Man, Woman, Youth of the Year to be honored

The Pilot Club of Enterprise will announce the winner of the 2019 Man, Woman and Youth of the Year for the city of Enterprise by April 16.

The reception has been cancelled due to guidelines set by the governor’s office for large gatherings of people. Every effort will be made to make this as special for the 2019 winners of Man, Woman and Youth of the Year as possible.

The following candidates are nominees for Man of the Year:

Warren B. Bowron

The OSCAR Club nominates Warren Bowron for 2019 Man of the Year.

Bowron has lived in Enterprise since 1972, previously serving as the Director of Programs for Enterprise Parks and Recreation before retiring in 2016.

He has given selfless service to the Lions Club for more than 30 years. In 2019 he served as 1st Vice President, attending weekly meetings and working with fund raising. He served at the twice annual pancake breakfasts, Lions Sight and eye screenings for local school children. He worked with fellow Lions to complete a Wounded Warriors handicap accessible cabin at Lake Tholocco and a handicap accessible dock that will be dedicated in 2020.

He is a member of the Church of the Epiphany, serving and worshipping there for more than 47 years. He volunteers as an advisor and leader with the Alabama High School Athletic Association.

One of his greatest gifts of time is mentoring and coaching with Special Olympics. Throughout the year you can find him bowling with a local group, making plans for area tournaments, serving as a referee or coach and traveling to state and national tournaments.

Rodrick Caldwell

The Semper Fidelis Club nominates Rodrick Caldwell as 2019 Man of the Year.

Caldwell exemplifies fixed dedication to meeting the needs of youth in this community.

Caldwell is the coordinator of the “Fatherhood Program” of Coffee County. He serves to encourage fathers to pay child support and to help meet the needs of their children. He also helps fathers develop a desire to work and begin the process of acquiring a job to help support their families.

He is committed to the Children’s Policy Council of Coffee County, where he serves as chairman to help develop plans with the state of Alabama and members of the community. He helps to plan and organize monthly meetings and arrange for speakers to present on different topics to help improve the lives of our children.

As a member of the Enterprise City School Board of Education, he contributes his unique talents while collaborating and working as a team with other board members. He helps to set the vision and goals for the district, adopt policies that give the district direction to set priorities and achieve its goals, hire and evaluate the superintendent, and oversee the annual budget.

Travis Parker

The Wiregrass Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution nominates Travis Parker as 2019 Man of the Year.

A former Army Medic, he, along with his daughter and grandkids, placed POW/MIA tables in local businesses for patriotic holidays. As a charter member of the Coffee County Veterans, the group funded the placement of over 3,000 flags on the graves of veterans for Memorial Day in over two dozen cemeteries, and expanded “Wreaths Across America” to laying 1,500 Honor Wreaths. He personally funded two “Flags For Forgotten Soldiers” suicide awareness displays of 660 flags each and worked as a volunteer counselor in the Military Support Group.

He started the local “Operation Gratitude” which sent items and personal notes to troops overseas, helped the Purple Heart Chapter in placing parking signs in front of businesses, served as American Legion District Chaplain, worked with WoodmenLife in flag donations to churches and schools, and has initiated work on public transportation to help retired veterans. Parker also Captained the American Cancer Society “Power in Purple” and raised over $10,000.

His primary civic work is with the Civitan Club. He started the local “Shop-With-a-Cop,” which, co-sponsored with Hand Up Enterprise, paired students and law enforcement officers for a full day of activities. He was “Civitan of the Year,” Enterprise president, area director, Alabama-West Florida District governor-elect, National President’s Council member, and a charter member of a Special Needs Civitan Club.

Parker is the Wiregrass Realtors president, state director, on state committees, taught at new agent orientations, and started the First Responders Lunch.

Active in church as a musician, usher and greeter, he also plays for the weekly Seniors Dance.

Harold R. Skelton

The Enterprise Civitan Club nominates Harold R. Skelton as 2019 Enterprise Man of the Year.

Skelton grew up in Lynnville, Ind., and entered the United States Army after high school graduation. He became an operation room technician while stationed at Valley Forge General Hospital in Phoenixville, Penn. There he married his high school sweetheart Donna Jones Skelton.

He applied for Army flight school and was accepted. After completing flight school he served two tours in Vietnam.

Skelton attended Chaminade University while stationed in Hawaii. After retirement he moved to Enterprise and taught helicopter instrument flying for five years. He then flew for a Department of Energy Contractor in Las Vegas for nine years and Andrews Air Force Base for four years. He then returned to Enterprise and retired from Flight Safety International.

Skelton belongs to the Enterprise Civitan Club, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of American, Warrant Officers Association, Vietnam Helicopter Pilot Association, as well as the Masonic Lodge, Scottish Rite, Alabama Alcazar Shrine Club and the Grace Place Church.

He maintains the candy boxes sponsored by the local Civitan Club and International Civitan Club. He provides help with the Civitan Club fundraising programs such as selling vidalia onions, Priester’s Pecans and Claxton Fruit Cakes. He assists with the annual Civitan Club rummage sale. He served as Alabama West Florida Civitan Director for two years. He is the fundraising chairman for the Cook-Clement American Legion Post 73 and has raised several thousand dollars for the Post operating funds.

Skelton served three years as Commander of the Cook-Clements American Legion Post 73 and District 35 Commander for one year. He is also a supporter of the Coffee County Arts Alliance.

The following candidates are nominees for Woman of the Year:

Peggy Contreras

The Sons of the American Revolution nominates Peggy Contreras as 2019 Woman of the Year.

Contreras serves as president of the Coffee County Association of Service Agencies where she facilitates the meetings, coordinates monthly speakers and works with all area service providers to bring information to both the service providers and the community.

She serves as an adult mentor with the Nonprofit Girls in Real Life Situations supporting Girls in Real Life Situations (G.I.R.L.S.)

She also serves as a member of a local community Bible study fellowship where senior women pray for others who are shut ins and those facing challenges and who need to be lifted.

Cotreras attends monthly meetings of the Southeast Alabama Coalition for the Homeless where they focus on ending homelessness and support those who are struggling.

She is the president of the Young People Willing Worker (Y.P.W.W.) Auxiliary. This is an auxiliary that meets weekly with lessons that address spiritual wellness and help us be the example that God desire us to be.

She serves the community by providing referral services to appropriate agencies, providing clothes, food and furniture donated to those in need.

Contreras serves as a board member of Main Street Alabama. This is a new appointment and duties and responsibilities have not been set yet.

She is a retiree with a background in law enforcement and emergency services who volunteers to speak to small groups and assist members of the community as to where to go and how to obtain required assistance.

Fran Garza

Fran Garza is the Semper Fidelis Club’s nominee for the 2019 Woman of the Year.

Garza grew up in a military family who settled in Fayetteville, N.C. She and her husband Raymond moved to Enterprise in 1994 when he was transferred to Fort Rucker.

She is a retired educator of 39 years and is an active volunteer. She serves as president of the Delta Alpha Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International Society; a Lector and Minister of the Eucharist at Our Lady of Loretto Catholic Church, Fort Rucker; a member of Club Yesepoch; a mentor with G.I.R.L.S.; a Coffee County Master Gardener and has volunteered as the pronouncer of the spelling bee at Harrand Creek Elementary School.

She has served faithfully in the Dothan Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.: co-chair of the Heritage and Archives Committee; organizer of the Santa for Seniors project for SARCOA; co-chair of the Physical and Mental Health Committee; Co-Chair of the DADG/GEMS Youth committee; and vice president of the chapter for two terms. She was instrumental in hosting their statewide Delta GEMS/Delta Academy convention.

She has received several honors for her service: Delta Dear of the Year; the Phyllis Walch Community Service award (Zonta Club); and Volunteer of the Quarter on Fort Rucker.

Donna Skelton

The Enterprise Civitan Club nominates Donna Kaye Skelton as the 2019 Woman of the Year.

Skelton grew up in the small Lynnville, Ind., and graduated as valedictorian of Lynnville High School. She received the Betty Crocker Homemaking Award.

She married her high school sweetheart Harold Skelton and was an Army wife for 22 years. Her husband served his first tour in the at Fort Rucker during helicopter training and then was deployed to Vietnam after graduation from flight school.

Skelton joined groups such as Army Community Services, Officer’s Wives Club, Thrift Shop and Red Cross, helping others and herself while her husband was gone. She received the award for Volunteer of the Month at the Thrift Shop and Yard of the Month at Fort Campbell, Ky.

She and her husband both joined the Enterprise Civitan Club helping with selling Vidalia onions, Claxton fruit cakes and Priester’s Pecans for fundraisers. They help with the annual picnic and Christmas party, setting up the menus, decorations and door prizes; play Bingo monthly with residents at Wynnwood retirement home; buy, wrap and present Christmas gifts to the members of the Adult Day Care Center and help serve refreshments; and attend the adult Boy Scout Troop Christmas Dinner at the Vivian B. Adams School in Ozark with donations to the Troop.

Skelton is a charter member of the Cook-Clements Post 73 American Legion Auxiliary. She helps veterans at Tuskegee Veterans Hospital with donations of toiletry items, clothing, books and craft supplies; supports local veterans with clothing, shoes, coats, jackets, sweaters, food baskets, etc.; and has informative classes and literature on flag etiquette, proper flag retirement, sponsor scholarship and Girls State Program and fundraising dinners.

The following candidates are nominees for Youth of the Year:

Victoria Cote’

Victoria Coté is the Anchor Club’s nominee for 2019 Youth of the Year.

She is the daughter of Craig and Maria Coté and is currently a senior at Enterprise High School. She serves as president and is former Junior Representative for Anchor Club. She participates in numerous Anchor Club activities such as birthday cookies for teachers, the Christmas Tour of Homes, Freshmen Orientation, preparing teachers’ classrooms for the school year, collecting materials for the spring craft, and Banana Bingo at the Enterprise Health and Rehabilitation Center.

Coté takes advanced placement courses and maintains a 4.30 grade point average. She has attended the Lions’ Leadership Forum as a delegate for Enterprise High School for the past two years. Along with the Anchor Club, she is a member of the French Club, National Honor Society, English Team, French Honor Society, Prom Committee, Psychology Club, American Legion Auxiliary, charter member of the All Around the World Club. Coté also serves as a Wildcat Representative.

Coté is an Ambassador Girl Scout. A dedicated Girl Scout since kindergarten, she was given an opportunity to mentor a Brownie Girl Scout Troop and has earned the Girl Scout V.I.T (Volunteer-In-Training), Ambassador Community Service Bar, Girl Scout Service to Girl Scouting award and The Gold Torch award.

Coté attends St. Luke Methodist Church. Last summer she was a counselor for Winshape Camp and helped lead a small group of children through daily worship activities and crafts.

Coté plans to attend Troy University in the fall where she will be majoring in secondary education to become a high school English teacher.

Ashley-Sinclair Curtis

The Wiregrass Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution nominates Ashley-Sinclair Curtis as 2019 Youth of the Year.

Ashley-Sinclair has had the opportunity to serve her school by taking part in the Student Government Association, Student 2 Student, Family Career and Community Leaders of America, National Honor Society, and by serving as the Enterprise High Volleyball manager. These organizations have allowed her the opportunity to fundraise for her school, assist new students, cater to older citizens of the community, and bring joy to children in the community as well.

Ashley-Sinclair is a member of the ASTRA girls club and takes part in community service projects such as “Stuff the Bus.” She has also volunteered at the Coffee County Family Services Center and serves on the Hillcrest Baptist Church camera crew.

Being named the Distinguished Young Woman of Coffee County has allowed Ashley-Sinclair the opportunity to speak to many local organizations the message of “Be Your Best Self.”

Ashley-Sinclair has also had numerous achievements in the past year to include being named the DAR Good Citizen Award recipient for Enterprise High School and being named the 7A Region 2 Bryant-Jordan Scholar Athlete.

Danielle Holley

The OSCAR Club of Enterprise nominates Danielle Madison Holley for 2019 Youth of the Year.

Holley is the daughter of Joey and Phyllis Holley and is currently n honor senior at Enterprise High School. She holds leadership positions in several organizations whilemaintaining a weighted GPA of 4.22 and is ranked 40 out of 502 students.

She is a member of the Lady Cats softball team, the National Honor Society, the National Technical Honor Society and the Future Teachers of Alabama.

Holley is an active member of the College Avenue Church of Christ in Enterprise. She can be seen volunteering in the nursery, helping with Vacation Bible School, filling in for teachers with the toddler classes, helping with Communion prep, and picking up and taking home youth who would like to attend church and youth senrices. She also worked with the Relief Victims of Hurricane Michael and traveled to Honduras with the (BECA) Bilingual Education for Central America Program.

During the summer, she volunteered at Wiregrass Christian Youth Camp for two weeks to counsel junior high and fifth and six grade campers.

Holley is a member of Jr Pi Girls’ Club, where she has dedicated time to donating supplies to the Coffee Cats Cafe’ and shopping for Christmas gifts for less fortunate children in our community. She has also volunteered at the Coffee-Dale Special Olympics, the Accelerated Reader Fall Festival at Hillcrest Elementary, the Wiregrass Christian Academy Fall Festival, and the Enterprise Early Education Center Trike-A-Thon. She was also nominated for the Bryant Iordan Achievement Award by the EHS faculty.

Grace Long

The Literary Club nominates Grace Long for 2019 Youth of the Year.

Long has lived in Enterprise since she was five years old.

She has spent the last four years at Enterprise High School and is a member of the Big Blue Marching Band’s dance line. Being on dance line taught her discipline, time management and leadership skills. Also, the dance line members participated in many activities around the community. They sent stuffed animals to the police department for the kids and also donated toiletries to the House of Ruth.

In 11th grade Long was inducted into the National Honor Society. She volunteered for Special Olympics and was a camp leader at Camp Invention. She even got to scare people in the College Street Haunted House in October.

Abbrionna Thomas

The Semper Fidelis Club submits Abbrionna Thomas as its nominee for the 2019 Youth of the Year.

Thomas is the daughter of Anthony and Cheareice Thomas. She is currently a senior attending Enterprise High School. She developed an interest in the medical field and realized her true passion for athletic training.

Thomas decided to get involved in clubs that would help her broaden her interest. She became active in HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America), where she competed at state level in the sports medicine division, and ATSA (Athletic Trainer Student Aid), where she is able to be exposed to the life and duties of real athletic trainers as far as wound care and injury prevention. She is also involved in leadership building clubs such as Junior Civitan, Student to Student, Interact Club and National Honor Society.

Furthermore, she was given the option to utilize the work study program at her school this semester, and she took that chance to work at Lyster Army Health Clinic as a volunteer for American Red Cross. This opportunity provides her with a firsthand look at how physical therapists and physical therapy assistants work from day to day.

Her current goal is to be an athletic trainer at the collegiate level, but one day she hopes to be an athletic trainer or physical therapist in the NFL. Following high school, Thomas will be attending Enterprise State Community College. From there she intends to transfer to the University of Georgia to study in their athletic training program.

Tylor Wardrobe

The Enterprise Civitan Club nominates Tylor Wardrobe for 2019 Youth of the Year.

He is an Enterprise Homeschool student in his senior year. Tylor is the son of Kevin and Marie Wardrobe.

Wardrobe served as vice president and Service Projects Chairman before becoming president of the Wiregrass Homeschool Junior Civitan. He leads monthly meetings with an active and supportive club of 13 members. As president he has led the club in all local, district and international projects, as well as attending all district and international meetings and/or conventions.

Wardrobe served 75 hours in volunteer service to Enterprise organizations through the Wiregrass Junior Homeschool Civitan and Boy Scouts. His community service contributions include Flags for Forgotten Soldiers, Cookies with Characters, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation Research, Safety Fair, Hydrocephalus Walk, Red Cross Blood Drive, Special Olympics, WEPS, Night To Shine, Wreaths Across America, and Annie’s Outreach Run.

Wardrobe and the members of the Wiregrass Homeschool Jr. Civitan also volunteer many hours supporting the senior Enterprise Civitan Club with rummage sales and community projects.

He is a member of the Boy Scouts of America and received his Eagle Scout Rank in 2019. As his Eagle Scout project, he coordinated the raising of funds and the building, along with assistance from fellow Scouts, of the courtside benches at Wiregrass Christian Academy.

Wardrobe is an avid piano player and a member of Conley’s Keichu-Do of Enterprise.

He attends HighPointe Church. After high school he plans to continue studying martial arts with plans to open his own academy.