WHEREAS it is the intention of the Mayor and Council of Cherry Hill Township to focus attention on noteworthy occasions and events; and

WHEREAS tonight, we wish to recognize Carolyn Messias, Cherry Hill West Theater Director and English teacher, for earning a Tony Award nomination for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award; and

WHEREAS each year, The Tony Awards® and Carnegie Mellon University look for teachers who create the next generation of theatre artists. These candidates are submitted by members of the public by sharing the story of a theatre educator who made a difference in their life, and the lives of others; and

WHEREAS Carolyn’s students secretly organized  and prepared her nomination by submitting three letters of recommendation and creating a three-minute video including testimonials from a number of Cherry Hill West theater students, Cherry Hill West principal Kwame Morton and the school’s student activities coordinator Carole Roskoph, about why Ms. Messias deserves the Excellence in Theatre Education Award; and

WHEREAS  while a student at Cherry Hill West in the 1980’s, Carolyn was very involved in the school’s theater department. In 2000, she returned to Cherry Hill West as a teacher and has served as the Cherry Hill West Theater Director for more than a decade; and

WHEREAS the winning teacher will receive the Award at the 72^nd annual Tony Awards on June 10, 2018, and will be acknowledged on the CBS telecast; and

WHEREAS on behalf of the entire Cherry Hill community, I want to congratulate Carolyn Messias on her nomination for the Excellence in Theatre Education Award and let her know we are extremely proud of her and appreciate her efforts to encourage students to get involved in the arts; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHUCK CAHN, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Mayor of the Township of Cherry Hill, County of Camden, State of New Jersey, do hereby proclaim Wednesday, May 30, 2018 to be

Carolyn Messias Day

in the Township of Cherry Hill, and urge all citizens to join with me and the members of Township Council in recognizing  Carolyn Messias for her commitment to educating our youth and encouraging them to be their best self.