GB Rotary announces winners

Gulf Breeze Rotary president Paul Stanley congratulates Gulf Breeze Police Department Officer Chris Henderson, Officer of the Year; Donna Cooper, Citizen of the Year; and Dashean Chavez, Teacher of the Year.

Gulf Breeze Rotary presents three awards each year to commend community leaders for excellence: Citizen of the Year, Officer of the Year and Teacher of the Year.

"We received a record number of nominations this year," says Bo Marks, chair of the committee granting the awards. "These are very high honors and the nominees are all very worthy of this recognition. Those who won the awards stand a head above the rest, though."

Officer Chris Henderson was recognized as Officer of the Year and his supervisor, Deputy Chief Robert Randle spoke highly of his constant, calm service to the community.

"I occasionally do get calls about an officer, where someone says the officer was rude or gruff, but I have never received a single complaint on Chris. He is known for his calm, problem solving demeanor."

Gulf Breeze Elementary School fifth grade teacher Dashean Chavez was named Teacher of the Year. He was praised for a high level of excellence and creativity.

"I know that some parents say I assign too much homework," Chavez joked. "But I want to make sure these kids learn as much as they can. And I try to bring opportunities into the classroom that help them make life decisions as well, to teach character, to become the best human they can be as well. I listen to the parents, too."

The Rotary Citizen of the Year award was given to Donna Cooper, Branch Manager of the Peoples First Community Bank. Cooper received three nominations for the award, all of which praised her for not only running an excellent branch responsive to the needs of its customers and the community, but for being the first person in line to help with community and Gulf Breeze Chamber of Commerce activities.

One of the nominations stated that after Hurricane Ivan Cooper was the only local bank officer that would help him. He was desperate for recovery funds, and Cooper helped.

"I am truly, humbly grateful for this award," Cooper said. "Rotary is a great organization and I am honored."