FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FORT MYERS, Fla. (February 19,
2002) – The Board of Lee County Commissioners announced today that it has
selected Fran Myers from Fort Myers Beach as the winner of the Paulette Burton
“Citizen Of The Year” Award for 2001. Myers
is the 14th recipient of the award.
Myers was selected for her many
civic contributions, including serving on numerous government and private-sector
committees and boards.
A 26-year county resident and
successful businesswoman, Myers is the longest serving member of the Lee County
Tourist Development Council (since 1985) and was the first woman chairperson of
the Lee County Port Authority’s Airport Special Management Committee (she has
served on the committee since 1993). She
has been instrumental in the development of Lynn Hall Memorial Park and Bowditch
Point Regional Park and has long been active in the Greater Fort Myers Beach
Chamber of Commerce. Myers also is
co-founder of the Uncommon Friends Foundation.
The finalists for the 2001
award were: James Gillespie (North Fort Myers), Helen Kralj (Bonita Springs),
John McCormack (St. James City) and Marilyn Stout (Cape Coral).
The
award is given each year to a citizen who has exhibited outstanding civic
contributions to Lee County. The
award was created in 1991 and named after Paulette Burton, a longtime Sanibel
resident and political activist who died in a 1991 car accident.
The selection criteria include having a positive attitude, knowledge of
the objectives and activities of Lee County government, demonstrating an
interest in community/county government partnerships and promoting harmony
between the community and county government.
Past
winners are: Hannah Davis (1991), Israel Suarez (92), Ed and Sylvia Blue (93),
P. Michael Villalobos (94), Bill Davis and Duera Mae Everett (95), Judy Jenkins
(96), Dr. Lee Duffus (97), Roberta Morgan (98), Jim and Ellie Newton (99) and
Dodie Booher (2000).
The Board of County Commissioners selected a six-member screening committee that narrowed the 16 nominations to the five finalists. Commissioners selected the winner through a blind voting process.