Belleville volunteers earn President’s Awards at Metro Airport

Two Belleville residents were among 73 Airport Ambassadors at Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) who were honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award (PVSA) during a luncheon held at DTW’s Westin Hotel last month.
The President of the United States issues the award every year to volunteers as a way to thank and honor Americans for their service.
Airport Ambassadors Robert Downing, William Bialkowski, Sam Gemus, Dianna Surowiec and Joe Scafero all received the gold pin for serving more than 500 hours.
Downing came in first with a record-breaking 829 hours. Chun-Man Suen, an Eastern Michigan University student, also earned a gold pin for volunteering more than 370 hours while balancing the demands of school.
Receiving Bronze Awards were Belleville residents Marie Johnson, with 199.25 hours of volunteer service, and Patricia Twitchell, with 180 hours.
“I’m constantly impressed by our volunteers – of all ages – who travel from across our region and sacrifice their time to make a difference in someone else’s life,” said Airport Authority CEO Joseph Nardone. “Last year, more than 340,000 customers were personally assisted by our Airport Ambassadors. We believe that one-on-one experience improves overall customer satisfaction at Detroit Metropolitan Airport.”
Ambassadors were presented with a letter from 44th President of the United States Barack Obama, a certificate, and a bronze, silver or gold pin corresponding with the level of service reached in 2016.
Last year, Airport Ambassadors served nearly 17,000 hours helping passengers in both the McNamara and North terminals. Stationed at six locations, Ambassadors can be identified by their blue vests. They assist passengers with directions, flight status, ground transportation, lost and found, as well as provide help to travelers visiting for conventions and other local events. DTW’s Customer Service team, led by Fran Wood, manages the volunteer program.