ORMOND BEACH — After forgoing the event a year ago because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Civic League of the Halifax Area held its annual dinner earlier this month where it presented community service awards for the past two years.

The Civic League presented its 2020 J. Saxton Lloyd Distinguished Community Service Award to community leaders and philanthropists Nancy and Lowell Lohman of Ormond Beach.

The 2021 J. Saxton Lloyd Distinguished Community Service Award went to businessman Charlie Lydecker, the CEO of Daytona Beach-based Foundation Risk Partners.

The Civic League also presented a Beacon Award to first-responders, hospital workers and teachers in the Daytona Beach area and Volusia County for continually caring "for our community during the pandemic."

Accepting the Beacon Award were representatives of AdventHealth, Halifax Health, the Daytona Beach Police Department, Volusia County Emergency Medical Services (EVAC), Volusia County Schools, and the Volusia Sheriff’s Office.

“No one could be more deserving of our Beacon Award than the first responders who saved countless lives and have continued to ensure the safety of our communities through this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Mary Greenlees, the Civic League's outgoing chair, who served in that role from 2019 to 2021. “We are extremely grateful to all of them for their selfless service.”

Greenlees was elected to a two-year term as chair of the Civic League in 2019. That term wound up becoming a three-year one because of the pandemic. As a result, she became the longest continuously serving chair in the organization's history. She is also only the second woman to serve as Civic League chair.

Greenlees is a partner at Olivari & Associates CPAs & Consultants in Ormond Beach.

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Group dedicated to bettering the community

Formed in 1963 by the late J. Saxton Lloyd, the Civic League is a nonprofit, nonpartisan group of community leaders dedicated to bettering the community through civic engagement. The group looks at issues affecting both the Daytona Beach/Halifax area as well as the rest of Volusia County and the state.

Lloyd was a prominent Daytona Beach businessman who in addition to forming the Civic League played an instrumental role in launching what is now Visit Florida and Enterprise Florida, the state's tourism marketing and economic development arms.

The Civic League's annual dinner meeting at Oceanside Country Club in Ormond Beach took place on March 4. It featured a keynote address by Scott Burrows, best-selling author of the book “Vision, Mindset and Grit: How to Stand Up When Life Paralyzes You."

The annual dinner included the installation of Jeff Feasel as the Civic League's new chair for 2022. Feasel is the CEO of Halifax Health, the public hospital system whose flagship hospital is in Daytona Beach and also operates hospitals in Port Orange and Deltona.

The event drew a turnout of approximately 140 people. "The energy in the room was fun and so positive as we phase out of this pandemic," said Greenlees.

Couple involved in countless charitable causes

The Lohmans have been at the forefront of philanthropic and community efforts in recent years, which included a $4 million contribution to Halifax Health Medical Center in 2020 for the establishment of the Lohman Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology. The couple have also made significant contributions to the Halifax Humane Society, the Museum of Arts & Sciences in Daytona Beach, and the Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens.

In addition, Nancy Lohman has been a driving force in the effort that led to the creation of the marble statue of Bethune-Cookman University founder and civil rights champion Mary McLeod Bethune that will soon take its place in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

“Nancy and Lowell Lohman’s generosity to the community — along with their leadership and hard work – have done so much to improve the quality of life in the Halifax Area,” Greenlees said. “The breadth of their efforts, and their willingness to roll up their sleeves and get things done, is remarkable.”

Known for humor, willingness to lead, give back

Lydecker leads Foundation Risk Partners, a fast-growing insurance brokerage that also offers employee benefits solutions and has locations in states across the country. He is also a member of the Board of Governors of the State University System of Florida. He has also sat on numerous boards in the Halifax Area in recent years, including the NASCAR Foundation, Halifax Hospital Foundation, and as Fundraising Chairman of the YMCA of Volusia/Flagler Counties. A competitive swimmer, Lydecker can still be found swimming endless laps early some mornings at the Ormond Beach YMCA.

“Charlie has given back to the Halifax Area in countless ways for decades,” Greenlees said. “His infectious sense of humor and willingness to help and lead have made him an indispensable member of every board on which he serves."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Civic League honors Lohmans, Lydecker, Volusia first responders