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Worth its weight in gold: Delivering major achievements for Junior Achievement of Central Ohio
After nearly two decades of support for the local chapter, Paul Francois, President of Pepper Construction of Ohio and Pepper Mission Critical, a company focused on data centers and other specialty spaces, has been selected as one of Junior Achievement’s 12 Gold Leadership Award recipients for 2025–2026. This is the highest honor JA gives for volunteer leadership.
“Volunteers are critical to the success of Junior Achievement’s life-changing learning experiences,” said Tim Greinert, President of Junior Achievement USA. “These 12 individuals have gone above and beyond in their support of the young people we serve, which has resulted in a positive impact on countless students.”
Under Paul’s guidance, Pepper Ohio has helped JA reach more than 52,000 students while raising over $3.8 million dollars to date. However, Paul is quick to share the credit. “I couldn’t have done this alone,” he said. “It’s a true reflection of the passion and commitment of the local Pepper team. I am so grateful for their shared dedication and consistency, and I applaud their enthusiasm. Year after year, their efforts are inspiring.”
Paul joined the board of Junior Achievement of Central Ohio in 2007, when we officially opened our Columbus office. Since then, our support for JA has taken a wide variety of formats. Whether it’s building space for students at BizTown, a JA learning center in Columbus, or rallying support at events like Pepper’s Annual Casino Night, an evening of fun and fundraising with our clients, partners and others in the community, these efforts have helped bring real-world learning to young people who might not have had these opportunities otherwise. Visit the link to join us or learn about sponsorship opportunities: Casino Night - JA of Central Ohio.
Paul received his award during a special ceremony on March 10 in Houston, Texas in conjunction with the JA USA national board meeting. With Pepper Ohio’s 17th Annual Casino Night coming up on May 6, it’s a great time to reflect on the lasting impact our team has made to students and the future economy in Central Ohio — and on the momentum that keeps building.
About Junior Achievement
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA learning experiences are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills, as well as to pre-K youth to ensure children get a solid head start. Today, JA reaches more than 4.6 million students per year in 99 markets across the United States as part of 12.5 million students served by operations in more than 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.