For more than 34 years, Philip has devoted both his personal life and his professional life to his family, his community, and his church. Under his direction, his law firm has focused on promoting safety in a variety of ways and for diverse populations. Among the many programs he has instituted – most of which have continued for many years – are:

• You Are One of A Kind – a free program started 18 years ago that has provided more than 5,000 parents with records of their children’s fingerprints.

• Signing on for Safety (SOS) – a free, award-winning program designed to help improve teenage driving safety. He developed a parent/young driver safety contract that was adopted by safe driving schools, church youth groups, and concerned parents.

• School Bus Safety – a campaign to improve school bus safety. He has given parents tips to share with their children on school bus safety, and he has honored school bus drivers for their efforts to keep kids safe.

• Bicycle Safety – a free safety education campaign. Working with law enforcement in three counties and sponsoring bicycle "rodeos" and demonstrations, Phil has helped teach thousands of children and their parents about the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet and how to ride a bicycle more safely. He organized bicycle "roundups" where children could get safety checks of their own bicycle. Phil has also donated hundreds of free bicycle helmets to needy children.

• Safety First – a program which provides free cell phone holders for drivers of all ages to encourage them to talk hands-free when driving (to help reduce distraction-related accidents).

Philip DeBerard is a very religious person and an Elder in his church. While his religion is very personal, he has striven to run his life and his business in a Christian manner. To encourage young people to "soar above the crowd like an eagle" through strength of character and community, he established the You Are One of a Kind Eagle Awards at a private Christian school, Morningside Academy. Over the past 12 years, Philip has honored more than 200 students who were nominated by their teachers with Eagle Awards. The students who were recognized received a framed certificate and an engraved Bible because they distinguished themselves through Christian witness, scholarship, leadership, and citizenship through their commitment to Christ, strength of character, and service to others.

In addition, Philip supports – with service not jut financially – a variety of community activities, programs, and special projects, including:

• Mothers Against Drunk Driving – helping this organization spread its message, raise money, etc.

• Project Graduation Foundation, a locally-run, nationally-developed, drug and alcohol-free program designed to keep seniors off the streets on the night of their high school graduation.

• Nursing home safety – educating seniors and their loved ones about the rights of nursing home patients, how to choose a nursing home, and nursing home care. Our vulnerable elderly have been a special concern for Phil, and he has worked hard to educate seniors and their loved ones about how to judge quality care, how to protect their rights, what to do when something goes wrong, etc. He has provided numerous aids for families thinking about making this transition for a loved one, including brochures and special websites.

• Business safety – educating business owners and managers on ways to reduce accidents in the workplace.

Under Philip’s direction, his law firm has been recognized with regional, state, and national awards for many of these community efforts. And the efforts are firm-wide. In his office, Philip has fostered an attitude and commitment to the community, and the professionals who work there share his high professional standards, technical experience, caring manner, integrity, and honesty, so that not only clients but also the community as a whole benefits.

Philip DeBerard’s perspective, leadership, and spirituality have proven to be an influential force in the Christian community here, and I feel he is deserving of this prestigious award.