Author: atwiford

A township resident and Navy vet will be among those celebrated on Veterans Day this year for his military career and contributions to the community, including aiding the homeless.

Rodney Sykes joined the Navy right out of high school – serving from 1984 to 1990 – and was stationed aboard the USS Missouri. He chose to continue a family legacy of military service started by his grandfather.

“I kind of knew exactly that I was going to do that anyway,” he said. “I went into ninth grade knowing that, and it’s simply because all the guys from my grandfather on served in the military, so in my mind, that was just what I needed to do.”

The Missouri was being re-activated, so its sailors essentially took an unused ship and updated it.

“We retooled it, modernized it, brought it back to life and became the crew of it,” Sykes explaned.

Shortly before the Gulf War began in 1990, Sykes and his fellow servicemen were assigned to Kuwait protection duties guarding oil ships in the Persian Gulf. After six years in the Navy, he worked as a hospital corpsman and in the medical unit at the now-closed Philadelphia Naval Base.

After he left the military, Sykes returned to his native Philadelphia and began a career in the corporate world, with 25 years at companies that included Tesla, Lexus and Bridgewood Health and Fitness.

“That really helped me get a better understanding or a better foothold on what it’s like to be service- oriented …” he noted. “It helped me actually, you know, come to where I am today in terms of what my values are.”

Sykes now owns his own franchise of Lawn Squad, a lawn care and weed control service company, with his garage located in Moorestown. He emphisized that his favorite part of his role as owner is being able to handle problems.

Sykes also gives back to the community in a variety of service projects, including Habitat for Humanity and the Navy Foundation. And handing out Wawa gift cards to the homeless is also a key in his life.

“I’ve had a chance to actually stop and talk with them,” Sykes pointed out. “And it’s something that people I think need to try to do, just to converse, give them five minutes to just ask them, ‘Hey guys, I’m sorry for your situation, but what is it that you need right now?’ And I’ll tell you, you know, that’s been helpful.

“It’s always been in my heart to be involved with them more so than anything else.”

The Scouting America Garden State Council will hold the 2025 Women of Achievement Awards Reception to celebrate the accomplishments of Scout women on Thursday at the Legacy Club in Cherry Hill.

Seven women from six South Jersey counties and one Woman Scouter of the Year will be honored for leadership and community service.

The idea behind the event is so that younger scouts can see what they could one day aspire to become, with leadership and inspiration being the main focus and message of the event.

This year’s Woman Scouter of the Year is Chris Aziz, a longtime Scout and volunteer.

Aziz has various scouting accolades and has attended the National Jamboree.

Aziz is also married to an Eagle Scout and both of her sons have attained their Eagle rank. 

“Honoring these extraordinary women highlights the incredible impact leaders can have on both their communities and on the next generation of Scouts,” said Patrick Linfors, Scout executive and CEO of the Garden State Council.

The other six Scouts being celebrated are government officials, educators and community organization leaders.

The Camden County winner is Janice Campbell, founder and president of the Tri-State Canine Response Team, who also advocates for various youth services initiatives and is a recipient of the Governor’s Volunteerism Award.

Burlington County’s winner is Keisha Stephenson Taylor, the National Academy Foundation’s senior director of alumni and post-secondary engagement, who has more than 20 years of experience supporting youth programs.

Provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Rowan University Dr. Vojislava Pophristic is Gloucester County’s award recipient for her work developing educational programs that aid Scouting’s mission of fostering personal growth.

Amy J. Mahon won for Cape May County. A partner and COO at Reich Asset Management LLC and the president of the Love of Linda Cancer Fund, she mentors young people in philanthropy and civic engagement.

The winner for Cumberland County is Dawn S. Hunter, executive director of the Greater Vineland Chamber of Commerce, who creates opportunities for scouts to serve their communities.

Candice Racite is the associate vice president of industry engagement at Rowan College of South Jersey and Salem County’s awardee for her empowerment of youth through educational partnerships that develop leadership.

Honoring the seven women is particularly important since Scouting America is the new name for the Boy Scouts of America. The idea is to help young Girl Scouts be empowered to engage in their communities.