Awards and Recognition

Firefighter of the Year - Steve Worobel Steve Worobel's nominator wrote, "Steve has shown over the years to be a sound and reliable firefighter both on and off duty. He continues to excel as a fill-in officer and a firefighter. He is well respected by the department. Steve shows he is knowledgeable at the scene of emergencies and does an outstanding job on a day-to-day basis. He puts in many off-duty hours planning fund-raising events for those in need. Steve is a true asset to the fire department and is well deserving of the 2009 Firefighter of the Year Award."

Emergency Medical Technician of the Year - Justin Cammarata Justin Cammarata's nominator wrote, "We approached the paramedics on our shift and asked for a nomination for EMT of the Year. One name came up by all and it was Justin Cammarata. Professionalism and bed-side manner were the first characteristics mentioned. No matter the situation or the severity of the call, Justin always exhibits those two characteristics. Justin is a reflection of what the city is trying to promote with good customer service and a high standard of patient care. This is why Justin Cammarata is deserving of the 2009 EMT of the Year Award."

Communications Crystal Award   Public Information Officer Pam Johnson received a second-place award for Venice City E-News in the external publication category at the 2008 Crystal Awards sponsored by Florida Government Communicators Association.

Picot B. Floyd Public Service Leadership Award   Venice City Manager Martin P. Black is the recipient of the Picot B. Floyd Public Service Leadership Award from the Suncoast Chapter of American Society for Public Administration presented on June 29, 2007 in Dunedin.    The award recognizes a public administrator in the Tampa Bay area who demonstrates the ability to provide for the effective functioning of a unit or agency; manages conflict resulting in positive outcomes; delegates authority and encourages subordinates to assume responsibility for decisions and actions; provides leadership and vision; makes difficult decisions in times of adversity or opposition; generates new ideas; listens to others who may hold contrary ideas; and sets high standards of personal integrity and moral character.

Robert N. Clark Memorial Award   Venice City Clerk Lori Stelzer received the Florida Association of City Clerks Robert N. Clark Memorial Award recognizing the city clerk who has significantly promoted and advanced the ideas and goals of the city clerk profession. The award was presented in June 2007.

Venice Mainstreet Awards   The City of Venice received two Venice MainStreet Design Awards for new construction in May 2007. One was in honor of Michael Biehl Park on the corner of U.S. 41 Business and Tampa Avenue. The design includes a mural, water feature and a granite stone engraved with the John Nolen plan for the city. The second award, given jointly to the city and Venice Area Beautification Inc., was for the newly opened Venice Arboretum in Blalock Park in the 300 block of Nassau Street. The arboretum is an educational showcase for various types of palm trees. A bronze statue of a sea turtle is a special feature.

Beautification Awards   The City of Venice was presented with two beautification awards at the annual Arts and Culture Alliance Muses Awards banquet on April 10, 2007. One of the awards was given in recognition of the newly created Michael Biehl Park. The other was presented to jointly to Venice MainStreet and the city in recognition of Centennial Park Interactive Fountain.

Communications Crystal Award   City of Venice Public Information Officer Pam Johnson received a first-place Crystal Award in the category of annual report publications from the Florida Government Communicators Association in December 2006 for the City of Venice 2006 Calendar and 2005 Annual Report.

City Manager of the Year Finalist   City Manager Martin P. Black was one of five finalist for the Florida League of Cities 2006 City Manager of the Year Award. He received the recognition on Nov. 17, 2006 in Orlando. The annual award is presented to a city manager for exemplary efforts made in the past year to benefit the city. Black’s nomination by Venice City Council was unanimous.

City Awards and Recognition Timeline

April 2001: Florida Trend Magazine featured Venice as one of eight cities in its article, “Florida Small Town Gems,” by Stacie Kress Booker.

November 2001: Where to Retire Magazine named Venice one of the top 100 places to retire in its article, “America’s Best 100 Retirement Towns,” by Richard Fox.

May 2002: Venice presented with the Accessible America Award by the National Organization on Disability.

April 2003: Muses Award for community beautification as a result of the purchase of civic banners and downtown lighting presented by the Arts and Culture Alliance.

April 2003: Muses Award for historical preservation as a result of the historic video, “Imagining Venice,” presented by the Arts and Culture Alliance.

November/December 2003: Where to Retire Magazine named Venice one of eight great walking towns in an article by Jay Clark.

2004: “Relocate-America.com 2004 List of America’s Top 100 Places to Live!” named Venice as the number one location.

2004: Venice Beach was certified as a Blue Wave Beach by the Clean Beaches Council’s Blue Wave Campaign and National Healthy Beaches Campaign for 2003-2004.

2006: Distinguished Project of the Year Award for Envision Venice, 2005 Evaluation and Appraisal Report Project, presented by the Suncoast Section of the American Planning Association.

2006: Project Achievement Award for Outstanding Innovation to Envision Venice 2006 Evaluation and Appraisal Report Project, presented by the Florida Planning and Zoning Association.

May 2007: Venice MainStreet Design Awards for new construction given by Venice MainStreet in recognition of a new park, Michael Biehl Park, and an improved park, the Arboretum at Blalock Park.

2007: Life and Safety Achievement Award for 2006 presented to the Venice Fire Department by the Residential Fire Safety Institute, in recognition of fire prevention programs.

2007: Venice was featured on Retirement Living TV as one of the best places in the nation to retire. The one-hour television show premiered on Oct. 12, 12007.