Janet Edmunson Wins Life Service Award from The ESOP Association

Washington, DC, May 23, 2019 - Janet Edmunson, founder of JME Insights in South Portland, ME, has been named the 2019 Life Service Award winner by The ESOP Association. The Life Service Award honors individuals who’ve made a significant, long-term contribution to employee ownership and the ESOP community. 

Edmunson’s late husband, Charles, was a passionate pioneer in the employee ownership field and encouraged his employee owners to learn—on company time—about ESOPs, business, and leadership. During the last five years of Charles’ life, as he grappled with a degenerative neurological disease, Janet cared for him and helped him write the book Paradoxes of Leadership.
 
After Charles’ passing, Janet has continued to support employee ownership. She has served as a trustee of the Employee Ownership Foundation since 2001. In Charles’ memory, the Foundation offers the Edmunson Scholarships, which help employee owners attend educational conferences and events. For many years, Janet has headed the panel of judges that selects the Edmunson Scholarship winners. 

In 2006, Janet was inspired to write her own book, Finding Meaning with Charles: Caregiving with Love Through a Degenerative Disease. The following year she founded JME Insights, and serves as a speaker and consultant on issues such as leadership and finding ways to stay positive and provide peak performance in the midst of great difficulties. A veteran and respected speaker, she has offered presentations at chapter and national ESOP Association events.

About the Award
The Life Service Award honors individuals who’ve made a significant, long-term contribution to employee ownership and the ESOP community. 

About ESOPs
ESOPs are a retirement plan that provides employees with a chance to share in the profits they help create. Unlike 401(k)s, ESOPs typically have no out of pocket expense for employees. ESOP companies often excel at creating engaging workplace cultures, and are far less likely to lay off their employees, according to national research. These plans can provide tax benefits for the business and the owners who sell their shares to an ESOP. 

About The ESOP Association
Formed in 1979, The ESOP Association is the leading national trade association representing companies with Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs) and the professionals who provide services to them, such as attorneys, accountants, financial advisors, and professional fiduciaries/trustees.