I had the pleasure of emceeing the Ruskin-SouthShore Chamber's latest member luncheon, which featured nine of the area's finest individuals.

This week, I thought I'd share some of the highlights of my presentation.

There's more to this man than a stethoscope

Most people in South Shore know Hal Ott as the veterinarian who opened Ruskin Animal Hospital in 1971. Others know him as founding director of the Critter Adoption and Rescue Effort shelter, a champion of low-cost spaying and neutering (more than 4,000) and the founder of Ott's Off-Leash Dog Park.

But he is much more.

Until the recent Haitian earthquake, few knew of Ott's humanitarian services on behalf of the people there. Over the years, he's gone on about a dozen humanitarian mission trips to the island and founded a medical clinic there, which he continues to support.

Ott is a Florida native who has a long history of helping others. He began by working in the Episcopal church, first as an acolyte and then as vestryman and Sunday school teacher. After graduating from the University of Florida and Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine, he served as a captain and veterinarian in the Air Force.

He is a former president of what is now known as the Rotary Club of SouthShore and an honorary mayor of Ruskin, who recently retired as the medical director at CARE to spend more time with his family.

She's everything Ruskin

If you don't know Donna Budd, you haven't been in Ruskin long.

Budd was born here and grew up through the heyday of the Coffee Cup restaurant, when commercial fishing was a way of life.

She was born into the Castillo family - one of Ruskin's founding families - attended Ruskin Elementary and graduated from East Bay High. She attended Manatee Junior College, but left early to get married and have a family.

While her children were growing up, Budd worked at the Ruskin Co-op Packing House and at her mom's general store, Castillo's Little Barn, which eventually became Mobley's Seafood. In 1979, she became a community service officer for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and was assigned - you guessed it - to Ruskin. She and Sheriff David Gee opened the first Ruskin substation in what we now know as Thriftway Plaza.

In 1980, Budd founded Deputies Darlin's, a nonprofit organization that helps needy children and the elderly, especially during the holidays.

She's a longtime member of the Tampa chapter of Bereaved Parents and Ye Royal Krewe of Charlotte de Berry.

Despite her personal challenges, Budd keeps giving back. She had back surgery in 1996; blood clots in 1999; and operable brain tumors in 1998 and 2000.

They've been married seven decades

Ruth Corathers was 16 the first time she saw Donald "Pete" Johnson running across a high school basketball court. She asked her friend to get her a date with him, and that was the beginning of a long-term love affair.

On March 1, Ruth and Pete celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary at their Kings Point home. They attribute the longevity of their marriage to laughing together, maintaining a sense of humor and having a willingness to adapt to each other's wants and needs.

Their have two children, seven grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

Though Pete is now 93 and Ruth is 89, they continue staying as active as possible. He rides the exercise bike at the Kings Point gym, and Ruth walks the halls. They still meet friends occasionally for lunch, but as it has always been, they look to each other for primary companionship.

He makes learning a life goal

I met him Roy Moral three years ago, when he was named principal of Wimauma Elementary. Last fall, I learned he was transferred to Cypress Creek.

Born in New York City, he is the child of immigrants. His father fled Cuba in 1969, and his mother immigrated from Honduras a year later. He grew up knowing what it's like not to know English and have parents working 14-hour days. He was taught that while others may have more money, resources and be smarter, you can't let them outwork you.

That became Moral's educational philosophy. He tells students it doesn't matter where they start; what matters is where they end.

Moral sought a career in restaurants. When that didn't work out, he went back to school, earned a degree in elementary education and got his first teaching job at Lake Magdalene Elementary. While there, he worked 70-hour weeks, teaching by day and waiting tables at night to earn his master's.

In 2000, Moral was promoted to assistant principal at Palm River Elementary, where he and four others started a chess team for students. Within a year, the kids became West Coast Regional champions. He then took the concept to Wimauma and Cypress Creek to produce state and regional champions.

Even with one leg, she's dynamic

Few people know that Shirley Huber helped start Ye Notorious Krewe of the Peg-Leg Pirate in 2004. And even fewer may realize why.

Not only about merrymaking and handing out beads, the krewe was founded specifically to help amputees and their families.

Huber knows firsthand the difficulties amputees face because she lost most of her left leg in a car accident more than three decades ago and spent many days in doctors' offices waiting to be fitted for her prosthesis.

That experience helped her realize what amputees and their families go through and the expenses they incur. Huber also recognized those needs are not always filled by government programs or insurance.

The krewe once helped a man who lost his nose to cancer get a new one. It has built ramps at people's homes, paid for prosthetics or had them rebuilt and bought hand controls for vehicles. It has also assisted amputees and their families by making mortgage or rent payments and covering utility bills while people wait for government assistance.

It began a scholarship program in 2007.

Huber said she has never cried about the loss of her leg. As she was laying on the pavement, she figured she had a choice - to live and go on, or not.

She is a pioneer in her field

Mary Ann Wilhelm never thought she'd have to run a heating and air-conditioning business. For 20 years, she had been an operations manager in the securities industry in New York and Tampa.

In 2004, her life took an abrupt turn when her husband, Albert, founder of Wilhelm Heating & Air Conditioning, died of cancer.

People expected her to sell. But she didn't want more changes.

Because all the licenses were in Albert's name, state regulations prevented her from operating the business. She had three choices: earn her own license, take on a licensed partner or sell.

So at 48, Wilhelm decided to go to contractor's school, where she was one of two women in a class of 50. She passed the test, has operated the company ever since and won dozens of industry awards.

Raising three children as a single mother, Wilhelm remained active in the community. She was president of the South Shore Charter Chapter of the American Business Woman's Association and its local and national Top Ten Women nominee.

As a three-time candidate for honorary mayor of Ruskin, Wilhelm raised more than $15,000 on behalf of the chamber, the ABWA and Deputies Darlins'.

Even past 80, she doesn't slow down

Dolores Berens jokingly said she works more in retirement than she did as a corporate manager.

She moved to Sun City Center in 1987 and officially retired the next year. Since then, she's been deeply involved in charity and community work, including the Samaritan Alzheimer's Auxiliary, Sun City Center Community Association, Sun City Center Forum, New Jersey Club, ABWA and the Sun Cit Center Woman's Club.

For personal reasons, the Alzheimer's group is dearest to her heart.

Her sister-in-law died due to the disease in 2003, as did her cousin, husband, Maurice, and his aunt Jean.

I couldn't possibly name all the awards and recognitions Berens has received. But some of the recent ones include the ABWA SouthShore Charter Chapter Volunteer of the Year and Good Samaritan of the Year.

Even a heart attack in 2003 couldn't stop her.

Giving to others is his thing

Rob Silver, co-owner of Dynamic Painting, is all about causes.

He recently helped a Brandon family, who have a child battling leukemia, fix an old deck that needed repair. Because of the medical bills, they family couldn't afford to fix the deck.

Thanks to Rob and the Brandon Foundation's Angel program, the girl and her siblings can play again on the 400-square-foot deck.

Silver said he enjoyed every minute of the three-day task, knowing how much the family appreciated his efforts. He said he chose to become an "angel" because he likes giving back to the community.

He does that through his foundation work and as a Brandon '86 Rotarian. He's also involved with St. Petersburg's All Children's Hospital, has an American Cancer Society Relay for Life team and participates in the Home Blitzes program with Shelton Quarrels.

Last fall, when Melanie Morrison called for help with the Ruskin chamber's new Partners in Success program, Silver quickly got onboard. He and several other business owners collaborated to give France Hereford's Southern Grace gift shop a makeover to help generate more business.

Silver and his team painted and trimmed the entire building for free.

We salute him for more than his rank

Retired Army Maj. Richard Coles is commander of the JROTC at South County Career Center. In his first year, he has essentially re-made the program.

He served at Fort Polk, La., Fort Irwin, Calif., and Fort Knox, Ky., where he filled several key roles: academy commandant, executive officer, training support; training manager; and senior Army instructor.

According to Principal Sonny Chazares, the Coles' innovative ideas, ability to motivate young people, organizational skills and caring attitude have produced the largest and most-popular program at the school. Coles has gotten his cadets to do what other teachers have failed to do, Chazares said, and it hasn't been by barking orders.

His students' academic gains, overall personal demeanor and level of involvement have been improved dramatically.