Lisa Karling to receive the Brian T. Wagner Leadership Award
ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The Muskingum County Community Foundation (MCCF) has announced the 2026 recipient of the Brian T. Wagner Leadership Award.
On Monday, the MCCF announced Lisa Karling will receive the award that honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in volunteer projects or sustained community service. She’s been on the MCCF’s council for over a decade and is a co-founder of the EmpowHERment Alliance.
“I always think it’s important to give back. I always teach my kids, you always want to leave someplace you go better than what you found it,” Karling said. “[That’s] no different than our community. I want to make sure that when I have passed that I have done my part to leave Muskingum County better than when I was here. ”
Karling will be recognized at the MCCF’s Groundhog Day Celebration with several others on Jan. 30th, and she’s looking forward to the event for the sense of community it creates.
“It’s a lot of fun. A lot of our community members come and enjoy an evening. There’s a live auction, there’s [a] silent auction, they sell the golden ticket, and it’s just an opportunity to get together with our community and recognize the recipients of the Make Muskingum Home as well as the Dick Johnson recipient,” Karling said.
As part of the award, Karling will select a nonprofit to receive a $1,000 MCCF grant. Tickets for the Groundhog Day Celebration can be found on their website at MCCF.org.
