BOARDMAN — A new business Ashley Vidale co-owns may have a mere two words in its name, but one of them cuts to the heart of what she intends to spread into an overarching goal.

“My vision is to open a space where businesses can come together and prosper,” said Vidale, who, along with her husband, Terrill Vidale, own the Prosper Centre.

The building at 15 Boardman-Canfield Road may enjoy additional prosperity because it was the recipient of one of six awards given during the Boardman Civic Association’s annual Community Service Awards program Monday at Boardman Park’s Lariccia Family Community Center.

The gathering was to recognize and honor businesses and individuals who have contributed to the township’s betterment and overall welfare.

The $3.2 million, 3,225-square-foot Prosper Centre, which sits on the site of a former McDonald’s restaurant, has four suites — two of which are occupied and one in which a business called Any Lab Tests Now will open, likely in December or January, Ashley Vidale said.

The two occupants are a QUICKmed Urgent Care and Sapphire Aesthetics and Wellness, which Ashley and Terrill Vidale run. Sapphire just celebrated its one-year anniversary in the Prosper Centre, she said.

Sapphire, which has adopted the mantra “Everybody’s a gem,” offers services that include facial fillers, weight loss, body sculpting and micro-needling, Ashley Vidale said.

Accepting the Community Service Award on behalf of the Boardman Schools Fund for Educational Excellence was its president, Matt Gambrel, who said since the fund’s inception in 2009, more than 150 grants totaling more than $125,000 have been provided for Boardman students and teachers. The nonprofit organization’s primary aim is to offer financial support for projects that further students’ educational experiences and endeavors, according to its website.

Timothy L. Saxton, former Boardman Local School District superintendent, took home this year’s Citizen of the Year Award. In 1999, the same honor was bestowed upon his father, Larry Saxton, whose education career in the district began in the 1960s as a math teacher before he became assistant principal of Boardman Glenwood Middle School, now Boardman Glenwood Junior High School.

Following in his father’s footsteps, Tim Saxton, a 1984 Boardman High grad, also majored in math — after initially intending to study electrical engineering. In addition, he served as an assistant principal.

A few years later, the younger Saxton became a principal, a position he held for about 10 years, before his tenure as superintendent that started in August 2016, when he took over for Frank Lazzeri.

Also grateful to be an award recipient was Rick Blase, who founded Rick’s Ranchwear, now Rick’s Boot Factory Outlet.

In the 46 years since its establishment in 1978, the business has grown into a retail chain, having made inroads in Nevada and several other states, Blase said.

“It’s really a team effort,” he said, referring to a major pillar of his business’s success.

Receiving the President’s Award was Dan Segool, who served two years as the association’s president. He praised its members for contributing to the organization’s vibrancy. Segool said his next ambition is to be an association board member.

Receiving the Remodeled Buildings Award was Youngstown Orthopaedic Surgery Center.

Boardman Civic Association award winners

Business Person of the Year – Rick Blase

Community Service Award – Boardman Schools Fund for Educational Excellence

Citizen of the Year – Timothy L. Saxton

Remodeled Buildings Award – Youngstown Orthopaedic Surgery Center

New Buildings Award – Prosper Centre

President’s Award – Dan Segool