June 5, 2009 — For the first time in the history of the Virgin Islands branch of the American Advertising Federation, the Burt Lee award for community contribution was given to someone outside the club at their year-end luncheon Friday.
Jane Dicola of Morris Publications and an AAF board member, presented the award to Therese Hodge, physical education teacher at Addelita Cancryn Junior High School. Dicola stated, "Whenever I hear someone say 'How much difference can one person make?’ I think of Therese Hodge." She continued her praise of Hodge by saying, "All who know her and her tremendous capacity for giving consider her an ‘unsung hero’."
"She’s like a fireball!" said Fern LaBorde, executive director of the V.I. American Cancer Society.
Hodge manages "Girl Power," a program she started at Cancryn to help seventh and eighth grade girls become good world citizens. She is also the chairperson of teams for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life and major contributor to St. Thomas Road Runners, where she organizes community runs that contribute to charitable organizations such as Bethlehem House, Family Resource Center, Red Cross, American Cancer Society, St. Thomas Rescue and Civil Air Patrol.
Graciously and somewhat bashfully accepting her award, Hodge told the crowd at the Room With a View restaurant on St. Thomas, "I believe that when you live in a community, you should do something to make your community better." The thing she enjoys most is working with the kids, teaching the girls to give back to the school and then the community. She tries to open their eyes to career options available in the Virgin Islands other than government jobs, she said, by letting them experience things that tourists do. "My biggest challenge," she said, "has been learning to beg creatively. I’ve had to come out of my comfort zone and ask for help."
The Burt Lee award had not been given in many years but the AAF plans to present the award annually to a person who has displayed exemplary service to the community.
Bob Austin, founder of AAF-USVI, presented the annual Founder’s Award to Brian Squires, owner of Austin Advertising, for his contribution to the advertising industry over the past year.
Special acknowledgement was given to Lou Lambert of Lambert Media, whose entry of a radio spot for the VI Auto Club into the Florida and Caribbean ADDY awards competition garnered Lambert Media a silver ADDY, one of only 213 awarded from over 1,550 entries.
Change in the federation leadership was also part of the luncheon agenda. (See "Advertising Industry Leadership Changes Hands.") Liza Margolis, special events coordinator at the University of the Virgin Islands and outgoing president, turned over the reins to Kevin Hughes of Choice Communications, saying, "I am very confident that Kevin will continue to build upon the foundation that we established this year and continue to grow the club in a positive direction."
Hughes' family looked on as he told fellow members, "I stand proudly on the shoulders of past presidents."
The new board consists of Hughes as president, Margolis as immediate past president, Dicola as first vice president, Linda Hendricks of Ackley Media Group as second vice president, Terri Brown of MLB Creative as treasurer, and Tarah Malek of MLB Creative as secretary. The new board directors are Josalyn Bitterman of Yacht Haven Grande, Karen Gutloff of Reichhold Center for the Arts, Lisa Jamil of the Daily News, and Sandra Goomansing of TV2. Austin will continue as honorary director.
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