Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Names Dr. Lazar Finker Citizen of the Year
Jacksonville, FL., February 19, 2020 – Dr. Lazar Finker, executive director of the Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation, a family-run charitable organization dedicated to creating a generational legacy of giving, was honored today by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office with the award of ‘Citizen of the Year.’
Hosted by Sheriff Mike Williams, the 2020 Annual Meritorious Awards Ceremony honored Sheriff’s Office employees from the following six categories: Police Officer of the Year; Corrections Officer of the Year; Civilian Employee of the Year; Reserve Officer of the Year; Police Supervisor of the Year; and Corrections Supervisor of the Year, as well as Dr. Finker, who was recognized for his exceptional work on behalf of law enforcement in the community. Honorees were selected based on previous recognition and continued contributions by the Merit Board, which is made up of the agency’s Chiefs.
“Dr. Finker is someone that we are all fortunate to have as a member of our community,” said Sheriff Williams. “There are no limits to the support that Dr. Finker and his family provide the men and women in the Law Enforcement profession, and I am honored to name him as JSO’s 2020 Citizen of the Year!”
Supporting local law enforcement has been a key commitment for The Finker-Frenkel Family Foundation since Dr. Finker and his wife, Dr. Raissa Frenkel, founded the organization in 2013.
In 2018, Dr. Finker’s work on behalf of the foundation funded a memorial wall and statue to honor the memory of the 61 Jacksonville police officers who have been killed in the line of duty over the city’s 178-year history. The foundation also partners with organizations like Project Cold Case, which works to bring new light and attention to unsolved murders, and First Coast Crime Stoppers, which enables the First Coast community to fight against crime.
“This award is not just for me, for my family or for my foundation,” said Dr. Finker at the award ceremony. “This award is for all the great citizens of this city and this country, which I am dedicated to giving back to and spending my life building for my children and my grandchildren. From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you all.”
In addition to the foundation’s work on behalf of law enforcement, the organization is a proud sponsor of the University of Miami, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Make-A-Wish, His House Children’s Home, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, the Mayo Clinic, and many other Florida-based organizations.
