JOHN ROGER LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Good evening.  My name is Tanya Burton.  John Roger was my grandfather, and I know how much he loved his adopted city of Norfolk, so it is a real pleasure for me to be the presenter of a John Roger Lifetime Achievement Award tonight. 

I feel like the person getting this award really does reflect the values my grandfather held so dear, and uses his considerable energy not for himself, but for the betterment of the community at large.

That is the key to our award winner.  He has over the years, through his many activities, developed a wide range of contacts, which he uses not for self gain, but for the good of all.  Many, many City-wide organizations have sought him out to serve on their boards, among them:

• The Planning Commission
• Chesapeake Bay Foundation
• Jury Commission Board 4th Judicial court
• Restoration Advisory Committee, Naval Station Norfolk
• Towing Advisory Committee

You will begin to hear a theme here.  Our winner really delves into substantive issues that have an impact far beyond his individual reach. He cares about the health of the environment and the safety of his fellow citizens, and he carefully chooses his volunteer to efforts to focus on these important issues.

And he takes care of his own community as well, never forgetting that the entire City is only as good as any individual neighborhood. He is a member of the board of the Urban Ministry Development Corporation, serving as president of Tucker House, a home for the elderly; the Fitness and Wellness Center Board; the Titustown Conservation Review Board. Perhaps his greatest service to his neighborhood , though, was his strong and persistent advocacy for a new recreation center to replace a deteriorating and unsightly old one. His vision and diligence helped ensure that the Titustown Recreation and Visual Arts Center is a state-of-the-art facility that now is a major enhancement to both his community and the city as a whole. 

But our Lifetime Achievement Award winner does not confine his efforts to boards and commissions.  He get “down and personal” when the need arises, as it did a couple of years ago, when large groups of kids were starting to hang on corners in his neighborhood, raising fears about developing gangs.  Our winner took time to meet with these kids, to show interest in them, and work to guide them in a positive direction.  Did it work?  Well, his neighbors certainly think so, since the problem has ceased on the corners in Titustown!

By now, most of you know who our winner is.  It is truly my great pleasure to announce the 2008 John Roger Lifetime Achievement Award winner: Mr. Nathaniel Riggins.