New President and Annual Award Recipients Named at Member Celebration
Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan announced Thursday that Bill Dymond, president and managing partner of Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed, P.A., has earned the not-for-profit�s highest service honor, the Howard Palmer Award. The award was presented to Dymond, a former FCSports chairman and executive committee mainstay, during the organization�s annual Member Celebration held at Orlando�s Star Tower on Thursday. Also at the event, Chuck Beverly, senior vice president of commercial markets at RBC Bank, began his one-year term as FCSports president.
The Member Celebration celebrated the start of the 2009-10 Florida Citrus Sports (FCSports) season with the induction of new leadership and honored members who have dedicated time and effort to the organization. The highest honor of the night went to Dymond, who served as president (2001-02) and chairman (2002-03) and spent the past six years in a special advisory role on the executive committee. Dymond was instrumental in the hiring of Tom Mickle to succeed Chuck Rohe as FCSports executive director in 2002, and has worked alongside Hogan since the current CEO was named executive director in 2006.
�Bill has played a huge role in shaping our organization over the years and we are extremely proud to honor him with the Howard Palmer Award,� said Hogan. �If you pull out a dictionary and look up words like intelligent, thoughtful, and dedicated, you will see they have one thing in common: a picture of Bill Dymond.�
The prestigious Howard Palmer Award is a tribute to the FCSports member who continually strives to make significant contributions to the organization and its efforts without regard for personal recognition. Presented since the 1989-90 season, the annual award recognizes a �lifetime� of service to FCSports. Past honorees include Vernon Hinely, Elmer Cook, George Nahas, Yogi Moore and 2007-08 recipient Marshall Vermillion, formerly of Wachovia.
In addition to the Howard Palmer Award, FCSports recognized other members who gave superlative efforts during the 2008-09 season. Tony Finocchiaro of Cort was named Rookie Of The Year, Membership Sales Committee Chairman Thomas Hankins of NAI Realvest was named Chairman Of The Year and Lt. Col. Pat Connors of the U.S. Army was named Volunteer Of The Year.
As part of the Member Celebration�s program, new FCSports president Chuck Beverly spoke about the year ahead in 2009-10. Focusing on the importance of supporting the organization and its charitable efforts in the Central Florida community, Beverly asked the gathered members to do all they could while facing tough times both economically and in regards to the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium�s pending renovation.
�I need your help,� Beverly told the crowd of over 250 FCSports members. �2009 could be our finest hour.�
With Beverly now installed as president, 2008-09 President Cathy Weeden of Gator Sports Marketing will move to chairman, where she will continue to advise on the executive committee and also oversee FCSports� Team Selection Committee, which chooses and invites the teams for the Capital One Bowl and Champs Sports Bowl each December. Additionally, Brighthouse Networks VP/General Manager Michel Champagne has been named President-Elect for this year, and will work alongside Beverly, Weeden and the executive committee before stepping into the president role for 2010-11.