The Rotary Club of Fort Myers South is proud to announce the nominees for the 2019 Officer of the Year Award.
Open to all Lee County Law Enforcement agencies, the Officer of the Year award honors one local hero who goes above and beyond to protect and serve our community. Agencies were able to nominate up to five officers for the Officer of the Year award. To qualify, nominees must work full-time as a sworn officer who is employed by and in good standing with their nomination agency; be committed to going beyond the call of duty, characterized by serving as a role model for others; show total contribution to the agency and community throughout the year; and exemplify extraordinary actions beyond their expected job responsibilities.
The following law enforcement officers were nominated for the 2019 Officer of the Year:
- Officer Sean Adams, Lee County Port Authority Police Department
- Deputy First Class Donna Aiossa-McNally, Lee County Sheriff’s Office
- Officer Richard Castellon, Lee County Sheriff’s Office
- Officer Jonathan Duffy, Cape Coral Police Department
- Colonel Thomas Eberhardt, Lee County Sheriffs’ Office
- Deputy First Class Michael Elkady, Lee County Sheriff’s Office
- Officer Nicholas Hubatch, Sanibel Police Department
- Officer Myles Kittleson, Florida Gulf Coast University Police Department
- Lieutenant Richard Meeks, Fort Myers Police Department
- Sergeant Carlos Mena, Cape Coral Police Department
- Detective Jason Steinke, Lee County Sheriff’s Office
- Lieutenant Roger Valdivia, Fort Myers Police Department
Finalists will be announced in advance of the event. One hero will be recognized during a special presentation of the prestigious Officer of the Year award during the sixth annual Law & Order Ball presented by the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South. Open to the public, the evening celebration will take place Saturday, Sept. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Hertz Arena.
The black-tie optional gala also features cocktails, hors-d’oeuvres, formal dinner, silent and live auctions, and entertainment. Tickets for the Law & Order Ball are $175, or $1,750 for a table for 10. Those unable to attend can still participate by sponsoring an officer to attend the event, donating items for the silent and live action or making a contribution to the “Fund A Need” to support much-needed life-saving tactical equipment.
Creighton Construction and Development has returned for the sixth year as the Law & Order Ball’s presenting sponsor. Additional sponsors include: Bank of the Ozarks, Cape Coral Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram, Edison National Bank, FineMark National Bank & Trust, Fort Myers Police Department, Gravina, Smith, Matte & Arnold Marketing and Public Relations, Geraghty, Dougherty & Stockman, P.A., Henderson Franklin Attorneys at Law, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Mark Loren Designs, Millennium Physicians Group, Park Royal Hospital, Premium Deli Provisions, RapidPrint, Sam Galloway Ford, Suncoast Credit Union, Southwest Florida Public Service Academy, and WINK News.
For more information about the event, to become a sponsor, or to make a contribution, visit www.lawandorderball.org or contact Allie Andrews at allie@gsma.pro. For all other inquiries, contact 239-277-6295.
About Rotary Club of Fort Myers South
Rotary Club of Fort Myers South has more than 150 members, who are among the 1.3 million Rotarians worldwide. “Service Above Self” is the motto of Rotary International, which has contributed more than $1.2 billion and tens of thousands of volunteer hours toward polio eradication, in addition to projects such as water quality, world peace, and literacy. Meetings are held each Monday at noon at the Crowne Plaza, 13051 Bell Tower Drive. For more information, visit http://www.rotarysouth.org/.