Marsha Passmore and Tim Lovett will share the organization’s highest honor after tying in the selection process, recognizing decades of leadership and community service.
For the first time in recent memory, the Plant City YMCA’s highest community honor will be shared by two individuals whose decades of leadership and service have helped shape the place they call home.
Marsha Passmore and Tim Lovett have been named co-recipients of the YMCA’s 2026 Strong Leader Award after tying in the selection process. The annual honor recognizes individuals who exemplify the YMCA’s core values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility while making a lasting impact on the Plant City community through leadership and volunteer service.
For Passmore, the news came in an unforgettable phone call from YMCA Executive Director Theresa Sessions. “I was driving when she called,” Passmore recalled. “I told her, ‘Wait a minute, I need to pull over and park so we can talk.’”
Once safely parked, Sessions told her that she and Lovett had tied in the selection process and asked how she felt about sharing the honor.
“I told her there wasn’t anyone else that I would rather share the event with,” Passmore said. “Tim is so loving, so kind, so giving, and being on the same podium with him is a privilege that only comes around once in a lifetime.”
Passmore said her commitment to community service was shaped by her parents, who taught her the importance of living with purpose and serving others.
Over the years, she has served on numerous boards, committees and community projects. Among the accomplishments she treasures most is helping support United Food Bank & Services expand its ability to serve families facing food insecurity. “Thousands of lives have been able to see the glimmer of hope by being provided food to put on their tables at night to feed their hungry families,” she said. “Basic needs are being satisfied every day, and I am grateful to serve alongside the staff, board members and volunteers.”
Lovett said receiving the award is both humbling and deeply meaningful because it reflects a lifetime spent investing in the community rather than seeking recognition. “I never set out to receive recognition,” Lovett said. “I’ve always believed serving others is simply the right thing to do. Plant City is my home, and being recognized by the YMCA, an organization that has such a positive impact on families and young people, makes this honor especially meaningful.”
A retired law enforcement officer and longtime community volunteer, Lovett has dedicated much of his life to mentoring young people, coaching youth basketball, serving with the Florida Strawberry Festival and volunteering with local organizations.
“The greatest reward has never been a title or position,’ he said. “It’s seeing someone succeed because they had encouragement, guidance or simply someone who believed in them. If I’ve helped make Plant City a safer, stronger and more caring community, then I consider that my greatest accomplishment.”
Both recipients hope their recognition inspires others to become involved in serving their neighbors.
“We all have things we are good at,” Passmore said. “Getting involved is easy. It’s taking that first step, and then one thing leads to another.”
Lovett echoed that message, saying service begins with a willing heart. “Volunteer. Mentor a young person. Support local organizations. If each of us commits to making our community just a little better than when we found it, those small acts add up to something extraordinary.”
The two will be honored at the 2026 Strong Leader Awards celebration on Thursday, August 27 at 6:00 p.m. at the Trinkle Center. The event is presented by Unity in the Community Inc. Tickets for the celebration are now on sale and can be purchased at https://secure.qgiv.com/for/2026strongleaderawarddinner/event/strongleaderawarddinner.
