Lovegrove a finalist for the Paulette Burton Citizen of the Year Award

[Hi. This is arts journalist Tom Hall again. Further to my post here two days ago, I am happy to report that Leoma is a finalist for the Paulette Burton Citizen of the Year Award! What's that? Read on.]

Every year, the Lee County Commission accepts nominations for the Paulette Burton Citizen of the Year Award. The award recognizes a Lee County citizen who has provided outstanding civic contributions to Lee County Government and serves as a tribute to past and present civic activists who have devoted much of their time and energy to citizen involvement with Lee County Government.

 

After nominations for 2016 closed, the Board of County Commissioners appointed a Selection Advisory Committee to narrow the nominations to a list of finalists.  They chose John Bunch, Alan Mandel, and Cynthia Shafer to serve on this year’s Selection Advisory Committee. The trio named ten award finalists:

• Larry Aguilar
• Captain John G. Bunch
• Trinity Hansen
• Leoma Lovegrove
• Alan Mandel
• Marlene Rodak
• Gloria Raso Tate
• Cynthia Shafer
• Ronald Weller

Lovegrove has worked tirelessly for years to promote Lee County as a tourist destination, as the Lee County Visitors & Convention Bureau and Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce recognized in 2015 when they conferred on Leoma their prestigious Jujonia Award. As a long-standing advocate for water quality in the Caloosahatchee River, Gulf of Mexico and waters surrounding Matlacha and Pine Islands, she has not only worked locally but travelled to Washington D.C. on behalf of Lee County residents. She started the Matlacha Island Chamber of Commerce, created the  mural that serves as the gateway to the island, and draws thousands of Bealls customers to Matlacha to visit her gallery and gardens.

The County Commissioners will select the winner from this group. The winner will be announced at the 9:30 a.m. meeting on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 in the Old Lee County Courthouse, 2120 Main Street, Fort Myers, FL.   Please feel free to attend if you have an interest in observing the presentation.

 

The annual Paulette Burton Citizen of the Year Award The award was created in 1991 in honor of Mrs. Burton, who died tragically in an automobile accident. A long-time Sanibel resident and government watchdog, Mrs. Burton spent many years serving as a voice of the people to the Lee County Board of County Commissioners as well as playing an active role in Sanibel politics. She devoted much of her time and energy to working with county staff in trying to improve the quality of life in Lee County.