Former Stone Belt CEO awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash

Bloomington, IN-- Leslie Green, former Chief Executive Officer for Stone Belt, Arc, is the recipient of Indiana’s Sagamore of the Wabash award.

Created in the 1940s, the Sagamore is one of the highest honors in the state of Indiana, awarded by the governor as a personal tribute to those who have rendered distinguished service to the state through their wisdom, public commitment, and concern for the well-being of others.
​
Issued by Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, the award was presented to Green by State Senator Eric Koch (R-Bedford) during a ceremony held in her honor on June 29 at Stone Belt in Bloomington, Indiana.

“It is an honor to present Leslie Green with this prestigious award,” said Senator Koch. “Leslie has exemplified the qualities of wisdom, public commitment, and concern for the well-being of others in her distinguished service to the citizens of south-central Indiana.”

Before her retirement in April, Green had served as CEO of Stone Belt since 2000. As CEO, Green oversaw a multi-million dollar operating budget and fifteen service locations throughout south-central Indiana. Thanks to her leadership, Stone Belt currently supports more than 1300 clients annually through programs including job placement and supported employment, work training, residential supports, lifelong learning opportunities, and clinical mental health services.  One of Green’s greatest passions during the last decade has been developing Stone Belt’s highly visible and thriving arts program.  It has given many individuals with disabilities the opportunity to become successful professional artists in the community. 

Green has been involved in community building through her leadership participation in Bloomington Rotary Club, serving as its President from 2016-2017. She is the Past-President of the Indiana Council of Executives of The Arc and a past board member of the trade association INARF. She was appointed by the FSSA Secretary to serve on the Division of Rehabilitation and Disability Services Advisory Commission, which allowed her to make a positive and lasting impact on State policy issues related to services for individuals with disabilities.  

Green has received many awards and accolades during her career, including the Executive Excellence Award from the National Conference of Executives of The Arc, Bloom Magazine’s Community Leader award, Mayor’s Award from the City of Bloomington Council on Community Accessibility, The Rebecca McDonald Award for Leadership in Supported Employment, and the Women Excel Bloomington Award from the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce.

About the Sagamore of the Wabash
Created in the 1940s, the Sagamore is one of the highest honors in the state of Indiana, awarded by the governor as a personal tribute to those who have rendered distinguished service to the state through their wisdom, public commitment, and concern for the well-being of others.

The term “sagamore” was used by the American Indian tribes of the northeastern United States to describe a great man among the tribe to whom the chief would look for wisdom and advice. The award states that the honoree is distinguished by their humanity in living, loyalty in friendship, wisdom in council, and inspiration in leadership.

About Stone Belt
Stone Belt Arc is a nonprofit agency that prepares, empowers, and supports more than 1,300 people with developmental disabilities and their families to live fully and thrive in their communities. Stone Belt is the oldest and largest agency of its kind in south-central Indiana, maintaining lifelong learning, employment, residential, and mental health programs in Monroe, Lawrence, and Bartholomew counties. Find out more online at www.stonebelt.org.