2022 Sertoman of the Year Award
The 2022 Sertoman of the Year Award represents one of two awards presented annually by Leona Valley Sertoma. The second is the Service To Mankind Award presented to a worthy individual in our Lakes and Valleys communities. For more about these awards we encourage you to visit Sertoma International website.
Dave joined Leona Valley Sertoma around 2007 and has since been an active in our mission of “Service to Mankind”. He is a loyal Sertoman and is always available to lend a helping hand and we are eternally grateful for his service. His many years of personal, physical and monetary sponsorship, when organizing fundraising events makes Dave more than worthy of the 2022 Sertoman of the Year Award.
As the 2022 Sertoman of the Year Award recipient, Dave Millard joins a stellar group of dedicated Leona Valley Sertomans. Check out past recipients of the Sertoman of the Year Award at: Leona Valley Sertoman of the Year Recipients.
Dave Millard, 2022 Sertoman of the Year Award Recipient
Dave was born in Northridge, CA and grew up in the San Fernando Valley with two siblings. His mother was a race car driver and his father worked on the space shuttle engines for Rocketdyne. David met his high school sweetheart, Laurie in 1976, graduating Sylmar High School in 1977 and in 1978, they married.
Dave went to work for Air King and the decision to leave family and friends, and move to Portland, Oregon, in 1979 with the company. In Portland, he also worked as a cook at Denny’s. They welcomed their first child, Brianna Brandy Millard on October 6, 1980, followed on January 14, 1983, by the birth of their second daughter, Jessica.
They moved back to California 1984 to help Laurie’s parents when Laurie’s 17 year old brother died. He and Laurie lived in San Fernando and eventually divorced in 1991 and Dave moved to Nevada where he worked as a cook for the Indian Casinos.
In 1993, Dave moved back to California and started his greatest adventure called AC Dave Heating and Air. Spending a lot of “family time” with their two daughters led to Dave and Laurie reuniting and they remarried on November 27, 1999. Their daughters Brianna and Jessica served as bridesmaids. In 2002, his Jessica gave birth to his first grandson, Dean, who became Papa David’s buddy.
In 2005, while living in Valencia, Dave’s business tools were stolen. This led them to sell their home and, in 2006, move to Lake Elizabeth, where Dave opened AC Dave Heating and Air serving the Lakes and Valley communities. On November 24, 2007 his second grandson, Daniel Christopher was born to Brianna. Daniel is affected with autism leading Brianna face many struggles of her own. Sadly, on March 30, 2014, Brianna lost her life on Hwy. 138 near Llano. Members of Sertoma at the time of their loss, Dave and Laurie are very thankful for the support of their Sertoma family.
Around 2016, the Millard’s started a non-profit called “Brianna Brandy Millard Smith’s Happy Children Memorial Fund” to honor their daughter’s memory with the goal of helping families in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction. Dave and Laurie have been able to help 14 families and remain dedicated to honoring Daniel’s mother.
Bob grew up in the suburbs of San Diego as the second of four children. In elementary school, he won 1st place in a cake decorating contest. From elementary to high school he worked a bicycle paper route. His first vehicles were a Vespa, followed by an orange VW Rabbit. He worked at Buffums restaurant during high school. He saved his money for trips to Boston to visit an aunt starting in the 7th grade, which sparked Bob’s love of traveling.
David was 2 years old when he moved to Leona Valley. He received his first tractor at 3 years old where he had his first rattlesnake encounter. Growing up he was involved with AWANA, choir, piano and 4H. In 4H he held all the offices and worked the 4-H food booth at the Fairgrounds for several years. He was always busy doing brush clearance for families in the community, rescuing people and their cars in ditches all over town and any and all projects he saw that needed to be done.
I also wrote about Sertoma, and, in particular, Leona Valley Sertoma, and how the members “Make A Difference” in their communities through service to others. They seek out opportunities to help their neighbors in need and their fundraisers bring people together. Friends and neighbors are entertained, enjoy fellowship, and they make new friends and get to know each other better. These things strengthen the bonds between neighbors and isn’t that what makes a community a community? I know firsthand how Leona Valley Sertoma helped me get to know my neighbors and make friends.