Honoring the lawyers who make a difference every day.
Since 2005, the St. Petersburg Bar Foundation has recognized attorneys who give of their time and talents to our community and beyond. The recipients of the Heroes Among Us Award are honored at a black-tie dinner which showcases their contributions.
Listed below are our present and past Heroes. To read an entire profile,
click on the link at the bottom of each excerpt.
2010 Heroes Among Us - Meet our 2010 Honorees: Anthony S. Battaglia and Lisa L. Brody.
Watch for more information about them under the "Read more..." links below to learn more about them from an article that will be published in the December 2009/January 2010 issue of the Paraclete. (This information is currently not available.)
KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
Congressman C.W. Bill Young
Anthony S. Battaglia
The Heroes Among Us Award is reserved for those special and extraordinary attorneys who devote their time and lend their talent to the community. I’m proud that Anthony S. Battaglia is the 2009 recipient of this award because for almost six decades, he has positively impacted thousands of lawyers, clients and members of this community and the Tampa Bay area. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
Lisa L. Brody
Early in life, Lisa Brody recognized that her family was dedicated to community service. Both parents were community activists and involved members in the civil rights movement. Her mother was a nurse and her father worked for a university. Both worked to assure that the needs of people, whether patients or students, were being met. Fortunately for the St. Petersburg Community, Lisa Brody chose to follow her parents’ lead.
AND RISING STARS... Cary W. Cash and Paul N. Gross
Rarely has the Heroes Among Us committee been faced with such a conundrum: too many well qualified heroes to count. This year, however, there was something new. A stack of nomination forms arrived with names of rising attorneys who had accomplished so much, in such a short period of time, but were still so new in their careers. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE.
Cary W. Cash
Paul N. Gross
For information on registration, sponsorship or purchasing an ad in the event program please CLICK HERE to go to "Download Forms" which is also listed on our homepage at www.stpetebar.com.
2009 Heroes Among Us - Meet our 2009 Honorees: Eric E. Ludin and Sylvia H. Walbolt
Click on the "Read more..." links below to read more about them from an article published in the December 2008/January 2009 issue of the Paraclete.
Eric E. Ludin
In 1982, a young and energetic Eric Ludin moved to St. Petersburg with his wife Judy. Fresh out of law school in Pennsylvania, he was looking to establish roots here. Eric was 24 yars old and he knew no one in Pinellas County. However, he brought a dedication to service without any desire for recognition that led him to quietly impact the lives of thousands of people for the better. Read more...
Sylvia H. Walbolt
After earning her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Florida, Walbolt entered the practice of law at a time when it was not easy for women to succeed. Over the years, she achieved Board Certification in Appellate Law and Antitrust Law. She has appeared of counsel in more than 290 published opinions, is the former president of the
American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. In December 2001, she was named one of the Top 10 Women Litigators by the National Law Journal. No hurdle has stood in her way to becoming one of teh most respected attorneys in the nation. Read more...
2008 Heroes Among Us - Meet our 2008 Honorees:
Robert C. "Bob" Decker and Roy G. Harrell, In Memoriam.
Robert C. "Bob" Decker
Growing up in a sleepy Nebraska town, Bob Decker had no idea what the world had in store for him. His parents preached the importance of education and instilled a strong work ethic, which remains with Bob to this day. While the support, wisdom and guidance of his parents were integral in his success, Bob was also the beneficiary of numerous mentors as a young man, both while in the U.S. Marine Corps and in practice as an attorney. The man that Bob is today is a product of those who took the time to guide and mentor him. Read more...
Roy G. Harrell, In Memoriam
I first met Roy G. Harrell, Jr. in 1975. I had the privilege of working with Roy in many different capacities for over thirty years in this community. Roy primarily worked as an attorney in banking, real estate and general commercial law. He was completely committed to his practice, and he reached levels of high excellence in the practice of law. Despite his time constraints with the practice of law, he became one of the most committed public servants I have ever known. The people of the State of Florida and this community will always be indebted to Roy for his many contributions to public service.
Read more...
2007 Heroes Among Us
St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker
The Office of Mayor has no "legal” responsibility for the nearly fifty schools located within the City of St. Petersburg limits – but that hasn’t stopped Mayor Baker from devoting his energy to youth and education issues. Realizing that the quality of education of our youth is linked to building a quality community, Mayor Baker has been personally involved in motivating corporate leaders and city staff to partner and participate in making St. Petersburg’s schools the best through various initiatives.
Past St. Petersburg Bar Association President William H. WalkerWilliam H. Walker is truly a hero among us when it comes to leadership and volunteerism in youth athletics. He is a third generation attorney who was born in Brattleboro, Vermont in 1945. He was President of the St. Petersburg Bar in 2004 – 2005. His emphasis during his term included improving public relations regarding public service attorneys’ performance outside their daily law practice, solidifying the financial basis of the organization, reaching out to non-members and focusing on increasing the professionalism among existing members. Read more . . .
2006 Heroes Among Us
Pamela A.M. CampbellA speeding car slammed into Pamela Campbell’s vehicle as she sat at a red light during a blinding snowstorm in Washington, D.C., in 1984. The violent jolt changed her life forever. It took months for Pam, then a special assistant to U.S. Sen. Paula Hawkins, R-Fla., to regain use of her right arm. She returned home to St. Petersburg to heal. She attended physical therapy three times a week for six months. When she received an insurance settlement, she used it to chase her dream of becoming a lawyer. Read more . . .
Leonard Milcowitz and Edward Lyons
It all started when Leonard Milcowitz, a man with a passion for baseball (he still plays in senior leagues), approached his partner, Ed Lyons, an admitted "sports illiterate,” with the idea of exercising their shared strong sense of giving back to the community by sponsoring children to attend baseball summer camp. Lenny had read about former professional baseball player Roy Silver and his desire to work with children in the context of baseball, so Lenny called him and asked to get together. From there, the seeds of Extra Innings Youth Foundation, Inc. were sown. Read more . . .
Robert L. UlrichRobert L. "Bob” Ulrich is a fearless, gifted,personable, humble visionary leader who has created, developed, directed and led organizations, firms and companies for forty-five years here in St. Petersburg. In fact, he could easily be known as "Mr. Downtown.” When Bob returned to his hometown of St. Petersburg in 1959 with Barbara, his bride of four years and two small children, real estate was dead. Bob remembers it being so bad you could not give land away.
2005 Heroes Among Us
Louie Adcock
There is no better example of a lawyer who has served and continues to serve his profession and his community than Louie N. Adcock, Jr. If there was ever such a thing as a professional and community service MVP, Louie would be a strong contender for that award. He has been not just a member, but president, chair or executive committee member of at least ten major organizations. He has been president, chair, vice-president, or director of at least fifteen Community Service organizations over his 48 years of lawyering. He is not finished yet.
Read more . . .
Danell DeBergOne night while she was tending bar for her friend Edith at Saffron’s, Danell DeBerg was presented with an opportunity that most people would have refused. Another friend, Bessie, explained that she was going to Haiti and she wanted Danell to join her. Bessie was going on a medical mission, and she knew that Danell had the background and temperament that made her perfect for the trip. Danell took a chance and joined the trip, and her life has never been the same since.
H. James Fischer 1946 - 2004
At 7:45 a.m. on a September morning in 1972, two young men awkwardly peered into an empty classroom. No other students were in sight; just these two. The lights were off but enough light streamed through the window to see the long bench desks and chairs. It was the first day of law school for both. The taller offered an outstretched paw. "My name is Jim Fischer; I’m from St. Pete.” The shorter . . . much shorter, grasped the paw and replied, "I’m Lenny Englander; I’m from Peekskill, New York.” Read more . . .
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