The Lee County School District released the names of five employees nominated for the 2009 Support Person of the Year Award. Each year the district recognizes a support person who goes above and beyond what is expected and exhibits excellence in performing their duties in the community.
This year’s finalists include Zona Gale Burkhead of Bayshore Elementary, Odette D’Antoni of Fort Myers High, Karen Dimock of Colonial Elementary, Scott Fasenmyer of Caloosa Elementary and Tina Jara of Gateway Elementary.
Their professions in the district range from media specialists, paraprofessionals and building supervisors.
Fasenmyer, a building supervisor, is the only nominee working in Cape Coral. He has been the supervisor at Caloosa for the last nine years, where he operated the school’s 50 portable units and helped with the permanent facility.
Throughout those years he traveled between the portables and the school, getting involved in the construction, learning the controls and going through blueprints, he said.
On Wednesday, Fasenmyer said he is flattered to be a nominee for the award.
“It is very humbling to know that my staff thinks that much to nominate me,” he said. “We got a great staff here at Caloosa.”
When asked why he thinks he was nominated for the award, Fasenmyer described himself as “non-stop.” He said he stays constantly busy and loves his job.
“It’s like someone asked me, ‘Do you have kids?'” he said. “I have a thousand at Caloosa Elementary.”
From day to day, he is in charge of general housekeeping across the school campus and he deals with any electrical or plumbing issues in the building.
“I keep up on things that are safety aspects of the school,” he said.
The 2008 Support Person of the Year Award was presented to Paula Backus, a school bus operator in the West Zone. She was chosen for developing exemplary rapport with her students and implementing a series of creative reward systems, including stickers and other prizes for good behavior.
This year’s winner will be visited by Superintendent James Browder, members of the Lee County School Board and other district officials. The support person also receives gifts from local merchants and represents 4,000 staff members.