Group Honors ‘Outstanding’ Women
By Barbara D. Jones, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Mar. 7–Three civic-minded women were honored Feb. 12 at the ninth annual Community Leadership Awards Dinner sponsored by the Grand Strand Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association in the Four Seasons Restaurant at Ocean Creek Plantation in Myrtle Beach.
“Tonight is our ninth annual Community Leadership Awards Dinner when we recognize and express appreciation to persons who have shown outstanding personal and professional achievements of leadership, education [and] high standards of safety and rescue services to the people of our community,” Mary Dornseif, chairwoman of the event, said.
“Our three honorees tonight come from three different walks of service, being from Coastal Carolina University, the Myrtle Beach Police Department and the North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad. They each expressed that they ‘are doing what they like best to do,’ and you can sense that excitement when you speak with them.”
Dornseif presented the awards to this year’s honorees, Linda Ketron, director of Lifelong Learning at Coastal Carolina University; Amy Prock with the Myrtle Beach Police Department; and Julie Phillips, Water Rescue director for the North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad.
Linda Ketron has over the years received numerous awards for her work in continuing education, the arts and her contributions to the community.
“It was a terrific honor, especially to be recognized with the two women that were also selected,” Ketron said. “It was great to be in their company because they both managed to turn the things that they loved into their work.”
She said that is what she has tried to do as well.
“I have always cared about opportunities to continue to learn, and I feel so strongly that it’s part of a healthy life to continue to learn and to grow,” she said. “It has been wonderful to be able to turn something that I was essentially doing in a volunteer capacity into a career.”
She said most people think that the Lifelong Learning program is only for retirees and senior citizens, but that they have people as young as 14 attending courses.
Julie Phillips has been water rescue director for the North Myrtle Beach Rescue Squad for about four years. She directs and operates river, lake, ocean and swift water rescue. She conducts training classes for the squad as well as cross-training operations with the fire and police departments of the North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety. She also works closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and is an evaluator with them during training exercises.
A charter member of the North Myrtle Beach Large Animal Rescue Team, she assists in the rescue of horses, hogs, large dogs and exotic animals people may have as pets.
“It’s so neat,” Phillips said. “I started with the rescue squad because they needed boat captains. From there, it developed from water rescue and into the large animal rescue.
“It really is an honor to be picked for this,” she said. “This is what I do because I really love to do it.”
Sgt. Amy Prock has been a member of the Myrtle Beach Police Department for 10 years and during that time has received numerous awards acknowledging her achievements.
“I don’t do my job just because it’s a career or because it’s a paycheck,” Prock said. “I do it because I love being a part of the community and being able to help the people I work with and work for.”
She said she attributes her accomplishments to the department that she works for and the people she works for and works with.
“I really love working for the city,” she said.
“Everybody is really dedicated to working for the community and working with the community. This has been the best experience as far as working there, and I’m very fortunate to be where I am today.
“It was a great honor to be recognized for my efforts, not only by the other people in the community, but definitely by other women.”
Contact freelance writer BARBARA D. JONES at barbdjones@sc.rr.com [mailto:barbdjones@sc.rr.com] or 272-7383.
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Copyright (c) 2007, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
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