Barbara Kraus-Blackney Visionary Service Award 
2022-2023 Recipients

The 2022 Visionary Service Award recipients are Co-clerks and founding members of The Friends Collaborative (TFC), John Gilliland and Jeff Markovitz

As volunteer Co-clerks and founding members of The Friends Collaborative (TFC), John Gilliland and Jeff Markovitz have engineered the single most important increase in scholarship support for Quaker schools ever, vastly expanding access to Friends education for families throughout Pennsylvania. Over the last six years, John and Jeff effectively helped leverage Pennsylvania's Education Improvement Tax Credit Program, raising $15.5 million in scholarship funds for over 1700 students across the 22 member schools of the TFC, with another $10 million anticipated in 2022. Following true Quaker principles, they advocated and established a unique sharing model that benefits all members, while preserving equity. Because of their tremendous efforts, each member school can better support the financial needs of their students and individually grow in more vibrant and diverse ways. John and Jeff’s gifts of volunteer time, expertise, and service in support of Friends education have been nothing short of extraordinary. 
 

List of Past Award Recipients