Volunteer named officer of the quarter
Mary Fichter, who worked for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for 27 years and promptly became a volunteer upon retirement,was recognized for all the work she has done by being named the North Fort Myers Chamber of Commerce Volunteer of the Quarter.
Fichter won the award not for the one big thing she did, but for the countless little things she does every day as a VOICE member and for her work outside the office, organizers said a monthly business luncheon in the Dolphin Room at the Shell Factory.
“She’s an incredible lady. She saves the taxpayers thousands of dollars and is like a second mother to us at the district,” Capt. Chris Reeves said. “She wants to patrol with the guys, helps process burglary scenes, and just takes care of everyone. There isn’t a nicer person.”
The award was a complete surprise to Fichter, who was told by Reeves that she was simply a guest for lunch.
“I had no idea this was going to happen. I love what I do, I have a fabulous captain I work for, and lieutenants and deputies,” Fichter said. “Serve and protect: I enjoy what I do.”
Fichter volunteers year round for the LCSO. She revamped the seasonal resident home check program in the North District, making sure the homes are safe while the winter residents are gone.
After retiring in 2011, she came back within a month to be part of the VOICE program, a group of volunteers who perform tasks that a deputy would have to otherwise do, saving Lee County millions of dollars.
“I got bored after a month and came back to the VOICE program,” Fichter said. “I’m working with the boys I worked with in major crimes and I love that.”
Away from the job she sponsors young athletes who may not be able to play otherwise. She also supports the American Cancer Society, helping raise $4,000 in partnership with the North Fort Myers Junior Football Association, for which Reaves is a coach.
The honor tied in perfectly with the guest speaker, Trisha Bessler, crime prevention specialist with the LCSO, who discussed how to avoid being scammed and defrauded of your money.
One of the more popular ways to defraud people is “Scareware” which are pop-up ads that tell you your computer has a virus and that you have to order the anti-virus software advertised in the pop-up.
Sheriff Mike Scott said these pop-ups are one of the fastest growing types of fraud.
Another local scam is one where businesses are called and told their bill is past due and that they must pay now or their power will be shut off.
“If you have malware or spyware protection on your computer, trust it’s not right. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Trust your instinct,” Bessler said. “Power companies will not call and ask you to pay a bill then and there.”
Also at the luncheon, four recipients of the $500 Chamber of Commerce and LCEC scholarships were named, though none of them were able to attend the event as they were all back at school.
Derek Weise and Luis Silva were Chamber recipients, while Amber Nisbet and Shane Rambo won the LCEC scholarships.