Community Leadership Awards Banquet

Description

Leadership Vestavia Hills (LVH) will honor outstanding citizens at the 27th Community Leadership Award Banquet (formerly Citizen of the Year). This program recognizes and celebrates exceptional members of our community who have invested substantial efforts to improve the quality of life for those throughout our community and beyond.

Alberto C. “Butch” Zaragoza will be recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his longtime dedication to Vestavia Hills. He has served the City of Vestavia Hills for almost five decades, including a 39-year tenure with the Fire Department and two terms as Mayor. He has also served as Chairman of the Jefferson County Emergency Management Agency, Chairman of the Board of the Alabama Fire College and Personnel Standards Commission, President of the Central Alabama Fire Chiefs, President of the Alabama Fire Chiefs Association, President of the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs, President of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and President of the Jefferson County Mayors Association. During his tenure as Mayor, he was actively involved in the expansion of municipal facilities and programs, including a new LEED gold-certified library, a new sports complex, sidewalks, and other major improvements.

Husband and wife team Andy and Jan Thrower, founders of the nonprofit organization aTeam Ministries, will be honored with the Distinguished Citizen Award. aTeam Ministries is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in Vestavia Hills in 2009 with the mission to offer spiritual, financial and emotional support through a variety of programs to children and their families within the pediatric cancer community. It has helped families in different ways, including offering extended-stay housing near hospitals, paying families’ mortgages and financing experimental therapy. The Throwers founded aTeam Ministries after their own first-hand experiences with pediatric oncology during their son Anderson’s fight against Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. He is now a third grader at West and his sister is a sixth grader at Pizitz.

The Banquet is open to the public and will be held on March 2 at 6 p.m. at Vestavia Country Club. Tickets are $50 and may be purchased online at http://leadershipvestaviahills.com/. For information about sponsoring the event, please contact Penny Lewallyn at Lewallyn@aol.com.