By Sean J. O’Hara
Kercsmar & Feltus PLLC
On December 2, 2016, Scottsdale Leadership Class 31 spent the day at the Phoenician Resort and received tremendous exposure to the past, present, and future of this amazing community.
The day began with a presentation by Scottsdale Leadership co-founder Gary Shapiro. Mr. Shapiro told the inspiring story of how Scottsdale Leadership came to be, and challenged Class 31 to continue the legacy by making their own mark on the world.
As compelling as Mr. Shapiro was, the highlight of the day was clearly the 17th Annual Spirit of Community Leadership Awards Luncheon. Class 31 had the privilege of lending a hand to the event—welcoming and registering guests, selling raffle tickets, and collecting food for the Vista Del Camino food bank. When that work was done, the class settled in to their seats to hear about the compelling achievements of the day’s honorees.
The first award of the luncheon was the Jenkins Youth Leadership Award. Jordyn Blew received this honor for best exemplifying the values of former Scottsdale mayor and high school teacher Bill Jenkins. Though just a high school student, Ms. Blew has been doing amazing work with the Tranquility Trail Animal Sanctuary. She’s already a credit to our community and promises to contribute for years to come.
Dennis Robbins, Class 7, was honored with the Hodges Alumni Achievement Award. Frank Hodges is a Class 1 alumnus and Scottsdale Leadership legend for his commitment to Scottsdale. Consistent with Mr. Hodges’s legacy, Mr. Robbins has worked hard throughout his life in government, corporate, and non-profit sectors, constantly striving to improve the quality of life for Scottsdale’s residents.
The luncheon closed with Todd Sadvary receiving the Drinkwater Community Leadership Award, given in honor of “Mr. Scottsdale” himself, Herb Drinkwater. Sadvary is currently CEO of HonorHealth and for the past three decades, he has tirelessly worked to improve community health. Perhaps most importantly, he raised Class 31 member Chris Sadvary.
After hearing all of the honorees’ achievements, Class 31 returned to the classroom for a conflict resolution workshop led by Lynne Brown before hitting Old Town for a holiday pub crawl. Inspired by greatness and equipped for the challenges ahead, Class 31 is eager to positively impact Scottsdale in their own way.
The Scottsdale Leader 