Wilhelmina Scott has what most would call a thankless job — though you’d never know it by her sunny disposition and always helpful attitude.
The city of Savannah employee cleans bathrooms and provides other janitorial services at the River Street Welcome Center.
On Thursday night, her “thankless” job was anything but, as the Tourism Leadership Council awarded her with its new “I am Tourism” award at the group’s 15th annual Tourism Awards and Scholarship Banquet at the Hyatt Regency Savannah. Mayor Edna Jackson and other city officials congratulated Scott after she received the award.
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“The ‘I am Tourism’ award was created to honor a hospitality professional who embodies the core ethics of our industry — commitment, integrity, selfless service and kindness,” TLC president and CEO Michael Owens told the audience of professionals gathered in the ballroom.
“This year’s winner serves as an example to us all. Her title is building services worker, but many of the thousands of visitors she interacts with will tell you it should be Savannah’s greatest ambassador,” he said.
“While some might view her position as a modest one, she views her job as an opportunity to share the hospitality that Savannah is known for — and always with a smile.”
When reviewing her nomination for the service star award, TLC officials found stacks of comment cards endorsing her ability to go above and beyond in every way, Owens said. One visitor from Florida said “The lady cleaning the restroom was the sweetest, most helpful person I encountered during my entire visit.”
While she had been nominated for the service star, the TLC decided to create a new award just for her — one that highlights the fact everyone in the tourism industry has the opportunity to make a positive difference.
“Wilhelmina Scott, you set a very high standard for the rest of us working in hospitality. You remind us that, regardless of our duties, our most important priority is the guest that we all ultimately serve,” Owens said.
“Tonight we honor you. We honor your commitment to our visitors and your commitment to your job and the tenets of our industry.”
In addition to the “I am Tourism” award, the TLC presented the Herb and Franklin Traub Visionary Award to Savannah Mayor Edna Jackson for “bringing community, industry and business together and creating dialog and discussion to promote positive change in our city.”
Peter Doliber, executive director, of the West Broad Street YMCA, received the John P. Rousakis Community Champion Award. The award, named in memory of the former Savannah mayor, is given to an individual responsible for supporting tourism and promoting Savannah.
The TLC Member of the Year Award, given to a member who has demonstrated consistent dedication to the organization, went to Bob Coffey, general manager of the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center
Dot Davis, manager of the Georgia Visitor Information Center on Interstate 95, received the TLC Service Leader Award, while the Service Star Award went to Charlie Wentway, bar manager at Garibaldi’s. Both service awards recognize exemplary job performance in the hospitality industry.
In addition to the tourism awards, the group also presented scholarships to three area students pursuing hospitality careers.
Receiving $2,000 scholarships were Evgeniya Krasnoslobodtseva, a first-year hospitality management student at Savannah Technical College; and Tania Smith-Jones, a Savannah native who currently attends Strayer University as a hospitality and tourism management major. Alcatrenia White, a marketing management major at Savannah Technical College, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship.
To date, the TLC has given more than $55,000 in scholarships to area students.
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The Tourism Leadership Council serves as the leading trade organization for tourism, an industry with more than 22,000 employees and a $2 billion economic impact in the Savannah area. For more information about the organization, please visit www.tourismleadershipcouncil.com.