CareerSource Southwest Florida Announces 2023 Annual Customer and Partnership Award Winners

Fort Myers, FL — (www.careersourceSWFL.com) – CareerSource Southwest Florida is proud to
announce the outstanding individual ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENTS and partnership
CHAMPION AWARD RECIPIENTS for 2023.

Nominated by CareerSource SWFL staff who recognized these outstanding individuals and business
partners at the Annual Awards Banquet held yesterday for overcoming extreme personal and professional
barriers – including homelessness and limited financial resources – to achieve success and capture the
essence of the CareerSource Southwest Florida mission to reduce dependency, encourage personal
growth, and provide economic benefits to individuals, businesses, and communities of Southwest Florida.

2023 ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNERS

Courtney White (short video available)
Port Charlote center
Barrier: homelessness, lack of funding to continue schooling
Success: worked with CareerSource SWFL Port Charlote to Graduate from the Aviation Power Plant Mechanic
program at Charlote Technical College in June. Hired by GE Aerospace as a Power Plant Technician earning
$80,000 annually
Nominated by CareerSource SWFL Port Charlote staff

Sherita Simmons – Fort Myers (short video available)
Nominated by CareerSource SWFL Fort Myers staff
Barrier: homelessness, unemployed, no child care, no transportation
Success: worked with CareerSource SWFL Fort Myers to enroll and graduate top of class in the LPN program at
Cape Coral Technical College, asked to represent class as commencement speaker, received her multi-state license,
pursuing her nursing degree.

Beegaelle Desir – Naples (short video available)
Nominated by CareerSource SWFL Naples staff
Barrier: did not speak English upon arrival from Haiti, could only secure part-time job, needed financial assistance
with educational funding to go after an Associate degree in Nursing.
Success: worked with CareerSource SWFL – Naples to earn Associates Degree In Nursing, passed her NCLEX license,
hired as Registered Nurse at Lee Memorial Hospital

2023 CHAMPION AWARD WINNERS

Lee County Homeless Coalition (short video available)
Contact: Michael Overway, Executive Director
1500 Colonial Blvd., Suite 201, Fort Myers, FL 33907
239-322-6600
[email protected]
Nominated by CareerSource SWFL Business Services staff

Partnership: One of the first organizations to partner with CareerSource SWFL through the National Dislocated
Workers Grant program after Hurricane Ian.
Following Ian, CareerSource SWFL was tasked with administering $6.4 million in national dislocated worker
grant funding to help put SWFL businesses back on the road to recovery and our displaced workers back to
work – quickly developed a comprehensive action plan to address these critical needs by creating partnerships
with more than 76 non-profit organizations and government entities impacted by Ian.
By hosting displaced workers, both the needs of the organizations and those of the workers were addressed.
More than 130,428 hours of humanitarian and disaster recovery clean up-related jobs have been fulfilled to date.

Clewiston Police Department Animal Services (short video available)
Contact: Chief Tom Lewis
300 S Berner Road, Clewiston, FL 33440
863-983-1474
[email protected]
Nominated by CareerSource SWFL Clewiston staff

Partnership: Operated by the Clewiston Police Department, the animal services division is responsible for
providing quality animal control services to the residents and pets in need within more than 500 square miles
including the city of Clewiston and eastern Hendry county.
Their mission to have an effective, caring, no-kill animal shelter that serves the community’s animal population
in the best manner possible is accomplished, like so many organizations today, with a small, dedicated staff.
They partnered with CareerSource SWFL Youth Program, hiring several youth to take on daily
responsibilities and assist staff with caring for animals.

ABOUT CAREERSOURCE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
CareerSource Southwest Florida is the leader in workforce development. CareerSource Southwest Florida funds
training and provides placement services for job seekers and businesses all at no cost to the participants. With
offices throughout Southwest Florida, trained staff is dedicated to connecting employers with qualified and skilled
talent and job seekers with employment and career development opportunities – www.careersourceSWFL.com.
An equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. All voice
telephone numbers on this document may be reached by persons using TTY/TDD equipment via the Florida Relay Service at 711.
CareerSource Southwest Florida is the direct service provider for various workforce programs which are fully supported by
the U.S. Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Agriculture as part of awards totaling $15.3 million. All
statements, press releases, requests for proposals, bid solicitations, public statements, social media, toolkits, resource guides,
website, and visual presentations are fully funded with federal money