Tallahassee – During today’s meeting of the Florida Cabinet, Governor Rick Scott and Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman awarded two Floridians with the Champion of Service Award.
Governor Scott said, “As a former Eagle Scout myself, I am proud of Adam and N’Jhari for working to better their communities. It is encouraging to see young Floridians take time to help others and I’m honored to present them both with the Champion of Service Award today.”
Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman said, “I am thrilled to present the Champion of Service Award to Adam and N’Jhari, who have both demonstrated an outstanding commitment to serving their communities. Though their projects and initiatives are different, they share the same spirit of selfless service and leadership.”
The following two individuals were recognized with the award:
Adam Resch, Jacksonville – Adam Resch is part of a family with six generations of law enforcement officers. Native to Jacksonville, Resch discovered that his hometown was one of the few major cities in the United States that did not have a permanent public memorial to honor law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty. In 2011, he partnered with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and Jacksonville City Council and worked to locate a site and design for the memorial. He also completed the re-zoning process for the site, and raised $250,000 with the local business community, organizations, and individuals to complete the project. The memorial includes 61 engraved names and is scheduled to be completed this month. Resch is a member of Boy Scouts Troop 5, which is sponsored by Christ the King Catholic Church in Jacksonville.
N’Jhari Jackson, Tampa – N’Jhari Jackson is a member of the Boy Scouts and a two-time Junior Olympic athlete. He started an organization to donate lifesaving equipment (Automated External Defibrillator) to schools to help treat athletes and others who experience sudden cardiac arrest on campus. He has worked to train and certify staff members in CPR/First-aid and raised money to purchase the devices. Additionally, Jackson recently served 75 hours as a Junior Camp Counselor and Junior Life Guard at Camp Virginia Jaycee, a camp for those with special needs. For the past two years, he has struggled with Autoimmune Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and wants to encourage others with health conditions to have the opportunity to enjoy the camp experience.
