Vosloh Foundation and Foley Rotary Club honor 2017 winners

By Jessica Vaughn / jessica@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 2/20/18

FOLEY – The Vosloh Charitable Foundation, established by Sue and David Vosloh in 2008, teamed with the Foley Rotary on Friday, Feb. 16 to give a special lunch and awards ceremony to six local …

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Vosloh Foundation and Foley Rotary Club honor 2017 winners

From Left to Right: Firefighter of the Year Brandon Irwin; Foley High School Teacher of the Year Col. Scherry Douglas; Foley Police Chief David Wilson on behalf of Officer of the Year SRO Labron Williams; Foley Intermediate School Teacher of the Year Kathy Kendrick; David Vosloh; Foley Elementary School Teacher of the Year Angela Hayes; and Foley Middle School Teacher of the Year Cain Harbin present their check bonuses from the Vosloh Charitable Foundation.
From Left to Right: Firefighter of the Year Brandon Irwin; Foley High School Teacher of the Year Col. Scherry Douglas; Foley Police Chief David Wilson on behalf of Officer of the Year SRO Labron Williams; Foley Intermediate School Teacher of the Year Kathy Kendrick; David Vosloh; Foley Elementary School Teacher of the Year Angela Hayes; and Foley Middle School Teacher of the Year Cain Harbin present their check bonuses from the Vosloh Charitable Foundation.
Photo by Jessica Vaughn
Posted

FOLEY – The Vosloh Charitable Foundation, established by Sue and David Vosloh in 2008, teamed with the Foley Rotary on Friday, Feb. 16 to give a special lunch and awards ceremony to six local recipients. The recipients of the awards received a $1,000 bonus from the Vosloh Foundation, with taxes being paid by the City of Foley and the School Board. The recipients also received a certificate from Gulf Chrysler Dodge Jeep and Moyer Ford in Foley offering them the opportunity to purchase a new vehicle at actual cost with no mark up.

For 2017, the recipients in each category were: Foley Elementary School Teacher of the Year, Angela Hayes; Foley Intermediate School Teacher of the Year, Kathy Kendrick; Foley Middle School Teacher of the Year, Cain Harbin; Foley High School Teacher of the Year, Col. Scherry Douglas; Foley Police Officer of the Year, SRO Labron Williams; and Foley Firefighter of the Year, Brandon Irwin.

Each recipient was given the chance to speak with the audience as well as revealing what they will be doing with their $1,000 bonus.

FOLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Foley Elementary School Principal William Lawrence introduced the Foley Elementary School Teacher of the Year, Angela Hayes.

“This recognition is long overdue,” said Lawrence. “The teachers at our school all nominate the Teacher of the Year, and Hayes has always been on that list, she’s always been nominated, we just couldn’t get her to make it to the finish line.”

This year is different, and Hayes, who teaches 3rd grade and was born in Foley, accepted the award. She did her student teaching during college in the 3rd grade room at Foley Elementary, before leaving to work at Elberta Elementary.

“The last day there, I was brought home to Foley Elementary,” said Hayes. “This September will be 25 years ago that I walked onto the campus as a teacher, and I love every bit of it, I love every one there, it’s home. It’s where my heart is.”

With the bonus, Hayes said that she has already bought a fitbit, two pairs of new Nike tennis shoes, some workout clothes, and she was able to fix a plumbing problem recently when a pipe broke in a wall, stating that the money couldn’t have come at a better time.

FOLEY INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

Shannon McCurdy, principal of Foley Intermediate School, introduced the school’s Teacher of the Year, Kathy Kendrick, a graduate of Robertsdale.

“Kathy was selected by our faculty,” said McCurdy. “I met her four years ago, and she’s become a friend, probably a lifelong friend, as she is a lifelong educator.”

Kendrick stated she plans to use the money towards her daughter’s quickly approaching wedding, which is fitting since she became an educator thanks to her daughter, when she took on the role of room mother at her daughter’s kindergarten class. She enjoyed the role so much that once her daughter moved to 1st grade she knew what she wanted to do. After taking classes at South Alabama and graduating, she began taking on different subbing and teaching opportunities, always in 5th grade classrooms, first in Spanish Fort, then Birmingham, and now Foley Intermediate.

“There’s no place I would rather be than Foley Intermediate,” said Kendrick. “I love my students, everyone I work with is family, and it’s the perfect place to be.”

FOLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL

The recipient from Foley Middle School, Cain Harbin, was introduced by Foley Middle School Principal Danny McDuffie.

“He’s been with us four years now,” said McDuffie of Harbin. “He came to Foley Middle as a student teacher, and as soon as I met him, there’s a personality that connects with kids, especially middle schoolers. Just seeing him interact when he was doing his student teaching, the kids think he’s a middle schooler and yet he’s talking about science, and they’re looking at him in awe, he’s just a natural teacher to them. Needless to say, I didn’t let him go.”

Since the award is monetary, the Foley Middle School takes their finalists and asks them to submit a digital presentation talking about their teaching philosophy, what they’re excited about, and their vision for education in the future. The staff watches the presentations and a selection is made afterwards. McDuffie stated Harbin didn’t win solely based on the presentation, but also the STEM club he runs after school and the STEM camp in the summer.

“I absolutely love working there,” said Harbin. “I love working with my 8th grade kids, I love getting kids who don’t really like science to come in and be like, ‘Oh, I don’t know, this looks like a lot of work,’ and then we start doing labs, we go out into the hallway, we’re making roller coasters and doing all the math behind it, and seeing those kids light up, get excited, ask me when are we doing lab again, or ‘this is science?’”

Harbin stated that he used his money as a down payment for a new vehicle, as the previous car he owned was in bad shape and it was time for something new.

FOLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Russ Moore, Foley High School principal, stated that their Teacher of the Year, Col. Scherry Douglas, was the first person he hired over a phone interview, and one he hired immediately.

“We had an opening for an ROTC instructor which is a different hiring process,” said Moore. “You’re interviewing people in California and Washington State by phone because these are people who typically are recently retired or about to be retiring.”

Though he spoke with many outstanding candidates, Douglas stood out and impressed him instantly.

“We finished our conversation and as soon as we hung up, I said, ‘why did I let her get off the phone without offering her the job?’” Moore said. He called her back right then and hired her.

“I continue to be thankful, humbled, and honored by this experience,” said Douglas. “More so because it was those dedicated teachers at Foley High School, my peers, who bestowed this honor upon me.”

Douglas spent over 30 years working for the government in the Air Force, but teaching had always been in her blood. After visiting the ROTC program in North Carolina with her old first sergeant, she knew once she had retired from the military teaching was her next step in life.

“It’s been both challenging and rewarding,” said Douglas of the two and a half years she’s been teaching the Foley High ROTC program. “I’ve seen some of those cadets come in at the beginning of the year, and they’re apathetic, indifferent, but then I see them by the end of the year. They’re energetic, enthusiastic, and ready to serve. That’s when my heart just warms up, and I understand the definition of destiny and purpose.”

She plans on using her bonus money to take a cruise with her husband, something she has always wanted to do and never been able to before.

FOLEY POLICE OFFICER OF THE YEAR

The Foley Police Officer of the Year, SRO Labron Williams, was unfortunately unable to attend the ceremony. Foley Chief David Wilson accepted the award on his behalf.

“There are 64 cops in Foley,” said Wilson. “It is the most difficult decision that I make every year on which one to select in our selection process. This selection was not so hard.”

Williams will receive a special Officer of the Year ribbon from the department, as well as a framed citation which reads: “SRO Labron Williams is selected as our departments’ Policeman of the Year 2017. Labron serves the students, the teachers, the city, and our department as one of four school resource officers. His daily interaction has contributed greatly to good relations between children and law enforcement. His presence protects them every day, his attitude and demeanor win friends every day. Labron’s best work won’t be seen for years to come; it will be seen years from now, when these children he has mentored grow up and contribute greatly to society.”

Wilson stated Williams was able to put his money towards home remodeling and vehicle repairs.

FOLEY FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR

Foley Fire Chief Joey Darby introduced the Foley Firefighter of the Year, Brandon Irwin, who he stated has been on the staff since Darby joined the team nine years ago.

“I task our shift supervisors each year to make a nomination at the end of the year,” said Darby. “I give them one month to submit to me nominations and to give me some very good reasons why, and they always do.”

Darby stated that when he came to Irwin’s nomination, the shift supervisor had made points that were not at first obvious, as Irwin is a person who often does not want to be at the front, staying behind-the-scenes instead.

“One of the key statements that his supervisor made was that Brandon constantly does things both around the station and on those fire scenes that not only get the job done, but make him, his shift supervisor, look good,” said Darby. “And I think all of us in leadership, that’s what we want from all of our staff. If our staff is out there working hard to make us look good, then that makes us work harder to make somebody else look good, and in turn it serves our community well.”

Irwin grew up in Foley and began volunteering around 2005 before getting the chance to join the staff full time, and hasn’t looked back since.

“I feel really blessed to be here,” said Irwin. “It really is an honor, totally a surprise for me … I couldn’t ask for a better job, any better leadership.”

Irwin states that he hasn’t spent his money yet, but there has been talk in his home of a family vacation.

VOSLOH FOUNDATION

The award ceremony closed with statements from Mayor John Koniar.

“Thank you, Dave and Sue [Vosloh], for what you do for the community, and recognizing all these fine people,” said Koniar. “Congratulations to the winners today, and more importantly thank you to each of you who was recognized today. It means a lot to this community, to our children, to our well beings, to our quality of life.”

The Vosloh Foundation was created originally to give bonuses to the Foley Officer of the Year and the Foley High School Teacher of the Year after a survey done in the city resulted in those being the positions voted by the public as most difficult. Over the years and with additional contributions, the Foundation has been able to expand the award to now include Teachers of the Year from all four Foley schools as well as the Police Officer of the Year and Firefighter of the Year. The Vosloh Foundation has been partnering with the Foley Rotary Club to present the recipients with an awards ceremony lunch since 2012.

The Foundation’s goal is to have enough funds to make these awards guaranteed indefinitely.