PHILIPSBURG–In keeping with the objectives of Rotary, the Mid Isle Club recently presented Vocational Service Awards to two persons in the community.
The Vocational Service Award is presented annually to someone in the community who has exemplified outstanding professional achievement while maintaining very high ethical standards. The Daily Herald’s very own Lisa Davis Burnett and Safe Heaven representative Shelly Gordon were chosen by the club as this year’s awardees.
Rotary’s objectives are to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster the development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service; high ethical standards in business and profession; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society; the application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s business and community life; and the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a worldwide fellowship of business and professional persons in the ideal of service.
Lisa Davis Burnett was nominated by President-Elect Denise Antrobus. Lisa works in The Daily Herald’s Special Editions Department and teaches GED and Earth Science at University of St. Martin. She has Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Geology, as well as a Master’s degree in Education Administration.
Lisa had been a teacher since the mid-1980s, first in the United States and then after moving to St. Maarten. She has taught every age group from second grade up to and including university. She is a big believer in hands-on science experiments and child-led discovery. She was a driving force in the 2012 start-up of Players Development. Her motto and the reason for Players Development’s success is “Keep Learning Fun.”
She has been doing remedial work with the children in a baseball programme since 2003 and still continues to this day. Lisa is a sailor, scuba diver and certified dive master, she sings in the choir on the French side of the island and is in most of Helen Hunt’s productions, she does art (painting and dance) and is a member of the St. Maarten clown group.
Shelly Gordon was nominated by Special Projects Director Grace Linger. Shelly works with Safe Haven Foundation. She is a former police officer and food inspection officer in England and is soon to be the Care Coordinator of Safe Haven’s client care programme. She is currently the head house mother at Safe Haven’s shelter.
Shelly is a fair but firm leader who encourages members of her team to take initiative, to always learn and go the extra mile. She herself always goes the extra mile by: coordinating services for domestic violence clients, organising various aspects of the shelter, and speaking out about domestic violence in the community so that others can gain insight about domestic violence and feel as though they are not alone.
After Hurricane Irma Shelly gave up her bed to a client in need and spent several days at the shelter without a break cleaning up after they lost the top floor.
District Governor for District 7020 Robert Leger and his wife First Lady Rosa are currently in St. Maarten and presented the two Vocational Service Awards.
Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle meets at Pineapple Pete in Simpson Bay at 7:00pm Tuesdays. For more information, contact
rotarysxm.mi@gmail.com or visit Facebook page Rotary Club of St. Maarten-Mid Isle.
Source: The Daily Herald https://www.thedailyherald.sx/islands/73326-rotary-mid-isle-hands-out-vocational-service-awards
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