Ormond man named social worker of the year

Ormond Beach Observer
Business

Also: New format for business meetings

Stewart Marchman Act Behavioral Healthcare Inc. has announced that staff member Lamar “Sonny” Donaldson, of Ormond Beach, a licensed social worker, has been named Volusia/Flagler’s Social Worker of the Year.

The award was presented to Donaldson by the Volusia/Flagler unit of the National Association of Social Workers, Florida Chapter, at its annual Social Work Month Awards Banquet on March 20 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach.

The award criteria includes making a difference in such areas as advocacy for clients, social policy, social work practice, program development, administration and research.

SMA Behavioral Healthcare has been serving northeast Florida with mental health and drug treatment services for more than 50 years. Contact SMA at 800-539-4228 or online at smabehavioral.org.

‘Coffee with the Mayor’ announced

Mayor Ed Kelley and Rick Fraser, executive director of the Ormond Beach Chamber of Commerce, are no longer going on the road.

In the past year, they traveled once per month to various businesses to keep lines of communication open between the business community and the city. They have recently decided it would be more efficient to have a group meeting in the board room at the Chamber of Commerce, 165 W. Granada Blvd. Starting April 13, they will meet in a new format called “Coffee with the Mayor.”

“We found that we could visit just so many businesses in an afternoon, and it was hard to arrange with our schedules,” Fraser said.

They plan on meeting at 8 a.m. on the second Monday of each month for about an hour. Fraser said Einstein Bros. Bagels, 110 S. Nova Road, has offered to supply bagels and coffee, and snacks will be provided by Edible Arrangements, 128 N. Nova Road.

Kelley said talking to the business executives gives him a good barometer on the local business community, and group discussions may spur new ideas.

Fraser said that in the past meetings, he found positive attitudes about the economy. “They were generally upbeat,” he said. “They were very happy about the new landscaping.”

He said the meetings are beneficial in finding ways to help the business community.

Fraser said if business people are interested in attending, they should call him at 677-3454.