FAPPS Distinguished Service Award. You may have even known the names of the recipients if you read The Paper Chase, or attended the annual meetings. This Award, is only given at most once a year, to a person who has served FAPPS or private process servers in general for a long time, or in an outstanding way.

This year’s recipient has done both. He started his process serving business in 1997, became a member of FAPPS in 1998, and in 2003 stepped up his involvement and started working as a contributing board and committee member, which he has continued for many years. As a board member, he has served as a Director, as Vice President, and two terms as your President. He is also active in the National Association of Professional Process Servers, and has served as a Director and as Vice President.

Like so many of us, he runs a small business serving papers. He employs others, he answers status requests for clients, and he has all the demands on his time that we are all too familiar with. But what sets his man apart from the average small business owner, is his willingness to step away from his business on a moment’s notice and head for the capital for an hour or an entire day to meet with a lawmaker or lobbyist to champion an issue on behalf of FAPPS or private process servers in general.

He has served on the NAPPS and FAPPS legislative committees for many years. He has been the chair of the FAPPS legislative committee under several different Presidents since 2010. He would be the first to say that any accomplishments are the result of a team of players, and he won’t take credit individually. But when you need an experienced, knowledgeable representative of our profession to talk with someone in Tallahassee, it’s usually Mike Compton that the lawmakers see early and often.

Mike’s accomplishments in life and on behalf of FAPPS are myriad. He has been married to Regina Compton for over 40 years, and keeps family first with his dedication to his wife and children. He is a veteran, having served his country as a member of the US Army, retiring after 21 years. He has a degree in Business Administration. But his dedication to FAPPS through many years of service on the legislative committee are what moved him to the front of our pack of finalists in 2017.

For the FDSA committee, I am happy to present the 2017 FDSA award to Mike Compton.

Diana Wardwell, AFPS
Chair, FAPPS Distinguished Service Award