Former Mesquite City Council member and longtime community volunteer Debbie Anderson was inducted into the Mesquite Rotary Club's Grove of Honor.
The Mesquite Rotary Club inducted another outstanding citizen into the Mesquite Rotary Grove of Honor at the site in DeBusk Park, adjacent to the Kidsquest playground, on April 15th. Former Mesquite City Council member and longtime community volunteer Debbie Anderson was inducted as the club continues catching up after the pausing of inductions during the pandemic.
The club established this award in 1999 in order to provide a vehicle for honoring Mesquite citizens who have demonstrated a commitment to serving our community, an overall public spirit, and whose efforts have materially benefited our city and/or its people. A tree is planted at the site in honor of each inductee, and their names are added to the plaque at the site for all to see.
Past honorees at the Rotary Grove of Honor include the late Dr. Jack Nelson, Evelyn Williams, the late Nancy Upton, the late James Folks, the late Len Gibbens, Gary Bingham, the late Oran Bain, the late Briggs Todd, the late John Heiman, Sr., the late John Bass, the late Dr. Ralph Poteet, the late Anne Poteet, Dr. James Griffin, Bennye Rice, David Belt, Dr. Byron McKnight, Dwight Hawkins, Dr. James Terry, the late Valerie Bradley, John Heiman, Jr., and Debi Holley.
Debbie Anderson is a longtime, active resident of Mesquite who retired from a 33-year career in education in 2021. Her record of service to the Mesquite community has been amazing, both as a volunteer and as a city official. She is a member of Ambucs, and has served as their vice-president and secretary since 2023. She served as president of the Creek Crossing Community Watch Group-East for many years. She has been a member of the Mesquite Citizen Police Academy Alumni Association since 2012, and has served on their board as the secretary and as the president. She has dedicated thousands of volunteer hours assisting the Mesquite Police Department, supporting its mission through programs like the Santa Cop toy and bike drive. She has also been an active participant in the City of Mesquite’s annual Neighborhood Summit.