The Presbyterian Night Shelter honored H. Ross Perot for his life’s work and outstanding commitment to the veteran community at the second annual Worth Honoring Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Hilton Fort Worth. The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to individuals who have served in the military, and who have given back generously to their community.
The emcee for the luncheon was John McCaa of WFAA-TV
The Presbyterian Night Shelter also honored Jason Strickler a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, who received the second annual 2017 Community Champion Award.
During his career Strickler deployed nine times in support of combat operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Horn of Africa, and counter drug operations in South America. In addition to the C-130 he flew the KC-135 air refueling tanker where he served as a Tanker Task Force Commander in Alaska as well as a Squadron Director of Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. After retiring from the Air Force, he moved back home to Texas and went to work at a financial institution in Fort Worth where his focus was on helping small trucking companies grow. Later, Strickler returned to school enrolling in TCU’s Executive MBA program and taking part in the 2016-17 Leadership Fort Worth Class. He is a member of Downtown Fort Worth Rotary, vice president of the North Texas Air Force Academy Alumni Association, on the board of the North Texas Military Foundation and founder of the Fort Worth Veteran Professionals. His recent volunteer projects include partnering Presbyterian Night Shelter with Simmons Serta Mattress and the Dallas Furniture Bank, creating a mentoring series pairing transitioning veterans with Fort Worth business leaders and organizing a bicycle donation program for Fort Worth’s Patriot House. Strickler and his wife Tara live Colleyville with their small herd of 4 dogs and a cat and are expecting twins.
The five finalists for that award were Jeff Whitfield, U.S. Air Force; Brent Carr, U.S. Marines; Marty D’Amato, U.S. Army; Vanessa Gonzalez, U.S. Air Force and Strickler