Providence, RI – Junior Achievement of Rhode Island has announced the 2014 recipients of the Morris J.W. Gaebe Profile in Excellence Award.  The award, JARI’s highest honor, is named after Morris J.W. Gaebe, Chancellor Emeritus of Johnson & Wales University, and recognizes leaders who demonstrate excellence in the Rhode Island community. These leaders have demonstrated courageous thinking and actions, vision and innovation, inspiring leadership, and community mindedness.

This year’s honorees are:

Mr. Giovanni Feroce, Chief Executive Officer, Alex and Ani, Resident of East Greenwich

Mr. Christopher Graham, Co-Partner In-Charge, Edwards Wildman, Resident of Rumford

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The Rhode Island Foundation, represented by Neil Steinberg, President & CEO

Ms. Alicia Wells-Smith, Senior Vice President, Bank of America, Resident of Warwick

“JA is honored to acknowledge four leaders who have been selected to receive this award by their peers and past honorees” said Lee Lewis, president of Junior Achievement. “These individuals have demonstrated a high level of commitment to the Rhode Island community and the JA mission – to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.”

Past Profile in Excellence honorees have included Deborah Gist, Rhode Island Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education; Bill Hatfield, Rhode Island Market President at Bank of America; Gina Raimondo, General Treasurer for the State of Rhode Island; and Martha Sheridan, President & CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau.

This year’s recipients will be honored at an awards dinner on May 9th at the Omni Providence Hotel.  The honorary event chairman and host for the evening will be Hugh Clements, Chief of the Providence Police Department.

About Junior Achievement Rhode Island (JA)
Junior Achievement is the state’s largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA programs are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship. Today, JA reaches more than 7 percent of the Rhode Island student population per year in more than 21 communities across Rhode Island. For more information, visit our website at http://jarhodeisland.org,  connect with us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/juniorachievementri, or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/JARhodeIsland.