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Honored: 2 recognized by chamber

By Staff | Apr 6, 2016

MEL TOADVINE Det. Joe Andujar, left, is presented the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce’s Officer of the Month by Capt. Todd Garrison, right.

Two awards were made on March 29 at the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce recognizing local law enforcement and a man who has an important non-clinical role at Lehigh Regional Center.

Capt. Todd Garrison and Lt. Matt Chitwood from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Lehigh Acres honored Detective Joe Andujar of the East District CID, based on information developed during the is detective who was called the scene of a burglary to aid in a more thorough investigation resulting in a probe in which Detective Andujar also tracked much of the stolen property to several pawn shops in east Lee County, and was then able to return that property to the victims.

According to Sgt. Matt Chitwood, who explained why Andjuar was being honored, Andujar has coordinated the follow-up investigations with the other East Zone detectives, and the State Attorney’s Office to ensure this suspect is processed and prosecuted by the criminal system

“Based on this complete investigative effort, a significant number of residential burglaries were able to be solved and stolen property was able to be located.

Sgt. Matt Chitwood had made the nomination and it was approved by Capt. Todd Garrison and Lt. Shelly and Lt. Ahlquist.

Joe Andujar

The chamber luncheon is held each month on the last Tuesday and is held at different restaurants.

The next meeting will be held on the last Tuesday of April at The Hut restaurant. Chamber members and others in the community invited to the event.

Call the chamber oat 369-3322 to make reservation.

Also recognized at the meeting was the winner of the chamber’s Employee of the Month.

He is Jim Allard, director of plant operations and safety at Lehigh Regional Medical Center.

Jim Allard

The presentation was made by the marketing director of family-owned Gendron Funeral and Cremation Services, with sites in other areas of Lee County.

Stephanie Garrepy made the presentation to Jim Allard and said he was one of the leaders of the non-clinical personnel at LRMC. The hospital has named him as the outstanding health care professional of the month just recently.

The ceremony was under the direction of Michael Burgers and the luncheon sponsors were Modern Woodmen, a fraternal financial organization and the Gendron Funeral & Cremation Services Center in Lehigh.

Burgers conducted the ceremony because there is not a director at the chamber with the recent losses of Inke Baker and Joan Cunningham.

The speaker at the chamber, following the awards, was Al Smith who is associated with the First Congregational Church and is its community outreach food bank chairman. He explained the different between food banks and food pantries.

Al Smith

He was joined by Pastor Deb Frysinger, past of the First Congregational Church, who gave an extended presentation of the vast work the church is doing for those who need food. The church is the oldest place of worship in Lehigh.

Frysinger and the church’s work in helping to feed and care for the needy, including the many veterans and others who live in Lehigh’s wooded areas.

The church program may be one of the largest in the county and certainly in Lehigh to serve those in need.

Her church is separate from Lehigh Community Services, which also aids great numbers of people in the community.

First Congregational Church at 200 E. Leeland Heights Blvd. has several programs, all with the aim of helping those in need. Pastor Frysinger visits the many homeless people in the wooded areas around Lehigh to give them food and to help in other ways.

MEL TOADVINE Employee of the Month went to Jim Allard, center. Shown with Stephanie Garrepy, of Gendron Funeral & Cremations Services, and Michael Burgers, chairman of the board.

She said there are many veterans in the camps in the woods and people would be surprised just how many people are homeless in Lehigh.

The church with less than 50 members mostly participate in an array of social programs without reward as all are volunteers in the church and in the community.

She invites anyone in Lehigh to stop and visit the church and see what it is doing to help the down trodden in Lehigh. She said many of them who receive help from the church are also volunteers who work to help others.

In addition to running his own business of Clever Promotional Products, Mike Burgers, the chairman of the Chamber board, says he is also helping to operate the chamber with the absence of a director.

Honored: 2 recognized by chamber

By Staff | Apr 6, 2016

MEL TOADVINE Det. Joe Andujar, left, is presented the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce’s Officer of the Month by Capt. Todd Garrison, right.

Two awards were made on March 29 at the Greater Lehigh Acres Chamber of Commerce recognizing local law enforcement and a man who has an important non-clinical role at Lehigh Regional Center.

Capt. Todd Garrison and Lt. Matt Chitwood from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office in Lehigh Acres honored Detective Joe Andujar of the East District CID, based on information developed during the is detective who was called the scene of a burglary to aid in a more thorough investigation resulting in a probe in which Detective Andujar also tracked much of the stolen property to several pawn shops in east Lee County, and was then able to return that property to the victims.

According to Sgt. Matt Chitwood, who explained why Andjuar was being honored, Andujar has coordinated the follow-up investigations with the other East Zone detectives, and the State Attorney’s Office to ensure this suspect is processed and prosecuted by the criminal system

“Based on this complete investigative effort, a significant number of residential burglaries were able to be solved and stolen property was able to be located.

Sgt. Matt Chitwood had made the nomination and it was approved by Capt. Todd Garrison and Lt. Shelly and Lt. Ahlquist.

Joe Andujar

The chamber luncheon is held each month on the last Tuesday and is held at different restaurants.

The next meeting will be held on the last Tuesday of April at The Hut restaurant. Chamber members and others in the community invited to the event.

Call the chamber oat 369-3322 to make reservation.

Also recognized at the meeting was the winner of the chamber’s Employee of the Month.

He is Jim Allard, director of plant operations and safety at Lehigh Regional Medical Center.

Jim Allard

The presentation was made by the marketing director of family-owned Gendron Funeral and Cremation Services, with sites in other areas of Lee County.

Stephanie Garrepy made the presentation to Jim Allard and said he was one of the leaders of the non-clinical personnel at LRMC. The hospital has named him as the outstanding health care professional of the month just recently.

The ceremony was under the direction of Michael Burgers and the luncheon sponsors were Modern Woodmen, a fraternal financial organization and the Gendron Funeral & Cremation Services Center in Lehigh.

Burgers conducted the ceremony because there is not a director at the chamber with the recent losses of Inke Baker and Joan Cunningham.

The speaker at the chamber, following the awards, was Al Smith who is associated with the First Congregational Church and is its community outreach food bank chairman. He explained the different between food banks and food pantries.

Al Smith

He was joined by Pastor Deb Frysinger, past of the First Congregational Church, who gave an extended presentation of the vast work the church is doing for those who need food. The church is the oldest place of worship in Lehigh.

Frysinger and the church’s work in helping to feed and care for the needy, including the many veterans and others who live in Lehigh’s wooded areas.

The church program may be one of the largest in the county and certainly in Lehigh to serve those in need.

Her church is separate from Lehigh Community Services, which also aids great numbers of people in the community.

First Congregational Church at 200 E. Leeland Heights Blvd. has several programs, all with the aim of helping those in need. Pastor Frysinger visits the many homeless people in the wooded areas around Lehigh to give them food and to help in other ways.

MEL TOADVINE Employee of the Month went to Jim Allard, center. Shown with Stephanie Garrepy, of Gendron Funeral & Cremations Services, and Michael Burgers, chairman of the board.

She said there are many veterans in the camps in the woods and people would be surprised just how many people are homeless in Lehigh.

The church with less than 50 members mostly participate in an array of social programs without reward as all are volunteers in the church and in the community.

She invites anyone in Lehigh to stop and visit the church and see what it is doing to help the down trodden in Lehigh. She said many of them who receive help from the church are also volunteers who work to help others.

In addition to running his own business of Clever Promotional Products, Mike Burgers, the chairman of the Chamber board, says he is also helping to operate the chamber with the absence of a director.