The Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra (Nocatee) along with its presenting sponsor IQ Fiber honored two first responders, a guidance counselor and a health care professional for their service during the past year.
St. Johns County Rotary Hero Firefighter of the Year, engineer Barry Dunn from Station 18 in Nocatee; St. John County Sheriff’s Office Rotary Hero Deputy of the Year Dalton Spinks; Education Rotary Hero Shii McDuff, Valley Ridge Academy guidance clerk; and Rotary Health Care Hero Nancy Cross, transportation director at Starling at Nocatee were presented plaques.
The Fourth Annual Rotary Heroes Awards event was hosted by the Ponte Vedra Rotary Foundation, the charitable arm of The Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra. The awards were given in recognition of excellence in vocational service, which is one of Rotary’s foundational values. The event coincided with the seventh anniversary of the club’s chartering.
Many Rotarians, family and friends of the honorees attended the event at Crosswater Hall at Nocatee. Attendees included Sheriff Rob Hardwick and wife Kendell, St. Johns County Acting Fire Chief Dusty Wilson, Valley Ridge Academy Principal Angie Fuller, IQ Fiber executives and others.
Dunn was nominated by Lt. Mike Pepper, the 2022 Rotary Heroes Firefighter of the Year.
“Engineer Dunn consistently demonstrates extraordinary and exceptional accomplishment in all department functions,” Pepper said. “He has been routinely recognized for performing above and beyond department expectations during his career with the St. Johns County Fire Rescue.”
Spinks was introduced by his direct supervisor, Sgt. McDonnell, who said, “Dalton clearly stands out to me and his coworkers as someone who is naturally advanced in his knowledge, skill and ability as a law enforcement deputy.”
McDuff is the coordinator of the Soaring High Program at Valley Ridge Academy. The program serves 100 students and focuses on children who need extra attention in school and in life as they come from challenging situations where success in school can be difficult.
“Shii’s dedication, compassion and unwavering commitment to our students and families have made her an indispensable asset to our school community,” said Fuller. “Her ability to connect with parents, build trust and create a safe space for them to share their needs is truly remarkable.”
Cross was unable to attend. Charles Gomes, Starling at Nocatee’s executive director, said, “Ms. Cross has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership, dedication and a commitment to service that embodies the values of the Rotary Club. She has gone above and beyond, showing remarkable dedication to helping others and improving the lives of our residents. Nancy works tirelessly, often sacrificing evenings and weekends to provide the highest quality of service to residents.”
More than 90 people attended the dessert reception and ceremony held at Crosswater Hall.
Kelly Altosino-Sastre, Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra charter president and chair of the Rotary Heroes Awards committee said, “Our four Rotary Heroes are exceptional people who are role models of servant leadership. They have continually demonstrated service above self throughout their careers and this is Rotary’s motto. It is fitting that they receive the Rotary Heroes Awards.”
She added, “We are beyond grateful to IQ Fiber, our community partner for the second year in a row for being the title and presenting sponsor of this event.”
In addition to the plaques, a donation was made to the Apryl Showers Foundation in honor of Dunn, to America’s Gold Star Families in honor of Spinks, to Valley Ridge Academy’s Soaring High Program in honor of McDuff and to Pie in the Sky in honor of Cross. Also, a donation was made to Habitat for Humanity St. Johns in honor of IQ Fiber Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer Kim Smithers.
In addition to presenting sponsor IQ Fiber, other donors and sponsors were: Branded Marketing Starling Luxury Living, Chef Paul Sebess of Le Pain de Paul and Ron Sutton, photographer. Several Rotarians also contributed to the event.
