Jeana Finlinson is honored with leadership award

On July 26, Jeana Finlinson, global learning and talent development director, received the 10 Under 40 Award given by The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce during an award ceremony at Shreve Hall on the Ivy Tech Community College – Bloomington campus. Jeana’s parents, spouse, and fellow Cook employees attended the ceremony, celebrating her achievement. This unique annual award honors ten young professionals under the age of 40 from Bloomington and Monroe County, Indiana, who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the workplace and community.

“I can’t adequately express how humbled and honored I am to win this award. First and foremost, the fact that my fellow teammates nominated me is incredibly special. I value their respect more than words can describe,” says Jeana. “Secondly, there are countless other people at Cook who are just as deserving of this honor. Thinking about that fact makes me so full of gratitude to be a part of a company that empowers and encourages people to be their best.”

Behind the scenes: Nominating Jeana

When the Learning and Talent Development team (April Bradley, Kim Rohlfing, Shelby Walls, Holly Rush, and intern Madison Cowden) got together earlier this year, they had an important agenda. They wanted to nominate their leader, Jeana Finlinson, for the 10 Under 40 Award.

“We nominated Jeana for this award because we feel she’s an amazing young leader at Cook. She has personally developed each one of us in a very positive light,” explains Holly, global projects manager.

Here’s what some of her teammates shared on the nomination form to answer the question “Why should the nominee receive a 10 Under 40 Award?”:

“Our team may still be in its infancy, but thanks to our amazing leader, it’s the strongest team I have ever had the honor and privilege to be a part of.”
–April Bradley, Global Training Manager

“Jeana creates an atmosphere that breeds creativity, trust, and empowerment. Her energy is magnetic!”
–Shelby Walls, Learning & Talent Development Project Manager

The award and scholarship

The 10 Under 40 Award is notable recognition in the local community. The awardees are often referred to as the “best and the brightest in Bloomington” by the Chamber.  The first 10 Under 40 Awards were presented in 2011, and the program has continued to bring recognition to young professionals mostly between the ages 21 to 40 every year. However, anyone of any age can be nominated.

The inspiration for the award began with the Chamber’s Helping Young Professionals Excel (HYPE) program. HYPE was formed from the influx of young professionals who came to Bloomington for a college education and took a job locally. The Chamber wanted to encourage professional development for the young professionals and began providing networking, community service projects, and social events, always welcoming the “young at heart” as well. “We wanted to do something to recognize the talent of our young professionals. We decided to develop the 10 Under 40 Awards,” explains Jim Inman, Jr., director of marketing and communication at The Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce. “We have between 50 and 80 nominations per year on average. We look for work experience, professional accomplishments, honors, volunteer experience, and community engagement. The selection committee exclusively relies on the information on the nomination forms as they make their selections.”

Award recipients will receive a $500 scholarship for the 2018 class of Leadership Bloomington-Monroe County (LBMC). LBMC is offered through a partnership between the IU Alumni Association and the Chamber. The program prepares emerging leaders for roles in shaping the future of our community.

“I’m certainly going to take advantage of the scholarship. My greatest passion is learning (that’s why my current role is my dream job). I’m super excited to take advantage of the opportunity to learn from other like-minded people and world-class educators on the topic of leadership!” says Jeana.