All eyes were on two faithful and foundational local women in District Judge Ron Arnoni’s courtroom on Dec. 4 as Arnoni continued his annual tradition of honoring and recognizing deserving residents with his Outstanding Citizen of the Year Awards.
Nominated by their peers, 2024’s honorees Diane Ford of Bethel Park and Terry Kish of Upper St. Clair were recognized for demonstrating excellent community leadership, making significant contributions to their communities and having shown their generosity and unselfishness through their actions.
“I want to first thank the people of Bethel Park for making this award each year special and nominating somebody that we can all certainly appreciate,” Arnoni said before awarding Ford with her medal. “There are so many people who go without acknowledgment and do the hard work every day of volunteering and helping people out.”
Ford is a seasoned administrator and beloved Bethel Park community member who serves as executive director of Melting Pot Ministries, a nonprofit that serves disadvantaged children and their families in the South Hills. She co-founded the SEED Project, a grassroots organization that helps community members in need with food and supply drives, and she was instrumental in reviving the Bethel Park Chamber of Commerce in 2014.
Kish is well-known in her township for her role as editor-in-chief of Upper St. Clair Today magazine and for her various volunteering roles in the community. She has volunteered at Streams Elementary School, including as PTA vice president, president and board adviser. She was a member of the USC band parents association and from 1998 to 2000, she served on the USC community foundation’s technology committee and as a trustee from 2018 to 2022.
She and her husband, Dave, have been parishioners at St. Catherine Labouré Catholic Parish.
Ford said she doesn’t consider the work she does in the community to be “award worthy.” She sees it as work that “we should all be doing.”
“I think that we have a lot of opportunities to make a difference, and sometimes we choose to and sometimes we don’t. In my opinion, we’re on this earth for a few days in everything that we do, and every day and every moment just counts for something,” she said.
Holding back tears, Ford continued, saying if she does nothing else with her life, she wants to help people recognize that “they’re loved, that they have great value and that they’re absolutely necessary to build the kingdom of God, because at the end of the day, the one thing that I want to hear from my Father is, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant,’” Ford said.
Kish said she was “truly overwhelmed and humbled” to be even considered.
“It was an honor just being nominated,” Kish said. “When I think of how many people do so many things in our communities, it really is an honor just to be nominated, and to be selected is just so humbling.”
Kish also expressed gratitude to her colleagues from the USC Today magazine for nominating her for the award, and to the entire magazine staff. Sheis looking forward to continuing her volunteer work and spending more time with her grandchildren.
Although Bethel Park Mayor Jack Allen just received a new knee and thus could not make it to the ceremony this year, he called Arnoni to make known his appreciation of Ford.
“He actually personally called me to tell me that Diane believes in the power and importance of education. She was born to love and believes that it is her responsibility to share love, and also her love of God. Her heart’s desire is to transform lives, helping people to recognize their value,” Arnoni said.
Present at both of the awards ceremonies were stateRep. Natalie Mihalek, R-Peters, and State Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Bridgeville, who each presented the award winners with citations from their respective legislative chambers.
Also present at Kish’s ceremony was Upper St. Clair Commissioner Richard Thomas, who thanked Kish for her dedication to the community.
“You help make Upper St. Clair the No. 1 community, I believe, in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Thomas said. “We’re very proud to have you as one of our residents and keep up the good work.”