Pine Island Chamber honors John Redman as its Citizen of the Year
PINE ISLAND — The Pine Island Chamber of Commerce held its annual social and installation of officers Sunday, Oct. 29, at the Landmark Inn in Warwick. The Chamber used the occasion to recognize its Citizen of the Year and Distinguished Service Award recipient and to acknowledge two youths who contributed to the community.
John RedmanJohn Redman was honored as the 2017 Pine Island Citizen of the Year. Redman is the president of Union Square Group, Ltd, located in Pine Island. He is a past president of the Pine Island Chamber of Commerce, vice president of the Warwick Chamber of Commerce, has served as vice president and president of the Florida Board of Education, now serving a sixth term.
Redman also served as president of the Orange County School Board. He is a 26-year member of the Goshen Presbyterian Church and has served on either the Board of Deacons or the Session for almost the entire time.
Katherine BriegerKatherine Brieger, chief of Patient Experience and Staff Development with HRHcare, Inc, received the chamber’s Distinguished Service Award for her tireless work with the Hudson Valley Agricultural and Migrant community.
As executive director of the Warwick Area Migrant Committee and the Alamo Farmworker Community Center, she has devoted herself to transforming the migrant’s plight, constantly seeking to improve the lives of farm workers and their families by providing health services, nutrition counseling, serving hot meals in the winter, finding transportation and places to live, homework help and after school activities.
Youth Achievement AwardsThe chamber recognized Alex Gutierrez and Robert Maslanka with Youth Achievement Awards.
Gutierrez has volunteered at the Alamo Farm Worker Community Center. He was an intern at the Migrant Children’s Summer Enrichment Program held at Pine Island Elementary School, where he monitored the safety and welfare of children.
Maslanka is a varsity football player in the Warwick Valley School District and has volunteered at the Pine Island Summer Recreation Program, the Black Dirt Feast, as well as the Pine Island Easter Egg Hunt.