2015 Lake Placid/North Elba Distinguished Volunteers Announced

21 Apr 2015 Lake Placid/North Elba Distinguished Volunteers Announced

Lake Placid, N.Y. – The Lake Placid North Elba National Volunteer Week Committee is pleased to announce the selection of both Adult and Youth Distinguished Volunteers of the Year for 2015. Bill Billerman, of Lake Placid, is the 2015 adult volunteer. The youth volunteer is Nina Armstrong, a senior at Lake Placid Central School.  

With an impressive list of leadership roles, Bill Billerman has dedicated countless hours of service to his community over almost three decades. 

In the late 1980s, Billerman facilitated an effort called Project Playground, and served on the planning committee for the community effort called Solutions Through Elba-Placid Planning Study (STEPPS). He served on the Lake Placid Village Planning Board from 1992-2000, and as chairman from 1995-2000. He was chairman of the Comprehensive Planning Committee from 1994-1997, and acting Chairman from 1997-2000. He was an instrumental member of the Lake Placid/North Elba Joint Review Board and Land Use Code Update, between 2001 and 2009, serving as chairman in 2001-02.

Billerman is the Founding member and current Chairman of the Mirror Lake Watershed Association, established in 1997 to further the enhancement and protection of the ecology and beauty of Mirror Lake, its shores and watershed. He is also the founder and current chairman of the Songs At Mirror Lake concert series, and personally spearheaded the Paul White Memorial Bandshell Fundraising Committee project to upgrade the performance space for that concert series and other special events throughout the year.  

Lake Placid High School students are required to complete 40 hours of community service between sixth grade and high school graduation. Nina Armstrong is an exemplary model of volunteering and community service.

Nina Armstrong has volunteered nearly 180 hours in community service for a variety of causes during her school years. The impressive list of organizations and events she’s participated in as a volunteer include Ironman Lake Placid, Lake Placid Marathon, Teddy Bear Picnic, Lake Placid Village Cleanup Day, Lake Placid Ski Club, Relay for Life, St. Agnes School benefit events, New York Ski Education Foundation events, Lake Placid Half Marathon, Lake Placid Ski Club Classic Car Show, Empire State Winter Games, Lake Placid/Wilmington Connecting Youth and Communities Coalition Youth Leadership and the Ecumenical Charities Food Pantry. Nina has volunteered for multiple years for most of these events. She plans to major in biology at Harvard University after graduating from Lake Placid Central School this coming June as valedictorian of the class of 2015. 

The committee encourages all to join them to celebrate these outstanding residents of North Elba who have given so much of their time in selfless service to the community. All are invited attend to a tree planting to honor all community volunteers immediately followed by a reception to honor the Distinguished Volunteers of the Year at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 30, at the Lake Placid Center for the Arts. The event is free to all and will include refreshments, beer, wine, spirits, and tastings from area food establishments. 

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