RALEIGH, N.C — Dr. Pamela L. Riley, Executive Director of the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE), has announced the 2010 Gary N. Brown National SAVE Volunteers of the Year awards. The awards recipients are:

• Keith Pehl, President of Optima Engineering in Charlotte, directs the ACE (Architect Construction Engineering) After School Mentoring Program in Charlotte area schools; and
• Katie Spearman, Senior Preconstruction Project Engineer at Balfour Beatty Construction in Charlotte, coordinates the ACE After School Mentoring Program at West Charlotte High School (WCHS), the birthplace of SAVE in 1989.

Pehl and Spearman consulted with the teens on the design and development of a community-based project, the Peace Garden and Alex Orange Memorial Bench area at WCHS, and designed potential home offices for National SAVE. This award, named in honor of Honorary SAVE Board member, founder and retired CEO of GBA Systems, and chairman of Carolina Bank Holdings in Greensboro Gary N. Brown, is awarded annually to those who have provided outstanding volunteer service to SAVE.

Gary Weart, also an Honorary Board Member of SAVE and the first SAVE advisor, has worked with the recipients on the WCHS project and states, “I have been truly impressed with the professionalism, patience, and genuine belief both Keith and Katie demonstrate in the individual students and the ACE Mentoring Program. Special thanks go out to WCHS staff, including George Korly, Mike LeVelle and Qai To for their efforts on this project.

“We are so appreciative of the extensive amount of time, energy and resourcefulness that Keith and Katie have donated to SAVE,” said Riley. “They have contributed greatly to the mission and ideals of SAVE and we are proud to have them receive our volunteer recognition award this year.”

SAVE is a student-run, student-initiated public national nonprofit violence prevention organization with more than 1,800 chapters in 47 states and more than 200,000 members in elementary, middle, high schools, colleges and communities nationwide.

About the National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere:
SAVE started at West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, N.C. in 1989 following the tragic death of a student who was trying to break up a fight at an off-campus party. Students met first to console each other, then as an organization to promote violence prevention and to work together to prevent future incidents from occurring. SAVE provides education about the effects and consequences of violence and helps provide safe activities for students, parents and communities. For more information on SAVE or starting a SAVE chapter, visit www.nationalsave.org , or contact SAVE at (866) 343-SAVE to receive free start-up materials and guidance.