Flanagan & Cookie Horner and Jack Russell
- 2015 – Joseph M. Murphy & Todd West
Beginning Monday, June 2, reservations for the Sunbeam Award Gala can be made through the Mission’s website at or by mailing a check to PO Box 600, 6 Old Firehouse Lane, Northeast Harbor, ME 04662. The Gala will take place at Bar Harbor Club and includes a presentation and cocktail hour.