Timmer Earns Chamber Award

HOLLAND — Rallying support for a local elementary school earned the owner of a small communications company honors from the Holland Area Chamber of Commerce.

Ned Timmer of T2 Communications received the Holland Area Chamber’s Louis Hallacy II Distinguished Service Award last week for his work with Pine Creek Elementary in the West Ottawa Public Schools.

Working with representatives from local churches and community and social service groups, Timmer spearheaded formation of “Friends of Pine Creek” when the elementary school received a failing grade under the federal No Child Left Behind Act. The group has worked to increase parental participation, business partnerships and the support of the faith community in the school.

Timmer, through his own community foundation, also supported the PTA’s efforts to increase parental involvement at the school. He underwrote the cost of a community reception that gave the PTA an opportunity to show churches, businesses and organizations how they could partner.

Timmer also provided grants to the school, including one to buy books about leadership and as a training tool for its parent support network, and donated $1,000 to the PTA if it meets its goal of 1,000 new members.

PTA membership and parent volunteer hours at the school have grown at the school, according to Timmer’s award nomination.

“The passion Ned feels about the power of education is real. He wants everyone, regardless of socioeconomic status, to have an equal chance to better their life through education,” the nomination reads. “He inspires servant leadership and inspires others to be just as selfless.”

Awarded annually, the chamber’s Louis Hallacy II Distinguished Service Award was created in 1983 to recognize people “whose endeavors and contributions have provided cultural, economic and social betterment of the greater Holland area.”