PACE Awards 2010
Speech by Evon Emerson, President and CEO
Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce
Good evening. Tonight is special because not only is this the 50th anniversary of the PACE awards, it’s the beginning of a new decade. And to assure us of a festive evening are our sponsors: Our Gold sponsors are The Andrews Institute and Gulf Power; Silver sponsor is Highpointe Hotel Corporation; and Bronze sponsors are Emmanuel, Sheppard & Condon, International Paper and Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund. Please join me in thanking them for stepping forward. And I must thank Hope Allen and Nicole Webb from my Chamber team for the beautiful decorations. I hope you noticed all of the past winners as we scrolled through their names during dinner.
Last year, we celebrated our 450th anniversary, the day the Spanish, led by Don Tristan de Luna, founded Pensacola. Think of what it was like for them. There were 1,500 people, ships filled with supplies, and a dream for starting a new city.
The winners tonight are not much different than that original fleet. They are fearless, forward thinking, with big dreams for a better tomorrow.
The dreams of our visionaries keep Pensacola moving ahead – their dreams make us better and help us achieve each century, each decade, each year. We are blessed to live in a community with beautiful beaches, tremendous history, and a growing economy, but we are even more blessed to have the people we do.
Tonight, we are honoring special people who make our community great. It is my honor to introduce you to the 2010 Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce PACE Award Winners.
Our first award this evening is presented to the Emerging Leader of the Year.
In 2002, this individual moved to Pensacola as part of a major relocation. She studied business administration at Old Dominion University and attended executive education programs at both the University of Michigan and the Virginia Darden School of Business.
A Virginia transplant, she immediately, but rather quietly, moved into becoming involved in our community. And now she serves on the board of United Way, Sacred Heart Hospital and the Pensacola Chamber. She is involved with the Navy League and provides community tours to raise awareness of green initiatives.
This leader gives new meaning to leading by example. She is open and honest, and her down-to-earth nature encourages her team members to discuss challenges and learn from one another.
Her company’s Executive Team sings her high praises. They said, “Her leadership, dedication, perseverance and exceptional decision-making skills enable her to brightly navigate through each challenge. She is a consummate team player who provides guidance and inspiration to her team.”
The Emerging Leader is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of a growing corporation with more than 1,200 employees. She has a 17-year tenure with her employer. Prior to moving to Pensacola, she was responsible for managing an $11 billion loan portfolio. In 2007, she received a prestigious honor from her employer, recognizing her devoted and loyal leadership.
Governor Crist recently visited her workplace, saying “They are a great example of a very good business model, providing service to the people and doing it in a way that promotes the beauty of Florida.”
Thanks to the leadership of this woman and her work with the Chamber, Escambia County, and the State of Florida, Pensacola is home to the largest economic development project in Northwest Florida in ten years, Navy Federal Credit Union. And I just left no doubt in your mind who this winner is -
This year’s Emerging Leader of the Year to….Ms. Debbie Calder.
Ladies and gentleman, please join me in a round of applause for the PACE Awards 2010 Emerging Leader of the Year, Ms. Debbie Calder.
Our next presentation for the evening is to the Professional Leader of the Year.
At an early age, our Professional Leader’s grandfather motivated him to get involved in sports. At LSU, he learned the importance of teamwork and goal setting and went on to become an SEC champion in pole vaulting. Little did he know he was forming the foundation for his career.
This physician believes that being involved in research and education is what gives him an edge in caring for his patients. He’s taught at universities and medical schools around the country and has trained more than 300 young doctors in sports medicine through fellowship programs. This year, he’ll serve as president of the American Orthopaedic Society.
Developing two sports medicine foundations has provided him the ability to make a bigger impact than ever anticipated. In 1987, our Professional Leader founded the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, which established research-based injury prevention initiatives. Twenty years later, he brought the same focus to the Pensacola Bay Area with a $56 million facility with 130 employees.
In his 35-year tenure, he has helped 40,000 patients, who include world-class athletes, youth athletes and everyday people. His patient list looks like the table of contents of a Sports Illustrated Magazine, including Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Derek Jeter, Drew Brees, and Peyton Manning.
But when asked about how he has contributed to his patients, he said, “All of my patients are special to me. I feel blessed and fortunate that I can be the person to help them get back to their daily lives and activities – whether it’s returning to the field of play or simply picking up their children without pain.”
With six children and three grandchildren, he certainly knows the importance of family.
And now may I present the Professional Leader of the Year to Dr. James Andrews.
Ladies and gentleman, please join me in a round of applause for the PACE Awards 2010 Professional Leader of the Year, Dr. James Andrews . . .
Our Community Leader of the Year -
Completed medical school at the University of Mississippi in 1982, and moved to Pensacola for a temporary medical residency. Well, temporary quickly became permanent as he realized Pensacola was the perfect place to work, play and raise a family.
This is a very busy person. While caring for patients, receiving his MBA, serving in roles of medical director and Interim Chief Medical Officer, greeting a new grandbaby with one daughter and planning a wedding for another, he was leading the city in its 450th anniversary celebration.
Our Community Leader of the Year, fueled by his passion for Pensacola, created Celebrate Pensacola, to increase historical and educational awareness of Pensacola’s place in the Americas, increase tourism, and celebrate our Spanish heritage.
And what an anniversary we had. Visits from the king and queen of Spain, renowned Spanish winemakers, the famous artist Miguel Zapata, and the Juan Sebastian de Elcano tall ship, plus reenactments, a huge birthday celebration and more. To prepare for this evening, our staff reviewed hundreds of photos from the anniversary, and finding one of the Community Leader was difficult. He always remained behind the scenes, working hard but never seeking the spotlight.
These events didn’t just happen on their own. Our Community Leader met with officials and dignitaries in Washington, D.C., Miami, Tallahassee, and Dallas. He organized dozens of volunteers and often had to fund the events himself. He treated his role like a full-time job, all the while going to his day job at the Andrews Institute and Baptist Hospital.
Though the big events are over, Celebrate Pensacola leaves behind lasting memories and city mementos -- the conquistador statue in Plaza de Luna, ten commemorative paintings and 800 articles in the local and national media. And the greatest leave behind - our reepient!
It should be no surprise that our 2010 Community Leader is Dr. Coy Irvin.
Ladies and gentleman, please join me in a round of applause for the PACE Awards 2010 Community Leader of the Year, Dr. Coy Irvin.
Our next Award presentation for the evening is to the Business Leader of the Year.
This year’s winner is actually not one person, but two. They believe that by super-serving Pensacola, they can be a positive influence on the community. And they give new meaning to the word POSITIVE.
And when they say super-serving, they are not kidding. Between the two of them, they serve on a dozen boards in Pensacola, have a strong commitment to our military, and are both graduates of the Chamber’s Leadership Pensacola program.
Both leaders hail from big cities: one from Chicago and one from New York. Both have an extensive background in media. But they chose to bring their world-class experience to make a difference in Pensacola.
These business leaders use their communications business to create a positive buzz for economic development and job creation. They promoted friend-raising and fund-raising to support Pensacola’s quest to recruit Southwest Airlines.
By focusing on local service, tonight’s business leaders brought their radio station from “worst to first” with the adult 25 to 54 audience in just two years. They’ve brought home prestigious awards from the Academy of Country Music — including Radio Station of the Year in 2006 and 2009. Additionally, in 2009, the station won an award for Personalities of the Year, the first time a station has won in both categories in the history of the Academy of Country Music.
Did I mention these impressive leaders are married? Talk about a dynamic duo. And I believe I already let the cat out of the bag… our 2010 Business Leaders of the Year - Dave and Mary Hoxeng.
Ladies and gentleman, please join me in a round of applause for the PACE Awards 2010 Business Leader of the Year, Mary and Dave Hoxeng.
Our final award presentation for the evening is for the Spirit of Pensacola.
Each year, the “Spirit of Pensacola” is reserved for the person who gives many years of a lifetime of service in the business, industry, professional and community field, one who strives for a better Pensacola and is possessed of strong community loyalty and promotion.
Tonight we’ve identified not just one individual, but another very special couple who embodies this spirit. In fact, this couple received more than 15 nominations for this award tonight.
Our honorees are people of deep faith and commitment. This couple is driven by their passion and their belief that everyone deserves safe, decent housing. No two individuals have had more of an impact on alleviating poverty housing in the area than they have.
Nearly 30 years ago, the couple went to work with Habitat for Humanity when it formed in Pensacola in 1981. A few years and four Habitat houses later, they retired from their careers to devote their lives to Habitat for Humanity. They started building 20 houses per year, then 45, and following hurricanes Ivan and Dennis, they built 71 in one year.
Today, each volunteers five or six days per week. She serves as president and CEO, while he oversees construction. Together they have helped build more than 650 houses for 2,500 people in the two-county area. Each house is carefully selected for a deserving family who can purchase their home with an interest-free mortgage.
In addition, the couple works one-on-one with families to teach them the skills they need to be successful homeowners and improve their quality of life. They haven’t just made a difference for these families, but they’ve impacted entire neighborhoods, instilling a sense of pride.
Under this couple’s leadership, Pensacola’s Habitat for Humanity has been recognized as among the best in the world, out of 1,700 affiliates. In fact, she just received a lifetime achievement award from Habitat for Humanity International. When receiving it, she commented, “But it’s not just me. It’s a team effort. We all work together doing what we love to do.”
They are truly humble and humbling, and their spirit catches on a like wild fire, igniting others to get involved. So now it is my honor to recognize James and Betty Salter for this year’s Spirit of Pensacola award.
Ladies and gentleman, please join me in a round of applause to welcome our PACE Awards 2010 Spirit of Pensacola Award winner . . . the Salters.
Before we end tonight’s wonderful ceremony, I want to say thank you to those who made our 50th anniversary PACE Awards possible.
The individuals honored tonight are truly inspiring. In the past 50 award ceremonies, we’ve honored 167 outstanding individuals with the PACE Award. You have led the way and in this new decade it is now time for others to take up the mantle and begin leading the way.
Thank you all for being part of this special evening and helping us to honor these tremendous individuals. Good night.