Honorable Mentions | April 19 – April 25, 2024

2024 Student and Emerging Artist Exhibition award winners announced

The 2024 Student and Emerging Artist Exhibition ‘COMMUNITY’ award winners were announced Tuesday, April 23 during a reception and award ceremony hosted by the city of Ocala Cultural Arts Division at City Hall.

High School:

• First Place: “Grandma” by Miharn Oka
• Second Place: “When You Need a Hand” by Levi Come
• Third Place: “The Weekly Walk” by Juliana Henningsen

One to Three Years Active Art Experience:

• First Place: “Comunitron 3000” by Jess Arcila
• Second Place: “Emerging Manatee” by Nick Conzone
• Third Place: “Lavender Dreams” by Karen Hoffman

Four to Six Years Active Art Experience:

• First Place: “Face to Face” by Westly Kessler
• Second Place: “Esquina de Abuela” by Carla Gonzalez
• Third Place: “Patience” by Patricia Teal

Best in Show:

• “Bad Balance” by Lillian Hart

Lillian Hart, best in show winner for “Bad Balance” [City of Ocala].

Hospice of Marion County’s Chief Medical Officer Mery J. Lossada has been selected as one of the winners of the 2024 Inaugural Memory Care Innovation Award.

The award, in the Hospice and Palliative Care Category by Senior Housing News, recognizes healthcare professionals to be featured in the WTWH Media Healthcare publications and attend the BRAIN Conference in Chicago, Illinois in May.

Mery J. Lossada [LinkedIn]

Tavis Douglass of the College of Central Florida has been honored with the Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty award. Douglass is an associate professor and the program manager of the agribusiness program at CF.

The national award recognized faculty who support students in and out of the classroom, participate in college committees and are committed to student success.

Tavis Douglass [College of Central Florida]

For Volunteer Appreciation Week, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office has expressed thanks to volunteers John Fernandez and Harlan Cook, who each gave over 1,000 hours of their time to volunteer at the sheriff’s office last year.

Fernandez has volunteered with MCSO for 18 years, much of which was spent listening to more than 200,000 recorded jail phone calls to aid the Jail Investigations unit. He contributed 1,290 hours of volunteering last year.

Cook has served the Emergency Management team as the leader of the Marion Emergency Radio Team, which is composed of skilled radio operators and communicators to support shelters, healthcare facilities and distribution during times of emergency.