Dean Kesler was voted Man of the Year by the Lee County Community Foundation for “exemplifying the spirit of Sanford and Lee County.” Virginia Hester was voted Woman of the Year by the Lee County Community Foundation for “exemplifying the spirit of Sanford and Lee County.” Dean Kesler nor Virginia Hester were born in Sanford, but from the moment they both arrived, they dedicated their lives to improving the city in any way they could.

For that reason, the Lee County Community Foundation has named Kesler and Hester its Man and Woman of the Year for 2015.

Bokhoven said Kesler and Hester both were easy choices for the award, and that both had given freely of themselves to leave Lee County better than they had found it.

Upon arriving in Lee County, Kesler made it his mission to give as much of himself as he was able to the community.

Kesler, honored to be named the LCCF’s 2015 Man of the Year, said he respected the work the organization does in Lee County.

‘A promoter of Sanford’

In fact, it was Hester’s modesty, along with her passion for making Lee County as bright and attractive as possible, that made her such an obvious candidate for the award.

Hester taught high school for seven years after moving to Sanford, and she maintains that guiding young people is one of the most gratifying things she has ever experienced.

But Hester always enjoyed watching Sanford and its residents grow and change with the times, and she is convinced that if the community can come together, the city will thrive.