Jurgens Recognized with Melbourne’s Exceptional Citizen Award

Bill Jurgens, who spent 50 years in Florida Tech athletics before retiring as Athletics Director Emeritus in 2020, was recognized in April with the City of Melbourne’s Exceptional Citizen Award. The City Council created the award program “to recognize Melbourne residents whose volunteerism, service and dedication have made a significant contribution to the City of Melbourne.”

Recipients of the award, Mayor Paul Alfrey said as he presented it to Jurgens, “are members of the community, business owners, people that really have gone, in my opinion, well beyond the scope a regular resident would.” He said Jurgens was receiving the award “in recognition of your extraordinary efforts and significant contributions to improve the quality of life for residents and businesses in the City of Melbourne.”

The modest Jurgens, in accepting the award, turned it back toward the council.

“I would like to thank all of you for your dedicated service to the city,” he said, noting he has been a Melbourne resident for 67 years. “I’ve had a lot of role models in Melbourne…from coaches to teachers, and ended up being a coach and athletic director for 50 years at Florida Tech, so I couldn’t be prouder of a community. And I’ve always said that this is a perfect place to live.”

Council member Debbie Thomas nominated Jurgens and at a council meeting on March 22 talked about why he was deserving.

She noted his tenure at Florida Tech and said in addition to that, Jurgens has “worked in our community tirelessly. He’s working in many different organization, volunteering on many different boards – he’s been around and contributed immensely to the City of Melbourne, and he is a City of Melbourne resident. That’s why I nominated him.”

The council then voted unanimously in favor of bestowing the award on Jurgens.