When the committee wrote the criteria for awarding the FAPPS Distinguished Service Award, we centered around the concept that a primary reason for a person to receive it would be a long period of sustained achievements for FAPPS or for private process servers. This year’s recipient fits that ideal to a "T".

Long ago, in the early to mid 80’s, there was a band of private process servers with an idea. A big idea, a goal, an objective so lofty that many thought it impossible. Fortunately for those who serve as private process servers today, it was a concept that hard work and talented people made a reality.

They wanted to make working as a private process server something that was sanctioned by the Florida Legislature. They wrote an amendment to Chapter 48 of the Florida Statutes in 1988 that defined private process servers under two criteria. You could either be appointed by the sheriff of your county, or certified by the Chief Judge of your Judicial circuit. But they needed a voice in Tallahassee, someone that had the pull, the contacts, and the relationships with all the right people to make it happen. Fortunately, they found our recipient.

In 1988, members of the Florida Association of Certified Process Servers (FACPS), the predecessor to FAPPS, with our recipient as their lobbyist, managed to get the Florida Certified Process Server Act passed. This singular achievement has changed what it means to be a private process server ever since. In most metropolitan areas in Florida, a private process server does not have to have a Motion and Order issued to serve papers.

Our recipient worked with Senator Dick Langley & Representative John Cosgrove to get Senate Bill 484 passed with an effective date of October 1, 1988. The FACPS president when the bill was introduced was Seth Sclarry. The president when the bill was passed was Robert Taylor. The lobbyist of course, was none other than our long time friend in Tallahassee, Bob Levy.

Bob has been a lobbyist since 1975. He has been active representing FAPPS for almost 30 years now. Together with our legislative committee, he and his team have been monitoring for legislation harmful to our industry, and working to pass legislation that is helpful to our industry.

He has been a long term supporter of FAPPS, promoting our profession through education, and has served as a guest speaker at our annual meetings on multiple occasions. He was essential in getting the Sheriff’s fees increased to $40, improving our access to gated communities, and countless other changes to Chapter 48 that have made it easier for us to do our jobs.

For the Committee,

Diana Wardwell
Chair, FAPPS Distinguished Award Committee