The 22^nd Annual Q2 Awards Breakfast, hosted by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, was held this morning at the Centerpoint Marriot in Pontiac, MI. Quality People/Quality Awards recognizes individuals who contribute to the quality of life in Oakland County. Three honorees are chosen annually and are those that have utilized their own successes to improve the quality of life for others. On this year’s award winners, Patterson said, “This year’s Q2 recipients are among the quiet heroes who are driven to improve the world around them.”

The 2014 Q2 Award Winners are:

Garden Fresh Gourmet – Jack and Annette Aronson

Jack and Annette Aronson started their Garden Fresh Gourmet Brand out of their small town diner in Ferndale in the late 1990s after they received  a request to sell their salsa in Hiller’s Markets. They have since sold their restaurant, and now produce Garden Fresh products that are sold worldwide. They continue to make their salsa, which started it all, in small batches and use a state-of-the-art high-pressure process that enables Garden Fresh to provide cleaner, fresher products that are preservative-free. The Aronsons and their Garden Fresh Gourmet brand in Ferndale share their good fortune by supporting more than 30 charities in the community including Children’s Hospital of Michigan, The Salvation Army, Forgotten Harvest, Boys & Girls Club and a grant to University of Michigan for blood disease research.

Christina Scharrer – Leadership Oakland

Christina Scharrer, as Executive Director of Leadership Oakland, has had the opportunity to help develop leaders who are making a difference in their communities. After going through the program herself, Christina remained as a volunteer and then became a full time member of the team. She has always emphasized the importance of service among Leadership Oakland participants. During her tenure, she has been the driving force who ensured that the members of each class at Leadership Oakland were involved in regional issues and well prepared for the responsibility that comes with being a leader in their personal, professional and public lives. After sixteen years of being involved with Leadership Oakland, Christina is relinquishing her role as Executive Director, but says she looks back at this time in her career as the best time of her life.

Allan McMorris – Oakland County Credit Union

Allan McMorris, President and CEO of Oakland County Credit Union, shares the good fortune of the credit union by distributing resources to make a difference in the lives of others. Under his leadership, credit union employees are involved in community events such as The Brooksie Way, Fallen Heroes and packing boxes for soldiers overseas. They are also offered paid days off to work on projects that help the community. A majority of Allan’s employees take advantage of opportunities to be good corporate citizens and enjoy participating in community events. Additionally, OCCU supports major quality of life events throughout our region and is involved in raising research funding in the hope of finding better testing to screen for early detection of pancreatic cancer.