Leader Profile: Don Ruggles, Winner of 2019 Wilbur Award for Exemplary Community Leadership (Adult)

This year’s adult recipient of the Wilbur Award is Don Ruggles, who has gone above and beyond for our community throughout the years with his company Helicopters Southwest. Most significantly, Don worked tirelessly thirty-five years ago to begin what we now know as Life Net. Thousands of flights later, Life Net is a critical part of emergency response for our area, and acknowledged as one of the very best in both Texas and Arkansas. Many testimonials give credit to Don for saving their lives or the lives of their family members. Accolades such as ‘life saver’ and ‘true hero’ are used in describing him. He changed how our area receives emergency treatment. Besides the life saving measures, he generously has provided countless flights for the Chamber of Commerce to help recruit business and industry to our area and has been active in local veterans groups. Our area doesn’t have a military organization that has not benefited from his work on their behalf. He is a skilled videographer and has captured much of Texarkana’s history on tape for future generations.

Leadership Texarkana’s Wilbur Awards have been given annually since 1992, in memory of community servant and historian Wilbur Smith. Celebrating the power of one to positively impact our community, the Wilbur Awards are given in three categories, honoring adults, youth, and organizations to individuals and groups whose demonstrate exemplary leadership in the community and a commitment to working together for community excellence.

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for details about all of those receiving 2019 Wilbur Awards