Joan & the Late Jack Stein and Shelagh & Steve Roell to Be Honored as 2010 COA Parents of the Year

Steve & Shelagh Roell and Jack & Joan Stein will be honored as COA Youth & Family Centers’ 2010 Parents of the Year on Friday June 11 at the Pfister Hotel. Arrivals begin at 11:30 a.m., with luncheon at noon and the event concluding promptly at 1:30 p.m.

Jack Stein, who passed away April 25, was CEO of Stein Gardens and Gifts. Steve Roell is CEO and Chairman of Johnson Controls, Inc. In partnership with their wives, who have made their own distinctive contributions to the community, the Steins and the Roells have shown a passionate dedication to Milwaukee and to their roles as parents.

Since 1982, COA has recognized outstanding Parents of the Year. “For 104 years, COA Youth & Family Centers has been built on a commitment to community and the role families play in making that community strong. Through their professional and volunteer efforts, Steve & Shelagh Roell and Jack & Joan Stein have made Milwaukee a better place to live. And in their roles as parents, they have excelled at the most important job of all,” said Tom Schneider, Executive Director of COA.

Shelagh Roell, who holds a master’s and doctoral degree from Marquette University, enjoyed careers in nursing and psychology, and in retirement spends time with her grandchildren and riding her horses in competition. She has been a member of several boards and recently completed ten years on the board of Bethany Christian Services, an adoption and family services organization. Steve Roell is a board member of the Medical College of Wisconsin, Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare, Hunger Task Force, and the Boys and Girls Clubs. He recently completed a term as co-chair of the 2009 United Way of Greater Milwaukee Campaign.

Joan Stein was on the staff of Summerfest for many years and later served as a volunteer. She was a member of the board of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Ballet, and Cardinal Stritch University. Jack Stein founded Stein Gardens and Gifts in 1957 and saw it grow to 16 outlets around Wisconsin. He was on the board of the Milwaukee Ballet, and the charitable Foundation of the Milwaukee Wave.

“We are setting a fundraising record with this year’s Parents of the Year event,” said Keri Schroeder, COA’s Development & Public Relations Director. “To receive that kind of support is a testament to both the high regard the business community has for the Steins and the Roells, and the important programs that COA has been providing Milwaukee children and families for over a century.”

For 104 years, COA Youth & Family Centers has served Milwaukee children, teens, and families. Through an ambitious program to provide its innovative parental involvement programs in 35 MPS schools, COA is currently supporting 25,000 children and families at 42 locations city-wide. It provides early childhood education, youth development, adult education/community services, family support services, and camping programs at its two urban youth centers, at six MPS Community Learning Centers, and at its rural camp facility in central Wisconsin.

For tickets to the luncheon or more information contact

Ziad Lewis at (414) 263-8383 x114 or zlewis@coa-yfc.org.

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