Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa president wins national leadership award

Christine Landa, president of Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa, is the 2011 recipient of the Junior Achievement Charles R. Hook Award. The annual accolade is given to a Junior Achievement USA™ president who demonstrates superior results in promoting the growth and development of Junior Achievement through a local operation in the United States. Landa received the award at the recent Junior Achievement USA National Leadership Conference held in Boston.

“Christine Landa's accomplishments are a wonderful example for all Junior Achievement leaders to follow as the organization moves forward, igniting the spark in young people to realize the opportunities and realities of work in the 21st-century global marketplace. We are proud to recognize Christine with this award,” said Jack E. Kosakowski, president and CEO of Junior Achievement USA.

“Winning this award is a great honor. It truly represents the passion, dedication and hard work of our staff and board of directors,” said Christine Landa. “With their continued help, and that of Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa's volunteers and supporters, I know we can continue to be effective in empowering young people to own their future economic success.”

During Landa's tenure as president, Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa has increased the number of students served by almost 780 percent, from 4,481 students to more than 39,000, during the 2010-11 school year. In the new academic year, the staff and board of Junior Achievement of Eastern Iowa will look to grow student reach by another 4.30 percent, over 41,000 students served.

The Hook Award is named after Charles R. Hook, an industrialist who served as president and chairman of Junior Achievement during the 1940s and 1950s. Under Hook's leadership, Junior Achievement grew from a regional program in the northeastern United States into a national organization.

About Junior Achievement® Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 124 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional 5.8 million students served by operations in 121 other countries worldwide. Locally, 39,331 students participate in the programs. Learn more at www.JAEasternIowa.org.

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