ALICE BENNETT SIMS COLLECTS TWO HUGE HONORS

Alice Bennett Sims has been involved in the AAU since 2000 and is a huge proponent of AAU Track & Field. Recently, she was honored as a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of the Florida Panhandle and was one of six volunteers to receive the Champion of Service Award, which is Florida's only statewide volunteer recognition. Read more about these honors and this amazing woman below! 

Florida Department of Juvenile Justice

Prevention Services Update

Assistant Secretary for Prevention Alice B. Sims was honored as a Woman of Distinction by the Girl Scouts of the Florida Panhandle at the FSU Alumni Center in Tallahassee on November 19, 2015.  Assistant Secretary Sims was honored for her contributions in the category of social services. Other women were honored for service in the areas of business, law, education, community impact and Rising Young Women of Distinction. One woman received the Pearl Lifetime Achievement Award “for her significant contributions to the Girl Scout movement in support of building girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place.” The final honoree was recognized with the Diamond Award for “contributions to the community” that “embody the vision of Juliette Gordon Low, founder of Girl Scouts.”        

According to Raslean M. Allen, Girl Scout Council of the Florida Panhandle, Inc. chief executive officer, “The recipients are women who have distinguished themselves through service and leadership in their community demonstrating courage, confidence, and character, while making the world a better place.” A program inspired by Girl Scouts nationally, and hosted locally by the Girl Scouts of the Florida Panhandle, the Women of Distinction awards honor women who truly demonstrate their commitment to the community. The women selected join the 142 women in the Florida Panhandle who have been honored as Women of Distinction since the program’s inception in 1998.
 

                                        Alice Bennett Sims

Florida State University Alumni

Bachelor of Science
Track and Field – 1979-1983 

Alice B. Sims is married and has 2 children.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education at Florida State University in 1983.  Alice Sims currently works with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice as the Assistant Secretary for Prevention and Victim Services.  She is also the Executive Director of the Ernie Sims Big HITS Foundation and the Assistant Director of The WAY Ministries of Tallahassee, Inc.  She previously worked in the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget as a Governmental Analyst in the Public Safety Unit.  Prior to joining the Governors office, she worked in the Florida House of Representatives in the Criminal Justice Appropriations Subcommittee.  Although her career paths has afforded her many professional opportunities, the most rewarding is her ability to positively impact the lives of young people.  She has a heart and passion to see young people succeed and reach their maximum potential.  Alice’s career spans from coordinating the Statewide VISION Initiative with the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services to directing the Leon County TIMEOUT! Mentor Program, which matched volunteer college students one-on-one with at-risk and delinquent youths. 

Alice is a fitness guru and has a passion to help her clients reach their fitness and wellness goals.  She received her National Personal Trainer Certification through American Association of Fitness Professionals in 2007 and in 2013 received a Nationally/Internationally Personal Trainers Certification through The National Council for Certified Personal Trainers. She is currently a personal trainer and group exercise instructor at the Ernie Sims Big HITS Performance Facility.

One of her most memorable career experiences was the development and implementation of prevention, early intervention, mentoring, and tutoring programs for at-risk and delinquent youths.  She designed the F.I.R.E. (Firefighters Intervening to Reclaim and Educate) Academy that matched professional firefighters with at-risk youths as role models.  She also developed the A.I.M. (Agency Intervention Mentoring) Program with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, which matched state workers with at-risk youth.  She later assisted in developing the S.T.E.P. (Saving Teens from Entering Prison) Program for incarcerated juveniles at the Leon Regional Juvenile Detention Center and the S.T.A.R.S. (Standing Tall and Reaching for Success) Program with community churches.

In 2012, she served as the Project Director for the SEC Mentoring Program with the Florida Department of Children and Families.  Certified mentors from Florida State University, Florida A & M University and Tallahassee Community College are trained and matched with youth involved in the foster care system.  The youth gained a wealth of knowledge, community support, resilience, life skills and career planning that assisted in developing responsible young adults and community stakeholders. 

As the Executive Director of the Big HITS (Helping to Instill Tools for Success) Foundation, she helps organize and coordinate the Annual Ernie Sims Celebrity Charity Weekend events.  This event has served over 4000 youths since its inception in 2008.  The foundation raises monies to support youth in sports/recreation and athletic/academic scholarships.  Alice is also the Assistant Director of the W.A.Y. Ministries (Winning America’s Youth), which is a non-profit youth outreach organization which serves boys and girls ages 5-18.  Through this organization, boys and girls can participate in the Capital City Christian Cruisers Track and Field Club.  The club has operated since 1994 and has served well over 4000 athletes.  Currently, over 25 athletes who participated in the club are competing in colleges and universities all over the country.  The CCCC Track club has won more national medals than any other Amateur Athletic Union track club in Tallahassee history.  In 2004, the club was proud to have 5 National Champions at the AAU National Junior Olympics in Des Moines, Iowa.

Alice was a seven-time All-American in track and field at Florida State University.  She coached high school track and field at North Florida Christian School for over 10 years.  She is currently the Operations Director for the Global Track and Field Association and the Associate Chair for the Florida Amateur Athletic Union. 

Some of her many honors include a 1995 Women of Distinction Award, a 1995 Leon County Juvenile Justice Community Achievement Award, a 1997 USA Track and Field Youth Development Achievement Award, a 1998 Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Excellence in Volunteer and Internship Program Award, a 1999 Gulf Winds Track Club Michael Caldwell Advancement of the Sport Award, a 2000 Tallahassee Community College Outstanding Women of Today Award, a 2002 Kids Incorporated “Champion for Children” Award, a 2004 Florida Commission on the Status of Women Outstanding Achievement Award and a 2004 WCTV Television “She’s Got Game” Recognition.  In 2005, she was inducted in the Florida State University’s “Champions Beyond The Game Hall of Fame”. She is a National Certified Track and Field Official with USA Track and Field and has served as an official since 1999.  In 2015, she and her husband Ernest Sims, Jr. received Governor Rick Scott’s Champion of Service award for their outstanding volunteer service with The W.A.Y. Ministries of Tallahassee, Inc.  Recently she was honored with a Women of Distinction Award by the Florida Panhandle Girl Scouts organization.  

Her life is centered on her family, church, and community.  She is happily married to Ernest Sims, Jr. of 32 years and is the proud mother of Ernie, III and Marcus Sims and their adopted children Latonya and Michael and they have five (5) grandchildren.  She is an outstanding leader and role model and has positively impacted the lives of many young people and their families.

Florida Governor Rick Scott

2015 Champion of Service Award

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In January 2015, Governor Rick Scott and Volunteer Florida CEO Chester Spellman awarded six Floridians with the Champion of Service Award, Florida’s only statewide volunteer recognition.

Governor Scott said, “Today’s Champion of Service recipients serve Florida’s children, the elderly, and students with the upmost compassion and dedication. I applaud them for their volunteer work to improve and help the families in their communities, and I am honored to present these individuals with the Champion of Service Award.”

“It is an honor to recognize six outstanding volunteers today who serve Floridians of all backgrounds, from students to seniors,” said Chester W. Spellman, CEO of Volunteer Florida. “These Floridians have demonstrated a tireless commitment to serving their communities—and our state—and Volunteer Florida is proud to recognize them for their service.”

Ernest Sims, Jr., and Alice Sims – Capital City Christian Cruisers

Capital City Christian Cruisers (CCCC) is a component of The WAY (Winning America’s Youth) Ministries of Tallahassee, Inc., a community-based youth organization dedicated to meeting the spiritual, social and physical needs of young people and their families. Since its inception in 1994, over 4000 athletes have participated in the club and over 400 athletes have competed at the Amateur Athletic Union Track and Field Junior Olympics. Alice and Ernest Sims have given countless hours to the community by providing youth mentorship, chaplaincy services, behavioral modification workshops, and employment and economic development assistance. Alice and Ernest emphasize confidence-building, positive peer relations, conflict resolution, and family enrichment.