Testimonials
What Our Partners and Clients are Saying…
Andre Gendreau, Executive Director of Assessment, Hamilton City Central School District, Hamilton, Ohio
“The Character Council, along with their many resources and strong leadership, has been an asset from a school leadership standpoint. At a time when schools are not only preparing students for success in the classroom and beyond but also building students’ understanding of the “soft skills” and strong character it takes to be successful and productive at school, work, home, and in our communities. The Character Council’s work keeps us focused on understanding the power of connecting great character with successful, productive lives. Every school administrator would benefit from incorporating some aspect of the Character Council’s work into the culture of their school community. As a school administrator for over 20 years, I have certainly seen this impact.”
Steve Lippert, Chair, City of Character, Hamilton, OH
“The Character Council is the most inspirational organization that I am aware of because it celebrates individuals and character traits that make our communities better places in which to live. The annual Character Council Heroes of Character Celebration honors students and adults who have demonstrated good character trait(s), e.g., Generosity, Kindness, Compassion, Collaboration, and Honesty. We live in such a harsh world of critics and social media smears. A community that values respect, civility, and positivity is a much better place to live, work, and play. As the chair of Hamilton City of Character, I value our relationship with my associates in the Cincinnati Character Council. They have blessed our group with so many fantastic ideas and assisted our work, making Hamilton a better city to live in. It’s truly a partnership that could be duplicated to benefit any community.”
Don Larrick, Retired Principal, Three Rivers School District, Cleves, Ohio
“After moving from four small schools to one large school in 2013, we began to experience an increase in behavioral referrals and a growing “lack of civility” throughout the school. We were fortunate enough to make contact with the Greater Cincinnati Character Council. The Character Council provided in-service training and ongoing support through monthly Educator Bulletins, Online training, Character Words of the Month, and the annual Heroes of Character Celebration. Our partnership with the Character Council over the past ten years has allowed us to create a Culture of Respect, Caring, Collaboration, and Positivity.”
Dave Henderson, Counselor Grades 7 & 8, Taylor Middle School, Cleves, OH
“Since implementing the Character Word program at TREC, I believe that our students are learning how important it is to display good character at all times. The Character Word of the Month is featured daily during morning announcements, small signage is displayed throughout classrooms and hallways, as well as a large banner in the main lobby. One of the biggest “motivators” for our kiddos is to be recognized by any staff member who has observed them showing great character. The fact that our students hear the words repeated and the staff is very good at reminding their “charges” that good character is very important!”
Jacob Taylor, Student, 2023 Character Council Heroes of Character Celebration Honoree, Taylor High School, Cleves, OH
“The Heroes of Character Award has helped me in my life significantly. It has not only made me feel appreciated for my accomplishments but made me do more in my community through church, scouts and more. I am so thankful for being able to be a part of this group of people.”
Cindy Oser, Teacher, Special Ed Teacher, 2019 Character Council Heroes of Character Celebration Honoree, Grades 7 & 8 Intervention Specialist, Three Rivers Educational Campus, Cleves, OH
“One of the main responsibilities of the Three Rivers Character Program is reinforcing the values and beliefs of our community by teaching lessons. Each day, at every moment, we are teaching students respect, responsibility, cooperation, honesty, and the new character word for that month. Our school puts up a new word each month to hang in our classroom or door to show the students what to focus on that month and to remind them how important these character words are to school and the community. Our school is a true believer in the Character Council program.”
Dolores J. Lindsay, Founder and Former CEO, The Healthcare Connection, Cincinnati, Ohio.
“I got involved when we hired the Character Council as consultants to conduct positivity workshops at The Healthcare Connection. I was very impressed with the training and the emphasis on character-building within the family, the workplace, and in the schools. This inspired me to establish a character community at work where we could build trust and respect for each other while working together as a team. When we had staff meetings with all our sites, we recognized and honored the people who best exemplified character, confidence, collaboration, and courage to do the right thing when no one is looking while doing their job. Companies today need help. People have lost respect for one another. It is the worst it has ever been. It really comes down to education and awareness of what character is and how we should promote it and work to inspire others to be aware of individual attitudes and actions and to always strive to be positive toward others.”
Theresa Clayton, VP/Human Resources, Director of Agency Operations, RiskSource Clark-Theders, Cincinnati, Ohio
“Intentionally focusing on character traits monthly has brought an awareness to our associates in their daily interactions with clients and each other. It is becoming second nature – we spend time talking about character and how our actions impact others.”
Mary Andres Russell, Character Council Board of Directors
“For 23 years, the Character Council has inspired thousands of individuals through its life-changing messages and events. The monthly emphasis on one character quality is simple but never easy, constantly challenging us to a higher level of caring, ethics, and excellence. Now more than ever, we need this powerful focus to illuminate our lives.”
Mike Daly, Financial Advisor, Founder of Character Council of Cincinnati
“I have been associated with the Character Council for over 20 years. A character-based thought process has effortlessly resulted and impacts my thoughts and actions every day. Effortless is key, the monthly bulletins give me a 5-minute reminder of key principles which guide my decision-making. I am inspired by the like-minded people from all walks of life who are drawn to the light of the higher standard of character. The Council’s “Heroes” annual event has helped me develop new lifetime relationships with these special leaders.”
Kellie Krieger, Human Resources Director, Hamilton Caster, Hamilton, OH
“As the HR Director at Hamilton Caster, one of my top priorities is to foster a positive work Environment where employees feel valued and appreciated. To achieve this goal, we collaborate with the Character Council every month to encourage and promote good character qualities among our workforce. We strongly believe that by cultivating positive character traits such as integrity, respect, and empathy, we can create a stronger, safer, and more unified community within our workplace. Every month, I have the privilege of recognizing our employees who have been nominated by their peers for their exceptional qualities. It’s always heartwarming to see how proud and motivated our employees feel when their colleagues appreciate their individual strengths. We are excited to continue our partnership with the Character Council in our ongoing efforts to recognize and honor our employees who embody the best qualities of good character.”
Pamela Daly, Acting Coach/Actor, Aberdeen, OH
“I am an acting coach and have been training actors for 15 years. Two years ago I felt led to begin introducing the character quality of the month to my acting clients. At the beginning of each month I introduced the character quality and I challenged them to focus on that quality all month long. We discussed how each quality applied to their life and to the craft of acting. They reported back to me each week on their progress.
Actors are sensitive people and often harbor acting blocks related to unresolved issues and fears they have held deep for many years. These blocks show up magnified in the actor’s work. The actor struggles for years trying to improve with little progress and much frustration due to these unresolved blocks. Once the actors began to focus on each character quality, their blocks began to dissolve, and their acting work grew.
I found this time and time again with each actor I worked with and with each new character quality month after month. The actor applied the quality to life as well as to the art and craft of acting. What resulted was a better, more connected human being and a supple and sensitive artist, full of heart and personal vulnerability. Performances were now filled with empathy, beauty and freedom.
Character is not a quick fix for the actor but it is over time a gateway to freedom in performance and life. I am committed to training character in my actors one character quality at a time.”