Director of FiftyForward Martin Center Receives Rotary Community Service Award

FiftyForward Martin Center

On Friday, May 13, the Rotary Club of Brentwood presented their 9th annual Community Service Award to Joyce Keistler, Executive Director of the FiftyForward Martin Center in Brentwood.

The selection criteria for the Community Service Award includes: 20+ years of community leadership, personal and professional conduct that demonstrates the Rotary 4-Way Test, high moral character and ethical standards, and being recognized by Rotary members and the community as a major contributor to the growth and quality of life in Brentwood.

JoyceLinas“We view this award as our way of recognizing those people in our community who, through their contributions placing service above self, have helped shape our city and provided a positive impact on the quality of life,” Linas Sudzius, Club President said. “Joyce Keistler embodies all of our criteria for this award.”

Sherry Coss, who has served as the Program and Partnership Director for the center for 15 years gave additional kudos to Keistler saying, “Her integrity and passion has never wavered to make a difference in the community where she lives. Brentwood has benefitted from her wisdom and commitment to the City. I have been so blessed to work with Joyce!”

Keistler was a member of the Leadership Brentwood Class of 1993, in which her study group’s project was to forecast Brentwood’s senior citizen needs for the next 20 years. This project led to the partnership of a private non-profit group (Senior Citizens, Inc. dba FiftyForward) and the City of Brentwood in establishing the current FiftyForward Martin Center and subsequently became their founding Executive Director.

Today, the Brentwood FiftyForward Martin Center, which sits on 5.6 acres and was founded in 2002, serves as a hub of activity, relaxation, learning, and networking for its members and has become a community treasure, with its beautifully landscaped surroundings, warm and inviting event spaces, and dedicated, caring staff and volunteers. The Brentwood facility is part of the FiftyForward organization which is celebrating their 60th year in Nashville in 2016 and is recognized as the premier provider of innovative and comprehensive services for adults 50+ in Middle Tennessee. Their Mission Statement is to “enrich the lives of adults 50+ by providing pathways to health, well-being and lifelong learning.

Keistler also served on the Brentwood Historic Commission and, working with City officials, chaired the Historic Tour of Homes for two years. She represented East Brentwood Presbyterian Church before the Brentwood Planning Commission, and as a result, she was invited to serve on the Brentwood Planning Commission for over 10 years. Joyce also served on the planning team for the Crockett Park Amphitheatre project, is a graduate of both the Brentwood Citizen’s Police Academy and Citizen’s Fire Academy, and worked in the library at Lipscomb Elementary for several years during the 1980s and 1990s. Her past accomplishments included being named Volunteer of the Year by the City of Brentwood, Woman of the Year by the Brentwood Women’s Club, and being given the Civic Leadership Award by Leadership Brentwood.

Joyce Keistler joins a distinguished list of past recipients of the Rotary Club of Brentwood’s Community Service Award, including retired banker and community servant James Bates; Brentwood Police Captain Tommy Campsey; former Mayor, City Commissioner and current County Commissioner Tom Bain; principal and educator James Parker; former City Manager Mike Walker; community servant and business owner Rhea Little, Jr.; Boy Scout Troop 1 founding Scoutmaster Billy Jim Vaughn; and community leader and business owner Glenn Huff.

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