The backbone of Southwest Florida are the people who give of themselves to make it better. Four such people are this year’s Rotary Club of Fort Myers South award winners. Downtown House of Pizza owner Jason Kohn and Keep Lee County Beautiful Executive Director Trish Fancher won the Four-Way Test Award. The Vocational Service Leadership Award went to Dr. Jesse Bryson, who founded and directs the I Will Mentorship Foundation, and Kerri Goldsmith, a financial advisor at HBKS Wealth Advisors.
“Each winner is a sterling example of the principles behind Rotary, and we’re privileged to be able to recognize them,” said Read Sawczyn, head of the awards committee for the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South. “They’re all creating positive change and making a real difference.”
The Four-Way Test Award recognizes people who emphasize service above self and conduct their lives and business in line with the Rotary Club’s Four-Way Test, composed of the following questions designed to help guide decision-making:
- Is it truth?
- Is it fair to all concerned?
- Does it build goodwill and better friendships?
- Will it be beneficial to all concerned?
Kohn served nine years on the board of directors of the River District Alliance, volunteered at Edison Park Elementary School, donated to help solve a cold case and supported the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. Fancher volunteers for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation, engages in educational campaigns and recently won other awards for waterway initiatives and anti-littering work.
The Vocational Service Leadership Award is for those who exemplify integrity and high ethical standards in business and use their vocational talents to serve the community. Bryson has mentored youth for more than 20 years and served in the U.S. Army, working under presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush as part of the White House Communications Agency. He received the Uncommon Friends Foundation Champion Teacher award in 2016, the Golden Apple Teacher of the Year award in 2017, and the Junior ROTC Army Instructor of the Year award in 2018.
Goldsmith is president of the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South and is a Greater Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Women in Business APEX Award finalist. Throughout her career, she has served in leadership roles with numerous industry associations and non-profits, and remains very active in the community. She has been instrumental in instituting the Rotary Club’s e-newsletter, as well as helping to manage its online presence through its websites and social media.
Visit rotarysouth.org to learn about all the initiatives the Rotary Club of Fort Myers South undertakes to promote community stewardship.
